Volume 9, Number 1, Jan. 1987, p.1

President's Letter

2-5 November 1986 WAAC meeting in Asilomar, CA promised and then proved to be a tremendous success! Many thanks go to all of the individuals who organized the event; particularly Bob Futernick, Pauline Mohr and Debra Evans. The wooded retreat situated on the northern California coast provided an intimate, relaxed setting which was highly conducive for presentations and informal exchange among WAAC members. Richard Wolbers' discussion on the use of enzymes in conservation was the highlight of the meeting.

The WAAC serves its membership primarily through information presented in the newsletter and at the annual meeting. It is the members who can determine the organization's direction, program content and type of exchange. I would encourage you to contact me or any member of the board and offer your suggestions, ideas or comments for future articles or presentations. As an example of this type of input, Judith Ann Rieniets is investigating the possibility of organizing a lining of paintings refresher course for WAAC members. The need for such a course was determined at the annual meeting.

The results of the questionnaire which was sent out this past year have been of tremendous value in planning future activities for the WAAC. Not surprisingly, the members have strongly indicated their desire to keep the meetings informal and hold them in a retreat-type of setting. Toward this goal, we are tentatively planning next year's meeting in Tucson, Arizona. A ranch or desert resort which offers horseback riding, as well as proximity to major museums, should appeal to the cowpoke in all of us. Dust off your Stetsons and reserve the last week in October for the meeting!

Another result of the questionnaire was the overwhelming support and praise for the newsletter. Caroline Black Blydenburgh well deserves our heartfelt thanks for the continued excellence of this publication. The fact that the WAAC frequently receives requests for back issues of the newsletter from conservators and institutions throughout North America, attests to its high caliber of content and quality. Again Caroline, we thank you. Additional thanks go to all of the outgoing members of the board: Robert Futernick, Pauline Mohr, Debra Evans and John Twilley. We sincerely appreciate their fine efforts which have produced a successful year for the WAAC. I would now like to welcome the newly elected members of the board. The officers for 1986/87 are:

Benita Johnson, President
Ros Westmoreland, Vice-President
Linda Strauss, Secretary/Treasurer
Genevieve Baird, Member-at-large
Jim Wright, Member-at-large
Lynn Wicks, Member-at-large
Caroline Black Blydenburgh, Editor

I look forward to working with all of you in the upcoming year.

With best wishes,