Mr. Kagele, please forward this letter to Doug Learn as I cannot find his address and wish him to know of our feelings regarding the recent dismissal of our Chapter and the other Chapters of the Southeastern Region.

Dear Sir:

As incoming president of the Southeastern Region Blacksmiths Conference, Inc. (SERBC) and vice-president of the Philip Simmons Artist Blacksmith Guild of South Carolina, it is incumbent on me to make a statement about the expulsion of the seven former Chapters of ABANA that host the SERBC.

We are not angry with ABANA. We are angry with President Doug Learn and the ABANA Board because they would not work with the Southeastern chapters concerning this problem. We want President Learn and the ABANA Board to realize that we are not easily cowed by a groundless edict.  We resent being dismissed by President Learn.

We in the Philip Simmons Guild further resent that we haven't been formerly notified by ABANA in a letter to our President, Robert Hill, III.  Do not look for reapplication to ABANA because we did not withdraw in the first place. If ABANA changes it's mind, asks us to come back into ABANA (after doing away with their petty anvil shoot policy), I will try to lead my organization in that direction, as I think all of the SERBC board members will.

At the Conference, we were informed by an ABANA Board member that the policy has never been voted on by the ABANA Board.  Had the policy been approved by the Board, it may not have prevented the anvil shooting, but it would have had the weight of the Board.  It would have still been a silly, petty, uninformed edict, but it would have had the weight of the Board.

From the recent publication of the 1997 Anvil Shooting Policy (that I have seen since the Conference), I take the following:

"No Anvil Shoot or like form of public entertainment by propelling anvils into the air will be scheduled, conducted, allowed, or directly or indirectly advertised, publically [sic] announced or noted:

"1. At any ABANA sponsored public or private event;

"2. At any event sponsored by any other individuals or organizations who have used ABANA's name in their promotion of the event;

"3. At any event, Chapter function, school or demonstration sponsored by other individuals or organizations that borrow, rent, or use ABANA's Mobile Teaching Station at the event of any other ABANA equipment or property."

This Conference was not a public event, nor was it ABANA sponsored.  The Conference did not use ABANA's name in its promotion, nor did the Conference use the Mobile Teaching Station.

We had insurance.

All of the Southeastern chapters were asked months before the Conference about having an anvil shoot. At the Conference, all agreed to have a shoot except AFC who stayed neutral until their yearly meeting of their members. That didn't seem to matter to the ABANA board. One chapter is apparently no better than another to President Learn.  

The members of other expelled chapters as well as those who have not yet been expelled are brothers and sisters in blacksmithing and it will stay that way. We will keep exchanging newsletters with the other ABANA chapters if they wish to reciprocate and keep us updated on where to send them.

Our organizations will not promote ABANA as it stands now, although we still share and will promote the goals and ideals that brought us to ABANA in the first place.

FABA gets no financial support, and little else, from ABANA. Without a doubt FABA will continue as always. FABA, like most other chapters, is a legal entity separate from ABANA. It is recognized as a nonprofit corporation in Florida and as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt educational organization by the IRS. ABANA chapters do not share ABANA's nonprofit corporate status or its exempt status under the federal tax code.

Patty Draper, President
FABA