 | President's Letter to the Affiliates March 2004 |
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Dear ABANA Affiliates, There are only four more months until ABANA's big biennial event starts in Richmond, Kentucky. In fact, as I write this, Board Member/Conference Chair Dave Koenig is on the conference site at Eastern Kentucky University with key conference members going over final details/locations and eliminating all possible snafus! Yes, there will be LOTS of last minute items to cover, but Dave's crew is mightily trying to eliminate all possible problems! I ask your help in handling the rest of any problems that might occur. ABANA is an organization of volunteers. Board members, of whom I am VERY PROUD, volunteer a tremendous amount of time to your organization, but the conference is every member's opportunity to help the artist- blacksmithing community! How, you say? GLAD YOU ASKED! Well, first let us review some of what it takes to make the conference happen. Dave's last progress report lists:
1- Individuals with specific area responsibilities: 20+ And this is just a start! Because YOU are needed too! First, register to attend now. If you are not there, you will not have the opportunity to come away with the new ideas every conference offers! This is reason enough for anybody! You will also miss the networking that comes when artists from around the world gather in one place. A new idea /technique sparked by other's work in demonstrations, galleries, etc. will not find its way into your future works. And maybe, most importantly, you'll miss the fun of participating with so many other blacksmith volunteers. Secondly, the aforementioned list of approximately 80 volunteers and is just a small part of the membership that it takes to do all the tasks at the conference. So I am asking you to not only attend, but also look for a way to make the conference better because of your efforts. If you are willing to roll up your sleeves, contact Bob Fredell, Volunteer Cooridnator, and become an "official volunteer". Bob can be reached at (763) 389-5119 C.S.T. or via email fredell@sherbtel.net Hope to see you there! And I am looking forward to meeting you and saying "Hello"!
Don Kemper
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