Fall National M-WTCA Conference: Springfield, MO

9-25-24 / 9-28-24 Oasis Hotel, Springfield, MO Fall National Conference

2546 N Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65803 (417) 866-5253

Larry Thorson (608)779-0966 thorsonlh@gmail.com

Register now HERE

The Fall 2024 Conference will be held September 25-28 at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield, MO, the same location as our 2019 conference.   The hotel rate is $114 (breakfast is NOT included).  The rates are good for three days prior and three days following the meeting.  The hotel reservation number is 417-866-5253, so make sure you ask for the MWTCA conference rate.  Located in south-central Missouri, there are a number of interesting things to see and do in the Springfield area.  Springfield is located on former Route 66.  Branson, MO, is located some 60 miles south of Springfield.  The men’s display theme will be “craftsman-made tools.”   No, this is not a display for tools marked “Craftsman” sold by Sears.  This was the display theme at the Davenport meeting in 2012.  The response was great, so we will try it again.

The hotel and convention center are located just off I-44. It has a large meeting room that can accommodate our tool trading and displays.  

Registration is Wednesday, September 25 from 2-6 PM.  Members will be selling tools out of their hotel rooms beginning Wednesday morning.  We will “kick off” the conference with a Welcome Dinner at 6 PM with a light meal so don’t forget to register for this function.  A count for the number of meals must be provided in advance so we are unable to accommodate last minute requests.  The Tailgating will begin early Thursday morning (bring a flashlight) weather permitting.   Be aware that there is NO BACKUP plan should it be raining.  

No tours have been planned for Thursday.  This is our 4th meeting in Springfield, MO so finding locations worthy of your time and expense for places to tour on Thursday was a challenge.  With the cost of a coach bus running $1500-$1800 finding something special to justify the tours did not materialize.   Issues occurred at every venue pursued including Silver Dollar City and College of the Ozarks.   For those attending their first meeting in Springfield there is plenty to see and do including a wide variety of antique shops in the area.

The men’s program on Thursday evening will feature a presentation by Norm Walzer on leather working tools and their history.  Norm’s presentation will feature pre-civil war leather tools.   James Wright will return with a workshop on Thursday afternoon on how to make a grooving plane.  On Friday the Trade and Display room will open at 8:30 AM beginning with the displays followed by tool trading at 10 AM.    We will have several demonstrators in the Trade and Display Room on Friday including Robert Stone demonstrating tin smithing, Tom Updegraff demonstrating violin making and Springfield Leather featuring saddle making.  On Friday afternoon Jim Price will present a program “Bronze Age Technology” featuring tools from 2500-8900 BC.  The tool auction will get underway at 7:30 PM with the auction preview at starting at 6:30 PM.  If you have tools that you would like to sell please give serious thought to bring them for the Friday auction.

For those members that can only attend on Saturday we again are offering registration for ‘Saturday Only” with the trade room opening at 7:00 AM.  At 10:30 we will hold the “What’s It” program so if you have an unusual item that you would like to challenge the “What’s It crew” you are encouraged to bring it.  At 2:00 PM we will conduct the election of officers for the following year and close out our program’s with a presentation by Steve Stepp on the history of the Springfield Wagon Company.   Mr. Stepp has published a book titled “The Old Reliable: the History of the Springfield Wagon Company, 1872-1952″.

We will close out the meeting with our banquet and short business meeting.

You must be a member to attend as the meeting is closed to the public and there is also a registration fee.  

You must be a member to attend.  Membership is $25.  There is also a registration fee.   The registration fee for Saturday only is $25 and includes a complimentary membership for new members.  You can join MWTCA by completing the application, which is available at www.mwtca.org.  Online, registration is available to members HERE. There is no reduction in the registration fees to attend any of the other days.   A meeting badge will be issued at time of registration.  This badge is required to attend all functions.

Here are the documents and more information on the national convention.

For the Brosure: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SX9qo4U70BZTX1sv3HbEcGP7zr_mhc1e/view?usp=sharing

For the registration form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15W7k2O7mdgrAucbOAL2_9jIzLM2n5-30/view?usp=sharing

For Area attractions and Activities: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HBRa9SQEd1S0iKyyy3P2DliIN2MK91O4/view?usp=sharing

For Conference Policies: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ggg7hWDC5_u7XdaFlKOobW4zPLhSJFbj/view?usp=sharing

CONFERENCE AGENDA

Wednesday   September 25

2-6:00 p.m.    Registration 

4:00 p.m.       Executive Committee

6:00 p.m.       Welcome Dinner

8-10 p.m.       Hospitality room opens 

Thursday    September 26

6:00 a.m. Tailgating – Until You Drop!

6:00-9 a.m. Registration

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Auxiliary Social Activity Room open

3:00-4:00 pm   Plane making-James Wright

4:00 p.m.         BOD Meeting

4:00-6 p.m.      Auxiliary Planning Meeting

7:30 p.m.        Presentation – Leather working tools 

7:30 p.m.         Auxiliary Meet & Greet

9-11 p.m. Hospitality room open

Friday      September 27

6:30 a.m. Move displays in & set up

6:30-9 a.m. Registration open

7:00 a.m. Move tools in and cover

8-5:00 p.m. Auxiliary Social Activity Room open

8:30-10am Displays open for Q&A Session

10 a.m. Trade Room Open

2:00 p.m. Auxiliary Book Review

2-3:30 p.m.     Presentation – Bronze Age Tools 

3:30-6 p.m. Trade Room Open 

6:30-7:30 p.m. Auction preview with Auction at 7:30 pm

7:30 p.m.         Auction

7:30 p.m.         Auxiliary game night

9-11 p m.        Hospitality room open

Saturday    September 28

6:30-9 a.m. Registration

7:00 a.m.         Trade/Display Room opens           

8-noon             Auxiliary Social Activity Room open     

10:30 a.m.       What’s-it Session

11:30 a.m.      Auxiliary Luncheon

12:30 p.m.       Trade/Display room closes

2:00 p.m.         Election of Officers 

2:10 p.m.         Presentation – Springfield Wagon                                                         

                        Company

6:00 p.m.         Cash Bar opens

6:40 p.m.         Banquet & Business Meeting

8:30-10 p.m.    Hospitality room open