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
The BOD met April 8th at the Hand Carving Retreat in Roche Harbor. Vice-Pres Karl Hufbauer chaired the meeting as I was unable to attend due to my partner having back surgery. June Bloye gave an update on Camp B. “Everything is okay, so far.”
Alexandra Morosco briefed the BOD on the Roche Harbor event. She had to negotiate three different venues to organize workspace, food and lodging. It was also an expensive event and there are always issues to find venues that fulfill the needs and wants for our varied membership.
It was brought to my attention that this year’s event was a departure from the past in that the Hand Carving Retreat followed on the heels of the Flower and Garden Show, and was an inexpensive venue where new carvers could be introduced to sculpting stone. This need still remains and the BOD will entertain any suggestions that you might have to search out and find an inexpensive venue for beginners.
However, the Roche Harbor event showed that some of our members were willing to pay for an upscale vacation where they could sculpt stone. Alexandra and her committee brought the event off in the black! Kudos to Alexandra and her committee who worked to make the retreat a happening.
This was Alexandra’s last year as a Director for the Retreat. And so, this opens up a great opportunity for you to participate in your Association, not only as a sculptor, but in the process. People form the process and then make it happen.
Volunteer to become part of the process. It is in this role that good ideas become realities. Symposia don’t just happen, they are built just as a home, from the ground up. Ask yourself: “Could I make a difference? Would my ideas have an impact; will they help retain members, bring new members, provide enhanced benefits to the membership, and be cost effective?” If so, volunteer to be part of the process. It is not life threatening, but life affirming for you and the Association.
Your BOD is here to listen to you, we do work for you, but you our members make the soup and flavor it, we only stir it. Our next BOD meeting will be June 5th. Send any thoughts to me and I will put them on the agenda for the meeting.
-Elaine M. Mac Kay
I bring you greetings from your board of directors. I’m your new Pres., and my focus will be to keep you informed of the issues that the BOD discuss (approving, or not). It is my commitment to the members of the Association that you be both informed and involved in your organization.
In our meeting of March 6th, Suz Gentiluomo came to the meeting to present her educational program for 2005. There will be something for everyone with emphasis on an advanced carving project by some of our experienced sculptors. She envisions this as a continual venue for the years to come with different artists participating each year. Differing from past group pieces, Suz’s thought is to sell the group piece to a community in the surrounding areas of Washington.
There will also be a Children’s hand carving program during the hours of the Art Walk. This is an attempt to get em’ while they’re young and involve them and their parents in the Art of Stone. Verna Dice did this at the Lake Oswego show we had last year, and had a huge and happy turnout.
Verna, our El Capitan of registration, was also assuming the role of Director for Camp B. This combined role, coupled with health issues, was much too stressful and so June Bloye will assume the role of Director for the rest of 2005. We welcomed June and are sure that she will do a superb job. This will allow Verna to devote her time to her role as registrar. It is not the goal of our Association to use individuals to the point of burn-out, and there has been some of that. The Board will tackle the thorny issue of policy guidelines for symposia in the coming months, updating the old and instituting new ones.
Sabah, our current web master, is getting busy and then busier with his art and teaching and is retiring as web master. Gus Schairer, a new board member, will be our new web master and is going to work on re-designing our web site to make it more user-friendly and of greater use to members.
Gus was also elected to take the place of Karl Hufbauer as treasurer and Karl will assume the role of vice-president. So your new officers are Elaine M. Mac Kay: president, Karl Hufbauer: vice-president, and Gus Schairer, treasurer. Sharon Feeney will continue in her role as secretary. The other Board members are Ken Barnes, Verena Schwippert, June Bloye, Rick Johnson, and Pete Pere.
Any member of our Association can have access to the Board of Directors. We work for you and with you to make NWSSA the best it can be. My e-mail is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. As president, I’ll still be your field flunky at Camp B and Silver Falls. And I think most of you know the camo. Queen on the field, so if you’ve got issues, let’s chat.
Elaine Mac Kay
One year ago I was creating ice sculptures in northern Vermont in one of the coldest winters I had ever experienced. This January has been depressingly warm here in Seattle (for those who like to ski) but I have to admit it is nicer being in the studio at 55 degrees than at 35.
The Board of Directors has had some discussion about our logo. We have gotten many years of service from this logo, but we believe it may be time for a remodel of our logo, in conjunction with the remodel of our website. Instead of going outside to a design firm (and spending our dues money on their services) we are talking about having a logo design competition among the members. If we select a winner this creative person would get some free time at Camp Brotherhood. We need to discuss this further and work out the details, but start your design ideas churning and watch for details to come.
Carve well, have fun, and be safe,
