How's your club going?

[brendan stemp]

I have not renewed my membership with my Woodturning Club for a variety of reasons but one is that there seemed to be a declining interest in Woodturning amongst the members. The club is now 25 years old (give or take) and has stagnated. And this doesn't appear to be an uncommon story given the conversations I have had with other woodturners recently. So, how is your WoodTURNING club going? Is it still vibrant and growing? My feeling is that a lot of clubs that dedicated their attention to woodturning are diversifying and becoming general wood working clubs. Are the days of the woodtuning clubs numbered?? I'd be interested in other stories.

[rsser]

Talking to old hands in my club, recruiting new members is seen as a problem.

In marketing terms the questions might be ...

1. What is the club seen as offering?
2. What are prospective members looking for?
3. Is the message getting out there about what the club can do?

With the demise and only partial resurrection of tech schools/programs in Vic, I'd say a generation or two of young people have missed out on early exposure and interest generation.

With the volume of info on the net, I'd guess that many beginning turners would first be looking there for info (heaven help us).

With changes in employment practices, partic the rise of casual employment at any time of the day, I'd guess that night or Sat meetings will not be accessible to an increasing proportion of the workforce.

Finally, is it cool to be seen as a woodturner these days?

[rsser]

PS, two anecdotes.

When Kylie was on a soap in the 80s (?) there was a boom of interest among young women in motor mechanic apprencticeships (tho she was in bib and brace overalls!).

When doing a getting-to-know-you in pairs exercise this year with 1st year uni students, I mentioned to a bright well-educated young woman that I did WT. What was that she asked.

[tea lady]

The club I belong too (Know Community Woodworkers. ) is already a general club that has quite a strong wood turning membership. And quite a number of people do two or three different things. I started out wood turning, but now am doing the "darksider" furniture making group as well.

At the risk of being howled down, I think a lot of wood turning is extremely old fashioned. Not many turners seems to look at modern design, except to criticize it. :C I think wood turning meshes quite well with other woodwork. And also gives heaps more scope for things you can make. How many bowls do you really need? And, otherwise you get weird furniture like those completely woodturned bobbin chairs, cos the turners guild wouldn't let you talk to someone who did mortise and tenons.:doh:
Our club is mostly men. The few women there are doing turning and/or furniture making with hand tools, like I am. ( :doh:: I'm such a cleche. :rolleyes: ) Although a lot of clubs are set up specifically for men to socialize, ignoring women as potential members is prolly foolish. And I can only go during school hours. :C

Our membership numbers is going OK though. They are always talking of maybe having to close the books.

[artme]

Woodturner's Soc. of Qld. Inc. has quite e few newer members but there is interest in getting more.
One problem with attracting younger people is that Tuesday is our day, and obviously unless you are retired or chuck a sickie then getting there is problematic.

The clubhouse has recently been enlarged. This will provide to chance ffor growth as the clubhouse is twice the size, has much better facilities and perhaps may attract more members. This will be particularly so if a couple more lathes are acquired.

One problem I think we have is the lack of other woodworking activities,. Apart from the Friday Toymakers there is nothing elses on offer.

Resistence to change is strong. so "flat" woodworking seems to be a forlorn hope.

[Rhys_holland]

im 23 years old and i went and had a look at at club because i am very novice and would like tips and ideas but there were two reasons that put me off and they were the hours that everybody meets some of us work during the day and i was talking to one of there senior members who told me that everything i was doing was wrong from the timber that i was using the tools machenery and process and that realy put me off. but there just my reasons

[artme]

I can Sympathize with you Rhys. There are too many pig headed,but well meaning people, involved in some clubs.

We are quite safety conscious at our club so some sort of uniform approach is needed to get novices underway. With a bit of experience under their belt they then only seek advice when they cannot do something.


I don't agree with the "You are wrong approach" It turns people off. Much better to say "Can I make a suggestion?" or simply offer help via way of a demo.

My approach is to sus out the noted but approachable turners and ask for their guidance. Usually works a treat!

