[TheForge] ABANA is NOT dead

Mon Feb 26 20:21:01 EST 2007

Mike, Tom and listeroos "Ditto" and if you all think about with a membership
of around 4,000 all it takes is a donation of $50 bucks for seed money. Even
if we only have 1,000 donate that's $50,000 in seed money

Cost to attend? $300, less your donation = $250 x number attending,
say 1,000 (reasonable?) = $250,000

Anybody remember low-tech conferences?  I think in the past ABANA
has gone on the least expensive theory.......more bang for the buck.

So there are 1,001 things to deal with.......how many volunteers are
willing to give time, energy......etc.?

Dave M has been right on pointing out the complexities on putting on
a conference.  So maybe it's time for all ABANA members to reinstall
their personal sense of ownership, roll up the sleeves and git R done.

There is that old saying, amongst others, "When the going gets tough, the
tough get going"

Tom......if you all get this going, I send my fees in full via FedX

How about the rest of you?

Rome H. Hutchings
The Prairie Forge
13633 Ferman Ave NW
Clearwater, MN 55320
(763) 878-1694
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Woolley" <wjec at verizon.net>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] ABANA is NOT dead

> Sounds like the voice of reason to me. I wouldn't expect less from Tom 
> Clark.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mike Linn" <bamablacksmith at comcast.net>
> To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 8:56 AM
> Subject: [TheForge] ABANA is NOT dead
>
>
>>
>>>From: Ozark School of Blacksmithing 
>>><<mailto:ozarksch at therural.net>ozarksch at therural.net>
>>>Date: February 23, 2007 6:30:40 PM EST
>>>Subject: 2008 conference
>>>
>>>Clare,
>>>
>>>I am sorry to not have addressed this issue earlier but I am just in off
>>>of the road and my phone has been ringing off the hook.
>>>
>>>I was very sorry to read your release about not having a 2008
>>>conference.  I will be right up front and say, I can only describe that
>>>as a death wish for ABANA.
>>>
>>>Let me bring you up to date with my situation with regard to keeping
>>>track of the problems in confirming a date for the 2008 conference with
>>>the New York group.  When I first heard in Seattle that this may not
>>>happen, by my nature I put some of my energy into an alternative.  My
>>>affiliate, BAM was already considering offering to host the 2010
>>>conference and I was pleased with that because we did have a successful
>>>conference in 1994 at which time I was president of BAM.  It was both
>>>well organized and a financially rewarding conference for ABANA.  I have
>>>been personally involved with every conference since except Wisconsin in
>>>2000 where I also participated as a demonstrating vendor and making
>>>several power hammers available for ABANA's demo sites.
>>>
>>>When I later heard that there was a second refusal of New York's offer I
>>>approached our president, Kirk Sullens to see if we could possibly offer
>>>a program if New York was not going to happen.   Kirk called a meeting
>>>and even though we realized we would be getting a late start, the group
>>>agreed to do it.  I put Kirk in touch with Dorothy and with that back up
>>>program available it is inconceivable to me that after you made a final
>>>refusal with New York you did not even consider BAM as a back up.
>>>
>>>As I said earlier my phone has been ringing off the hook and I have had
>>>conversations with many people including, Bill Callaway, two time
>>>chairman of past ABANA conferences, Michael Bondi, two time chairman,
>>>Clay Spencer, past chair of the board's conference committee, Bob
>>>Bergman and Toby Hickman, who has had more experience with blacksmithing
>>>organizations than the rest of us put together.  We all agree that it
>>>could possibly do irreparable damage to ABANA if we skipped a conference.
>>>
>>>I hold no claim to it but in fact, all of the above mentioned people
>>>were active on the ABANA board and conference activities during the
>>>largest growth of the ABANA membership.  All participated in financially
>>>rewarding conferences and other activities for ABANA and will lend their
>>>energies to a 2008 conference.
>>>
>>>I have again talked to our president Kirk Sullens, and even at this late
>>>date Kirk says, BAM will accept the challenge and do a conference in
>>>Missouri in 2008.
>>>
>>>I am leaving Sunday for a quick trip to Turkey and then I will be
>>>driving out to Reno for a show.  On that trip I am going to stop at the
>>>state fairground where we are planning our future conferences and am
>>>going to see what dates would be available in 2008.  That facility
>>>offers us unlimited camping at very low rates, unlimited RV hookups, and
>>>every type of hotel and motel for lodging.  Everyone can choose their
>>>own budget level and type of housing needed for the conference.  The
>>>site also offers a wide range of vendors that can more than meet our
>>>needs for food.  People can choose what they want to eat and all we will
>>>need to do is arrange for one meal at our membership and awards meeting.
>>>
>>>Further, I have put together a program that will utilize as few as 12-16
>>>demonstrators and provide meaningful demonstrations that will all be
>>>repeated so that more people can see more of the conference.  We can
>>>promote a financially successful conference with little or no financial
>>>risk for ABANA.  We need to call on our friends and get ABANA back on 
>>>track.
>>>
>>>Time is short so I must speak frankly, which is my nature anyway.  If
>>>ABANA is not going to host a conference in 2008 I will spend all of my
>>>energy supporting an effort to promote an international conference in
>>>2008 to keep the momentum alive.
>>>
>>>Tom Clark
>>
>>
>>
>>
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