[TheForge] "Official" news from ABANA

[Bob Willman]

	The Northwest Ohio Blacksmiths (NOB) also sponsor an annual
Hammer-In. This year May 4-5-6 will be our 21st annual event at Auglaize
Village near Defiance, Ohio. We include our spouses (SNOBs) (Spouses of
Northwest Ohio Blacksmiths)with activities on site. This year they will be
making a silver bracelet taught by NOB member Don Witzler. We have found it
a good thing to include spouses and family at our meetings and annual
Hammer-In. They have a craft contest with cash prizes each year. I know that
some blacksmith groups discourage spousal participation but we respectfully
disagree. Our demonstrators this year are Michael Bendele and Kim Thomas. It
is not a large event by most standards but you will be hard pressed to find
more fun at any similar function. I hope some of you can attend. 


Bob Willman
Bowling Green, Ohio
The Eagle's Anvil
WB8NQW

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Smoky
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 6:43 PM
To: Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] "Official" news from ABANA

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.

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