Thread: sheilas' sheds

Hi Gay.
Great to see your idea.
I did not know you existed, till your post here.
I was planning an introduction to men's Sheds at Dunalley during 2011, but unfortunately just got too busy.
There is an excellent Men's Shed at Sorell.
Also I have been told there is one starting soon in Carlton, but I don't have details.
Our Men's Shed is TasmanMensShed.
We are located in Nubeena and have been open for 3 years and 3days.
Our site is very small and kindly loaned to us by the local Church.
A great way to get a "sheila's shed", would be to start a Men's Shed. Lots of men's sheds through out Australia, have "ladies days", or you could do a combined effort.
Maybe call it, "Blokes & Babes", Shed. (not politically correct, I am sure.) But you get my point.
Our shed is open Monday and Thursday, you are welcome to visit. Just look for our bright yellow sign, outside the Church of Christ.

Paul.
Coordinator.
TasmanMensShed.

Hi Gay! Have seen you sculpture/furniture around the traps for as long as I have been doing ceramics. I just joined the local mans shed when I needed a place to go! I quite like the place! And have never felt that I had been ......... Dunno! Its never been a problem being a girls there! There are quite a few female members. I like mixing with all the blokes too. Usually the only old blokes one knows in life are related to you! Sometimes my swearing gets a bit much for them though!

We have a few regular ladies at our 'community' shed (ie mens shed) in Deloraine Tasmania, they are always very welcome.
We're open monday to thursday, 9am - 2pm.

I am certainly not knocking this idea . I am a member of a Mens Shed that has a few female members and I think it is great to have the girls around and involved. I think it enhances the whole thing.

HOWEVER

The concept of The Mens Shed was to involve older men who may be perhaps isolated at home and suffer health problems as a result, particularly problems such as depression.

I wonder if we have lost sight of that.

Even the current TV add tells men to join a shed and give back to the community. I thought the concept was just about the reverse of that.

Every time we open and finance a shed that does not have the health of older men as its mainstay we lose resources for the original intent.

I think general woodworking \ metalworking \ ceramics \ craft areas, community gardens, bushcare groups etc.etc. are fantasic ideas, but they should not be developed on the back of and at the expense of the original concept of Men's Sheds for the health of older men.

I don't know exactly what your concept of the "sheilas shed " is, and I am certainly not putting it down, but if it just a place for women to get together and do stuff with woodworking tools (a great thing in its own right), then it just another club thing and should be organised and financed as such.

Please don't piggy back it onto the original idea of Men's Sheds for the health of older men and dilute our ability to solve that problem.


Just my 2c worth - you don't get much for 2c these days.

I am a volunteer helper in a shed set up for that purpose and enjoy helping those less able than me.


Peter.

Hi Avery.
I agree with some of your comments.
However as men's sheds have evolved over the past few years, there has been an inclusion of other community activities.
Mentor programs, are very popular in many sheds.
Some sheds have a "ladies day", as I mentioned before.

The original concept of a Men's Shed should never be lost of course. Men's Shed days are for men, I agree 100%.

However other activities can take place at the shed on days when it is not strictly a Men's Shed.

On those days it would be nice to call it a "community" shed.

Our shed has been approached twice to have "ladies days".
If we ever get a bigger shed, that is something we will look at for sure, but it will be a separate day to our regular Mens Day.

Paul.
Coordinator.
TasmanMensShed.

Hi Hooked up

I have no problem with women involved in the shed, I have no problem with ladies days and other activities. The shed building and the contents should be used for good purpose as much as possible. I have always had a problem with schools and all the facilities therein being used for only a few hours a day .

My problem is when someone gets an idea for a new facility or function and tacks it onto the Mens Shed concept. It dilutes the concept and reduces the effectiveness of the original idea which, as I said is about the health and well being of older men.

There have always been woodworking and woodturning clubs just as there have always been sewing and quilting clubs, sailing clubs, shooting clubs, car clubs and every other passtime clubs. This is as it should be.

