There are approximately 180 members of Club of Anchor Friends (Club van
Ankervrienden, CVA), including twenty five Americans. The CVA
is growing rapidly, as is attendance at the meeting. The last meeting
had 75 attendees, a new record. The CVA publishes a Newsletter
(Mededelingenblad, MLB) four times a year. Although the MLB
articles are written in the language of the author (Dutch, German, English
-- we would welcome one in French) full English and German translations
are available at no extra cost, except for postage for the one in German.
The MLB always includes a "Buy and Sell" column. Dues for the
CVA are Hfl 90 for Dutch members, Hfl 95 for other Europeans and Hfl 110
(at present about $50) for overseas members. The dues include the MLB,
and the difference in dues reflects the postage costs. New members
are always welcome. I am most gratified to note that the Internet
has been getting new members for the CVA at the rate of about one per month.
The CVA holds its meetings twice a year, usually on the fourth Saturday of April and October. The last meeting was Saturday, October 28, 2000; the next one will be held on Saturday, April 28, 2001. Visitors are welcome. Thelocation of the meeting has been moved from the Hotel Toor in Alphen a/d Rijn to the Hotel Lapershoek in Hilversum, Netherlands. I plan to be there, as usual. The last several meetings have had record attendance and there have been some very fine auctions of Anchor sets, stones and documentation.
The CVA also puts on exhibitions of Anchor products, including large Anchor block buildings. CVA members build the display models over the week preceding the opening.
The CVA has an Archive, which includes more than 2,000 original documents. Copies are available at no cost, other than copying cost (b/w is usually free) and postage. Color copies are available, but at very high European costs (about $2 per page). The computer age is coming to the Archive. A CD-ROM project has been started. A3 (11×17) scanners and color printers are now available in the USA and Europe, as are CD-ROM burners. Several preliminary CD-ROMs are now available: they contain GK-NF building, layer and packing plans; KK building, layer and packing plans; plus plans for many other sets. Eventually CD-ROMS will be available with all of the Anchor plans, packing plans, old MLBs, etc. CD-ROMs are cheap. It will take time to do the work. into the computer age.
The CVA has published its Stone Catalog, which covers all of the stone shapes Richter made, plus shapes made by other innovators. Metal parts and most other accessories are included in the catalog. The contents of the sets are also listed. No more will be printed until the next revision is complete, which will not be until after the first of the year. Updates for old catalogs will be available. These updates are the reason for the loose-leaf format. Most of the changes relate to the stones in the various sets and newly created stone shapes. All Anchor people need, and will want, a copy. Owners of earlier copies of the CVA Stone Catalog should contact me. I still have some of the replacement pages for the catalogs already sold. These replacement pages are free. But the new set of replacement pages will cost something.
People interested in more information on the CVA can e-mail me, in the USA, or write or e-mail the CVA's Secretary: Leo Coffeng, Blauwedijk 2, NL-7218 BK Almen, Netherlands; 0575-431542. Of course, Leo is fluent in German, French and English, as well as his native Dutch. Other European AVs are also adding e-mail addresses.
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