[Rhys_holland]

well its turned me of for a little bit but next time i here about a club open day i will definatly check it out there are quite a few around my area so i can keep trying untill i find one i like, and to answer rsser the things i would look for in a club are advice, a little bit of critisism a lot of praise of my work and the occasional hands on days.
And it is cool to be a wood turner these days its just nobody has herd of woodturning when ever i show my friends my work they all seem generally interested

[Big Shed]

At the risk of being howled down, I think a lot of wood turning is extremely old fashioned. Not many turners seems to look at modern design, except to criticize it. :C


Looking at the yearly display of wood turning here in Bendigo at Easter and the various wood turning clubs at the Woodworking Show I am always reminded of "groundhog day".

Nothing much seems to change from year to year, same old same old etc.

Little attention to design, poor finishing techniques.

Put that together with a bunch of "grumpy old men" very set in their ways and it is no surprise that the average age of members appears to go up every year.

Did I mention I'm not a member of a woodturning club? Noel Coward springs to mind:rolleyes:

Edit:

About the only woodturning exhibition I really enjoy is the one at the Whitehorse Centre in June each year, some innovative stuff there. Bit far to travel every week though:oo:

[Allan at Wallan]

I will put my two bob's worth in for what it is worth.

Northern Woodturners Club, until January last year operated out of a
room rented to us by the Salvation Army in Thornbury. At that stage we
had 25 members and things were going ok.

We lost our space there as the Salvos wanted it back and we moved to
a disused scout hall in Kingsbury. The best move we could have made.

We have ample parking, plenty of facilities for male and females with
separate toilets, a good kitchen, bbq facilities, microwave, frig, dust
extraction systems and reasonable storage areas. But more importantly
we have a happy, coordinated bunch of over 40 members ever ready
to cooperate with each other in our various pursuits. We have held
fund raising barbecues at Bunnings (excellent results financially),
had an exhibition/sales stand at the recent Kilmore Art Expo and
have been invited to do so again next year.

We have over 15 lathes in our establishment and some really first
class turners willing to share their knowledge. For example, Ken
Wraight is there just about every Wednesday morning to lend a hand
to anyone and is doing a demo tomorrow at our general meeting.

To cater for those unable to attend Wednesday mornings we have
introduced a Thursday night workshop. It is reasonably well attended
given that the nights are getting colder and some members dont like
travelling home in the fog.

The standard of turning and the variety of exhibits being shown is a credit
to the members who never fail to impress with their work. Enthusiasm
is infectious at our club both from a turning point of view and the
social interaction which is invaluable.

Allan

[stuffy]

I agree with Big Shed.

The committees of Woodturning clubs are made up of old men set in their ways. This is probably because they've been members the longest and feel that no young upstarts have the right to tell them how to run their club. They conduct or arrange demo's that suit them, they set and judge competitions and they control meeting times to suit themselves and the majority of members who are also old fogies. Why should anything change, they're quite happy with the way things are.

Having said that, I feel that beginners can gain a lot by joining a club if they can keep an open mind to different styles and techniques. Clubs may have access to timber, tools and supplies that are difficult to source by an individual, or at discount prices. Participating regularly in competitions is probably the best way to improve your skills, especially if it means making something you would never choose to make and probably never will again.

You never know, there might be someone as talented as Brendan Stemp in your club who will be a regular source of inspiration. If so make sure the club appreciates his value as a member and encourages him to stay.

:)

[DJ’s Timber]

Another point that hasn't been raised is that the cost of buying lathes has come down a lot over the last 5-10 yrs, so a lot more people are most likely buying their own lathes, therefore they don't need to join a club whereas in the past a lot of people may have not been able to afford a lathe so they joined a club

[jefferson]

Geez, this one is a can of worms.

First up - and we need to be clear on this - members of this forum (at least in Victoria, Australia) - constitute a Club. No mistaking that. :2tsup: A fine club it is too.

Yep. Some of us contribute more or less than others. Some ask silly questions (like me) while others answer the call. Just ask a question and you'll have answers in no time.

Against that, some lurk, some snipe (only occasionally) and some.... Well, it's a club. It happens.

We have our share of (dare I say it?) OS turners that have absolutely no idea about turning Cooktown Ironwood. Or mulga or gidgee. And yet they preach and preach ...... :rolleyes: That's OK though. Just another pet project to work on.

I accept that some clubs work better than others. Community dynamics. People live and die, separate and find new interests in life. Hopefully, some turn to wood.

Yes, Clubs can become inbred. Or tired. Or reliant on the few.

Worse still, some clubs (and turners generally) may reject the advice of those more advanced.

