Northwest Blacksmith Association

President’s Message 4th Quarter 2016

Hello, Everyone!
    The NWBA Conference is ON TRACK for May 12 through 14. (Save the date!) We’ll have a Friday potluck dinner, of course, in addition to Saturday’s banquet. There will be forging contests with prizes. Our repousse station will be open as usual. Randy Cryderman will provide a bronze-pouring demonstration on Sunday morning. We’ll have dandy hands-on classes. And naturally we’ll have our spectacular headliner demonstrators, Dave Lisch and Maegan Crowley!
Be thinking about your auction item! It doesn’t have to be big or fancy to help out the cause. Most of last year’s auction was comprised of smaller-ticket items, and the auction was highly successful. Our gallery will be available for showing off your special pieces. Gallery and Auction display will once again share the space with our NWBA Library.
It wouldn’t really be a Conference without Tailgaiting. This year, we’ll be asking a 10% fee for items other than tools and materials. For example, if I’m selling sucker rod or tongs, I’ll pay no fee, but if I sell wall-art I would contribute 10% of receipts to the NWBA. This will be on the honor system, and our treasurer will happily provide a receipt.
Please do consider volunteering to help out with the Conference! We’ll need help at the Registration desk, especially in the mornings. We also need volunteers for late-evening fire-watch. Contact our Volunteer Coordinator and offer your help with these details! (You’ll find her contact information on the inside of the front cover.)
Since you’re thinking of volunteering (you ARE thinking of volunteering, right?) The Mentoring Center is still in need of some Registrars and some Coordinators. Registrars will greet folk, accept the daily fees, and record attendance. Coordinators will make sure materials and consumables are stocked, make sure repairs and maintenance take place, and draw up schedules for our volunteers.
In the meantime, be looking for your ballots in December. We’ll be voting to fill four seats on the Board of Directors. In January, the new board will meet, determine who is to fill which of the offices, and will continue working on your behalf. PLEASE DO let us know how we can achieve that goal more completely! Feel free to contact any board member with questions or ideas. Our contact info is inside the front cover.
Stay Inspired!
-Lee Cordochorea
(You pronounce that just like it’s spelled.)