[TheForge] "Official" news from ABANA

[Smoky]

Good thoughts Phlip -

The NBWA (National Blacksmiths & Weldors Assn.) has a regular meet once a 
year, and they always have a "spouse thing " set up for shopping or other 
interesting things to do.  Always set up by a spouse of the member setting 
up the get-together.

Rick Crawford at Smoky Forge
Home of Lem the Wonder Mule and
Mol ASS es the slow Donkey
in the middle of Northern Illinois


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Saint Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>
To: <mspencer at tallships.ca>; "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 8:44 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] "Official" news from ABANA


> On 2/19/07, Mike <mspencer at tallships.ca> wrote:
>> What jumps out at me from this excerpt is that this was a centrally
>> organized, hierarchical arrangement.  And this is the same problem
>> that (typically) hierarchical corporations hit when they grow to a
>> certain size: middle management expands, costs soar and everything
>> tends to get out of control.  It's a critical juncture for
>> corporations.
>>
>> I would suggest that some thought be given to a much more unorganized
>> model.  I think (correct me if I'm wrong here, Phlip) that big SCA
>> meets depend on local organization and subsequent cooperation of the
>> many small groups that attend or form ad hoc from individual
>> attendees.  Speaking theoretically, large systems can self-organize if
>> the behavior -- the rules governing the behavior -- of the component
>> parts is right.  And they can become chaotic if not.
>
> Yes, that's what I've been thinking.
>
> I admit it, I enjoyed the ABANA conference. But, the things I found
> most enjoyable were the non or less official activities. Yes, I
> watched several demos, and they were pretty good, but I found the bits
> where some folks were getting together just to thump steel, rather
> than having an official demo to be not only more interesting, but more
> in lines with the fun factor that draws me to smithing. I like making
> things, and I like to be around people who are making things.
>
> Best evening's entertainment? The tailgate party we (TheForge members)
> had in the parking lot. A few other folks had the same idea, and we
> sorta spread out, so we were all partying together. Casual
> conversations were really cool, with Steve Kayne particularly, but
> also several of the other merchants. I wasn't interested in going
> dancing and swapping tickets for beer- I wanted to hang with my
> friends, new and old, and talk smithing- maybe go over to a forge, and
> thwack a bit of steel.
>
> And, since I wrote the public letter to Clare, I've talked with what
> would be the equivalent of a Senior Vice President in the SCA, who has
> run, and helped run, Pennsic- remember the event I was mentioning,
> that attracyed over 13,000 people, and costs between $120-$155 for two
> weeks? Anyway, he's more than willing to spend some time discussing
> the nuts and bolts of making a major event go. All I need is your
> interest, and I'll put you in contact with him.
>
> Our secret is effective use of volunteers. No reason ABANA needs to
> pay for all the demonstrator tents. People want to demonstrate, let
> them set up their own tent. I haul my dog-n-pony show all over,
> regularly.
>
> Basicly, what ABANA needs to do is get out of the micromanagement
> business. People want a tent? Good- Spazzcoch (or whoever) rents
> tents- their number is XXX-XXX-XXXX. People want a beer? Hey, here's
> the instructions to 3 local carry-outs. People want food? Well,
> there's a grocery store in the same shopping plaza as the beer carry
> out. And so forth. Need first aid? Well, we have bandaids and supplies
> right here, and the phone number and directions to the local hospital
> are right here. Take one.
>
> All ABANA should be really doing is setting up the infrastucture
> (Christ, now I sound like a yuppie). Get the site, determine who sets
> up where, and leave folks alone. I'm betting that not a single person
> would be bored, unless it's the non-smithing spouses, and there'sa no
> reason that spouses of smiths from the area couldn't arrange a
> spouseathon of some sort- maybe sightseeing, or a shopping tour.
>
> -- 
> Saint Phlip
>
> Heat it up
> Hit it hard
> Repent as necessary.
>
> Priorities:
>
> It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.