Hi Everyone,
I received a well deserved poke in the eye with a sharp stick on Christmas morning from one of the past TFG executives when it was "pointed" out to me that the BOD at the time did listen and act upon some of my gripes / suggestions and in particular to initiate a move towards the publication of Scantlings and Timber Framing in electronic (pdf)file format. This was accompanied by a restructuring of Guild dues to make membership more affordable and to stop the unnecessary flow of cash to the US postal service. Credit where credit is due - they listened and they acted.
I was also sent an extract from TIMBER FRAMING No 109 - pages 2&3 - "Whither the Guild" (Sept 2013) where Kenneth Rower provides a short history of the Guild and its management which is quite illuminating, though in places a little difficult to follow especially when the reader does not have first hand knowledge of some of the times and events concerned.
I simply don't buy the idea that board members should be given a permission slip not to attend the most powerful means of communication that is available to The Guild. I am sure that TFG Board members are all busy people with many of them running successful timber-framing businesses but I bet that every last one of them employs websites, blogs, electronic newsletters and email to get the message out to potential customers.
I am getting the message that the Guild is now operating in survival mode and that means frankly that the excuses need to stop and that those who have the vision and ability to turn the ship around need to step up to the plate.
I am reminded of a quote by Lord Kelvin made in the late 1800's when he stated (in shortform) that "Unless you can express what you are dealing with in numbers you might know something about it however it is hardly the beginning of science". From my reading of TF 109 it would appear that a modern day Lord Kelvin has attempted to follow this principal but the outcome from the analysis of same is not particularly evident in this article.
Ken Hume
