[TheForge] ABANA support

[ironstash at comcast.net]

Lots of people are submitting their viewpoint, so I guess it is ok to also post mine.

I consider myself as a new comer to the hobby of Blacksmithing and try to look at this discussion in a new comers way. I belong to the Ocmulgee  Blacksmith Guild, SOFA, Alex Bealer Blacksmith Association, Alabama Forge Council and ABANA. Do I get my monies worth out of each group? I think I do because I don't look at a group and say what can they give me? I try to get involved in the groups that I can and give back as a small gift to the people that ask for help is some way or the other. 
IS ABANA perfect? NOPE. Will it get better by walking away from ABANA and say  "Look at the sinking ship"? 
What did the Founding Father's of ABANA say to each other when they joined together at Westville, GA. to start ABANA?? Was it something like this; "Man O Man, that is a great magazine and a wonderful conference they have as a bunch of Blacksmith's. Let's join up with those guys." I dont think they started ABANA at all by saying that.  I think they knew from the start that the only way to have a successful organization was through hard work and dedication to a common cause of sharing the art of Blacksmithing to as many people and in as many different ways as they could. 

How do you improve any group whether it is a Club, Union, Church, Boy Scout troop as examples. My feelings are that you role up your sleeves and get to work with the positive things as roll models and making them your standard to grow by if you truly want the group to grow.

Is it the $55 a year? Nothing in life is totally free, and I think I get my monies worth.

I am an ABANA member and proud of it too. 

Alfred McClure
 Ironstash