[TheForge] A question

[xlch58 at swbell.net]

They don't have to be a blacksmith to join, just pay their dues 
(monetary only).   To be on the board requires you win a popularity 
contest with enough dues paying members.    The problem for me is the 
popularity contest is based on very little information.   I know that I 
am ignorant of most of the people who run each year, though they do try 
to provide some insight into each individual.   I am especially ignorant 
of how decisions are made once they are elected and where the people I 
elected fall on any decision, since I can't see where any minutes are 
posted anywhere, but I may just be ignorant of where they are posted.    
Largely, my money with ABANA is well spent from my  perspective and  I 
believe ABANA is largely accomplishing the goals they are committed 
to.   I think that for anybody who uses this as an excuse not to join 
ABANA it is just that -- an excuse, and I think better to say you are 
just too cheap, or in Andy's case too strapped.   My question was 
prompted by Will's query - why Claire gets villified.  I don't have an 
issue with Claire, but all that I have to associate her name with is her 
Grandfather's accomplishments and a pissing match with George.   (If 
having a blacksmith for a Grandad is a qualification, then just about 
all of my customers are better qualified than I, since they all seem to 
have blacksmithing grandpa's while mine was a simple carpenter)   With 
George on the other hand however, I have some extraordinarly beautiful 
ironwork wrought by his own hand that I would like to aspire to, some of 
the best how-to's that ABANA has ever published and I see George 
continuing to share his time and information that helps me build my 
skills.  So given no other information, my sympathies tend to lean 
toward the guy covered in coal dust with a hammer in his hand, even if 
he is an obvious pain in the ass, particularily since he is not the only 
one that has had  issues with the board rightly or wrongly.    

Charles


schade at acegroup.cc wrote:

> Correction to that. Anyone can be a member.
> Board members must be blacksmiths.
>
> On May 14, 2004, at 1:23 PM, schade at acegroup.cc wrote:
>
>> It should.
>>
>> Bob Schade
>> _________
>>
>>
>> On May 14, 2004, at 9:44 AM, magichammer wrote:
>>
>>> Charles you can look here http://www.samuelyellin.com/
>>> It doesn't say anywhere in the bylaws that one need be
>>> a blacksmith to be a member or a board member of ABANA.
>>> dave m
>>
>
>