I do not understand why - perhaps that is Fred's complaint - but surely each of us must know and accept our place. And welcome the advice of those better placed when advice is freely offered.

And it does sadden me when I hear of individuals and clubs that reject criticism at shows etc. Why wouldn't a club welcome an expert?

At my club - as a new member - I take a low profile. I sharpen the club's chisels (skews excepted) on the tormek most weeks. And I sharpen chisels better than most, if not all. After all, I've had Forum Club lessons!!! Days of lessons, not just a few hours. Thanks and Ken. :2tsup::2tsup:

And I listen to the sounds in the Club shed.

I hear many things. I hear sounds that I probably made some time back. Turning against the grain. And I do see turners taking a roughing gouge to a bowl. So I gently interrupt and suggest that is not a safe practice.

And I do so in the knowledge that the same turner probably has been told the same thing before.

But I have done my best. And I do not despair that some in the Club - including some on the forum - will not learn. And are set in their ways.

But Brendan - and this is my plea - none of it should turn you away. At worst, the old is always replenished. At best, your efforts will encourage others to turn as you do and perhaps even better.

It's been said before by someone far wiser, but there is no such thing as a "bad" woodturner. Sure, they may not turn well and they may be opiniated (sound familiar?) but they like / love turning wood.

And for me, that's a great start to many friendships, all varied.

I think, nay, know, that I have made many, many fine friends here.

But it's just a club. A different kind of club. No strict rules, no minutes of meetings etc.

Maybe that's where we are heading.

All I know is this. I put a little show on over Xmas-New Year and Pat came all the way down from Sydney. And others from elsewhere.

It's on again this year and I hope we need some more lathes...... :D:D:D

[mick61]

G`day Rhys the koonung woodturners have a monday night critic a Thursday workshop and a meeting every fourth saturday.

Mick :D

P.S and hopefully not too many pigheaded people to help assist beginners and some more experienced turners aswell.

P.P.S Recently we held our first open day which I think was a great success considering we have gained three new members and thursday workshops are becomeing quite crowded.

Brendon as woodturning is becoming more adventuress the need for extra specialty machinery is leading to turners looking for more options than a lathe to complete ther work. By the way I enjoyed Horsham I will be staying for the duration next year.

[Farnk]

I spent a bit of time with the Maroondah woodturners, having followed Skew's suggestion to check them out. My area of interest was in improving my general technique, esp with the skew.

It was pretty good for a while, with the general membership supportive and constructively critical. After a while I was just not learning anything and there were no new members joining, so there was little for me to be able to offer back.

I decided to take things back into the shed, and use sources such as the 'net, woodworking/turning literature and this forum to read and take inspiration from.

[hughie]

At the risk of being howled down, I think a lot of wood turning is extremely old fashioned. Not many turners seems to look at modern design, except to criticize it. :C Yep I would agree with you. I don't belong to a club although I have been to a couple. Found the once a month meeting a bit distant. I tend to get together occasionally with other turners I know from time to time and off course the internet.

[John Lucas]

I belong to 3 clubs. The Tennessee Association which is 80 miles away. It used to be the only club and I needed a fix so I joined about 18 to 20 years ago and have been a member ever since. It is up to about 130 members and usually has about 70 or so attend. It is growing and changing.
It has many of the same problems most clubs have. 10 percent of the people do all the work. However they have always had a good 10% who work hard and that group has changed with younger people getting involved which I think has kept it vibrant and growing.
The Cumberland Woodturners started about 10 or 11 years ago. It's about 35 miles away and went through a stale period. We keep trying to get other people to take office if only for one term and that seems to have worked. We finally moved to a new place because the old one was too crowded. That must have been what we needed because the club is growing like crazy. I think what makes this club work so well is that we are all friends. We try to have a picnic once or twice a year and Christmas dinner. This helps everyone get to know each other and you have respect for each of them so the discussions that often lead to arguments in other clubs are carried on in a more civil manor.
Lots of folks bring show and tell items. I demo at a lot of clubs throughout the south and we have more show and tell items than almost any other club. I wish I could figure out why because it really helps make a friendly atmosphere.
We do a wide variety of demos from painting and carving, offcenter and segmented, and bowls and vessels. It's always a fun meeting with people teasing one another and just generally a good time. I think that's why it has stayed strong.
The Mid Tenn Woodturners is my local club. It got started about 5 years ago and still having problems. The same small group seems to try to run things and most of the people there never turn. They come to be intertained. Only 3 or 4 of us ever bring anything to show. I'm not sure why most of them are there. I think part of the problem is the officers don't run the evening very well. It kind of drags on and is not very intertaining. I try to make it fun when I do a demo and I think people enjoy that. it is growing but very slowly.

