The pre-Camp Brotherhood Board of Directors meeting was primarily concerned with the financial situation of our Association. As we have grown, our financial health has not. This is due to an increasing amount of discounts and compensation.
I brought up the issue of volunteerism in my last letter to you (May/June). For every person who gets a discount or compensation, someone else has to make up the difference. Last year 48 people received discounts and 32 people received compensation of some sort. Only one-third of the people who stayed for the entire 10 days paid full price. I am sure most of you will realize from doing your own accounts that this is not a tenable situation. As an organization we want to compensate those who work hard to put the symposia together, but it is not sustainable if we compensate everyone for doing something. This is a volunteer organization and we rely on volunteers to do jobs without getting discounts and compensation so that we can provide fulfilling symposia.
We also voted an increase in annual dues to $60 per year. This increase is to help in some of the overhead costs of our organization. We had this policy in effect this year at Camp B. when a lot of you caught up on your membership. In voting to increase the dues, we also voted to change our fiscal year to July instead of January because of the above issue. In order to get on the new rotation we billed for an 18-month membership for 2006.
In changing our fiscal year to July,we also voted to change the begining of our fiscal year to July instead of January. In order to get on the new rotation, January dues will be $90, making your membership good through July, 2007. The retiring members of the BOD will extend their current term to July 2006 when the new elections will take place.
It was decided by acclamation to shorten Camp B. by one day. Next year, Camp will NOT start on Friday, but will run Saturday through Saturday. We are part of the Skagit Valley Arts Tour now and had a huge turnout of visitors to our gallery. The public is gaining exposure to the Art and beauty of stone. I believe this will lead to greater sales in the future.
We received applications from three people for scholarships and were able to give out two.
We discussed the group piece which has been designed by Kalia Gentiluomo, Rich Hestekind and Kirk McLean, and is to be installed in La Conner, Washington at a new sculptural park. There was some concern that the piece might undercut our own members who are seeking public commissions. But there was not enough dissent to object to a continued Group Piece. It was decided that the project helps members get portfolio experience, promotes the association, raises the visibility of stone sculpture to the public, and makes Camp B a more attractive venue for experienced sculptors. The group piece for La Connor was a huge undertaking. As a demonstration project for diamond chain saws, it is nothing short of amazing. The work effort expended by many volunteers was really above the call of duty, and the commitment of many workers cannot really be rewarded. It was a huge project that required the largess of Marenako’s Scott Hackney, and the individuals who were committed to the project. Our hats are off to you.
Camp Brotherhood itself was a great experience. Thanks to the many who participated in Camp B. this year, and a special thanks to those who volunteered to step up to positions in the future. Thanks, also, to our stone suppliers Randy Zieber of Neolithic Stone and Russell Erickson of Art City, and to Alexandra Morosco of Trow and Holden for tools. We all left a little heavier in our vehicles and a lot lighter in our pockets. It is as it should be and has always been so. We rendezvous to fill our spirit, pursue our passion and share the camaraderie of old friends and new. The above elements are truly found in attendance at a symposium, independent of actual sculpting on the field. A symposium is a grocery store of sorts of spiritual commodities. It is the brother/sisterhood uniquely known as stone sculptors. Thanks, to all who attended, for a full basket.
-Elaine M. Mac Kay, President
