G'day Everybody

G'day all,
After speaking with Ray the other night I went through the process of signing up. I had a quick look around for a 'this is me' introduction type message thread. I couldn't see one for looking I suppose, so I started this thread.
By way of introduction then, my name is Doug Tarrant and I happen to be the Prez of the Australian Blacksmiths Association (Vic) Inc. Correct! I didn't hear the bloke say step forward who wants to be President and wondered why everyone around took a step backward!

Congratulations Ray and Bruce for getting the Gippsland thing happening and well done those that have supported you both since. I hope, as does the rest of the ABA(V) Inc (yes it's a 'c' not a 'k') committee that you very much enjoy what you will discover to be a most rewarding and tiring endeavour. We look forward to meeting more of you as time progresses.

Over the next few weeks Bruce and Ray and the committee will be discussing 'affiliate' stuff and eventually we'll come up with a model which the ABA will adopt for all remote groups. I would encourage you to speak to Bruce and or Ray about affiliation and make known your thoughts on the subject so they can be brought to the table. You might have the perfect solution so please don't be shy.

Cheers for now
Doug
President
Australian Blacksmiths Association (Vic) Inc

Hello Doug,

Welcome to our forum.
It is a very good point that Doug has raised about our group and our relationship to the parent body.
How is it going to work ? We don't know at the moment we're all feeling our way. It is unexplored territory for all of us.
The ABA (Vic) Inc. has put the wheels on the pram of the rural groups, it is off and running here in Gippsland, it is up to us collectively to make it work and not tip the baby out of the pram.
I personally think it is a great initiative of the ABA and is a step in the right direction to grow and strengthen the organisation as a whole.
So if you have an idea or suggestion as to how things could work let us know.

To give you an idea of how quickly things can grow I'll use the example of ABANA (The Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America), I have a book of the first five years of the Anvils Ring which is their magazine. I think it was 25 people who got together in 1973 to form the group. Their initial magazine was a basic photocopied newsletter and it persisted this way for some time. By the end of the five year period the magazine had grown to a full gloss colour publication, there were a number of state based affiliates and they'd hosted visits by international smiths who demonstrated at their conferences.
I know their population base is larger but it shows what can be achieved in a relatively short period of time.
Let us not be overawed, let us just get in there and give it a red hot crack.

Cheers,

Bruce.