January – February 2016 – Message from the Guildmaster

 

The 20th anniversary of the founding of the Honourable Company of Horners will be celebrated in high style at the 2016 annual meeting held in the US Army Heritage and Education Center at Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  The dates of the meeting at their convention center are March 4th and 5th.  Public is invited starting 1PM to 5PM Friday and 9 AM until 4PM Saturday.  The Guild business meeting and Journeymen/Masters award ceremonies will take place 10:30 to 1PM on Friday.

The sale of display tables for this convention is well ahead of previous years and with limited space Guild members want to contact Art DeCamp, Treasurer, quickly at 814-386-1880 to reserve one.

At every national meeting Guild members are asked to support the cost of the meeting by paying for entry.  As a non-profit, non-advertising organization we count on membership support to carry the cost of the meeting so that money generated by publication of important books like the Hartley book and the upcoming book series about Jay Hopkin’s horn history are possible.  In accordance with the USAHEC regulations the general public is free for a non-profit organization’s event even though the facility comes at an expense to the Guild.

A special invitation has been extended to all NMLRA members to join us.  Access to all events at the conference including exhibits, horn work demonstrations, and all seminar speakers are included.  Attendance is by pre-registration.  Cost is $30.00 to attend the two days, or $15.00 for one day of the conference.  Spouses are free.  Registration by February 25, 2016 required and is available on the web site. See this web page.

Your admission entitles access to the important panel conversation put on Saturday featuring Roland Cadle, Art DeCamp, Dr. Jay Hopkins, and Wallace Gusler.  They will be discussing in depth horns of the Federal  Period Post Revolutionary War until 1814.  John DeWald will be giving his Master’s Presentation on the history of scrimshaw.  Frank Alcorn will introduce a new challenge to powder horn makers to bring a “story horn” to the 2017 annual meeting.  Something that they made for display, and by so doing  get a ticket for a drawing of an exceptional prize.  The prize is a cherry chest made by this extraordinary craftsman in 17th & 18th century design featuring holly and other light color wood inlay of “string and berry design.”  The chest is about 16″ x 12″ x10″ on ball feet and will be on display at this event and other HCH attended events such as Dixon’s Gun Fair and the CLA Show in Lexington, KY.  The horns will not be judged, but a “No horn-no ticket” rule applies for the drawing.

This message will be my last as Guild master as my two year term expires with the 2016 meeting.  I want to thank the wonderful, talented, generous (of time and money) membership for their encouragement and support to me the quick last two years.  The Guild is special and deserves your continued support as a new member takes the reins as Guild master in March toward a bright productive future.

One parting salvo for historical interpreters, trekkers and reenactors that want to project a correct 18th Century image of a long rifle carrying militiaman or hunter is not to have your horn and bag half way to your arm pit but rather at your waist/sash line and with the tip of the horn projecting outward not in.  There is empirical proof of this and reason for it.  I was guilty of the 20th century carry too.  Join the Horn Guild and learn.

NEW e-mail  rnrtoone@gmail.com  same web site LivingHistoryShop.com or call 609-261-3415  EST.

Your Guildmaster,
Dick Toone