In case you have not heard the 2004 ABANA Conference will be at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky just south of Lexington on I-75. The dates are July 7-11, 2004. There will of course be demonstrators, vendors, classroom activities, the family program, tailgating (that's a sales activity), galleries, the big auction, with Tim Ryan presiding, plus the thrilling general membership meeting! There will be time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Dave Koenig, Conference Chair and ABANA Board member from Houston, Texas, has put a tremendous amount of time into better organization of all the details for many months. We can look forward to a great educational time. I hope to see you there.

The ABANA Board has recently passed two motions that will create and fund the Endowment Trust for Education. It will be initially funded with $150,000.00 from ABANA funds. This will help insure the future of blacksmithing by funding our scholarship program and limited grants. These will come from the interest, while the principal continues to increase in safety. This is really an important milestone for ABANA. We are growing up and setting this money aside will help perpetuate our craft indefinitely for years to come. Bravo to Treasurer Will Hightower for the hundreds of hours spent keeping track of and managing our funds carefully to put us in a position where this is not just a dream but a reality.

Jerry Kagele, ABANA Secretary, has been overseeing the ABANA Central Office that LeeAnn Mitchell runs so efficiently. I thought his explanation of our elections in the last issue of The Anvil's Ring was great. His reason, legal knowledge, and professional business skill had brought a lot to the board meetings not to mention his sense of humor!

ABANA has never been in such good shape, financially, educationally, and with regard to our publications. Dorothy Stiegler has been running publications, lobbying for the color pages in The Anvil's Ring and the added pages in Hammer's Blow. Rob Edwards and Brian Gilbert work really hard to meet the deadlines and produce high quality material. Dan Nauman has been working passionately on the teaching program in the Education Division, now chaired by Maegan Crowley, to have a new series of basic articles written which are being published in Hammer's Blow. These are designed to help aspiring (shouldn't that be perspiring?) smiths to learn the basics. If you have something to share, please send it in. For many years I have heard people ask, "How DO you get published in The Anvil's Ring or Hammer's Blow?" The reply is still the same. Send it in! I really enjoy reading the articles though I must admit that I always look at all the pictures first!

Remember, it is our 30th anniversary year! Amazing! Spread the word, better yet, sign up a new member! We are a very diverse group of individuals and it is really wonderful to share tips and information with others about, "how did you do that?"

Bob Fredell has worked hard to strengthen relations with all the ABANA Affiliates, now equals in their own right. Please remember that all your board members are volunteers and send us your ideas for improving your association.

I want to mention that The National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee is in the process of building a new library. Many individuals and organizations have donated, including ABANA. Bill Gichner has donated HIS library! Wow. A lot has been collected over the years and a proper place to display it where smiths and others can go to conduct research will be great. If you have some money to donate to a very worthy smithing cause this is it. Or send them work for their auction at "Repair Days" in October. I first saw that place in 1983, and it has really undergone a transformation under Jim Wallace's hand with the aid of his excellent staff.

This just in; Leonard Masters has been awarded the prestigious Alex Bealer Award! Leonard has organized and led many wonderful blacksmith tours in Europe. More on this elsewhere, congratulations!

Last, and far from least, we lost a giant. Carl Jennings of California passed away in May. Those who knew him will mourn his passing by celebrating the joy and beauty of life as he said he wanted us to. He was so kind and incredibly gifted and the world is a poorer place without him. Get out to that fire now and make him proud! Celebrate life and don't postpone joy.

Scott Lankton