How to Attend a UASC Meeting

The Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago (UASC) holds monthly meetings that are free to attend by registration, and some months are Zoom-only. To attend, register through the link posted on the UASC home page for that month's meeting, then join at the listed Central Time. You do not need to be a member to register for a meeting, but you do need to complete the registration step in advance.

What a UASC meeting looks like

UASC meetings follow a fixed three-part schedule. The September 2026 meeting announcement on uaschicago.org lists it as:

The featured presentation is the main draw for most visitors. For September 2026, presenter Chris Kraska spoke on "The Loss of the Clough: Exploration, Discovery, and an Unexpected Tragedy."

Step-by-step: registering and joining

1. Go to the UASC home page (uaschicago.org) and find the current month's meeting announcement near the top.
2. Click the registration link in that announcement. For the September 2026 meeting, the link pointed to a Zoom registration page (us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/...).
3. Complete the Zoom registration form. Zoom then sends you the join link for that specific meeting.
4. Join at the start time shown — 6:30 PM CT if you want the social hour, or 8:00 PM CT if you only want the presentation.

Expected result: you receive a Zoom confirmation with your personal join link, and you can enter the meeting at any of the three segments.

Zoom-only vs. in-person meetings

The September 2026 meeting was explicitly marked "THIS MONTH'S MEETING IS ZOOM ONLY" in the announcement. That wording matters: UASC does not guarantee a hybrid option every month, so check the current month's notice rather than assuming a physical location. When a meeting is Zoom-only, registration is the only way in — there is no walk-in option.

Do you need to be a member?

No. Meeting registration is separate from membership. UASC lists "Membership Application" and "Membership Payments" as distinct pages from its meeting registration, and the meeting announcement asks only for registration, not for a member login. If you want to go further — voting, project participation, or the mailing list — those are handled through the membership and "Subscribe to Mailing List" pages instead.

Finding upcoming meetings and events

Two places on the site carry the schedule:

• Home page — the current month's meeting announcement, with date, time, presenter, topic, and the registration link.
• Meetings & Events → Calendar / Upcoming Events — the broader schedule, useful for checking whether a future month is Zoom-only or in person.

The site also keeps an archive of Meeting Minutes going back to 2007, which is the practical way to see what past meetings covered if you are deciding whether the group's topics interest you.

Common snags

• Registering too late. Registration links are tied to a specific meeting date. If you register after the meeting, the link will not work for the next one — go back to the home page for the new month's link.
• Time zone confusion. All listed times are Central Time (CT). If you are outside that zone, convert before you set a reminder.
• Assuming a venue. Because some months are Zoom-only, do not travel to a meeting location unless the current announcement names one.