By: Phil Pratt

We have an old clipping taken from a 1943 local newspaper showing only women students at the Hobart Trade School, our name back then.  With the United States’ entry into World War II in 1941, millions of American women responded to the government’s call to enter high-paying jobs of the war-production industry.  This was a vast change for many of them who had pursued the more traditional feminine ideal of housewife and mother or who had worked at pink-collar jobs with lower pay.  A 1942 popular song about a patriotic female defense worker called “Rosie the Riveter” was the beginning of a description that Norman Rockwell captured the essence of in a famous painting that showed a confident, burly woman with smudges on her arms and cheeks, but yet painted fingernails, lipstick and bright red curls.

Well, it’s time for us to start Calling All Rosies.  Raul Robles, the latest member of the Image Army, shared what his school, Texas State Technical College in Brownsville, TX, does to improve the trades.  They conduct an exposition for members of the female persuasion telling of non-traditional job opportunities and the expo is labeled Calling All Rosies.  A great name!  A great concept!  We definitely need to attract more women into welding and other trades.  They use their school’s digital imaging technical department to publish posters for circulation around the community and that has worked with great success.

 Mahaney Welding Supply is a major distributor in Rochester, NY.  They have recently completed a new store and rather than relegating the welding demo area to the back room, it’s positioned right in the middle of the store to call attention to the new products and to welding itself. They encourage artists to display their metal sculptures at the front counter to set examples for others. In designing his new, upscale store, he looked to car dealers, grocery chains, “big box” home centers, etc. to get merchandising ideas.  As a result of this improved image, his training opportunities have paid off handsomely.  They’re conducting high schools’ continuing education courses there a couple of nights a week plus they alternate Saturday clinics on MIG, TIG and SMAW.  They’ve partnered with a tool and mold repair person to conduct some specialized classes.

Mike Krupnicki, the President of Mahaney Welding, says they have created business in markets that weren’t previously there.  They’re selling products to “first timers.”  They’ve made their facility available to the local antique car club.  They sponsor a metal working merit badge for a local Boy Scout Troop.  They’re working on a motor sport weekend plus they conduct a metal sculpturing class for the local college.  I welcome Mike Krupnicki to the Image Army because he and Mahaney Welding Supply have uplifted the image significantly.

Stephanie Vaughan and Dean Peters, editors of Practical Welding Today and Welding Design and Fabrication respectively, are new recruits as well.  They have both published articles on the Image of Welding in their magazines, both of which have a sizeable circulation. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the May 2002 issue of WD&F to find the editorial title in bold letters, “Uncle Phil Wants You.” Thanks Stephanie and Dean for helping to spread the word about our Image Army.

I want to call your attention to the letter beginning on page 18 in this issue’s “Letters to the Editor” from Paul O’Leary, welding engineer.  He works with the ironworkers, boilermakers and pipefitters unions in Butte, Montana, and they’re all complaining, “We can’t find enough qualified craftsmen.  The Boilermakers are bringing in men from Canada just to man the outages.”  He has said some very earnest things about our trade.  I hope you have a chance to read it.

Also, be sure to visit http://www.weldinghistory.org.  Mark Sapp, the founder of this site, will receive an Image Army Certificate for his fine web site.  It’s evident he’s done a great deal of research on the history of welding in putting this web page together.

Jim White, Dean of Industrial and Engineering Technology of Central Carolina Technical College in Sumter, SC, couldn’t agree with us more.  He states, “We must revitalize interest and prestige in skilled craft labor.”  His speech that he made to the graduating electrical and maintenance technicians is included in this issue and he has some valuable points.  I love his statement, “It is time for the renaissance of the American Craftsman.” And, Jim, welcome to the Image Army.

The Image Army is growing!  These people have made a variety of contributions to improving the Image of Welding.  I hope by sharing some of their accomplishments, you may find something that will assist or inspire you.  Please keep sending in your constructive ideas and we’ll send you an Image Army certificate.