[TheForge] ABANA membership

Thu Jul 11 07:59:01 2002

ABANA membership works out to about 12 cents US a day.

$45 per year is on the low side for Proffessional organization membership
dues, and not bad either compared to what subscriptions to some publications
will set you back.  I can think of few quarterlies that will set you back at
least that much for 4 not 8 publications.

The SCA when I was last a member wanted $35 a year, one quarterly
publication all black&white non-glossy paper, and a regional monthly news
letter that was basically just a listing of events.  ABANA publications seem
a much better deal. The SCA at that time also had a "pay-to-play"
requirement. No non-members could participate in SCA activities. Watch ye,
participate no.  This made a lot of teh membership and associates very
upset.

Granted membership in ABANA plus a local chapter gets expensive, but you
don't _have_ to belong to both.

And if $45 for ABANA membership is a financial hardship what about the cost
of hammers, tools, anvils, coal, propane etc?  Last I checked a new power
hammer could run five grand or more, this is not an inexpensive hobby.

Perhaps what is needed is a payment plan for the subscription price.

----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Fels and Phoebe Palmer <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 12:46 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] ABANA membership

> At 07:00 AM 7/10/02, you wrote:
>
> If we are going to go that far, then us "artist" types ( this is allegedly
> an Artist Blacksmith Assn) who tend to have dismal incomes should not just
> have much lower rates for membership...but....seeing as you non-creative
> types copy our hard wrought designs and look to us for
"inspiration"....you
> all ought to subsidize us !!
> Now we're getting some where!!!  Grin.........Pete F
>
>
>
>
> >Dave
> >         I think you missed Mikes point. No, NOMMA does not
> >have as many members as abana. NOMMA is a very professional
> >organization of professionals. And run as such. abana is a club of
> >hobbiest,
> >dictated to by artistic professionals. That's why you had to start HB.
> >The bulk
> >of abana's membership is hobbiest who are trying to be inspired by AR.
> >That's why the local "guild" is so important. They offer what the
> >hobbiest/pro
> >needs in calendars, how to's, etc. in six or twelve issues for $15 to
> >$20/yr.
> >         Maybe abana needs to have a hobby division @ $25 / yr to cover
HB.
> >and a pro division @ $125 to cover cost of AR.  Pro's can write the cost
> >off, and
> >travel great distances to conferences, and show off their wares in the
> >AR.
> >         The point is ...is that $45 is a burden to a lot of strugeling
> > hobbiest
> >whereas a lot of them would love to get "needed input" at a cheaper rate.
> >But , maybe again, the board doesn't want those lowlifes, who have the
> >ability
> >to think for themselves.
> >
> >On Tue, 9 Jul 2002 22:54:18 -0500 "lama" <[email protected]> writes:
> > >
> > > Mike I think that you are missing the point.
> > > The Fabricator is mostly about fabricating and NOT blacksmithing.
> > > NOMMA has how many members? Certainly many times more than ABANA.
> > > The point is that AR & HB are well worth the $45 / year in dues.
> > > dave m
> > >
> >
> >
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