Junior Liaison Committee
Junior Liaison Committee / Photos 2003 / Photos 2002 / Photos 2001
The Junior Liaison Committee is a standing committee of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society. The chair is
appointed by the President and approved by its Board of Directors. Consistent with the mission statement of the ASGS, the
goal of the Junior Liaison Committee is to help assure that junior members beginning their scientific glassblowing careers will
have the opportunity to receive professional and quality instruction that might not otherwise be available for them. The
Committee provides the needed support to the Society's Junior Members and helps answer their many questions. The
Committee tries to teach the juniors the basic and intermediate skills necessary to become truly well-rounded and
knowledgeable scientific glassblowers. This has been the approach for more than a decade and the program has been very
successful. We try to aid the Junior Member in such a way as to make them truly enjoy scientific glassblowing. By teaching
many different basic techniques, the hope is to make scientific glassblowing easier and fun for the junior member. When an
individual chooses the profession of scientific glassblowing it is generally a lifetime career choice. Anytime you spend that
amount of years at something it should be enjoyable and rewarding. The Committee also hopes that by this commitment it
will help provide quality, knowledgeable, and experienced scientific glassblowers for science and industry well into the 21ST
century.
Click for full size image
2002 ASGS Junior Member Workshop Seminar
Participants
2003 ASGS Junior Member Workshop Seminar
Participants
ASGS Junior Member Statement
The objectives of the Society are to further the professional careers and education of its Junior Membership through the gathering,
promotion, and dissemination of technical and scientific information, concerning all aspects of scientific glassblowing.
Membership
The ASGS has over 800 members and affiliate members. These members are divided geographically between twelve regional
sections throughout USA and Canada. There are also International Memberships throughout the world. Members are urged to join
the section closest to them and to attend their section meetings. Junior Member status may be granted to those who actively
engage in scientific glassblowing with less than five years experience. There are currently about 40 Junior Members in the ASGS.
Junior Members are eligible for, and share, all the rights of membership available to Regular Members.
Junior Members are eligible to participate in the annual Junior Member Workshop Seminar program held in conjunction with the
annual ASGS Symposium and Exposition. These are two day, hands-on workshops where the junior attendees receive the very
best basic and intermediate training to help lead them toward developing the correct skills to become highly professional and
accomplished scientific glassblowers. The committee chair recruits experienced scientific glassblowers who are specialists in
their fields to help as instructors for the seminar workshop program. All the instructors are volunteers. The two day seminars are
not nearly enough time to teach in-depth, but they do provide the junior members with the basic information necessary to continue
and practice on their own. The next program will be held at the ASGS 49th National Symposium and Exposition.
Joe Gregar instructing junior members 2003

Daniel Edwards instructing junior members 2002

Memorial Award
Junior members are eligible to be nominated for the coveted Memorial Award. This award is presented annually to a junior member
who has contributed the most to the ASGS either at the section and/or national levels. They must be nominated for the award on
the correct petition form, be a member in good standing and be the nominee who receives the most votes from the Society officers
and the Board of Directors. The fortunate winning candidate will receive an expense paid trip to the next ASGS national
symposium. Their name will also be inscribed on the Memorial Scroll, which is on display at the national symposia.
In each issue of the Society's professional journal publication Fusion, there is a column written by the Junior Liaison chair for the
junior members. These columns try to be informative and give some information on national Society affairs that are related to Junior
Members. The column also gives advanced information on the next Junior Member Workshop Seminar program to be held at the
national symposium. Information on the topics to be taught and background on the instructors can be found there. Also every issue
includes a helpful hint. This is a small tip or hint to increase the junior's knowledge and hopefully help them make their scientific
glassblowing life easier and more enjoyable.
Lending Libraries
The ASGS maintains two lending libraries. These consist of many reference books on the art of scientific glassblowing. There is
also a video library. These videos contain valuable workshop demonstrations on many different topics. The techniques shared in
these videos are invaluable to both the beginning and accomplished scientific glassblower. Both these lending libraries offer their
resources free to members in good standing. The only cost to the members is the postage to return the materials to the committee
chairs. I hope this web page has been helpful and informative to all that have viewed it. It is the goal and commitment of the Junior
Liaison Committee to help increase the scientific glassblowing knowledge of its junior members and at all times make them feel
wanted as ASGS members.
Please feel free to contact the current Junior Liaison Committee chair, Joe Gregar, if you have any questions about becoming a
Junior Member of the ASGS.
Junior Liaison Committee Chair

Joe Gregar
(630)252-3550
Email:jgregar@anl.gov