[TheForge] [NEBList] Atlantic Coast Blacksmith Conference (Ashoken, NY)

[PlumDon at aol.com]

To: NEB-Directors at yahoogroups.com
CC:  NEBList at yahoogroups.com
From: obostrom at cox.net
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008  16:43:52 -0500
Subject: [NEBList] Atlantic Coast Blacksmith Conference  (Ashoken, NY)

All,
NEB participated in or actually  was a leading partner in the Atlantic Coast 
Blacksmith Conference (ACBC) in  September.  NEB had agreed to put up as much 
as $2500 advance money to help  get it going and with that we got a voice in 
how it would be done.  Myself  and the BOD provided guidance to our ACBC 
representatives, Ralph Sproul and Bob  Compton, and they did a wonderful job of 
carrying the message and helping to  guide the group overall.  There were many 
lessons learned.  It was  interesting for me to note that the huge experience 
that NEB has gained by  putting on two major events a year was a critical factor 
in guiding the planning  and toning down of some participants grandiose 
expectations by interjecting some  sense of reality.  The conference was a smashing 
success.  I was there  and enjoyed the show, the camaraderie, and yup, even 
the work when  required.  
Ralph and Bob did NEB a great service by  being great representatives, and 
NEB participants did us all well by being a  large component of those who 
attended and helped on site with the chores that  needed doing.
There was another side to the event which  was the money side.  There were 
ultimately three groups that equally  pre-funded the event.  We all ended up 
putting up $1500 as that was all  that was needed up front.  The conference went 
well enough that after all  costs, taxes, etc were resolved, we just had our 
$1500 returned intact and  received another payment of $3500 profit over and 
above our initial  grubstake.  All three principle groups elected to leave some 
cash in the  limited liability corp. (LLC) that was formed in NY state to 
address end of the  year filing costs and to maintain the LLC status in case we 
want (and I think we  do) to have a similar event in the future.  Some of our 
start up costs  included setting up the LLC and I see no reason to do that over 
again when we  can maintain what we have established.
So there you have  it.  Great  job.  Great meet.  Not a bad profit for the  
treasury.
Hopefully, Fred can put this note in the  Newsletter for those who don't 
follow the e-mails.

Owen  Bostrom
President, NEB
15 November, 2008  

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