Photographers, like painters, set out to capture bits of life, to find and hold onto meaningful essences of the scenes they encounter. But what constitutes “meaningful?” And is it the same for each of us? Certainly not. The artist’s – and every individual’s – point of view is shaped not only by a physical vantage point, a particular location and direction of view, but also so by the internal human perspective unique to each of us. In our wooden canoe community, we are builders, restorers, day trippers, travelers, wanderers, collectors, historians, curators, and more. But we are so much more than just these things. Shaped by the genes our parents provided and massaged by our individual life histories, we become the lens that views the world, that informs what we find meaningful.
Our perspectives are not static; they change with time and place. Perspective changes when we paddle out across open water, glide along an undulating shoreline, flow downstream, and move through time. As we do, we collect new experiences that further shape who we are. The pessimist would say that we are singular, alone, and that whatever each of us may experience can never be truly known by anyone else. But we are united in the shared experience of the wooden canoe.
As friends and as a kind of extended family we join in spirit to form the WCHA, and many of us recently joined in reality for the WCHA’s 45th Anniversary Assembly, our 44th such gathering. Just as in so many past years, Assembly 2024 was fantastic, with beautiful Adirondack scenery, beautiful people, and beautiful canoes. Many of the photographs in this issue of the WCJ and online recount, as well as still images can, some measure of the fun, camaraderie, and humanity we experienced together this past July. Events like this remind us that we are far from singularly alone with our thoughts. We are a collective, joining to grow together more than any of us could alone.
Our annual Assembly is but one opportunity to gain new perspectives. Another is to serve. This issue of the journal includes a call for candidates for the WCHA’s Board of Directors. As any current or past Board member can attest, service on the Board is one of the best ways to become immersed in the WCHA and shape its future. What do you want your perspective to be? As members we are all joiners, but might you also enjoy servant-leadership? If yes, consider running for a seat on the Board. Consider a new perspective. There’s nothing wrong with watching from the shore, but getting out on the water, out into the action, provides a whole new – and very rewarding – perspective.

Michael Grace, WCHA President