President’s Message – Sept/Oct 2006

News, you have a new board of directors who are listed on the page opposite this one. And all previous officers were reinstated, including me as the pres.

During the general meeting at Camp B, and while I had a captive audience, I took advantage of the opportunity to check the pulse of the association. We all have different opinions of what is best, but it is my intention to insure the BOD responds to the membership’s concerns.

Some of the issues brought up were financial. We have overhead costs which dues alone do not cover, including: bookkeeper, accountant, phone, and insurance for board members who might be sued.

So, we need to make some money from the symposia to keep the association running and to maintain a fall back reserve. It takes front money to put a symposium together. Now as my seer advised me, “It wouldn’t cost as much if we all camped out on your rock flat, didn’t wash for a week, all used hand tools, and ate dried beans and rice.” Are there any takers? In the future you will receive a year end financial report from me.

Another issue that came up was our mission statement. We have a vision and mission statement, and we on the BOD are working to expand on it. Our mission statement must include room for visitors and new stoners just learning about stone; as well as old hands sharing new breakthroughs with each other, and picking up today as though yesterday was not a year ago, this is our vision statement in action.

These things are embodied in our hearts as we mix old friends with new amidst swirls of stone dust on the field of dreams while creating art with a passion.

We carve to live, and live to carve, to create, to give meaning to our lives and the lives of others through our art. This is our mission.

Your pres,

Elaine