[hughie]

the problem is the officers don't run the evening very well. It kind of drags on and is not very intertaining.Yeah, motivating volunteers is a different skill set to normal business ventures. I find allot just want to be boss and do it their way and the people vote with their feet.
I think you need a bit of a servant attitude to run this type of ventures, "I 'm in it for the good of all" .

[Ed Reiss]

I had one simple request for the powers that be to get the meeting schedule changed from the second Tuesday night to a Saturday morning....the suggestion wasn't taken with the greatest of gleeTue nite meets might be OK for the younger blokes, who by the way are immortal. But us oldtimeres are all boffed out by 1 or 2 pm...am handing in my resignation.

Simply can't understand why everything has to be done in the dead of night.:~

[rsser]

Have a granny nap in the afternoon first Ed ;-}

Koonung's arrangement that Mick mentioned is a good one. One night per week for turning, another for critiques, and a monthly Sat morning for business, show and tell, demo's etc. So there's a number of ways members can become involved.

But for younger people working casual shifts in hospitality and retail, free nights and Sat's still can't be counted on.

[Jigsaw]

As a member of the Eltham club I just cannot believe how well our club works. Although it has been going for about 22 years, I have only been in it a short while. We are a woodworking club catering for woodturning, cabinet making, scroll sawing and carving and a few other minor interests. We have about 8 lady members who do the same tasks as the males and are a great asset.
We run our yearly exhibition and we do not have to ask for volunteers to turn up over the week end to help out. Last year we had about 50% of the members helping out over the week end and about 30% of the members being around on the Sunday cleaning up. We have a total of about 90 members. Keeping in mind that some of our members could be ill or travelling the world and not available.
We have also never had to worry about having enough people joining the committee and or taking on executive roles.

Our members are mostly retired or close too it. This is not a good position as you need younger people coming through. I noticed the Ballarat boys have younger members (great work guys). It is true that some people don't want to come out at night and some people cannot come out in the day time (working people etc). We cater for this by allowing a group to be setup on any day or night with the proviso that a minumum of 2 people are required for safety reasons. We have cabinet making groups at night and in the day time.

We also help out in the local community and our members volunteer for these tasks as well.

For those groups that do only one facit of woodworking like turning, people have said that you can only make so many bowls which is true, but some people don't really care what they make. They just like being in the workshop making something and exchanging ideas with like minded people. As long as they are happy doing it, that is all that matters. Some members relish the idea of passing on their knowledge for the younger ones (under 70).

Please don't think that we know it all. We have spoken to other clubs and visited the different wood shows etc and have tried new things as a result of this and we are still learning.

Anyway I think I have waffled enough by now. But being a member of Eltham is like being in heaven.

[arose62]

Quote: "The committees of Woodturning clubs are made up of old men set in their ways. This is probably because they've been members the longest and feel that no young upstarts have the right to tell them how to run their club. They conduct or arrange demo's that suit them, they set and judge competitions and they control meeting times to suit themselves and the majority of members who are also old fogies. Why should anything change, they're quite happy with the way things are."

Hear, hear! I second the motion!

My experience exactly with the local woodturning club. Incredibly ageist - blatantly so. Pointedly ignored new members, and very obviously pandered to the ruling clique.

The irony is that I usually hear them bemoaning the fact that they don't get new members, whenever I wander past their displays in local shopping centres.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Ed Reiss]

Have a granny nap in the afternoon first Ed ;-}

.

