[TheForge] Re: Saving ABANA

[magichammer]

Although it is against my better judgment, because no matter what I say,
it will get twisted into some other thing. I am going to address some of
this
by interspersing my comments into the original text.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Patty Draper/Bill Robertson" <applecrossforge at nettally.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 8:48 AM
Subject: [TheForge] Re: Saving ABANA


> As tired as this whole ABANA stuff has become I think what George Dixon is
> doing is worth while because the people who have used and abused their
> positions on the ABANA board for personal vendettas and gain are still on
> the board.  Only with the ABANA membership learning about the past and
> finally voting the like of Jerry Kagele, Dorthy Steigler and Clare Yellin
> off the board can ABANA have the opportunity to be the kind of
organization
> it set out to be.

......If you have a specific charge, you should make it nice and clear.

> Wouldn't it be nice to have full disclosure of board
> minutes, no more secret executive committees, a complete and full
accounting
> audit (you may be surprised what your membership dues pay for), fair
> bidding,

...... All of the board meeting minutes and financial statements are posted
here
http://abana.org/business/index.shtml for anyone to see.

 > a reflection of the diversity of the blacksmith craftsman in the
> Anvils Ring rather than selective showcasing and favors to friends,

...... Have you or anyone that you know submitted anything to the Anvil's
Ring
that did not get published? If so, what was the reason?

> an
> opportunity to voice a rebuttal in the newsletters, (Mr. Kagele has taken
> great glee with his use of the Ring to promote his personal agenda at the
> expense of those who dare stand in his way),

......Same question, What rebuttal did you submit that did not get printed?

> a gallery website that invites
> all art from the membership from the proud first heart-hook on up versus
the
> current gallery that has to first pass through the ABANA art police,

...... Now you really got to me. If you or anyone has a problem with the
ABANA web site, I am the guy to talk to. There have been NO rejections
of any art work submitted to the web site gallery.
http://abana.org/resources/galleries/index.shtml By the way, I didn't see
any
"proud first heart hooks" on the Florida web site or in the Florida
newsletter.
Who are the "art police" ? If you have something to submit, do it.
If it doesn't get posted, let me know davemudge at abana.org

> and finally to change the "chapters" back to chapters.  The name change to
> "affiliates" was a feeble attempt by the ABANA board to save face after
two
> years of the anvil-shoot controversy when they "finally" realized and
> accepted the fact the Florida chapter made from day one, that ABANA had no
> legal connection with, or authoritative control over the chapters.

...... You will have to talk to the legal department about that one, but I
think
you are mistaken about liability.

>  And finally wouldn't it be nice if ABANA and the chapters start to work
on
> building a reciprocal relationship.  I was stunned when I sat and watched
> ABANA board members Dave Mudge and Dave Koenig sit quiet as mice during
the
> meeting at Tannehill AL this fall when the 2005 seven-chapter conference
at
> Madison GA was being planned and the duties divided up.  Only after all
the
> tasks and duties were assigned did the two ABANA board members stand up,
> address the group and ask for "our" help with "their" conference in
> Kentucky.

......We must have been at different meetings. You are making it seem that
we avoided
being assigned any "tasks or duties". Dave & I were invited to attend as
guests.
Dave was on the agenda to talk about his plan to help build a "reciprocal
relationship"
by offering free attendance to some affiliates in return for volunteer time
at the
demonstrator stations....... and by the way, I did (personally) volunteer to
 help with
the S.E.R.B. web site or any of the web sites of the 7 chapters attending
that meeting.
And the only speaking that I did was to address one of the people saying
that ABANA
had blocked and censored his affiliate's web site..... turns out that he had
provided the
wrong address. It got straightened out when he got home and sent the correct
address.
By the way, I am still trying to find a S.E.R.B. t-shirt with the anvil
shoot on it. ( L )

>  A complaint from the chapters I have heard for years has been
> "what does ABANA do for us".  That demonstration pretty well summed up the
> current policy.  Certainly we can do better, and a good start would be to
> get Kagele, Steigler and Yellin off the board.  So, if you are a member of
> ABANA please exercise your power and vote.    Bill Robertson, President,
> Florida Artist Blacksmith Association
>
......I to encourage all 5,000 ABANA members to send in their ballots.
I also encourage people to run for the board. Please. There will be 5
positions.

Dave Mudge
Member Services Director
Affiliate Liaison
Internet Committee

You can fool some of the people all of the time,
and all of the people some of the time,
but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
Abraham Lincoln