[TheForge] ABANA Election Results

[Ries Niemi]

>
> Well I am an ex-member so this may not count. But perhaps folks do not 
> vote
> as they do not see any value added? Perhaps they do not run as they 
> can not
> financially afford to be a board member.
> I personally let my membership lapse as I no longer felt that either
> publication addressed any of my needs or wants. And yes I did contact 
> the
> editor and the board about this. But never even recieved a reply.
>
> But that is just my 2 cents worth
>
> Ralph
>
>

Ralph- I am not jumping on you- I have read enough of your posts to 
respect your abilities and opinions.
But I gotta respond-
"value added"?

There are lots of things in my life I do because of money.
But not everything. My feeling about Abana, and other similar 
organisations that I belong to, is that it is not about money, or value 
to me. It is about community, about learning, about keeping skills 
alive, and helping others come aboard.
When I go to a NWBA meeting, or an ABANA conference, I dont agree with 
everybody- in my case, I am more interested in big iron, ornamental, 
sculpture and art- so I seldom watch the demos on knifemaking, or heat 
treating tools.
But I dont begrudge in the slightest the time and money spent on those 
subjects that I am not paying attention to.
It all adds to the knowledge base, it all helps me in a hundred 
intangible ways.
The fact that we live in a time when so many talented people have the 
luxury to pursue their individual madnesses is something I love.
The technical advancements we have seen in blacksmithing in the last 25 
years are incredible. There are people working today who know more than 
any blacksmith ever before. And the single thing we lack- which is the 
hand control you derive from a lifetime of repetitive work- well, there 
are a few guys around who have that as well.
Abana helps me, and you, in ways you dont even see.
Sure, there are politics, and decisions are made you dont agree with. 
But that happens any time two people get together, much less 5000.

Nobody says you have to join, or pay for it.

But for me, anyway, the magazine is worth the admission price, and 
anything else I get is gravy. And even if I dont get anything, SOMEBODY 
is benefitting from it. So I gladly belong to this, and other groups, 
that encourage metalworking.

ries