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By-Laws. The Indiana Blacksmithing Association, Inc., is a volunteer-run organization. The Association is a Not-For-Profit Indiana Corporation formed in 1980 with the purpose of gathering and disseminating information about the craft of blacksmithing. It also seeks to make the public more aware of this ancient craft and the changes which are occurring in blacksmithing today. Here is a copy of our bylaws as well as the guidelines for Local Groups Operating under the Umbrella of the Indiana Blacksmithing Association, INC.
Membership in the Indiana Blacksmithing Association, Inc. is open to all persons. We welcome you! Membership dues are paid at the time of application and are renewed in June. Dues are $ 35.00 for an individual or for a family (usually a spouse). If you would like an application form mailed to you or have any other questions, please contact Farrel Wells. Alternatively, download the Membership Application, fill it in and mail it to Farrel Wells.
Newsletter: The Association publishes a monthly newsletter "The Forge Fire" with information of interest to blacksmiths and metal workers. As a member you are welcome and encouraged to submit articles for publication, ads for blacksmith related materials you have for sale or want to buy, and inquiries for needed information. Material to be published may be sent in typed form. It may also be sent in long hand and it will be typed for you. Please be sure to include your name, address, and phone number so that we may contact you if we have a question. Depending on the need to publish other material, your material may not be included in the next issue. We reserve the right to edit material. To promote the IBA and in keeping with our mission to educate about blacksmithing, the board recently voted to make available newsletters two months or older to the general public. See them here and feel free to tell a friend. We hope that this way, even more folks get interested in the IBA and decide to join our wonderful organization. If you like the newsletters, please consider becoming a member to support the work we do. We welcome you!
Scholarships. The IBA makes available scholarships to its members in the amount of up to 350 dollars. They support the furthering of blacksmithing skills and knowledge. To apply, get in touch with with Education Chairman of the board. In return for receiving a scholarship, you are asked to write an article for our newsletter and to give a demonstration at one of our hammer-ins.
Hammer-Ins. The Association holds meetings each month at various locations around the state. Information about these meetings is included in the newsletter preceding each meeting. You are urged to attend, ask questions, and participate. Getting to know the various smiths around the state and their various skills can be of considerable help to you when you have questions about materials, processes, and tools. Guests are always welcome!
Library. To assist you in broadening your knowledge, the Association operates a lending library. A listing of the books, materials, and VHS videotapes in the library is updated each March for the Annual Business Meeting. Materials added during the year are mentioned in The Forge Fire. You are encouraged to use the library and to contribute blacksmith/metalsmith related items. The Librarian and library are available at many meetings and materials can be sent to you if necessary. The Librarian can provide further information and explain our loan policy. To make it easier for you to check out materials from our library, here is the form that you need to send to our librarian. The board recently voted to eliminate the loan deposit.
Annual Conference. The Association holds a conference the first weekend in June to which skilled demonstrators are invited. In this way we all hope to broaden our knowledge. Information about this conference is carried in The Forge Fire and the conference brochure. To cover the cost of this conference, a separate fee is charged. We urge you to attend and support the conference.
ABANA. The IBA is one of some fifty affiliates of the Artist-Blacksmiths' Association of North America, Inc. (ABANA). ABANA has nearly 4000 members in North America and many foreign countries. You will benefit from membership in ABANA, it's publications, and biennial conferences.
Store. The Association operates a store to make IBA items such as pins, hats, and t-shirts available. It also carries hard-to-locate safety items, which are wanted by our members. The store is available most meetings.
Below is the list of past winners.
| Rookie Blacksmith of the Year | Clifton Ralph Blacksmith of the Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Dominick Andrisani | John Steppe |
| 2007 | Michael Wollowski | Clifton Ralph |
| 2008 | Greg Searcy | Ken Dettmer |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | Kevin Welsh | James Johnston |
| 2011 | Ted Stout | |
| 2012 | Brad Weaver | Dave Wells |
| 2013 | Jamie DePriest | Joe Goebel |
| 2014 | Phoebe Graham | Charlie Helton |
| 2015 | Wesley Hale | John Cummins |
| 2016 | Alex Spellman | John Bennett |
| 2017 | Nathan Pevlor | Tim Metz |
| 2018 | Broadus Thompson | Steve King |
| 2019 | Dave Good | Kurt Fehrenbach |
| 2020 | Oak McKean | Eric Shotwell |
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