Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America

January 2008 Committee Reports

Board of Directors Appointments

Board Resignations Filled
We have been working on finding a replacment for Bobby Floyd after his abrupt resignation during the fall ABANA board meeting. We felt that rushing to fill his seat during the meeting was not the right thing to do and that we needed several weeks to beat the bushes. We worked on increasing the size of the field of applicants that we already had for the position.

Which were Doug Kluender and Preston Farabow. Preston had decided to wait until the spring election to throw his hat back in the ring. So with Doug in hand, the board reached out and found the following ABANA members to run for an appointment to the board. Peyton Anderson, Lance Davis, David Norrie, Edwin Rainey, and John Yust all agreed to be considered for the open seat. This gave us six candidates along with Doug's application.

We had another minor set back when fellow board member Will Hightower had decided it was time to also step down. This then gave us two seats on the board that needed to be filled. Although these two positions have to different term lengths due to the people that occupied that particulate seat. Also David Norrie has recently asked that he only be considered for the spring elections due to a personal matter that won't allow him to give his full attention to ABANA right now. We hope to have a vote on the rest of the field before Christmas.

As of the time of this writing the spring contingent is rounding out with the following people asking to be considered for the board. Preston Farabow, Lee Lanford, and David Norrie. I also hope that those in the group that are running for the current two board appointments, that don't get elected will ask to be considered for the spring election. This would currently give us a group of six people already wanting to run in the spring election. I hope to have a total of ten or more for the members to chose from in that election.

Jim Masterson - Elections & Nominating
Controlled Hand Forging Committee

The CHF Committee begins the new year with lessons by Jay Close and Bob Fredell for the first two 2008 issues of the Hammer's Blow.

Looking down the road: With approxiamtely two years (or eight lessons) to go to complete the CHF Lesson Syllabus, we are beginning to look more deliberately at having the lessons compiled into book format. The Guild of Metalsmiths (GOM) a Minnesota based ABANA Affiliate, has expressed an interest in sponsoring the publishing of the book. CHF committee member Bob Fredell is the liason for CHF and the GOM. As we are in the early stages of the book, there are many questions to be answered regarding the process, as well as the particulars of working with the GOM.

As this committee sees it, the book will include much more content than what has been published thus far. We will be adding to existing lessons, i.e. more images, more lesson content, etc.; adding a study guide; adding a glossary; and more.

No timeline has been exstablsihed as yet as to when the book will be finished.

Dan Nauman - CHF Committee Chairman

Sales/Insurance/Publications

Linda Tanner has been working with our advertisers

and is in the process of putting a member discount package together.

Linda has reported that ABANA suppliers are very excited to be part of this program to offer our members discounts for the up coming year 2008.

"The list keeps growing and I am excited to be able to offer this to our members."

"I am using the suppliers that advertise in our magazines and on our Market place . If you have any other suppliers around the country that you use and would like me to see if they want to get on the band wagon ,let me know. Most suppliers don't want to be left out. Isn't that GREAT!"

Back Issue Publications

Linda has move all ABANA Back Issues from the storage location, saving ABANA the montly rental. "I have a inventory sheet from Hanover when the took an inventory count that dates 2005".

Sales Committee Report

"I am glad to report the Hanover Book Shed has reported that the magazines have been crated and should ship tomorrow. I should recieve the magazines on Friday at my plant in Crewe, Va".

"This will completly close Hanover so ABANA should not be getting any storage bills in 2008".

"I will as time allows go through and fill out packages to send to all the guilds as requested, that this inventory is re-utilized. So consider this done and we can remove this cost from the 2008 budget".

Linda Tanner - Sales Committee
From the Desk of Heather Hutton in the ABANA Central Office

To the ABANA Board of Directors and Membership:

Since the ABANA Board of Directors meeting in November 2007, the Central Office has made significant progress on the following business items including but not limited to health insurance research, shop insurance research, public relations in local magazines, preparing the minutes for the website, processing holiday gift CD's, BAM, SNAG, statistical membership figures, inventory support, technological upgrades to our mailing system, election support, mailing lists, and renewal notices for the up coming year.

Thanks for your continued support!

Heather

Internet Committee/Affiliate Relations

From the Desk Of Paul Boulay:

ABANA members and friends of blacksmithing, Thank you for responding to our members survey.

By the way, some of you also filled out the the survey on the web site. We apologize for the duplication.

Your new ABANA board has been busy on your behalf. Here is a summary of the major things that have been done in the last month.

Restart Affiliate Communications (Letters & Emails),
Create and Launch Survey via direct email & website, Initiate direct member email news service & archive.
Catch up on overdue website updates. Implement cost savings in ABANA's sales division. Set up a balanced budget. Implement cost savings in publications area.

Implement membership drive with an offer of ABANA demonstrators as incentive. Arrange to be at the upcoming NOMMA conference looking for new members. Create a Gift membership program with archive Hammer's Blow CD as incentive.

Identify 6 worthy candidates for the 2 open Board positions. Appointments are announced here in the January Committee News.

Initiate an "ABANA members get discounts" program at major blacksmith vendors. So far "Blacksmith Supply" will give ABANA members a 5% discount -- have your ABANA member number available. Other vendors have also expressed interest. In Closing........

As direct result of all these hard working folks, we have two appointments on the board of directors filled by willing souls. As you may already received the "First ever Affiliate Spotlight" and news from Jill Turman, our Conference Division Chair, on the planning for an ABANA 2010 conference.......you might have taken note of the form of delivery.

Yes, we are moving forward with new technology for communicating "What's Going On" to you, the membership of a great organization!

With a new enthusiasm, we are all working together to respond to the membership. One thing to keep in mind, all of your ABANA Board, are members and are volunteers.........working for the good of the organization.

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Recently the question came up as to whether or not ABANA supplies health insurance.

This morning I received, via email, the January ABANA Committe Reports and it mentions that Heather Hutton, who manages the ABANA Central Office is doing "research" on both health insurance and shop insurance. No further details were provided.

This seems to indicate that ABANA may be starting to listen to the membership. The Committees Report was rather lengthy and seems to indicate that the Board is trying to address a lot of the issues that have been raised in the recent past.

The real test will be if we continue to see this level of communication with the membership. I hope it continues. It is a promising sign.

By the way, one of the items mentioned was that the Board was working on putting on an affordable ABANA conference in 2010.