[TheForge] Blacksmithing and ABANA

Tue May 11 19:56:10 EDT 2004

 George Dixon applied for a job as an editor for ABANA  in 1995.  Some ABANA members were contacted regarding this application:
        "George Dixon should not be considered for an editor's job because he stole Clare Yellin's tools."   James A Wallace, Director National Ornamental Metals Museum to ABANA member Clay Spencer. {see attached Clare Yellin documents}  ABANA member Tom Latane' got a similar call.

   Why has ABANA allowed the ABANA Board to participate in conflicts of interest?  If an ABANA Board member has personal interest in an issue to be taken up or decided by the ABANA Board, they have a Conflict of Interest.  That Board member should not participate or vote in regards to the conflicted issue.  If an ABANA contractor has a business interest related to blacksmithing, they have a potential conflict of interest too.   If the ABANA Board had followed the standard practices of not allowing a Board member or ABANA contractor with a Conflict of Interest to act on or influence related issues, most of the problems ABANA has had and still has, could be resolved quickly and forever, or maybe they never would have happened at all.
   In a letter from an ABANA Board member:
       "I understand that ABANA Board member Bill Fiorini has contacted an attorney in Washington state by the name of Jerry Kagele.  He has offered his services with no retainer and no fee.  I disagree with this action....  Mr Kagele is a personal friend of Dorothy."  ABANA Board member Lou Mueller to ABANA Board, 2-25-99. 

   Francis Whitaker wrote to ABANA President Lou Mueller, asking about the ABANA Board's problem with George Dixon.  Mr Mueller wrote back:
      "Dear Francis,
   George, in the process of trying to  do a good job stepped on some toes.  I do not fault George, the job he has done as editor of the Hammer's Blow and chairman of the Asheville conference {1998} should be praised, not criticized.  George is one of those rare people who is totally devoted to preserving our heritage and our craft.  In my opinion George got raked over unjustly by a few members of our Board.  Three members set out to get George and managed to sway the Board. I have spent most of my time as President trying to stop this problem with members of the Board and George." ABANA Board President Lou Mueller to Francis Whitaker, 3-19-1999. 

   "Bill, Jerry Kagele called yesterday to see where we were in this.  He is still willing to donate $10,000 or $20,000 or what ever it costs to resolve this issue {Dixon-Hammer's Blow, ABANA 98 Conference}.  He will donate two paralegals from his firm to handle it, full time if necessary.  He will pay all legal fees and expenses as a donation to  ABANA."  ABANA Board member Dorothy Steigler to ABANA member Bill Fiorini, CC ABANA Board, 4-14-99. {Jerry Kagele, an attorney in Washington state and NWBA newsletter editor, is currently an ABANA Board member.}

        "Why are there only a few Board members advising me on this?" ABANA Board member Bill Fiorini to ABANA Board.
                                                   -------
   What have been the comments of ABANA Board members about Chapters ("Affiliates")?
     "I would say that most of the editors have never seen the ABANA guidelines on how to publish a newsletter or even know if such guidelines exist.  Indeed, half of the editors (bless their little hearts) can hardly use a computer."  "I'm not talking about asking the chapters, they'll say anything."
ABANA Board member, Dave Mudge to ABANA President Doug Learn, CC to ABANA Board, 5-11-01.
   After the Board kicked seven ABANA Chapters out of ABANA, many asked questions about both "why" as well as about the "process" used by ABANA. 
   The Secretary of ABANA  told the ABANA Board that he had directed an attorney in his firm to prepare a "counter-strike" on behalf of ABANA.  The email was titled "ABANANVIL":
    "I would anticipate that attorney's fees and costs would be assessed against the complainant.  These could easily approach half a million.  My office is in the process of preparing the necessary pleadings to file...as well as to initiate a Federal action for damages to NWBA in Washington State.  I would expect a similar action in Oregon and California. Whoever starts this fight will wish they had died as a child." ABANA Board Secretary Jerry Kagele to the Board of ABANA, 3-29-01.
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   For those of you who subscribe to theforge, the ABANA  internet email exchange, the following exchange between members of the ABANA Board may be of interest:
"No boss, I wasn't trying to start anything, I just saw his message on theforge and thought I'd pass it on." ABANA Board member Dave Mudge to ABANA Board President Doug Learn, 5-23-01
"I totally understand and thank you for sending choice postings." ABANA Board President Doug Learn's response, CC ABANA Board, 5-23-01.
                                                -------
   As former ABANA President Lou Mueller stated, what appeared to start with a few ABANA Board members trying to get George Dixon through ABANA, seemed to escalate over the years.   Dixon posted signed letters on theforge stating concerns about ABANA and how Jim McCarty was treated.  These are in theforge archives.  He heard from ABANA:
       "You are here-by notified and warned that theforge website is owned by ABANA...." "You are requested to immediately stop....", failure to do so "following statutory notice, is a violation of the Federal Communications Act, ICANN regulations and other applicable state and federal laws."  
Signed, Jerry Kagele, Secretary of ABANA , on ABANA stationary to ABANA member George Dixon, 6-10-01.