...already take two, hmmmm, a third might just do the trick :;

[underfoot]

Oh dear...I'm yawning just reading this thread (I'm having flashbacks to our local club meets)
friday nights,...6.30 start... general business,... then show and tell,... then a couple of demos.
By the time a few of the old blokes argued about points of order...adendums to the clubs charter....and whether the club treasurer sat to the right or left of the president...
it would be 8.30pm and any potential new members had tried to chew their legs off in hope of escape.
By 9pm,...and old Jim was still having problems accepting the minutes of the last meeting (he could barely remember if there was a last meeting)

and old Frank's monotonal dronings about the clubs last purchase of japanese clock movements (fought them in the war ya know)...was starting to sound like a 3 hour didgereedoo solo accompanied by the dulcet tones of half a dozen blokes snoring.

and meanwhile back at the ranch, my mates are having a beer watching friday night footy :((
.....I..must......stay....awake....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[rsser]

Yes.

Easy to leave the prob with the leadership though; there's a role for responsible followership before the opt out stage. (General comment; not about anyone's post in particular).

[Calm]

I am not sure this thread is going in the direction that Brendan had hoped for - it appears that "bashing" is more prominent than "constructive" criticism.

I personally haven't joined a club - i enjoy doing my own thing at home or at friends places but i can see there is a place for others to meet and share things if that is their preference. At some time in the future i might get the urge to join but at present i am happy doing my thing on my own.

There are others who prefer to be in a club situation and get great enjoyment out of it.

I think you need to look at the club you are joining or becoming a member of - if it is a wood "TURNERS" club then most likely you are not going to find a lot of darksiders doing their stuff, but if is is a wood "WORKERS" club then a mixture of both is likely.

I have been to the "MENS SHED" at Ballan with an old mate (who has since passed away) and he got great enjoyment from the company, never did any wood stuff, but considered his contribution was cooking the BBQ every week.

Maybe you need to work out what YOU expect from the club before you join - and not think "it would be great if i just changed this"... If it has a formal part - minutes etc then don't turn up till later or find a different one that suits you.

In a lot of cases you get out what you put in - it is not about what can they do for me but more what can WE do together - keep your expectations low and your enjoyment might be higher.

To those who do all the work keep it up - these things don't run on their own.

:rantoff:

Cheers

David

[Allen Neighbors]

Rant on.
I'd give a body part to have a club that I could be a part of, that I could contribute to and learn from, and that I could afford the fuel to attend.
As Jigsaw and Allan said, their clubs are "working" clubs. If the old guys get too much in the way, and hold things back, tell them. If they get huffy, they'll get over it... or get out of the way. But it has to be a 'working' club... one that people work to keep going and keep promoting woodturning, and promoting the art part of it, also...
To learn more, to fellowship with other turners, to improve and promote the art and craft of woodturning should be the reasons for a club.
It boggles my mind that people who have one close enough to attend, would let the bull-headed old fartz ruin a good thing... get in their face and tell 'em off! Woodturning is an art and a craft that is really getting better, and it's getting better because of people like Ern, Vern, Hughie, Calm, Allen, Joe, John, and Wally, and myriads of others, keep promoting it and showing and telling others how "to do it". Don't let a few bull-headed old duffers ruin a club.
Rant off.

[NeilS]

Have only had two club experiences, neither just woodturning.

The local Men's Shed operates two mornings a week and I manage to get there for a bit one morning a week. I tell them that I'm only there for the coffee and the stimulating conversation, which is close to the truth, but I also help out with the woodturning and dust extraction system (my jobs on the noticeboard list). Usual story of a few people carrying the operation. A couple of the members run an evening group for young mums and that seems to work quite well. Membership numbers are steady with about 15% turnover a year. I think of the Shed as being on about something other than woodworking, the wood is a bit coincidental, so wouldn't hold it up as any sort of model for a woodturning club.

My other experience is with the Blackall Range Woodies up the back of the Qld Sunshine Coast. Some years I escape the cold wet winters up here in the Adelaide Hills and head north to Nth NSW and SE Qld for some warmer weather. The club there has always been very welcoming and I reckon they run a first rate operation. They are open most mornings (inc Sat am), are very well equipped and put on an excellent exhibition at Montville once a year. My only complaint is all the extra ballast, in the form of SE Qld wood, that I inevitably end up carrying back to SA...:D

Here (http://www.blackallrangewoodies.org.au/About%20Us/about%20us.htm) is their website with details of how they go about things.

PS - I agree with Jeff, this forum is an excellent 'virtual' club.

.....

[Pat]

Well I am a member of a Wood Workers club which keeps it interesting. Saturday morning workshops were I could end up doing anything but turning and Wednesday night committee meeting for 1 hour and the following Wednesday night's club meeting and show and tell for about 2 hours.

