The annual Hycroft Sale has proved to be an important event in the
Guild caJendar, The 1966 sale nearly doubled that of 1965, providing
more funds for our educational needs. A significant side effect of
the Hycroft event, is the increased awareness and interest of the
buying public, in thrown pottery. Far from detracting from sales in
retail outlets, it rather tends to stimulate them.

Communications with Eastern Canadian groups have been maintained.
Useful exchanges of information have taken place, B.C. potters

sent a good selection of entries to Ceramics '67, which was juried

in Montreal in December, The Montreal Committee invited Mrs
Doris Shadbolt, Research Curator of the Vancouver Art Gallery, to
be the juror from the West, and we consider we were very fortunate

to have been so ably represented. Potters throughout the Province
have entered many other shows and exhibitions, and altogether it
has been a period of interest and activity.

Regarding the future, it is my fond hope that the Guild will continue

to wield an influence towards the improvement of standards,
Exposure to new and different idcas, dissemination of new technical
information, and illustrations of other's work, are all aids to personal
developments. To be static is to deteriorate, and inventiveness

often needs stimulus, so I would recommend that more and more
lectures, slides, workshops and kindred activities be part of the

Guild programme. My personal view is that most shows and
exhibitions should be severely juried, and that members should

learn from rejections.

In this respect I confess to a little disappointment in this year's
Hycroft sale. There was some interesting work submitted but

there was also a plethora of work every piece of which was

obviously not the result of “tender loving care", This prestige event
will become known as the show window of the Potters of British
Columbia, and I strongly suggest that members look at each plece
with a critical eye before entering it. This is not and must not be a
junk sale, and the jury or "selection committee" has a tough enough
time as it is, keeping in mind that it is a sale, not an exhibition.
Lot's try and keep the standard as high as possible.