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Home » Blogs » Gear Talk With Chuck » Tribal Memory

Gear Talk With Chuck
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The Gear Industry / Education & Training / History / Workforce
Charles schultz
Chuck Schultz is a licensed engineer, Gear Technology Technical Editor, and Chief Engineer for Beyta Gear Service. He has written the "Gear Talk with Chuck" blog for Gear Technology since 2014.

Tribal Memory

June 27, 2017
Charles D. Schultz
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WNF640283 A detail of the decorative carving on the side of the Oseberg cart; (add.info.: A woman with streaming hair apparently restrains a man's sword-arm as he strikes at a horseman accompanied by a dog Below is a frieze of intertwined serpentine beasts Country of Origin: Norway Culture: Viking Date/Period: c 850 AD / Viking Ship Museum, Bygdoy); Werner Forman Archive; out of copyright
What a treat it has been to spend a few days with a group of young process engineers; sharing lessons learned alongside other gear industry veterans is more fun than you can imagine. The students were from all over the country and a variety of market segments. Their experience ranged from two months to thirty years. Several did not have engineering or machine shop backgrounds but found themselves responsible for planning operation sequences or estimating costs. Another common factor in their attendance was the loss of “tribal memory” at their companies. Retirements and reductions in the workforce have taken a terrible toll on our trade, and I was happy to assist in filling in for their departed co-workers. As much as we try to keep readers up to date by publishing at least two — usually three — technical articles in every issue of Gear Technology, the live exchange of information in an interactive environment is still the best way to learn many things. Students were able to interrupt and ask questions as they came to mind. Our team of experts was not shy about respectfully disagreeing when their own experience dictated a different “rule of thumb.” I have been a bit of a crank in this blog about encouraging readers to write down their thoughts and experiences in our trade. Many of the wonderful people I have met in my career are no longer available to answer questions. There is still time for the rest of you to put your story on paper, tape, or into an electronic format. There was a report recently about how our knowledge of Viking history and Norse mythology is the result of thousands of years of Icelandic storytelling. Apparently you had not really “arrived” as a Viking hero until you added an Icelander to your posse who would “sing your praises” for posterity. Don’t let your “tribe” be forgotten in the future because no one took the time to record it.

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