My Class

As I said, I am in St. Louis this week taking a training seminar for work.  I am reviewing my training in auditing to the TS16949 standard, and taking an intro to the AIAG core tools.  The guy who is instructing the class is the person who used to be our TS Auditor at work.  His three year cycle was up just before I started at Grede, so I had never met him before, though my boss and co-workers thought he would be an excellent person to learn from. 

So after introductions, etc. he gave us all some background on his experience.  He told us that he is from Hamilton, Ontario which as it turns out is the area that my grandma's family is from.  So at our first break I asked him if he had lived in Hamilton long.  He told me that he had lived there all his life.  So I said, well then you must know where the Albert McCormick Community Centre & Arena (notice I spelled Centre the Canadian way) and he said yes, he's been there many times.  I told him that it just so happens that he was my Great Grandfather.  He was surprised, and said while he doesn't know anyone in the McCormick family he was well aware of the family name, and he doesn't usually run into people with any sort connection to Hamilton down in the states.  So hopefully that means I'll have a good "in" with him for the rest of the class.  So far it is going pretty well.  But I have to admit, I can't wait to get back home.