Mens Sheds are not quite the same. If we let them become the same, then they are just another club.

Originally Posted by HOOKED.UP

Our shed has been approached twice to have "ladies days".
If we ever get a bigger shed, that is something we will look at for sure, but it will be a separate day to our regular Mens Day.

Paul.
Coordinator.
TasmanMensShed.

At the risk of totally hyjacking this thread, I don't think it needs to be a separate day for " ladies". It just sounds so condescending.

Not all "ladies" have the contacts and connectivity that they supposedly have. And we don't all want to go and talk about "ladies" things. I can't think of anything more boring!

I think ANYONE would learn heaps at a work shop by Gay hawkes. Anyone who is good at thier art or craft is an inspiration.

Some women are more comfortable at a gals' only day or site, and they should be catered for. It's not either/or. There's room for both.

Works for women-only sessions at swimming pools where there are cultural sensitivities; also at gym sessions.

I am stepping away from this debate.

I hope you all resolve your own personal issues and are able to achieve your own personal out comes.

I would like to make one comment. Men's Sheds, are community driven.
They can be anything your community wants them to be. There are no limits.

Paul.
Coordinator.
TasmanMensShed.

Originally Posted by tea lady

At the risk of totally hyjacking this thread, I don't think it needs to be a separate day for " ladies". It just sounds so condescending.

Not all "ladies" have the contacts and connectivity that they supposedly have. And we don't all want to go and talk about "ladies" things. I can't think of anything more boring!

I think ANYONE would learn heaps at a work shop by Gay hawkes. Anyone who is good at thier art or craft is an inspiration.

Totally in agreement with all of this Tea lady.

But my point again.

Mens Sheds are about men's health, or they should be. They are not about art, craft woodworking , metalworking, pottery , cooking, orchid growing or any other activity, Although any or all of these activities could be included in the program to promote MEN'S HEALTH.

I think Avery has a good point.

Our society seems to have a perception that it is ok for women to have a club or organisation just for women, because women's needs are different from men's but a club for men only is taboo.

But if women's needs are different from men's doesn't it automatically follow that men's needs are different from women's?

Would a man join the CWA? If a man applied would he be accepted? I don't know.

Ever since women discovered that bras are combustible and the heat given off is is far greater than that generated by the material alone, women have been wanting equal rights such as membership to formerly male-only clubs, and in most cases rightly so. I see no reason women cant be full members of racing clubs, golf clubs, woodworking clubs, sporting clubs etc. The presence of women as full members and as members of the board of such organisations has been a positive thing and I have personal experience of this.

But, as I understand it the men's shed movement was set up to address health and well-being issues in men, particularly older men/retirees. I see no more reason for women to be moving into this territory than it would be for men to line up for a free mamogram. Use the venue when the men aren't using it by all means but let the men's shed movement look after the demographic it was set up to help.

In addition a lot of male political leaders, prime ministers, premiers etc, have appointed females to a role generally called "advisor on women's affairs" or similar. Now that we have a female Prime Minister, why does nobody seem to think she should appoint an "advisor on Men's affairs".

Doug

Originally Posted by doug3030

In addition a lot of male political leaders, prime ministers, premiers etc, have appointed females to a role generally called "advisor on women's affairs" or similar. Now that we have a female Prime Minister, why does nobody seem to think she should appoint an "advisor on Men's affairs".

Doug

She does, his name is Tim and he is the patron of the Men's Sheds organisation AFAIK.

I agree with the sentiments expressed Doug, maybe we should push for a men only Fernwood gym as well?

But as I understand it the OP, GayHawkes, wasn't suggesting "invading a male only" domain, merely use the premises 1 day a week.

The purpose of the Mens Shed is stated here on the AMSA website.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J5vtmXh9tA&context=C341591aADOEgsToPDskKZDbTesPoBOjiemapln2xM]About AMSA - YouTube[/ame]