February 2009 AAW Board Letter
I recently had the privilege of attending my first ever AAW Board meeting in late January. The meeting was held in Albuquerque, the site of AAW’s 23rd Annual National Symposium. The meeting was multi-purpose in that we would be working on the business and strategic planning of AAW and continuing the work needed to produce the annual symposium. Board members had the opportunity to tour the symposium venue, which is beautiful, spacious, easy to negotiate, and across the street from the host hotels. This year’s symposium is going to be a great one! And, it will be great for so many reasons:
Albuquerque is a great city, thriving with true Southwestern spirit, more than 300 hundred years of history and a unique blend of cultures, making it one of the most colorful cities in the United States. It is at once playful and laid back, with a classy bohemian personality resulting from a combination of Latin, Indian and European flavors. It is a modern city of a million residents where both the opera and Old Town are equally celebrated. The downtown area, where the symposium will be held, offers sassy, margarita-filled nightclubs, cool lounges and every corner of the city is bursting with restaurants serving countless variations of the spectacular local cuisine. Albuquerque is home to more than 100 local art galleries, studios and theatres, many of which are within walking distance from the host hotels and convention center. There is even a museum dedicated to celebrating the rattlesnake - Rattlesnake Museum in Old Town. |
Renowned Santa Fe is a mere one hour driving distance, and now Albuquerque hosts the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, making the trip easier, faster and at $8 roundtrip, very affordable. So if you haven’t yet registered to attend the symposium, do so ASAP, and prepare to immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of Albuquerque where, with 310 days of sunshine, every day is paradise! The Board members also had the privilege to meet with members (John Ellis, Rich McCartney, Tom Cour, Al Mirman and Michael Mocho) of the local chapter, New Mexico Woodturners, whose members will in large part be responsible for providing most of the local volunteers and logistics, so important for a successful symposium. Charles Swift attended, driving from Lubbock Texas, a great commitment. So NMWT, thank you in advance from AAW and its members, for all the time, energy and back labor to be invested by your members. It cannot happen without you! Be on alert for the next edition of the American Woodturner Journal. It is the first edition produced by renowned woodturner/sculptor Betty Scarpino. I had the privilege of seeing an advance mock-up, and I can tell you it is wonderful. Be sure to savor each and every page. The 2009 AAW Resource Directory should be arriving on your doorstep soon. Enclosed with the directory will be your AAW Membership Card. So be sure to look closely to avoid inadvertently missing your membership card. Lastly, and to reiterate Malcolm Tibbetts' advice in last month’s letter - if you haven’t yet renewed your AAW membership, then I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. AAW is able to be a significant world-wide organization because of your membership! Happy Turning! Cassandra Speier |
Happy Valentine’s Day from Board Member