   George posted further signed statements and documents on theforge regarding concerns with ABANA.  He received a certified letter from the Kagele Law Office, Spokane, WA.  ABANA members Jim McCarty and Lou Mueller each got a copy sent to them by Mr. Kagele as well. The cover letter included an offer from Mr. Kagele, that "my private investigator is going to be in North Carolina in the near future and he could stop by if that is convenient for you."
   This letter threatened a $1,000,000 law suit against George Dixon, a North Carolina resident, if he did not retract his statements made on theforge and apologize by a specified date:
    "This is a personal tort action and has no relationship to ABANA or the ABANA Board of Directors" states Mr Kagele, threatening the lawsuit in Federal Court in Washington state.  The lawsuit paperwork stated that the offense occurred on theforge.  The attorney goes on and identifies the plaintiff as a  "member of the Board of Directors of, and an officer of, Artist and Blacksmith's Association of North America."  
Signed, Jerry Kagele, Attorney, on Kagele Law Office stationary to ABANA member George Dixon.

    In 2003 George Dixon decided to run for the ABANA board - here is what happened.  The campaign statements, in the Anvil's Ring, of two current ABANA Board members struck many as little more than a personal attack on another candidate.  The candidate who was the object of these two Board members attention wrote a two paragraph "letter to the editor", Rob Edwards.  In it, Dixon offered to be at the 2004 ABANA Conference and answer any questions raised by ABANA Board members Kagele and Steigler statements to the ABANA membership.  Dixon received a response, informing him that his letter would not be printed in the 'Ring:

        "as a matter of ABANA policy all correspondence of a controversial nature is presented to the ABANA Publications Committee Chairperson."
   That Chairperson is Dorothy Steigler. Rob Edwards goes on to point out that:
"Valuable space in the AR and the HB must be preserved for information more germane to the art of blacksmithing.  So, any further correspondence regarding this matter should be sent  to those directly involved." Anvil's Ring Editor Rob Edwards to ABANA member George Dixon, 8-26-03.

   Following the election, George Dixon received an email:
    "Dorothy beat you 3 to 1.  But that is not the worst of it, every woman that ran beat you.  Have you noticed that every time you raise your head, you lose support?  Where is the mass membership uprising?  They were free to vote for you."    forger63 at yahoo.com 9-24-03
   How is getting "beat" by a "woman" worse, in forger63's world, than getting "beat" by  a person?

   George Dixon has received a number of "forger63 at yahoo.com" emails since, some are nasty, others reference ABANA Board actions and decisions regarding Dixon.  forger63 seems to know ABANA Board business, including the contents of registered letters sent to Dixon by the ABANA Board Executive Committee.  In the Fall of 2003, ABANA  member Dixon sent a letter to Anvil's Ring Editor Rob Edwards, complaining that his business ads had been messed up  again.  In response, George Dixon received a registered letter from the ABANA Secretary, Jerry Kagele. 
This is from that letter:
       "You are herewith notified that, effective immediately, the ABANA Board of Directors Executive Committee {the President, VPs, Secretary, Treasurer} has decided to sever all present and future business contractual relationships with you, including advertising contracts in any ABANA publication.  ABANA will designate corporate counsel in Georgia to conduct communication with you or your council.  Very truly yours, Jerry Kagele, ABANA Secretary", 12-26-03. 
   Less than a week later, Dixon received an email:
   "Hey George
     Looks like the ball is in your court.  They even made it easy on you. All you have to do is go to GA, about as close as you can get, it ain't WA.  You keep shooting yourself in the foot and no one gives a...!" forger63 at yahoo.com, 12-31-03.

   On January 11, 2004, George Dixon wrote a letter to ABANA Board President Don Kemper, a former NWBA President.  In it he explained the problems with ABANA in the past and the problems he had with his business ads over the years.  The end of Dixon's letter to ABANA's President refers to reform in ABANA.
   A registered letter was sent to George Dixon, he refused to sign for this one, returning it unopened to the ABANA Board.  This email arrived about a week later:
    "You should have read your mail.  They made it easy for you.  Now you don't have to worry about what is going on.  How does it feel to be the first person voted out of ABANA?" forger63 at yahoo.com 1-27-04

      How did forger63 know what was in the sealed envelop of an unopened registered letter, addressed to George Dixon, bearing the return address of ABANA's Georgia office, but with a Spokane, WA postmark?  Current ABANA Board members have confirmed that the vote to kick Dixon out of ABANA was taken in January, 2004.  By an act of the ABANA Board, George Dixon is no longer allowed to be a member of ABANA, advertise in its magazines, submit articles or attend the 2004 ABANA Conference Membership meeting in Richmond Kentucky.

      "When you come on the Board, you have a responsibility of operating and preserving the organization.  You must put the best interests of ABANA first.  If your feelings can not be checked at the door you should not be on the Board." Lou Mueller to the ABANA Board, 3-10-99.

   If this would have been done and be done today, ABANA would not be having the problems it is today.

Mindy Gardner
ABANA Member
2004 ABANA Conference Demonstrator

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