|The Comer Chair

As i i a double header, | suppose tha can
be safely called the corner rocking chair. As the
Gutgoing Chair, | wanted to take this opportunity
}to look back and allow the incoming Chair to
look forward. Perhaps my parable this time
could Ge mid-lifa crisis, Generally, in their
fories, people suddenty realize that theyre just
about halfway through their lives and, looking
back, have had as much time as they have to
losk forvard to, Ibis @ time of re-evaluation and
often dramatia change. For many, life does
bagin at 40, For othara, they sort of give up: |
|was quite jalted by a Robert Justice poem “Men

was, in @esence, Jan's Gecision io moses on
that gatvanied the Board into considering
Senously the the significant changes that were
necessary. it was very clear that if something
drastic was mot dene, the Guild would be
bankrupt within 2 years, The Boards role at this

time was mostly gap plugging and as soon a3)

oné loak was stopped another aprang. it was
difficult to be pro-active
Any major change ila not easy. If takes

Bnommous energy to overcome Inertia and the
change is rarely equal in its effects, to continue

| at Forty" when | road it af 42. the midife crisis analogy, | could site Judith

Afeve at forty Vorst's book “Necessary Losaea” [tt la often
Learn to close sortly easy looking back to see different scenarios, but
| Gorn to roams they know a5 Someone who was involved throughout the
They wil not be going Sack fo, majorty of the changes and the hours of

|New I'm not suggesting that the Guild has only agonizing the Board went through to reach its
an 80 year ite span, but it is interesting that at decisions, @ fs difficull to see how, faced with
around its 40th year it had reached a critical the same variables, R would Nave been possible
stage and in order to survive significant to have done ofherwise ff is easy fo criticize
changes had to be made when the whole picture ia not available, and it is
important for everyone to Understand thal the
| had joined this board originally because | fet difficult the decisions the Board made, acting
change was needed. As a teacher | have the @s the elected governing body of the Guild, were
optimism that each year, with a new crop of done so in the best perceived interests of the
students, | am going to be able to change the survival of the Guild,
world. Once on the inside & was a revelation
how complex were the issues and how long and ‘tis vastly to Tam Irving's credit that he had that
difficult a task it was to effect any change vision, devoted so much of his time, had the
guts and, ultimately, a thick enough skin fo silt
Our Guild (s an organization for and about tha course and weather the worst of the storm
potters and other clayworkers and, while it is of change. In a sense my responsibility in the
critical that @ large proportion of the board and last year has been repairing the rigging after the
certainty the Chair should be practising Executive Director squall. Now, as | said last
ceramists, it is also important to remember that month, with Capo Jane at the helm, | hope it will
the Board ly elected to run the i in be smoother sailing for the new Chair (admiral)
the best interests of the membership. To this and an opportunity for the Gulld fo look to new
end, the Board needs to have a broad selection horizons.
of skilla and offen non potlers can provide
invaluable expertise. I've mentioned Carol and Keith Rice-—Jones

Fay before in tie content,

As Medh passes (he gavel / accept f wih
For many years the Guild wee fronted by two renewed aptimism for the future
people who devoted a great deal of themselves Kath mentioned that Tam hed a
to their taska, The Guild owes each of them strong, wable Guid, and | hope to
jenormeus gratitude for ther sericea. To have follow (haf weion as wel as Kaith
been the Gallery for so many years must heve jemense coninbutions fo the Board wil be
been sometimes lonely for Coralie Trance. Its missed
vastly to her credit that she was able to keep
things going for so long, Jan Kidnie was almost / regret frat Darrel Hancock js no janger on the
a mother hen for tha Guild and a3 Office Board, but he continues to pitch in on many
Manager probably put in as many unpald hours jobs. Welcome fo our four new Board
as she did paid ones, members, | anticipate grow energy at our first
meeting, Hope to see you al af (he opening of

“OW the Wal", y P Bae

Linda Doherty

The North-West Ceramics
Foundation
Jump Start Scholarship.

A scholarship of $1,000.00 is available to
further the educgion of a student or
emerging artist working within the ceramic
meetin.

Eligibility
a} The candidate must be a member in
good standing of the Potter's Guild of BC
and a resident of British Columbia, Alberta
of Saskatchewan,

b}) Board members and paid staff of alther
the North-West Geramic Foundation or the
Potters Guild of 8¢ are not eligible.

€) Previous winners of the scholarship are

nob eligible.

Criteria

a) Charity of intent and realistic budget
b) i jurors conchide that none of the
applications are wortry, then the
scholarship will not be awarded in that
particular year.

Applications
a) Please submit a cunticulum vitae, 12
sides of cument work, reasons for the
proposed study, and a budget
b) All applications are considered
confidential

¢) Applications must be post marked
not later than July 74 and addressed ta

The North-Wes! Ceramics

Foundation
Jump Start Scholarship
1369 Cartwright Street
Granville fetand
Vancouver, 8 VEH IR?
d) Applicants are advised of a decision by
August 15.

Reporting

The successful applicant will recenve 75%
of the funding within 2 weeks of the
decision date. The remaining 25% will be
paid upon the submission of a report to be
published in the Potters’ Guild Newsletter, |