[TheForge] ABANA is NOT dead...

[Saint Phlip]

On 2/22/07, dann at wctatel.net <dann at wctatel.net> wrote:
>
> Phlip,
>
> I think Dave Mudge is a stand up guy for being willing to take on the
> sometimes caustic banter from this list.

I agree. And, I know on a GOOD day, my comments can blister paint ;-)

> That said, this thread with the all or nothing costly vision of "World
> Class" ABANA Conference, pretty much fried me.  The recent ABANA
> Conferences ahve scaled up to become  budget busting for both ABANA and
> the bulk of the membership.
>
> I know that I am not "world class blacksmith".  I joined to learn, and
> maybe to share a bit of what I have learned with newer "wannabe smiths".

Yep. I'm in the same spot.

> I don't expect to drive a new BMW. I drive a 10 yearold toyota, because it
> runs good and I can afford it.   My blacksmithing tools are similary aged.
> I got to thinking that maybe the ABANA board by pricing me out of the
> conventions  has set its sights on "World Class" membership.
>
> Emotions run high, and mine did too.  I pretty much decided to drop my
> ABANA membership when the "WORLD CLASS" $600 New York convention got
> revealed.
>
>
> Dann

Believe me, I can understand your thinking. Only reason I could afford
to go to Seattle is I made it part of my work contract ;-)

But, while they may have made a serious mistake by going in the
direction they've been going, it seems to me they're realizing that,
and trying to fix it.

I mean, you remember the old song,

"You can't ride in my little red wagon,
Front seat's broken and the axle's dragging..."

Well, we've been singing the song long enough. It's now time to fix
the bloody thing ;-)

I think the ABANA board has made some serious mistakes in the
direction they've been trying to lead us. But, I also feel they're
recognizing it, and are at least open to fixing it.

What you choose to do, is, of course, entirely your choice, and I'll
respect that. However, from my point of view, we really do need
something like ABANA, and it seems to me that it's going to be an
awful lot more sensible to try to fix it, than to scrap it, and down
the road find out that we need to reinvent the wheel.

I'm going to try to help, at least as long as I feel they're trying to
help themselves. If, however, Clare's letter turns out to be nothing
more than pretty words, well, I'll be out of here myself.

But I'm going to give them a chance. Wanna help?

Meantime, I've been crunching some numbers, and getting some
estimates, and I'm betting, if they let me, I could put on a
conference for no more than $150 per attendee, and likely less. It
would include free camping, although if you want a motel room, you'd
be on your own, and would likely include a community cook out. I'm
sure I could reserve blocks of rooms at motels nearby for a discount
for ABANA members- we (the SCA) have done this sort of thing before.
But, I think I could get all the basics set up and included, and have
luxuries readily available. More numbers I've been gewtting, the
better it looks.

Hey, all I can do is try...

-- 
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.