When application was made for chapter status, each chapter was informed of their responsibilities and ABANA’s responsibilities to the chapter. in the recent past ABANA has not published the necessary periodic updates and reminders to the chapters. Because of this oversight, many chapters have not been adequately informed of these obligations and thus have not followed up on them. We now wish to correct this error in communication and improve on the relationship and benefits to both the chapters and ABANA in this relationship.

This statement of mutual responsibiliiy is a definition of the guidelines and rules that make up the relationship between ABANA and the chapters. The below guidelines include those that have been in force for the many years, but with additions and clarifications that bring added value to both the chapters and ABANA and serve as a common grounds for understanding this relationship.

The Board is requesting your input in these guidelines by inviting comments on this statement of mutual responsibilities. You may comment on one or all of the items. All comments will be assembled, tabulated and reported back to the chapters. We expect to report within two months after the deadline for your response. All comments will receive careful consideration by the Board. Actions by the Board regarding these suggestions will be fully explained to the chapters.

Please follow this procedure when responding:

• State the number of the item and give your comment. Concise comments are best.
• When stating further comments, make a new paragraph for each item.
• Reply before two months after the receipt of the statement.

Thank you for your support of ABANA and a strong chapter organization.

STATEMENT OF MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN ABANA AND IT’S CHAPTERS

ABANA’S SUPPORT OF THE CHAPTERS

1. Maintain the ABANA-required chapter documents at the Central Office, and make each chapter’s documents available to that chapter in a reasonable fashion.

2. Provide information and assistance in obtaining chapter status, incorporation, liabilily insurance and maintaining a strong chapter, as outlined in the Procedure Manual and/or other documents made available to the chapters.

3. Provide chapter Visiting Artist Grant monies to support the educational mission of ABANA through the chapters.

4. Serve as a source of information regarding blacksmith demonstrators available for chapter-sponsored workshops and classes.

5. Provide chapter access to the ABANA Teaching Trailer to support the educational mission of ABANA through the chapters.

6. Provide regular communication to the chapters on matters important to the ABANA chapters in established forms agreeable to the chapters.

7. Establish and maintain the ABANA Member Services Committee to provide a timely and effective means of access to the ABANA Board for redress of questions, comments, concerns and/or requests for information from the chapters and the Membership at large.

8. Assist chapters in maintaining and exceeding a level of 25°/o ABANA membership in the chapter membership.

9. Provide to all new chapters information regarding ABANA, including but not limited to the Statement of Mutual Responsibiliiy, chapter Benefits list, By-laws, ABANA Board members and their contact information, Demonstrator List, Scholarship and chapter Grant information, Journeyman Program information and suggestions for forming and maintaining a strong chapter.

10. Provide all existing chapters access to the information listed in the above point referencing new chapters when the information is changed, be it in hard copy, electronic copy, and/or reference to the location of the information on the ABANA web site.

11. Allow publication of ABANA publication material (Hammer’s Blow and The Anvil’s Ring) in chapter Newsletters. From Spring 2001 use of this information in chapter newsletters does not require author approval. Prior to this date, author permission may be needed. Please contact the author directly for this permission.

12. Serve as a central site of information exchange for newsletter editors and chapter presidents through the ABANA web site (Third Quarter 2001)

13. Adhere to the chapter responsibilities as outlined in Article 111-A of the By-laws, those responsibilities listed in the Statement of Mutual Responsibilily and other responsibilities as adopted in Board motions. Responsibilities outlined in motions will be posted on the Web site and sent to all chapters, either in electronic or hard copy after formal adoption by the Board. The most recent example of such a responsibilily is the ban on anvil shoots at ABANA chapter events.

14. State the chapter’s affiliation with ABANA in the chapter newsletter, and include ABANA contact information and an ABANA membership form in the newsletter, or information on where to find this application information can be found on the ABANA web site.

15. Provide the chapter membership list of names and addresses to the ABANA Central Office in January of each calendar year. These updates are for internal ABANA purposes only and will not be made available to any external party or other ABANA chapters.

16. Provide changes in chapter Officers and Newsletter Editors and their contact information to the Central Office within one month of the changes.

17. Provide an updated copy to the chapter’s by-laws to the ABANA Central Office within one month of when such changes are adopted by the chapter membership.

18. Maintain 25°/o of the chapter membership as ABANA members.

19. Reprint the most current President’s Letter and chapter Liaison Letter in the chapter newsletter, or this same information in other form(s), to insure the timely communication of ABANA information to the chapter membership.

20. Send to the ABANA Central Office a copy of incorporation documents and the official letter of incorporation within two years of receiving chapter status.

21. Acquire liability insurance for the chapter as the chapter finds reasonable and appropriate for their specific chapter activities. Provide evidence of that insurance coverage (certificate of insurance) to the ABANA Central Office on a yearly basis.