[TheForge] abana

[Andrew Vida]

I guess some things don't change.  Since the 98 conference the 
organization has taken on a very different character and while I am 
loathe to judge precipitously, not much of what I have seen since then 
has been very positive.  The timbre of the organization has gone off the 
rails somehow and ABANA appears to be incapable (unwilling?) of righting 
itself.  I made a few suggestions in the past, which were naturally 
ignored, and washed my hands of them.  It is a shame how it seems to 
have degenerated.  I was never much into the politics there.  When the 
whole nonsense with George Dixon arose I did not feel competent to know 
whom to believe, though I really had no reason to feel George was lying 
to me about some things - but it all seemed so creepy what he was 
asserting that I could not help but wonder what was really going on.  I 
paid some close-ish attention for quite a while thereafter and what I 
saw inclined me to believe at least most of George's claims, and what I 
have seen since then has given me no reason to doubt him further.  My 
point is that after all that, then came the decision not to have 
conferences anymore, and now this.

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, you 
probably don't have a hamster.

Schade wrote:
> ABANA - Wed 11 Feb 2009 09:22:18 #0
> 
> You have to wonder what's going on with the once great ABANA when  
> board members and their support keep resigning.
> 
> Kate Dinneen has resigned as conference chair, which makes a total of  
> 3, 2010 conference committee that have resigned. Plus the resignation  
> of Megan Crowley as editor. Perhaps if they focus more on  
> Blacksmithing rather than getting us discounts & health insurance. How  
> many times is the ABANA board going to turn over its board members? Is  
> the election even necessary when most of the board is appointed?