PHILANTHROPIST KICKS OFF BULOVA SCHOOL CAMPAIGN
Philanthropist Norman Morris of Harrison, N.Y., has launched the Joseph Bulova School’s first fund-raising campaign with a $25,000 pledge.
Morris, 96, a watch importer for 65 years, is credited with making the Swiss-made Omega watch well-known in the U.S. He also is a former president of the American Watch Association and the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York.
Morris says he made the pledge because he knew the school’s founder, Arde Bulova, and his father, Joseph, for whom it is named. He also believes the school has an important role to play as demand for skilled craftspeople in the industry grows and the number of people entering the trade falls. “When I was in the watch business, we employed over 50 watchmakers,” he says. “[Now] most of the older watchmakers have retired or passed on and the younger generation doesn’t think of watchmaking when they think of a career. However, a career in the watch or jewelry industry can be extremely lucrative.”
The school, a non-profit institution in Woodside, N.Y., was opened in 1945 to provide injured World War II veterans with a marketable skill. It now is the region’s only school specializing in watchmaking and the jewelry trade. The goal of the school’s fund-raising campaign is to secure $5 million to expand classrooms and update equipment and tools.
REVERE ACADEMY ADDS CLASS IN PLATINUM CASTING
The Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts has added a three-day class called “Platinum Casting” to its course offerings.
The class will be taught by Christopher Cart, manager of technical education and training for the Platinum Guild International Jewelry USA. Platinum fabrication, setting and polishing require some specialized skills and expertise; casting it has long been a mystery to smaller jewelry workshops. However, once basic concepts are understood, says school founder Alan Revere, even small workshops are able to cast platinum with great success.
Other special workshops planned for the fall semester include “Granulation in 18k Gold,” taught by award-winning master goldsmith Kent Raible; “Gemology and Diamond Grading” with Courtney Balzan; “Torch Enameling” with German-trained master Werner Cronauer; and “Weaving Metals” with Maria Schipper. Special classes include “Getting a Job in Jewelry” with Robin Bryant, a certified placement counselor. Revere himself will teach “Bench Tricks,” “Surface Treatment,” “Design” and “Goldsmithing.”
The fall program is rounded out by two dozen other classes in a range of subjects, including fabrication, stone setting, polishing, wax modeling, metalsmithing and engraving.
Classes are one to five days.
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, 760 Market St., Suite 900, San Francisco, Cal. 94102; (415) 391-4179, fax (415) 391-7570.
JA SCHEDULES ADDITIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCES
Jewelers of America has added two more locations to its schedule of 1995 Regional Education Conferences. The additional conferences will be held Oct. 7-9 in Bloomington, Minn., and Oct. 20-22 in Bedford, Mass.
The conferences, sponsored by JA’s Michael D. Roman Center for Business Studies, will feature “How to Promote Your Store Image,” presented by James Porte, president of the Jewelry Marketing Institute, and “Selling More Diamonds Over One Carat,” by sales trainer Shane Decker. They also will include the Certified Store Manager exam, CSM review and State Affiliate Leadership Forum.
To register for the conference, jewelers must send a $20 deposit; the money will be returned at the conference. The Certified Store Manager exam requires a separate registration and non-refundable fee of $25; the CSM review is $5.
CBS sessions count as two to four Jewelers Continuing Education units toward JA’s Accredited Jewelers Designation. Jewelers of America, Education Department, 1185 Ave. of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10036; (800) 223-0673.
AMA OFFERS SEMINARS,SELF-STUDY COURSES
Two new catalogs of educational offerings are available from the American Management Association.
The first details seminars available through April 1996. They cover such general topics as accounting and controls, assertiveness training, communication skills, financial management, human resources, information systems, insurance and risk management, leadership and management skills, marketing, inventory management, project management, sales and strategic management.
The catalog lists the dates and cities throughout the country where each seminar will be held.
The self-study courses cover such topics as “Fundamentals of Finance and Accounting for Nonfinancial Managers,” “How to Write a Business Plan,” “Leadership Skills for Managers,” “Coaching for Top Performance,” “How to Build High-Performance Teams,” “How to Interview Effectively,” “Fundamentals of Human Resources,” “How to Manage Conflict in the Organization,” “How to Comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act,” “Communication Skills for Managers,” “Fundamentals of Inventory Management and Control,” “How to Plan and Manage Your Company Budget” and “How to Prepare a Financial Forecast.”
American Management Association, 135 W. 50 St., New York, N.Y. 1002-1201; (800) 262-9699.
AGTA NAMES CONSULTANT FOR EDUCATION PROGRAM
The American Gem Trade Association has appointed Charlotte Preston as education program consultant for its 1996 Tucson GemFair, scheduled for Jan. 31 to Feb. 5.
Preston is a certified association executive and education program consultant for the JCK International Jewelry Shows in Las Vegas. She formerly was executive director of the Jewelers Education Foundation of the American Gem Society and assistant executive director of AGS.
Charlotte Preston, 2697 E. County Rd. E., #524, White Bear Lake, Minn. 55110; (612) 653-3919, fax (612) 653-3920.
NAWCC PLANS SEMINAR
The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors announced its 16th annual seminar. Entitled “A Practical Analysis of Early American Tall Case Clockmaking,” it will be held Oct. 26-28 at the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers, Harrisburg, Pa.
Eleven nationally recognized lecturers will discuss separate regional characteristics of early American tall case clocks. A special exhibit, called “American Masterpieces, Tall Case Clocks of the 18th Century,” will be held at the NAWCC Museum and World Headquarters in nearby Columbia, Pa. The program is open to the public. Cost is $50 for one day of seminars, $100 for all three days and $135 for three days plus banquet.
NAWCC, 514 Poplar St., Colum bia, Pa. 17512-2130; (717) 684-8261.
MASTER VALUER PROGRAM PLANS TUCSON WORKSHOP
The Master Valuer Program will offer a jewelry appraisal workshop Feb. 2-4, 1996, during the Tucson gem and mineral shows.
The workshop covers valuation methods, market analysis, research guidelines, valuation of treated and filled diamonds and colored stones, report writing and the impact on value of repairs and alterations. Participants will be able to see and handle gemstones, understand their value elements and learn what to include in accurate, defensible appraisals.
Tuition for the three-day course is $450. Program director is Anna Mil ler. Master Valuer Program, P.O. Box 1844, Pearland, Tex. 77588; (713) 485-1606 telephone and fax.