Safety first

I sure hope I'm preaching to the choir here. We all spend a lot of time around, in, under, and close to our cars. We use grinders, welders, chemicals, and solvents. Lots of our tools can turn around and bite us real quick. With the start of a new season for cruising, fixing, and tuning, its time to think, just a moment, about safety. I'd hate to lose a friend because he did something wrong.
Safety is as much an attitude as it is actions. Think about whatever job youre about to do. It may take a little more time to do it safely, but how long does it take to regrow a missing finger, eye, or toe? Remember a few basic rules, and well all be happier:
Don't trust jacks! Always use jackstands whenever you're underneath the car, or working on the suspension or brakes. Jacks are for lifting, not supporting, and they do fail from time to time.
Always have good ventilation! Paint fumes can kill you, welding fumes can too. Gasoline fumes can be ignited by a gas water heater or dryer in the garage and go boom! Batteries give off hydrogen gas when theyre being charged, another boom!
Cleanliness is next to living longer. Slipping in an oil puddle or loose sandblasting media can put any of us in the hospital.
Please, please use goggles or face shields when grinding or sandblasting or pressure washing parts. Lose your vision and you won't see those grandkids we all are so proud of.
Lift with your legs! Many of the parts we work with are heavy. Don't throw out your back trying to move that bag of blasting media or that wheel and tire.
Don't wear any loose clothing around moving machinery. That fan blade at the front of your engine can grab a sleeve or watchband and pull your arm right in.
Theres no way I can cover all the hazards of working on cars, there are so many ways to hurt yourself. Use some common sense and thought. Pay close attention to what
you're doing, think it through, and be careful. I'd hate to lose a friend to a preventable accident.

January Meeting Minutes

Minutes taken by Phyllis Cox

Minutes

January meeting

Joe Wren, our new president, called the meeting to order with about 20 members present. There were no new members or guests, so we got right down to business.

Phyllis read the minutes from the last meeting, and reported we have about $940 still in the bank. The club paid the bills, stamps, and we went on from there.

Club t-shirts were finally here. They look fine, black with gold lettering. Most of those present had ordered some, and they bought them right away.

Joe reported he had reserved Highland Bayou Park for the Fathers Day Car show, and was arranging for security. Rain date will be the 21st. Hemmings is sending us a hundred car placards, 20 show posters, and a door prize. They will supply dash plaques for 70 cents each. We voted to order a hundred. Joe has lined up Standard and O'Riellya auto Parts and Toby Hamon as $200 sponsors, and found a concessionaire for goodies and drinks. If anyone else finds a someone willing to be a sponsor, let us know before the March meeting. We'll ask Space City Cruisers to judge cars for us again.