President’s Message – August 2025

President’s Message July 17, 2025

Dear Members,                                                                                           It’s July 17, 2025 . You are sitting in the large and cozy dining hall at the WA Symposium. You’ve had a great day carving, learning, and being among people who love stone and carving as much as you do. You are well fed and settled into a comfortable chair for … oh no! It’s the annual Membership Meeting of NWSSA! 

7:15 PM the president of NWSSA is standing up front, microphone in hand, announcing It’s 7:15, “I start my meetings on time!” 

First, a Salute to Ellie Hochman for 6 yrs of service, including 2 years as president. 

Then introduction of the two newly elected Board of Directors (BOD), Carmen Chacon and Ken Barnes. Then the continuing BOD were introduced: Karen Roe, Aerin Sizelove, Markos Weiss, Michael Yeaman, Ken Barnes, Oliver Harwood, and the person with the microphone, Tamara Buchanan. 

Oh dear, the Financial Report is next…no wait, it’s on a big screen in front, I understand it, NWSSA is looking good thanks to some helpful grants, some donations to our endowments funds, and 2 successful symposiums last year. 

Wow, moving right along: More people being introduced. Symposium directors: Cyra Jane Hobson – WA, Rachell Jarvis – OR, Ellie Hochman – Women’s Retreat. Event Leads: Aerin Sizelove – Best of the NW, Markos Weiss – Kubota Gardens, Constance Jones – Everett Arboretum, Gallery shows – Leon White. Some Committee Chairs: Website development – Aerin Sizelove, Journal – Arliss Newcomb, New Members – Beth Krehbiel, Donations Acknowledgements – Sharon Feeney, Endowment Fund Organizer – needed.

Ok, so you ask, how is NWSSA benefiting me: A very interesting quarterly Journal, an online Sculptors Forum for sharing questions and ideas, a page of my own on the new website, discounts to events, and opportunities to show & sell my work. That all looks good to me. 

I understand there is a Board of Directors (BOD), but what do they do?? I’m amazed… these are some highlights of what they did just last year: Revising 2009 Bylaws, supporting the new Vancouver Island Stone Sculpting Symposium, joined Washington Gives donation program, created 2 Endowment funds, created the role of donations acknowledgement, sent 2 persons to Arts Fund Board Training, created a new show/sales venue with The Best of the NW. revised and updated our bookkeeping/accounting, created a New Member welcome committee, and hired a grant manager.

What if I would like to help NWSSA. Are there opportunities to help NWSSA be an even greater organization? How to help: Editor – help with advertising, copy editor, find new articles/writers. Help our Administrative Assistant with data entry. Join the website team with your WordPress skills, help spread the word about NWSSA through various social media avenues, add your name to a list of instructors, mentors, public outreach, help the 2 symposiums with the 1st aid tent, create monthly or quarterly instructional videos or zoom meetings, and so many more…from1 hour projects, to yearly involvement.

Wow, what a meeting! President Tamara closed the meeting at 8pm! 45 min.! No one had a chance to go to sleep. It left plenty of time to carve some more on the field, get to the campfire for great conversation, or just take time to get ready for tomorrow. 

Dusty Cheers,
Tamara Buchanan
President of the Board, NWSSA