Rome.Hutchings

Mr Boggs, I spend 3-4 hours per evening working for the future, serving the needs of the day and all the while remembering the link with our past. You have some valid points, these things do not happen overnight. I'm a volunteer, and as such entitled to some free time of my own. How ever some people may view ABANA, is up to them, isn't what living in a free country is all about. Oh, I forgot to say that I've only been doing this since November 15th, 2007........I think that's like three weeks, OK. Speaking only for myself and not for ABANA, there are many things in this world that bother me, most of those things I can do very little to change. As for the things I can change, or make a difference in, those are the things I put my effort into. If you could wear my shoes for a day, I believe you would know a different outlook. Where am I going with all this? Well........I noticed that you have volunteered to help Bob Bergman on the Journeyman's Program Committee, my hat is off to you. Bob and Dan have the list of over 100 people who have volunteered to help this program.......Peter Ross, Nol Putnam, Tom Latane, Caleb Kullman, Bruce MacMillan, and the list goes on, Jonathan Nedbor, and yes Gerald Boggs....this is you isn't it.

All, many of you may not know this, but ABANA does have and will continue to develop, educational/training programs. At present, and as a direct result of the ABANA Survey, we are reinvigorating the Journeyman Program. Bob Bergman is the chairman and originator of this program, Dan Nauman is on this committee and there will be others named to this program committee soon. The Controlled Hand Forging lesson series is the handywork of Dan Nauman, Jay Close, Tom Latane, Peter Ross, Tal Harris, Bill Callaway, Derick Glaser, Bob Fredell, Doug Wilson, and myself as ABANA Board member. You can find out more about this link: [ABANA] Controlled Hand Forging Presently there are lessons 1 thru 15 posted and soon we will have updated them thru lesson 21. These lessons are a valuable resource for those who want to learn. As for the Journeyman Program, it will over time incorporate the fundimentals of Controlled Hand Forging and provide a networking resource for those seeking a career path and the shop owner seeking qualified employees Stay Tuned, ABANA is on the move and I hope you will join us in uniting the Blacksmithing Community! Please check out the [ABANA] The Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America, Inc. home page for an exciting educational offer. With all "New" or "Expired and Renewed" Memberships, mail in only offer, you will recieve the Hammer's Blow Archive CD. This CD contains 26 issues in PDF format, Volume 8, No. 1 thru Volume 14, No. 2. That is 2000 thru 2007. You can also give a Holiday Gift Membership, and the new member will recieve the Hammer's Blow CD in addition to the ABANA Membership Regards, Rome H. Hutchings, Chairman ABANA Membership Services The Prairie Forge 13633 Ferman Ave NW Clearwater, MN 55320 (763) 878-1694 rome.hutchings@theprairieismygarden.com

I'm reading the posts here about ABANA with great interest. For those of you who don't know me, I have been appointed to the ABANA Board and attended the Nov. board meething in Memphis. All of my old ideas about who and what the ABANA Board is were dispelled, so I have a completely new perspective of the organization. First, let me say that all of the board members are "Volunteers", that includes those who were elected. Elected or appointed, is not of any great difference....point is that we are all volunteers that feel strongly about our responsibility to the ABANA membership. As for things that have happened in the past with respect to ABANA, well it's just that, the past. Everyone has their opinion as to what ABANA should have done, or what ABANA could have done in regard to these past events. However, now is the present, and we can't go back and fix things in the past. So where do we go from here, you ask? That's where the ABANA Survey comes in, and new communications to the Affiliates via the Yahoo group list, and the Blacksmith Editors group at the Yahoo group list. The 2008 ABANA Board is hard at work moving forward, listening to the membership, communicating with the membership, and most importantly of all in my mind is the fact that this is not just talk. It's about action, getting the ABANA website updated, working on improving the publications, working on a new model for ABANA Conferences to make it more affordable, and more accessable. Yes, there is a lot going on and you can help, if you have a love of the craft and are thinking about you might do something worthwhile for those how have shared their time freely with you, so that you could learn about this craft. I look forward to hearing from you all, and working to improve what ABANA's mission is, for the benefit of all who love blacksmithing. Regards to all! Rome Hutchings, Chair ABANA Member Services rome.hutchings@theprairieismygarden.com