The Heritage Award

Peyton Anderson, 2009 Public Relations Committee Chair, proposed that the Board of Directors create the ABANA Blacksmith Heritage Award. The Award was suggested by committee member Linda Tanner. The motion to create this award was presented by the Public Relations Committee Chair.

The purpose of the award is to honor the recipient for “service to the community by increasing the public knowledge and awareness of blacksmithing.” This award is not given for service to ABANA itself, though that would not be discouraged by any means. The award serves to recognize those organizations and the key individual(s) that lead them in their efforts to keep the Blacksmith’s Heritage in the eye of the public at large. The award is given when the ABANA Board of Directors deems it appropriate. Generally, the Board follows the committee’s recommendations and awards it once a year, although the Board could present the award more or less often.

The Board of Directors uses the services of the Blacksmith Heritage Award Committee to seek out qualified candidates. The responsibility for the approval of the award recipient rests solely with the ABANA Board of Directors.

The committee looks for organizations and the key individual(s) that lead them that have served in the field of promoting an increase in public knowledge and awareness of blacksmithing and made a significant impact and contribution, viewed from a long range of time. The recipient should show a quasi-historical perspective on how the blacksmithing field has progressed, grown, and developed, due to the recipient. It is not awarded to the most popular organization in the field in a given year, nor even something someone can try to “win.” The award is earned and time is the key to awarding the most eligible organization

The committee is composed of three people who are appointed for six-year terms. The committee will appoint its own successors to make a rotating replacement of one member every two years. The ABANA President will nominate and the Board will ratify the initial committee members and their terms.

The ABANA Blacksmith Heritage Award Committee member may or may not be an ABANA Board member. This committee’s responsibility is to present the ABANA Board of Directors with the nomination of potential recipients of the Blacksmith Heritage Award. The committee and the ABANA Board of Directors then keep the award secret to be able to surprise the recipient. Should a nomination be rejected, the Committee is under no obligation to submit another nomination in that calendar year. If the award is determined for a conference year, it is to be presented at the conference. If not, the award is announced in The Anvil’s Ring, unless there is some function where the recipient may be present.