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Editor's Notes

This and the past few issues have been slim, but next month should be back to its usual size once we have a meeting with a Show and Tell opportunity -- the first since October. Bring your items to the January meeting! Also, the February issue will contain descriptions of the Thousandth Meeting medals along with ordering information. The 1000th meeting banquet will be on the Saturday night of CICF.

Some members might not attend our January meeting because they are at FUN, NYINC, or some other site. The rest of us will look forward to the resulting trip reports (HINT).

Paul Hybert, editor

Minutes of the 995th Meeting

The 995th meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was called to order on December 12, 2001 by President Carl Wolf. The meeting was the Annual Banquet held at the Mid Day Club on the 57th floor of 1 Bank One Plaza.

Harlan Berk received a round of applause for sponsoring the Hors D'oeuvres.

Six Guests were present:

• Mary Claire Carrigan
• Marcia Zitowsky
• KL Robertson Daly
• Brian Feiler
• Jennifer Feiler
• Kathy Rosinia

Robert Leonard delivered the Invocation before dinner.

First Vice President Robert Feiler introduced Reid Geisler who gave a stimulating presentation on the contemporary error coins of the United States Mint. The presentation entertained and informed members and guests alike.

President Carl Wolf gave special thanks to the following members who made substantial contributions of time to the club in 2001:

• Lyle Daly - Secretary & Treasurer
• Paul Hybert - Editor of "The Chatter"
• Mark Wieclaw - Chairman of the "1000th Meeting Committee"

Member Bill Burd briefly explained the Cabeen Awards, given to members who have presented numismatic material during our meetings through out the year. Bill presented the awards as follows:

• Mark Wieclaw - Gold
• Robert Leonard - Silver
• Honorable Mention:
  • Donald Dool
  • Carl Wolf
  • Reid Geisler
  • Robert Feiler
  • Mike Metras
  • Sharon Blocker

Carl Wolf commended Banquet Chairman Jeff Rosinia and again thanked Harlan Berk for the hors d'oeuvres. Both received a well deserved round of applause.

The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted by Lyle Daly

Our 996th Meeting

Date:	January 9, 2002
Time:	7:00 PM
Location:	Downtown Chicago - Please remember the security measures at our meeting building: give a club officer the names of all your guests prior to the meeting day, and everyone must have a photo-ID.
Featured speaker:	Philip Carrigan - An Overview of Canadian and Maritime Numismatic Entities

Elgin Dedicates Pioneer Family Memorial Statue

By Mike Metras

Newly dedicated Pioneer Family Memorial

On November 11, Veteran's day, the city of Elgin dedicated Trygve Rovelstad's The Pioneer Family Memorial on the Fox River at the Public Library. Designed in the early 1930s and rendered in plaster of Paris in 1985, the bronze sculpture was erected after the latest fundraising campaign begun by the Pioneer memorial foundation began in 1999.

Mr. Rovelstad placed the stature on the reverse his 1936 Elgin Centennial Half Dollar. The coin was issued to finance the construction of The Pioneer Memorial in Davidson Park in Elgin. Its foundation was laid in 1934. The statue was only now set up in its current location.

Elgin Centennial Half Dollar

Starting in 1999 the Pioneer Memorial Foundation, headed by Steve Youngren, quickly raised sufficient funds from area individuals, organizations, and businesses to have the sculpture cast.

The program handed out at the dedication describes the memorial in heroic language. "The Pioneer Family Memorial sculpture represents three phases of pioneering in America. The Central group depicts the Settlers. Preceding them is the Scout and following is the Youth. The sculpture is the representative of the common folk who came from all parts of the world to settle on the vast forest and prairie lands of Illinois and America.

"The Pioneer Father (whose bust is an idealized version of Elgin founder James Gifford) is looking ahead and pointing out the richness of the new lands where he will build his home and future. The Pioneer Mother is portrayed as an heroic woman, clad in a homespun gown, holding her first born babe, to whom she looks with love. She is a symbol of the loyalty and strength of those women who raised their families in a new and wild country. The Pioneer Scout was the leader in the westward march, who, though nameless, will always be remembered.

"The Pioneer Youth is depicted next to a scroll, indicative of knowledge and plans for the future."

During the dedication, Steve Youngren explained that the statue is placed on the River bank very close to the place where Elgin founder James Gifford is said to have first come ashore.

Trygve Rovelstad was born Sept 27, 1903 in Elgin. He was a life-long sculptor. During World War II he worked for the War Department and designed several military medals.

On the numismatic front, in addition to these military medals and the Elgin Centennial Half Dollar and other items, Trygve designed the Illinois Sesquicentennial medal in 1968 and the Chicago Coin Club's 50th Anniversary medal in 1969. These are only samples of his work.

Chicago Coin Club 50th Anniversary Medal

Trygve was a member of the Elgin Coin Club for many years and attended often. Only Elgin Coin Club members who have been members for longer than 12 years remember that though. He died on June 8, 1990 at 86 years old. His wife, Gloria, was also a member of the Elgin Coin Club until she died a couple years ago. She attended periodically and never missed a White Elephant sale. She often contributed one item or another from Trygve's material for the sale.

So the statue is finally in place to honor Elgin's forefathers and stand tall there for centuries to come.

For more information on the Elgin Centennial half, see the January 1997, article in the Elgin Coin Club Newsletter. The article is reproduced on Mike Metras' Money Meanderings: An Introduction to Numismatics CD-ROM book. For the latest information on the happenings with the Pioneer Memorial foundation go to www.pioneermemorial.com.

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