I am always dismayed by the .....
... short-sighted and ignorant attitudes many have about the AAW. This logo rumor mongering is just another example of how a few individuals can send widening waves of disinformation as they pursue their own agenda thru a public forum. It is a socialogical fact that this generation of Americans has not been a generation of joiners and doers, but would rather "let Joe do it." Look at what has happened to memberships of long standing organizations such as Rotary, Kiwanis,etc. and how membership is a fraction of levels from 30 yrs. ago. Also typical is the fact that perhaps 10% of that membership is willing to actually work for the benefit of these worthy organizations. The interests of woodturners world wide have been championed by the existance and efforts of AAW, and yet some consider a quarterly magazine to be the only benefit of membership. I have been a member for 19 yrs. and a founding member of 2 chapters, attended 12 Symposiums and demonstrated at 5, and travel each year to demo at several of those affiliated chapters. These chapters exist because of the AAW, and serve as both a beginner and continuing education resource not available elsewhere. I know that the "gray panthers" that make up most of the turner demographics today have varied interests in turning, but mutual support must be centralized to have a viable voice in this big wide world. It's also a fact that diversity can be a seed of fractional and factional events, which happens to be another normal aspect of human nature, and that to many "change" is a “4 letter word?” No large organization can be all things for all people, and finding middle ground must be done thru internal efforts of a structured organization. Taking potshots from the outside is a pointless exercise, so those disenfranchised individuals are tilting at windmills rather than providing constructive efforts at improving benefits within an organization, for the long term betterment of all.
