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4:12 am
March 18, 2010
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In recent years we have offered hands-on classes at the NWBA conferences. Usually five or six different classes are offered and people put their names in a hat and are drawn by lottery. These classes have been free until this last fall conference where it was decided to charge $20.00 to each person drawn in order to defer part of the cost. This has caused a little controversy. The board will be taking up this subject at the next board meeting in January.
This is your opportunity to give the board your opinion.
Please vote in the above poll and feel free to express your opinion here and discuss it with other members.
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
4:30 am
March 18, 2010
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Guess I get to put in my two cents first.
Some people have said that these classes should be free to the students. First I think we all need to understand that they are not free, the association pays for the instructors and the materials. "The association" is you and me. We need the conferences to at least break even. The hands-on classes run 10 - 20% of the conference budget. Making the classes free adds about $10.00 - $15.00 to the conference fee.
So it really is not a matter of free or not, it's a matter of deciding who will pay for the classes.
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
4:41 am
NWBA Member
July 9, 2010
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Another option is to go back to the old days of no pay for the hands on instructors. Ryan was not paid in 2003. Does anyone remember when and why the change occured?
My son is the Blacksmith
4:55 am
March 18, 2010
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Thanks Jeff! We now have another choice in the poll. Hey Gene! Not a story problem, just multiple choice!
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
4:59 am
March 22, 2010
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Yeah... I dont think the hands on demonstrators should be paid. Or Maybe wave their conference fees? We are a non profit group that exists to further the craft and to educate those who want to learn... right? I think the people who participate in the class should be responsible for all the fees. $20-$40 is an awful cheap workshop.. If its not worth $20 to someone then my feeling is they really didn't want to do it anyway. Maybe we need to have provisions for people who cant afford to pay? maybe offer one free hands on during the conference?
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
5:04 am
March 18, 2010
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Good point Larry. It needs to be mentioned that charging $20.00 only covers about half the cost, so that is actually option #3.
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
5:05 am
NWBA Member
April 19, 2010
Offline
Paying a few more bucks for the Conference Fee would be fine with me. I saw a couple of young folks drop out when it was announced that they had to come up with an extra twenty that they hadn't planned on. Demonstrators should be paid for their time unless THEY choose to donate it. My penny's worth in these interesting(as the curse goes)economic times.
5:13 am
NWBA Member
April 19, 2010
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Understand your feeling on the subject Larry,but how 'bout the fine folks that we have come from many miles away? Can we expect Brian Brazeal to come all the way up here at his expense?? Maybe we can have a number of "in house" members to demo free and have just one paid "out of towner" each conference.. Sorry to get more complicated here. Love the fact that we can knock stuff around on this forum....
5:17 am
NWBA Member
July 9, 2010
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I like Larry's suggestion. No fee/no pay. Maybe Comp. admission for hands on instructors, not including dinner.
Can I vote again?
My son is the Blacksmith
5:18 am
March 18, 2010
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Just an FYI: This discussion is in regard to the hands-on instructors only. We have to pay to bring in our "feature demonstrators".
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
5:23 am
March 18, 2010
Offline
Eric Sprado;3623 wrote: Love the fact that we can knock stuff on this forum....
Yeah, it's a nice way to stay connected between conferences, isn't it?
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
5:33 am
March 18, 2010
Offline
J Wilson;3624 wrote: I like Larry's suggestion. No fee/no pay. Maybe Comp. admission for hands on instructors, not including dinner.
Can I vote again?
No, you can't, but the archivist can!
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
5:42 am
March 18, 2010
Offline
How about we pay them in BLACKSMITH BUCKS? You know: in store credit. They could only use it for the auction.
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
6:17 am
April 19, 2010
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OK so many years ago, I think I was with my first wife, NWBA paid for some learning when I couldn't, through a grant, it was very much appreciated. Maybe a grant system for those in need, which at some point in our blacksmithdom we may all have needed at some point. Maybe if you can't pay and would like to participate then make a donation to the auction if you don't have the cash. In my later years I have avoided the classes one to socialize with other smiths and two I feel that the young may need the training more then I who does not make a living swinging the hammer anymore. I guess it boils down to, if you can't afford it then step up and ask, there should be a way, because lets face it most of us only have the opportunity to do hands on learning at a conference.
6:33 am
April 21, 2010
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I shouldnt comment since I am not on the membership list even though I paid my membership in june....yaaaa team!
7:42 am
May 26, 2010
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the one i want to pick isnt there...
i would think it fair, for all, that the ones who gain from the lessons/demonstrations, gathering, to help with costs.
Blacksmith?.....snap out of it!
8:31 am
NWBA Member
March 22, 2010
Offline
I feel the participants should pay any costs that revolve around the hands on classes. At least for materials, I do agree with Larry that Hands on demonstrators should donate their time to the cause. I also feel that anyone helping out significantly at the conference should be free admittance, such as hands on demonstrators.
$20 bucks for a 2-4 hour class seems cheap to me, plus not everyone who attends can even obtain the opportunity. My apprentice had his name in all of the drawings for hands on and never drew once. Kind of odd when you think about a few complaining and the majority who wanted to participate but were not drawn. Maybe we should think of it as winning a reverse lottery, you get to play but you have to pay for that privilege.
Just my two cents.
Tom
12:41 pm
NWBA Member
April 19, 2010
Offline
I hate think about having to pay for hands on classes, but I see the point. It would weed out some folks who aren't serious and put a hardship on those who don't have the extra cash and want to learn. Overall, the NWBA is running in the black financially so I don't know why we can't absorb this cost. We are all here to learn and putting another roadblock in the way just causes trouble.
1:08 pm
NWBA Member
August 30, 2010
Offline
How many people signup for each demo? Have you thought about charging just to throw your name in the hat? You might be surprised what you'd get charging only a dollar for a "chance". This would also allow those with a serious interest to "invest" to increase their odds of winning.
2:10 pm
NWBA Member
April 19, 2010
Offline
Sawyer;3636 wrote: How many people signup for each demo? Have you thought about charging just to throw your name in the hat? You might be surprised what you'd get charging only a dollar for a "chance". This would also allow those with a serious interest to "invest" to increase their odds of winning.
i kinda like that one! also if agree with larry about demonstraters getting free conference .. its kinda tough tho for newbys to realize that everything costs ... and blacksmiths are usually kinda skin flints ..but 20 bucks isnt to bad for a 3 -4 hr class...ide go for it but only if it was sumthing i wanted to learn... in that respect it will keep people from signing up for everything...i guess if you know ahead of time it shouldnt make a big difference..
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