Volume 5, Number 1, March 1983, p.1

New Year's Letter from the President

To all WAAC members, a good and healthy 1983.

I wish to thank all of you, the hosts and speakers, for making the recent annual meeting in San Francisco such a successful one. I would like to especially acknowledge the assistance of Jim Alkons, Bruce Miller, Elisabeth Cornu, and Judith Reiniets. And last but not the least, the cooperation of the Indian summer weather man.

Jim Druzik has worked very hard in the past 2 years, having had to take on the responsibilities of another officer who resigned. We are truly saddened by the departure of Victoria Blyth-Hill as Editor of the WAAC Newsletter, who in the past several years put in a great deal of time and energy in publishing the newsletter that kept all of us in touch with each other, and provided pertinent news and information of the profession. We will miss her unique style of reporting, but at the same time, we are fortunate to have Elizabeth Court and Gary Wade Alden take on the appointment.

The Western Association for Art Conservation was formed in 1974, and at that time consisted of fewer than 25 founding members. It has grown by leaps and bounds, and today at last count, there are over 170 members. Many of us are concerned that if the group becomes unmanageably large, the informality and the friendship that was created when it was still small may be lost, although much of that was still present at the meeting in San Francisco. I hope that this will continue, by communication by mail, phone . . . let's keep in touch.

Yours sincerely,