[TheForge] from abana.org

[schade at acegroup.cc]

On Feb 17, 2007, at 10:28 PM, Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer wrote:

> There seem to be qualitative changes that most organizations undergo 
> with  changes in both age and size.
> With size, certain considerations necessarily overshadow the values 
> that make an organization tasty.
> Organizations, like living organisms, strive to survive and grow.  
> They protect themselves and change in the process.
> I wonder if our ABANA hasn't grown too large,
> too institutionalized, lost the joy
> of blowing an anvil ?
> Apologies to any anvil that might be offended....pete f
>
>



I'm not a current abana member. I dropped it a year or two ago.
But as an early and longtime member I think I have the right to
make a comment. Going to anyway.

I think Abana should sell the Anvils Ring and The Hammers Blow
to who ever would buy the names. Then dis-band or whatever the
proper legal word would be.  Abana did a hell of a job bringing
all the guys (and gals) that were working in their garages
or backyards together.

But that was then. This is now. There are strong regional chapters
all over the US and Europe. Many have excellent newsletters and
dvds! Many have conferences that rival the Abana national.

The true glory days of the Anvils Ring (inmyopinion) was when
Dimitri Gerakaris and his wife and later when Robert Owings were
editors. Go back and look. Maybe what made it so great then
was that we were all learning at the same time.

So no tears and no hard feelings. Abana did what the original 12
or so members wanted it to do. Time to wake up, smell the coffee and
move on.

Nothing wrong with that.

Bob