These meetings are run to a strict agenda and although members are encourage to have their say at meetings, they respect the committee members to look after the club's interests.

Some 25% of members are active on the Saturday morning workshop, with the Saturday end of month being for club members to do their own projects with the club machinery, if they have been to that months club workshops.

All in all I personally find the mix of experienced members and newer members to be good and as most of the experienced members were tradies, they can take suggestions from younger members.

[govarney]

As Calm said


you need to work out what YOU expect from the club

Up until recently my club was open for use Wed and Thu mornings with admin meeting once a month on Mon nights.

Not being retired I could never attend Wed or Thu so I was left with the admin meetings. While it might sound boring its my choice. I have a chance to converse with guys who have a similar interest once a month and I am quite happy with that.

I don't expect to learn a lot (unless its a new way to do accounting :doh:). Instead I use the Working with Wood show, Horsham You-Turn, and soon Philip Island as my "school". At these events I can talk to people who are passionate about woodturning, people I look up to, people who I hope one day to be 10% as good as they are.

While I look forward to seeing the members of my local club, I especially look forward to my 3 days at school and seeing my friendly teachers again :U.

[Jim Carroll]

As most have said you get from clubs what you put in.

It is better to have clubs with a wide variety of woodwork to choose from.

Some of the larger victorian clubs have a range of inner groups to help you persue your hobby

This expands your chance of learning more and not getting bored with doing the same thing week in week out. We find that the majority of people who only have one pursuit do get bored with what they are doing and give up with the club and their hobby.

You can participate in a range of activities from woodturning, carving, scrollsawing or general woodwork.

The bonus with the club is they will generally have the gear for you to use and you do not have to buy anything straight away till you are confident that it is what you want.

There is the unfortunate side that some clubs do not make you as welcome as they should, there should be people designated as welcome people who help newcomers through the initial stages of getting more involved with the club and directing them to the people who can show them what interests them most.

[rsser]

Yep, v. timely comment.

A club will only be as good as its members' capacity and willingness.

A few weeks ago I emailed an offer to the President of mine to demo some specialised turning tools.

No reply.

No skin off my nose. Just my two bob's worth in the form of 'responsible followership'.

[woodwork wally]

Gidday all. I belong to Werribee woodturners and although I am now up toward you Brendon I will remain a member of a growing club with several new young members :2tsup:and 3 new retired guys.:2tsup: As you know we have demos by various specialist woodturners and members also do demos . I was involved doing a segmented pen and also finishing with linseed oil/superglue to a high standard of polish. a number of us also take part in forum turn[fests]:) ie groggies and 's also quite a few went to Horsham.[sorry mate I couldnt make it :no:but it was rubbed in] Our club is also very supportive of each other. eg at the passing of Honeygirl the boys jumped in to help me move to Willaura when I had no hope emotionally .Clubmembers also gather at other members for a saturday or sunday turnup and bar b q many taking our own lathes and helping newbies with problems. Those of us who have had or Ken W.s or your hand guiding us take on the same mentoring roll with less experienced members YEP a good club will attract new members and a sad club:?:? will eventually kill itself Cheers and happy turning to all WW.Wally

[brendan stemp]

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. Lots of feedback, some I expected and some not so. To sum it all up I think my fear that the days of woodturning clubs are numbered is perhaps unfounded, which is a relief. The success of a club seems to based on the members who have the most influence and when they are positive influences then the club will grow. I hear of quite a few clubs (some mentioned in this thread) that are dominated by boring, pedantic old farts and if this is the case then change it. Get involved and drag them kicking and screaming into a new era of the club. I agree with those that said you get out of a club what you put into it but for me I found the opposition to me organising You Turn intolerable. While I was trying to organise an event that would bring numerous woodturners together to share ideas etc. (you Turn) there existed members of my (ex) club who were actively opposing it behind my back. I found there attitude bewildering.

If asked, I would encourage people to join a club (even the one I was a member of) and make sure the squeaky wheels aren't the ones that get all the oil. As for me, I am glad of the fact this forum exists and You Turn was a success. It is a club in itself with one meeting a year... and no minutes, motions or points of order!

