Club of Anchor Friends


There are almost 270 members in Club of Anchor Friends (Club van Ankervrienden, CVA), including 32 Americans.  The CVA is growing, as is attendance at the meeting.  The last meeting had about 60 attendees.  The CVA is now a 'majority German speaking' club.

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 editions are available at no extra cost.  The MLB always includes a "Buy and Sell" column.  

Since 2004 the dues have been quoted euros, .  I have been advised that not all software displays the euro sign.  Ebay has chosen the use EUR as an alternate. Perhaps I may have to use this solution also.  The 2011 dues are € 50.- for everyone. (For all Americans, North and South, US$ 70.)  American members receive an all English language version of the MLB.  An all-German version is also available, but the "real", original, mixed language version is sent to the Dutch members. 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 third or fourth Saturday of April and October.  The last meeting was on Saturday, October 22, 2011.  The date of the next meeting will be on Saturday, April 21, 2012.  The location of the meeting is the Hotel Lapershoek in HilversumNetherlands.  This location is working out quite well.  The last several meetings have had good attendance (it seems to hold steady at between 1/4th and 1/3rd of the total membership), and there have been some auctions of very fine Anchor sets, stones and documentation.  Mostly stones were auctioned in April, so some were not all that interested.  I was able to buy a lot of unusual stones.  While visitors are welcome, they are not permitted to bid on auction items.  

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.  Almost all information is on-line at cva.flying-cat.de.  The CD-ROMs have been discontinued; download what you want.  There is an Anker-Forum -- http://www.ankerstein.ch/forum/.   

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.   A preliminary printing of revision has been sent to all CVA members.  These catalogs are in a loose-leaf format, so adding the updates is very easy.  Additions and corrections continue to be made.  All Anchor people need, and will want, a copy.  I do not have any copies here in the USA. 

People interested in more information on the CVA can e-mail me, in the USA, write or e-mail the CVA's Secretary: Reijnold van der Poel, Postbus 262, 8500 AG Joure, Netherlands, 0513-416466.  He is fluent in German, French and English, as well as his native Dutch.   

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