 | President's Letter to the Affiliates August 2003 |
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Dear ABANA Members, The election is over by now. Congratulations to all of you who sent in the ballots and voted. As I write this, half way through the election, over 1,200 ballots have come in. That is way up. I wonder if that free anvil has anything to do with it? naw. (Let me see, blacksmiths, free anvils coincidence? I think not.) Voting is a good thing in any case, so thanks! I am sure you have elected a good group. The 2004 ABANA Conference planning is running at full throttle to produce a well organized and fun educational experience. Dave Koenig, 2004 Conference Chairperson and ABANA Board member is working a LOT of hours to learn from the successes and failures of past events to make this one really good. I have tremendous confidence that he will succeed. He is going at it ‘hammer and tongs.’ It is unbelievable how much work there is, and how hard all the previous conference chairs and their staff have worked in the past. Without pay. Wow! The CanIron IV Conference was absolutely smashing. Charlie Orlando forge welded in gas as easily as most of us make toast. Doug Wilson made both tongs and one ‘tonk’ with style. Elizabeth Brim had some great things to say and her demonstration was fun as usual. I really love the apron she donated to the Penland School auction. I think it really has what I like in a good piece of metalwork, a cool idea combined with masterful execution. I enjoyed meeting Cairn Cunnane, whose work was also featured in the last issue of The Anvil’s Ring. Good, fresh forging! There was a lot of stuff that I missed (since they worked me like a dog) like Eddie Payne’s masterful forging of these really interesting sheet metal ‘monk’ figures. OK, the one I bought at the auction does look like a grim reaper, could it be that scythe that he’s holding!? Anyway it was a really good show. I have heard great reports from the UMRBA meeting in Illinois and I look forward to Quad State Roundup in Troy, Ohio September 26-28. Those guys always put on a great conference! What baffles me is that I thought ‘quad’ meant four, but it always seems that smiths from 25 states come? Another mystery, so gidd-e-up! (sic) In October the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis will hold their annual Repair Days and auction. There is still time for you to donate a piece to benefit our national center and library for artistic metalwork, hint, hint. In November the board will also meet at the Museum to eat ribs, whoops, I mean hammer out the annual budget and other serious educational matters. Members are welcome and the dates of the meeting are November 13-15. Call the Central Office for details if you are considering attending. So I think I won’t take up too much space this time, I wish you all good and fun forging. We really do have a cool job, most of the time!
Scott Lankton
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