Connect and Collect Through NABA

President's Message - Summer 2020

21 May 2020 12:39 PM | Danny Bora (Administrator)

NABA President John Ferguson

Greetings to all fellow captives

Strange days, indeed.

I do hope everyone is faring as well as possible during this COVID-19 crisis and that things will return to something resembling normal in the very near future. Difficult times like these make one aware of how important family and friends are, especially as we endure a forced separation from many of them.

A challenge for the hobby.

Although necessary to ensure safety, it has been sad to see the cancellation of so many great breweriana shows across the country, especially the many held during Spring that help pull us collectors together again and out of the winter doldrums. We are sad that our good friends at ABA/ECBA were forced to cancel their first combined annual meeting, but fully empathize with their reasoning. Your NABA Board believes that local chapters and shows are the lifeblood of breweriana collecting and the building blocks of the camaraderie that is such a special and valued feature of our hobby.

June 30th decision on holding our Convention.

We earnestly hope to still be able to hold our Convention in Pittsburgh beginning July 29. Your NABA Board will make the final decision and announce it to the membership on June 30th, a month prior to the planned start date. This is as late as we can delay the decision without paying hotel fees. Delaying until the 30th not only will give us more information on which to base our decision, but also, still gives our members enough time to plan travel arrangements.

Your safety is paramount.

If we do move ahead with holding the Convention, we have planned a number of new safety guidelines to accommodate social distancing and sanitation There is nothing more important to us than the well-being of our members and our decision will be guided with that imperative in mind. Convention chair Mike Michalik and his team have put together tremendous plans.

Cancellation = Full refund.

But in the unfortunate event that the Convention is canceled, full refunds will be issued to those who already have signed up early to get their free tin-over-cardboard commemorative signs.

NABA continues to grow!

Despite the pandemic, our membership continues to increase, and we welcome not only our many new members, but also our 43rd chapter, the long-established Hawkeye Chapter. Our chapter growth has almost doubled from 23 just two years ago and we hope to have 50 chapters under the NABA umbrella by year’s end.

Our best wishes to Norm Jay.

Our Director Emeritus, Norm Jay, of Glen Ellyn, IL, has been ailing. Your NABA Board of Directors sent him a beautiful signed card, hand-created by Board member Barry Travis. Norm is a past president and much beloved part of NABA, and has been a mainstay at local chapter shows in the Midwest and at our national Convention for many years. Godspeed, Norm! Now as much as ever, we wish you good health and safety during these challenging times!

The Handsome Waiter can’t “wait” until the
breweriana shows resume! Here he is with
(from left) John Ferguson, Ken Quaas,
and Joe Germino at the Blue & Gray Show
on February 13, 2020 in Herndon, VA.

John Ferguson, President - Fergkate@comcast.net


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