Back issues of Dispatch - 2007 to present

[Chris James]

I have now completed scanning all the back issues of the C&TS Dispatch from 2007 -2011. These join Jason Roses' scans of 2003 - 2006 issues, Rich Murray's uploads between 2012 and 2015 and my uploads as Editor beginning in 2016. Some of the older .pdf files are much a much larger file size and each year is incorporated into one file and thus slower to download. The recent scans and uploaded issues are scanned individually as .pdf files at a reduced resolution to lower the download size (and time) but are still fully legible, at least to my tired eyes. For each of the years (Volumes) between 2003 and 2006, I've also created a simple .doc (Word) "index" for quick reference of the content. At some point I'll try to "index" the rest of the issues.

All of these back issues are available in the "Dispatch Newsletters (Friends Members Only - Not a Public Forum)" link from the main menu. Even if you are a member you still need to be logged into the Forum - not just a guest - to view that link.

If you are interested in the earliest years of the Dispatch, beginning with Volume 1 No. 1 in the Spring of 1988 through Volume 15 No.4 (Winter, 2002), they are available on CD from Gwen at the Friends office. Contact her for price and shipping.

Also, if any of you old timers have copies of The Telltail, the original volunteers' newsletter, from its inception through it's demise and you would be willing to either scan them or send them to me for scanning and their return, let me know. I'd love to see the complete written history of volunteer activity prior to the creation of the Friends in 1988 available here. Send me a PM if you are interested in loaning back issues.

Thanks!

[Jason Rose]

Fantastic job, Chris. Your efforts are appreciated.

If there are any FCTS Members that can't see the Dispatch forum, let me know.

[Chris James]

Thanks, Jason.

I really encourage Friends to look over these back issues to see (and appreciate) how far the Friends have come in the last 30 years. As I have reviewed the back issues while scanning, I was amazed at the changes. The number of Friends' restoration projects completed has grown exponentially, even in the last 10 years or so. This year there were 55 projects either begun, continued, or completed in 2017 alone, along with 572 total attendees totaling 22,480 total hours of work (from John Eng's summary at the Planning Committee meeting earlier this month in Canon City).

I encourage all Friends to take a look and then give yourselves a pat on our collective backs.

Chris J