Margaret Stewart, owner of a newsletter writing business, Stewart Communications, has been hired to publish our association newsletter, The Nevada Inventor.
Dear Inventors:
My goal is to publish an interesting newsletter that represents the interests and goals of The NIA. We hope to use this newsletter as a promotional and recruiting tool.
Plan on reading about our members and their inventions and ideas. In addition, I'll cover our meeting topics and association events. We will include information of interest, such as internet links, resources and community and government events of interest to inventors.
We welcome your ideas and articles. Submissions for the newsletter will be collected at the last ten minutes of each monthly meeting. Submitted articles may be edited for grammar and length. Photos are encouraged.
You may email articles or information to be included in the letter to Mcdstewart@earthlink.net'. Email submissions must be received by the Meeting date to be included in the next published letter.
I am looking forward to working with you and your highly dynamic association.
Margaret Stewart
Summer 2000
Regular meeting schuled on the th Saturday of each month. They are held at the Washoe Medical Center, room 101 from 9am to noon
Next meeting
Saturday, June 17
(note: not 4th Saturday)
9am tO noon, WMC, Room 101
Agenda:
State Fair booth Report. Newsletter Discussion
Speaker; Barbara Frank,
Owner of Frankley First Printing and Promotional, Architect and Web Site Designer Topic: "Designing a Web Site to Market Your Invention
July 22
9am to noon, WMC, Room 101
August 23-27
Inventors booth, Nevada State Fair
September 23
Annual Picnic, Location TBA
The Invention: Taking on a Life of Its Own?
by Len Scheweitzer
I choose to believe my youthful experience was not unusual. All of those distant classroom studies involving the lives of early American inventors commanded my special attention. It was a simpler time then. Fulton, Whitney, McCormick, Edison, The Wright Brothers... they were truly extraordinary men. It amazed me that they were able to come up with those great ideas that profoundly changed the course of history. It's near impossible to imagine what life would be like without their great creations. Wow! They must have gotten super rich living off their inventions. And all that notoriety; it had to be special!
These thoughts lingered in the ensuing years and have never really vanished. The prospect persisted in my mind, "Wouldn't it be exciting to come up with some invention and be able to enjoy all the benefits which come with offering a great new idea?" Oh, it would not have to be of the magnitude of those early inventions. Something less would still be wonderful. Enjoying the rewards, the comforts, the secu rities of an invention or a lessor significance would still be a rewarding experience.
But do we forget? Those were simpler times. Or... was it that we were permitted to believe they were simpler times? Truth most likely sides with the latter.
For the uninitiated, I do not herein suggest that shortly after the inventor conceptualizes and first produces his great new invention it takes on a life of its own, that it stands on its own and flourishes merely on its own wonderful merits. This may well be the most popular misconception about the invention process. Put it at the top of the list.
For the moment allow it to be entertained that this is never the case. The only "life" which an invention "contains", or takes on, as it were, is what some Champion "breathes" into it. Otherwise the invention remains unnoticed and its drift into oblivion is not an uncommon happenstance.
Were our teachers and/or mentors of bygone years also caught up in the romantic enthrall which the special invention brings to the inventor? For that matter, does any of our present day formal schooling have an accurate clue of what it takes to bring a new product into the market? But that is the subject of a whole other topic.
Here and now it cannot be overemphasized that some living, vibrant, enthused, never-say-die person (i.e. some driven character, a.k.a. the crazed inventor!) always exists behind every successful product. Without him the consumer remains deprived of the benefits of the new creation. In a word, the product needs someone to "Champion" it.
Midway through their nationwide best seller, In Search of Excellence. The authors, Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman elaborate on the essential need for the product to have a champion. To avoid the oft costly mistake of mislabeling the odd-ball, misfit, inventor suffering a temporary human frailty, it is worth noting their findings.
"All the activity and apparent confusion we were observing revolves around fired-up 'champions' and arourd making sure that the potential innovator, or champion, comes forward, grows and flourishes, even to the extent of indulging in a little madness. For as Tait Elder, the head of the New Business Ventures Division at 3M told us flatly, 'We expect our champions to be irrational'"
That word, "irrational." How often does the inventor/champion wonder about the irrational world out there? Why don't they get it? Does the inventor necessarily become irrational to meet this world and its people where they are?
Congratulations Twice! !
to;
Kehl LeSourd who recently became father to a twin son and daughter
We need NIA members to volunteer for two hour shifts to man the Inventor's booth at the Nevada State Fair this August. Without a strong showing from the members we will have to scrap the booth as a good idea doomed for lack of follow through. Our goals for the fair booth are to:
1) Promote the Nevada Inventor's Association and increase membership
2) Promote current members' inventions
3) Encourage creative and scientific thinking as well as invention in our community
Volunteer to man a two hour time slot. Bring your invention to explain and promote.
If you don't wish to promote your invention, you can talk about another member's. (With permission of course.)
Alex Prokop has experience setting up a fair booth and has asked for one other member to help him the morning of August 23. Please call 323-1972 or 323-3630 to help.
Yes! I will volunteer to man the NIA Booth at the Nevada State Fair.
Dates and Times:
circle one or more August 23, 4 - 6pm August 24, 25, 26, 27, 1lam - 3pm, 2 - 6pm
The Following Companies are aggressively seeking inventions that are patented or have a patent pending.
l) Medtech Limited. Irish medical device company seeks innovative device concepts for Minimally Invasive Surgery, patented, patent pending or just good ideas. Interested in buying licensing or joint venturing. Contact: Martin Calwell. e-mail: medtech@indigo.ie
2) Promotional Products Novelty, souvenir, toys, imprintable products wanted. We are a supplier of corporate promotional and premium items. Performance Promotions, New Products, P.O. Box 990459, Redding CA 96099 FAX (530) 244-1101 www.performancepromotions.com
Many more resources available to members at each meeting. ISEE ENGINEERING Electronic
See our disclaimer here.
Page done by Vince Chemist.
Created Sept 24 2000.
Updated November 29, 2005