The CODA (Craft Organization Development Association) conference is over and all the guests are returning to their home communities tomorrow. I am pleased with the feedback from those who attended my presentation, who got the message, and said such kind things about my delivery. A friend had said, "Doug, you are preaching to the choir." But of course we know it is choir practice. It is a challenge to present information in language and form that can be readily absorbed and understood and the opportunity to share information with the choir and to practice its delivery in the company of sincere friends is a treasure.

It is hard to part from this wonderful group. We are now what Frank Wilson calls the "hand tribe." We are bonded at the wrist, fingers interlaced in shared effort at renewal. It will be interesting to see what comes of all this. In the meantime, I want to thank all those who took time to listen and to share, and I welcome continued dialog, or multi-log about reintegrating the hands to their rightful place in American education.

Some in attendance asked if I would provide the text of the hands in education resolution that I had mentioned. Please substitute your own organization name in place of the NAHWW and make whatever changes are required to make it consistent with your own organization's underlying purpose. Then please notify me of its use. It goes as follows:

We, members of the National Association of Home Workshop Writers (NAHWW), adopt hands-on education in our nation's homes and schools as our organization's public service mission and imperative. We regard the use of the hands in education as being an essential requirement for engaging the passions of our children and youth. We acknowledge the importance of learning through use of the hands for bringing forth the inherent wisdom of each individual. We challenge our nation's schools and communities to create and sustain programs of manual training and the arts for children of all ages.