[Frank&Earnest]

Well, Brendan, the problems of associationism in today's society are the same for all clubs, no surprises here. But as regards your starting point, is turning getting swamped in the woodworking context, I can't see any reasons for worry. Here in SA the contrary is true, if anything, and I believe the reasons have been shown quite well: woodworking as a trade is dying and woodturning as a hobby is picking up because of the instant gratification. Takes one hour to turn a bowl, takes a week to do a small carving. Of the 300 members of Woodgroup SA I would say 200 would qualify themselves as turners.

[John Lucas]

I seldom hear about a club dying. On the other hand the Membership to the AAW is growing by leaps and bounds. I think turning is a hobby that can be done in so many different ways and by so many different skill levels that it's easy for all to enjoy. I like it because my time is limited and I can go into the shop and spend 30 minutes making a spindle or 20 hours making a turned table. It really fits into my busy schedule and probably others as well.
I forget who made the statement above, but I definitely agree, you get as much out of a club as you put into it. Being an officer means you make closer friends of some of the members. Doing the newsletter means you learn everyones name (I'm horrible with names so that was really good for me. ) Doing demos and sharing your skills not only helps the club but you almost always learn something while preparing for, or actually doing the demo. It's a win win.

[rsser]

Reflecting on this thread, obviously a Club belongs to its members and they can bring many needs and interests which the Committee may have a challenging job to juggle:

Learn tool control and applications
Refine a technique
Learn the order of work for a kind of piece
Find out what gear to buy to head in a particular direction
See the various directions that can be pursued
Learn about prices and sources of wood and gear
Learn how to sharpen tools
Learn how to dry and finish wood
Problem solve
Use a lathe or other item of machinery
Get critique on their work
See expert demonstrations
Share blanks
Bulk buys of consumables
Have a yarn, make new friends
and to contribute to meeting any of those needs/interests of others.

I find turners very generous in their willingness to share what they know and help out others.

But given that long list of possibilities, it would seem important for Club committees to regularly review what their mission is (= an enduring reason for being) and whether it remains relevant to the membership. And equally important for existing and prospective members to reflect on what's important to them.

There is no reason why a Club should try to be good at everything.

...

I guess this forum is a kind of a community, albeit online, but one which can only meet a limited range of needs.

'Virtual' membership of AAW is something I was delighted to take up recently, providing access to AWT which meets some of my own needs - at the same time it depresses me a bit about my standard of turning compared to what I see there but that's life.

[RufflyRustic]

.....
I guess this forum is a kind of a community, albeit online, but one which can only meet a limited range of needs.
...........

and that's where the Forum Get ToGethers come in, the "Hey, I'm visiting such and such a place, who's up for a visit?" and the Wood Shows.

Again, these won't meet all needs that a good club can meet, but it certainly is better than not meeting up.

[Frank&Earnest]

Reflecting on this thread, obviously a Club belongs to its members and they can bring many needs and interests which the Committee may have a challenging job to juggle:



Learn hand tool control and applications
Refine a technique
Learn the order of work for a kind of piece
Find out what gear to buy to head in a particular direction
See the various directions that can be pursued
Learn about prices and sources of wood and gear
Learn how to sharpen tools
Learn how to dry and finish wood
Problem solve
Use [a lathe or other] items of machinery
Get critique on their work
See expert demonstrations
Share [blanks] timber
Bulk buys of consumables
Have a yarn, make new friends
and to contribute to meeting any of those needs/interests of others.
****
I find turners very generous in their willingness to share what they know and help out others.

But given that long list of possibilities, it would seem important for Club committees to regularly review what their mission is (= an enduring reason for being) and whether it remains relevant to the membership. And equally important for existing and prospective members to reflect on what's important to them.

There is no reason why a Club should try to be good at everything.

...

I guess this forum is a kind of a community, albeit online, but one which can only meet a limited range of needs.

'Virtual' membership of AAW is something I was delighted to take up recently, providing access to AWT which meets some of my own needs - at the same time it depresses me a bit about my standard of turning compared to what I see there but that's life.

Love your concise but exhaustive list above Ern. Would you mind if I use it (acknowledging you as the source, of course) to stir up my neck of the woods?
I would change just that couple of words to make it less turning centered.

[rsser]

Feel free Frank.

[Frank&Earnest]

Thanks. I'll milk it till it's dry. :wink: