Jason’s initial complaint about the CEC’s made me think of this.

[T.N. Trosin]

I come from a very political family, my grandfather held every office on our town board at one time or another. My mom is currently a township supervisor there. Mom very astutely pointed out one day “I never get phone calls until the trucks start running, but once the trucks are running, it’s to late to do anything.”
The CEC’s or CEU’s (whatever you want to call them), were passed by the board at the 2005 Convention (is that right Rick?) yet Jason didn’t know about it until now?
AFA programs go through their individual committee’s, and then to the Board of directors. The Board either decides what the committee presents is a good idea or a bad idea, example: Farrier registration- Bad Idea, Continuing education- good idea.
I think what is missed here is that the AFA’s general membership can (as far as I know) attend or request to make comments at any committee meeting (at least I’ve never been kicked out of one) but they don’t necessarily let the general membership know that.
There has been brief talk about the membership feeling “disenfranchised” because the Board handles the majority of AFA business. It’s my opinion the AFA’s membership feels “disenfranchised” because they don’t know what’s going on until the legislation has been passed by the board (after the trucks have run).

The point of this diatribe is we all need to pay attention. Don’t only join, but support and become involved in your local farrier’s association regardless of what you believe in. Don’t be afraid to call your AFA board rep when you have a question. If you become involved, then chances are things will change and you’ll be more informed as to what the AFA is doing.

[Phantom Farrier]

T.N. Trosin

I agree, get involved and speak out, not only when you disagree but praise is welcome and necessary anytime you feel like a job has been done well. Being a volunteer for any organization can be a thankless job so when you recognize that something is done right a "thankyou, keep up the good work" goes a long way.

Phantom

[Rick Burten]

[QUOTE=T.N. Trosin]
>The CEC’s or CEU’s (whatever you want to call them), were passed by the board at the 2005 Convention (is that right Rick?) yet Jason didn’t know about it until now?

I must admit that I do not know the exact timeline for when the action occurred. That said, any resolution acted on by the BOD, whether it is voted up or down, should have been reported in the newsletter and also posted on the AFA website.


>AFA programs go through their individual committee’s, and then to the Board of directors. The Board either decides what the committee presents is a good idea or a bad idea, example: Farrier registration- Bad Idea, Continuing education- good idea.
I think what is missed here is that the AFA’s general membership can (as far as I know) attend or request to make comments at any committee meeting (at least I’ve never been kicked out of one) but they don’t necessarily let the general membership know that.

You are correct. Further, at the Annual Meeting, held during Convention, the general membership has the opportunity to bring up and have discussed and perhaps even voted on, any matter about which they are concerned.

>There has been brief talk about the membership feeling “disenfranchised” because the Board handles the majority of AFA business. It’s my opinion the AFA’s membership feels “disenfranchised” because they don’t know what’s going on until the legislation has been passed by the board (after the trucks have run).

Which is not much if any different that the way business is conducted by any organization. And, that is why there is an annual meeting of the membership of that organization.

Now, having attended many of these general membership meetings, I can tell you that I feel that in years past, the board has often and largely ignored the membership, and has now structured the meeting such that it is very difficult(because, among other things, the time restraints/constraints put in place regarding the allotted time for the meeting) for the members to be adequately, if at all, heard.

>The point of this diatribe is we all need to pay attention. Don’t only join, but support and become involved in your local farrier’s association regardless of what you believe in. Don’t be afraid to call your AFA board rep when you have a question. If you become involved, then chances are things will change and you’ll be more informed as to what the AFA is doing.

Truer words were never spoken!

Rick

[Jason Maki]

Phantom,
I am very guilty of being a poor AFA citizen. I utilized the AFA certification program, and several AFA CJF's to build my skills set, but have done little else. Life, my bussiness and my wife's schedule coupled with special child care needs(my son is a type I, insulin dependant diabetic) has kept me from attending a single convention in eight years. I read the magazines, and peruse the mailings, but little else. I do not have much room to complain! The AFA is a good assaociation with good basic philosophies, but has inherient problems, problems which plague any democratic entity. Do you know what has six or more legs and no brain? A comittee!...
This ceu deal ,may have been done in the open light, not en camera, and I could have well missed it. I also have an ingrained distaste for politics( Onwe might ask why did you study Poli- Sci and History? Why, to ******* myself, why else?)
Jason

[Gary_Miller]

Agendas and Minutes of the EOC, BOD, and committees need to be posted on the AFA membership web site so that the membership know whats being discussed and can respond to areas of concern before the truck is moving.

Example: The latest task force. No one even knew that there was such a thing until at the Board Meeting held durning the convention.

Gary

[Phantom Farrier]

Jason,

Obviously you care about the AFA and it's future and that is why you are involved in these discussions. Somehow you see a relationship between your business, The AFA, and the futures of both.

Phantom

[Jason Maki]

As a farrier, I see the AFA as the ONLY viable association. The reason is simple: the AFA certification program is hard as hell. We can argue the pedantic cry "hunter fit is wrong" until Lazurus dies, but by god if you can build four good shoes for four feet gone over by with a microscope by people who understand what they are looking for and have them pass, you can shoe a horse.Period. The written test's were easy for me, as if I read something, or attend a lecture, my brain retains it(probobly because not much else is going on up there, so it has lots of storage space! :D ), but they are good, real tests that challenge your knowledge and reasoning skills.
Put these two together, good basic trimming and forge skills, with a fundamental understanding of what is actually taking place in a horses foot and leg, and you have the begginnings of becoming a good shoer. If you start out from aa good base, and with a solid understanding of the fundamentals, you can learn and grow exponentially via self education, inductive reasoning, and have the foundation to learn new skills from other capable shoers. The AFA provided me with this, and I owe the association, and many of its members a debt of gratitude. Without it and them, I know I would not be a tenth of the shoer I am! Loyalty has been earned. I am just fearful the AFA will overstep their bounds and alienate the membership. Bob Marshal says giving a farrier clinic is alot like herding cats, they all scatter and kill their own mouse! Licensing scares me, forcing people to do what is best for them smacks of Stalin. Self regulation assumes commiserate skill levels and knowledge. We all know this does not exists on a large scale. Perhaps the new CTF level will assist people who want to excell up the ladder, but the AFA only represents about 1% of the shoers in the country.
This is a huge task!
Jason

[Patrick Kocher]

Thank you , Jason. Well said.

Patrick

[tbloomer]

Thank you , Jason. Well said.

Patrick

I especially like the part about "inductive reasoning." How does one induce himself to reason? LOL I know you meant deductive reasoning, but I like the induced form better anyway!

Tom Bloomer, CF

[Jason Maki]

I actually did meen inductive reasoning, taking a known quantity, knowing where you want to go and performing an act of quantuam "genius' to arrive at a new solution. Deductive reasoning has more of a negative connotation: "If this did'nt work, and this did not help, that leaves me 'X" option.
Inductive reasoning is the genisus of all creative work... Horsehoeing requires rational, creative work within a narrow spectrum. I definatly meant inductive! :eek:
Jason

[tbloomer]

I actually did meen inductive reasoning, taking a known quantity, knowing where you want to go and performing an act of quantuam "genius' to arrive at a new solution. Deductive reasoning has more of a negative connotation: "If this did'nt work, and this did not help, that leaves me 'X" option.
Inductive reasoning is the genisus of all creative work... Horsehoeing requires rational, creative work within a narrow spectrum. I definatly meant inductive! :eek:
Jason

Coming from an engineering background I prefer interpolation and/or extrapolation working from empirical data . . . Hmmm that's sort of similar to your inductive reasoning, but I think . . . therefore I am. :D

Tom Bloomer