Each month, one of the nine current members of the AAW Board of Directors, or the Executive Director, prepares a message for the membership, sharing news, reports from meetings, current events and personal views. See below to read Linda Tacke's September 2010 message from the Board.
Message from Linda Tacke
Thanks for the Welcome: It is an honor to be serving as the Interim Executive Director of the American Association of Woodturners. I am working closely with the Board of Directors and staff to support the membership and AAW's operations while a national search is underway to identify the new Executive Director for AAW. I come from a family of artists but I am new to woodturning and simply amazed at the breadth of art represented in the AAW Gallery and on the AAW web site.
Board of Directors Election: A ballot and a pre-addressed return envelope were included in the August Edition of the AAW Journal, American Woodturner, for members to vote for this year's nominees to the Board of Directors. Electronic-only members should have received a ballot via the USPS. All ballots must be returned to the auditing firm charged with tallying the results. Envelopes must be postmarked no later than October 21st for votes to be valid and counted. Additional information on each of the candidates has been added to the AAW web site.
Membership Renewal: A 2011 Membership Renewal Notice will be attached to front of the October Edition of the journal. You may renew your membership on the website or you can use the separate special envelopes for your renewal document. Please be sure to review the information on your listing to make sure it is correct. Your membership period will be on the renewal form; if you renewed for multiple year this will be shown here. Your membership card will be included with the first Journal for 2011 to increase our efficiency. Thank you for renewing early. Click here for web link for membership.
Membership Note: Currently, 50% of local Chapter members are also members of AAW. While this is the core of AAW membership, the other-side-of-the-coin is 50% of local chapter members are not members of AAW. Please encourage your fellow local chapter members to join you as a member of AAW. There is a lot to be proud of in this organization and being a part of the milestone 25th year. Membership benefits have been expanded, the exciting news for 2010 was the access to all 24 years of AAW journal online for our members
AAW Gallery of Wood Art: It has been quite a year at the AAW Gallery of Wood Art. As well as engaging visitors from around the world and down the block, we received the honor of having two AAW Permanent Collection pieces placed on public display at the Governor's mansion; former Vice President Walter Mondale drop in for a visit, and we were named one of the Top 25 Galleries in the Twin Cities by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. For most visitors, the gallery is their first exposure to woodturning, but we have many woodturners and repeat visitors, too.
Turning 25 - A Celebration Gallery: I encourage local chapters to be part of this extraordinary exhibition planned for the 2011 Symposium. Every local chapter is invited to select and send a representative piece for one incredible display. With over 325 local chapters this exhibition has the potential to reflect the full scope of the impressive talent within our membership. (See the Symposium page on the website or refer to the April 2010 issue of American Woodturner for details.)
25th Anniversary Symposium: We have already begun the early planning for our 25th Anniversary Symposium on June 24-26, 2011 in St. Paul, Minnesota - just one block from the AAW national offices! The plans include a woodturning cruise on the Mississippi River and a Local Chapter exhibit with a piece representing each of our Local Chapters. The return to the community project will be empty bowls an exciting opportunity for woodturners to make an impact on hunger. The AAW 25 book will be available in St. Paul, with book signing reception, preorders are being taken now. Look for more details on the Website as they develop.
Please email or call me should you have a great idea to share or a question you think I might be able to answer. I look forward to meeting many of you in St. Paul in 2011!
Linda Tacke
Interim Executive Director
American Association of Woodturners