I was about to hack out another (too typical) sarcastic blog entry about the federal budget proposed yesterday, and the assumptions it contains - and how that development coincided with my schedule, but who'll care about that in another day or two, or next month, or next year? My sour reaction isn't going to avoid fiscal disaster.
The desire to have a lasting impact on the world isn't overwhelming in me. I'm more inclined to be a contributor, a caretaker of ideas and principles, and a supporter of good works and institutions. So, as I was steaming over our general fiscal calamity I was saved from my own frustration by the news that the Foundry Educational Foundation is soon to mark it's 65th anniversary. I'm grateful for that intervention.
And I'm grateful to FEF for much more. If you know the good work that FEF does, then you also know the good people who lead and staff it. Everyone at work in metalcasting today is indebted to them, and to those who have guided and supported the Foundation over these decades.
We cannot count on the things we value to last in this world if we don't have others working with us to suppo
rt and maintain those things. In the case of FEF, the knowledge and practical skills of metalcasting are made accessible to hundreds of students at dozens of colleges and universities, and these students frequently find the insights that become their own life's work.
Not to be overlooked in these accomplishments are the hard work and devotion of the FEF Key Professors. They are agents of inspiration to the FEF scholars, and frequently become the mentors that many young lives need. They are also the repositories of knowledge that the world would easily lose if someone didn't devote the energy to maintain it, and to share it.
One former professor and FEF board member, Robert L. Mortenson, has co-authored (with William Gibb and Gloria Campbell) an engaging history of the foundry industry in the Puget Sound region. The Fiery Furnace ($20.00, including postage and handling; contact Prof. Mortenson here) is the sort of detailed record that will be fascinating to anyone with an interest in metalcasting - a lively account of the individuals and achievements that, starting just a little more than a century ago, helped to build the infrastructure and economy that turned a wilderness into one of the most prosperous regions of the U.S. Without research and presentations like this one, such accomplishments would be too easily lost.
Congratulations, and thanks, to FEF and all those who do more than see problems in the world: they make it better.