[TheForge] Re: ABANA ANABA

[Grover Richardson]

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-admin@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-admin@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Demon Buddha
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 11:37 AM
To: theforge@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: ABANA ANABA

>Let's be clear. <snip>  I'm not an	expert in the affairs of running
such organizations,

But any businessman, who is successful, likely has a firm grasp upon the
reality thereof<G>.

> I don't know, and I suspect that unless I am willing to spend time and
effort that I cannot afford, I would never find out.

So, the best next bet is to sit back, allow those with a vested interest
(and who wish to allocate said time) do the research.<G>  And we
listen<G>.

>My point is that things should never have gotten to this stage in the
first place. 

No argument with that point.

> But we have been running NJBA for about six years now and have
experienced none of this nonsense.  We stick to our bylaws, don't play
games with the little money we have (not suggesting ABANA is), and keep
the art, science, practice, and education of black smithing first and
foremost when we plan and execute our events.  Perhaps this is the
difference, I do not know.

With all due respect, I suggest that NJBA has not grown to vast
proportions which require management at this level.  Indeed, there are
several layers of individuals from top management in ABANA and the
membership.  Certainly it is possible for any member to contact the
President directly, but in practice, this becomes difficult.
Particularly in such an atmosphere as this, where emotionally charged
innuendo co-exists with factoids, and many just wish to sit back and try
to figure out what the hell is really going on before jumping into the
Frey<G>.  But I suggest that NJBA is still operated as a small group,
with hand shake agreements.  The leaders are direct acting individuals
who divvy out duties and have direct contact with all direct players.
Any time leaders directly put their fingers into work, things are done
well.  The SERC (IMHO) is run the same way.  And, we have a different
group (one of the notorious 7- I couldn't help that) running it each
time.  However, since ABANA has abolished the chapters, one layer of
leadership is (in my mind) deleted, and we shall see how things improve.

>The simple fact that these issues exist and have not been put to rest
in TWO YEARS PLUS indicates that there's something way wrong.

No argument there.

>If the Board has not opened up their practices to scrutiny, they
should.  

Depends.  When an attempt was made to rescind the motorcycle helmet laws
in Georgia a few decades ago, the person who put them into effect was
the one that had originally made the law.  He sat on his throne and
dictated what was allowed into the official record.  Needless to say,
the results, he agreed with<G>.  Quality scrutiny is good.  Bad scrutiny
will not settle anything, and is even worse, because then incorrect
words will become firmly written in stone<G>.  Thus further muddying up
the water.

>Even if there have been major errors, so what?  No need to hang people
by the thingies if they made honest mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes.  It's what an individual does after the mistake
is discovered which evidences the temper of his metal.

>Likewise, if the Board has been responsive

If I ask my wife for favors, and her response is "next year," then her
response is valid, and fully fulfills the contractual agreements.  But,
this does nothing to fix the problem<G>.  However, if I am savvy, I will
ask a more direct question which hopefully will elicit a better answer
next year, when this subject again reappears<G>.

>then the membership should stop flogging the dead horse and let things
be so we can all get back to doing what we're here for.

Let's look at the War of Yankee Aggression.  Keep with me here fellas.
The war was started, for various reasons.  The war was lost by one side.
After the war, the reasons that the loosing side started the war were
certainly NOT fixed by the winning side.  Indeed, the winning side was
vindicated, in their minds.  They had won, God was on their side, and
they could do what they wanted.  In fact, the winning side behaved even
worse than before.  So, now does everyone have just a small
understanding of the phrase "Forget, Hell NO!?"

Just because one side says that everything is fixed, does not mean that
the other side agrees.  I can bring up several conflicts around the
globe to further illustrate this fact, but won't, for now<G>.

>If ABANA is going to devolve into just another run of the mill,
politically fueled hack organization, then what's the point of having
it? 

ABANA, even if it does devolve, may well continue to serve the
blacksmithing community.  And if it doesn't devolve, can be of much
greater service.

>My suggestion is let us choose: either settle the issue to the
satisfaction of the membership

I've heard that one before, but I am glad to hear it from you also<G>.
But "let us choose?"  Exactly what are we to choose?  I am confused?

> or retire the organization.

Not likely to occur.  In fact, I would say impossible<G>.

>Anything in between is a waste of peoples' time.  So far, we have been
smack in between and I find myself weary of it.  I feel ABANA is worth
keeping, but only if we dispense with the Peyton Place histrionics.
It's so embarrassingly juvenile.

I have no argument with that.  However, every now and then it's
necessary to discipline one of my children in public, in order to let
them know that they can't do things in public that I consider heinous.
This, even if it does publicly embarrass me.  It's the lesser of the two
evils.  However, in this case, it has drug on for more than a year and a
day<G>.

>	One question that I will ask, which I don't recall having seen
	before (and forgive me if it has already been asked) is: If
	switching publishers for the Ring was to save $25K/annum, was
the
	precise means by which this savings was to be achieved outlined
	to the Board and the membership?  I'm just curious about this
	because, being ignorant of such things, the prediction has a bit
	of a clairvoyant flavor to it.  Just wondering.

Good question.  I leave it here in case someone who knows (and has the
responsibility to the group to officially state the answer) will say.

As the Brits say, All the Best

By the way, most excellent email you sent.  I enjoyed it!!  Thoughtful,
yet not insightful.