The Honourable Company of Horners

   This past weekend was the 19th annual meeting of The Honourable Company of Horners, an organization devoted to preserving and perfecting the techniques and aesthetics of horn work. See their superb web site for tons of useful and engaging
information: www.hornguild.org

   For the last few years, the meeting site has been the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Located on I-81 and not far from a major airport, they have been very kind hosts to the Guild meetings. It is a state-of-the-art building with excellent lighting, spacious, ultraclean, with food service, huge parking lot and every electronic presentation device known. The Guild uses rooms for displays, for the presentations, for demonstrations of working technique and the banquet dinner.




   The Guild is a 501.c.3 organization meaning its main goal is education. The annual meeting is one long educational experience including round table discussions (this year it was "Powder Horns up to the American Revolution"), Master's presentation (Jim Leach on blowing horns), demonstrations of technique (Guild Master Dick Toone showing the use of a foot powered spring pole lathe, Erv Tschnantz on turning horn, John DeWald on scrimshanding, etc.), awards and recognitions, and promotion of Guild members to higher levels. The main room is filled with modern and antique powder horns for close-up examination and edification. Basically it is a 48 hour university seminar about horn.

   Mr. Fuzzy has been involved since the birth of the organization and has held most offices. He has never seen more devoted group with a better sense of working together to achieve common goals. Next year is the 20th anniversary and should be an especially amazing meeting.