And to add to Mike's list of reading material there are the minutes from board meetings:

http://www.tfguild.org/members/board-meeting-minutes

As clerk, I have been writing them with members in mind for the last three years. And while they can be dry reading, there is a lot of information for members there. It can be a good way to keep in touch with what is occupying the board and where the thinking is going.

Thanks,
John

John,

Thanks for plugging in, good to hear from you.

This to you, and to Dave,
I don't want the guild to split, I am not encouraging division or many guilds. What I'd like, like John says in his post here, is regional chapters. In a big part because that would give me more opportunity for involvement.

I'll be honest, I have not been able to maintain my membership very faithfully all the time. In part because of economics -not a lot of work- and in part because I am pouring all of my money into a new business that will give me another source of income to rely on. But I'd have to say, in all of this it would be a whole lot easier for me to justify membership dues if I was more directly involved with guild activities. But as it stands, I can't afford to go out to Virginia or New Hampshire or Vermont or wherever the guild conference happens to be, and I can't afford the cost of the conference itself. I also would never expect it to be in Indiana where there are so few TF'ers. SO it's hard for me to get deeply involved. So I contribute how I can, writing here and occasionally submitting materials for publication. I'd love to do more, just don't have the resources for it.

But if we actually HAD a local/regional organization, why I could work with that.

And I figure it this way, the Indianapolis Colts are in the AFC southern division, so when it comes to organizing chapters why not follow this example, and put us with the southeast chapter? HA.

Like the title or not. The purpose was to shock and get members off their hind ends and start talking about the problems with the guild. It has looked for some time that the money out vs money in has not been working in our favor. The regional meetings to me are the best thing the guild has come up with in a while. Their cheap, informative, fun and encourage local folks to join the guild. This is the direction the guild needs to take. More local (regional) and less national is what is needed. We see that same spend more than we have mindset with the federal government. The only difference is the guild can’t print money. If they could we would all be in trouble.

To me the most important part of the guild is these forums. The national/regional debate is unimportant to me. Although I'd like to I've never been to either a national or a regional conference. Due to small number of framers here I will never see a local one. That is fine.

As for our elected leaders, we elected them to run our guild not our forums. They recently tried something new. It didn't work and they changed it. With any organization profits and losses are part of life. As long as they balance over time that is ok.

What I do know from all the people on this forum and the timber framers and enthusiasts I have met in person is that we are all passionate about timber framing. I see that as different people contribute what energy, wisdom, expertise, or resources they can in various ways to the Trade.

Welcome John,

Unfortunately I am not currently a Guild member and hence have been unable to reach the minutes on the link that you provide above. I would appreciate if you could PM and attach the respectives minutes for my review and information (if this allowed).

Ken Hume

Threads title needed chang'n -

Positive change begins with positive thought.

Ken,

True confession: I am another lurker, making my FIRST EVER POST to the guild forum. I'm an active guild member and regularly read the forum postings. But please don't hold a paltry number of postings against board members or others. Not everyone is as digitally connected as you. Others - like myself - simply do not share your enthusiasm for posting their thoughts on public internet sites, and use other means to communicate with guild members.

But since I'm here, now:

First, I've noticed your numerous postings. Clearly you've been benefitting from both the infrastructure and the community that has been created and maintained by the guild. If I were in your shoes, I would send in my guild dues on that basis alone.

Second, it is far more productive to make suggestions than to make complaints. It should be clear to any member who's been following the weekly guild emails and Scantlings that the board is putting in a huge effort right now to get things back in order. We are beyond the point of complaining about what went wrong in the past, we need to get things right going forward and the board needs our support. Ken - please do follow up with Mike Beganyi about your concerns and suggestions, I think you'll find the current board is very open to input from current and past members.

To me, the most valuable aspect of the guild is the community that it has brought together. I've been to some conferences, a regional gathering, and participated on a couple projects. While these "events" were enjoyable and educational, I've benefitted the most from the friendships and professional relationships forged along the way.

I, too, will continue to support the guild with my membership dues, and a little something extra as circumstances allow.

- Katie Hill

Hi Katie,

Well spoken for a first timer. I suppose that dishing out a dope slap to a fellow Professional Engineer in public is at least in your mind quite in order.

I learned my lessons about getting connected from Ed Levin when I first visted him in Hanover now nearly 25 years ago when I saw how he could design and communicate with the world using nothing more than a pc & a fax machine based in a small room.

We all contribute in our own way and with the time that we have available. You know nothing about me or my son or about my personal situation or what we are possibly currently engaged in [behind the scenes] to contribute towards supporting the Guild.

Regards

Ken Hume B.Sc. M.Sc. P.Eng. C.Eng.

All - Since my name was brought up I guess I'll add some 2 cents to this discussion. Luckily the computer is not, and will not be, my main avenue for communication, tho' I have "lurked" at the forums - seriously that's the term ? I have also e-mailed and spoken with many many many members over the phone, at conferences, in person for a long time. Actually, Ken H., I tried contacting you by e-mail several times this past year to speak with you as a fellow Mainer about the Guild and to invite you to the great Regional Gathering I had, and you never responded. We had several good programs and many discussions about the pros and cons of the Board decisions past and present, the history of the Guild, what it meant to all of us, where it was going. And we didn't all agree by any means. And the responses from membership that the Board has received are not all in agreement with each other. Some think the decisions that have been made this past year were a long time in coming, others think every action was severely flawed, others fall in the middle. I fall in the middle - recognizing poor decisions, in hindsight, made by Boards in the present and past - but also recognizing that changes had to happen in order for an organization that is incredibly important to a lot of people to survive. It is important for many different reasons - and we all hold unique memories of experiences and benefits that we have gained from the Guild. One of the things we did agree on at the Regional in Maine was the significance of the Guild in each of our lives.

I have a very hard time understanding the choice to quit one's membership in the Guild as a statement. How does that help the organization ?? What did it do to you ?? It is about equivalent to giving the finger to a fluctuating group of nine (usually) individuals who made decisions and took actions that you didn't agree with. A group that has already changed, and will change again next year and so on. The Guild is not about 9 individuals. Meanwhile the Guild doesn't have your dues. We do not all agree - within membership or within Boards. But if the Guild has actually meant something to you don't give up on it. Work to make the changes that will allow the organization to continue to serve and educate not only membership, but "communities".
The people, projects, gatherings, disagreements, educational materials, experiments, mistakes, amazing successes, ups and downs, fun and games are all a part of the Guild. For me, the positive of being a part of this organization far outweighs the negative. I have gained tremendously over the years - many many others have gained tremendously - whole communities have benefited- and that is reason enough for me to push for the future of the Guild.
All the best in 2014 - come to the Regional in Hallowell Maine - date to be set soon - fallish. I'd be happy to converse further - my contact info. is on the web site.
Ellen

Thank you Ellen for coming on, it is good to hear from another leader.

I for one will lend my support to the guild, even if I don't agree with all of its decisions all the time. Just this morning in Church we were speaking about authority, and respecting those in leadership. The point was brought out, we will never agree with every decision. That is life.

I will be interested to see where this all leads, personally I think it is good that we are having this discussion.