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  1. #1
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    Nov 2006
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    Cedarton
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    Default Shed for young men

    So it seems 'Mens Sheds' were set up for for older men with health issues!
    Somewhere to go and relax with friends,do woodwork and improve ones mental state.
    Fair enough.
    What i would also like to see happen is the creation of 'Mens Sheds' for the use and benefit of 'young men' who find themselves with little to do and lacking esteem and social skills.
    They need their own shed!
    Sure they don't want to hang around with grumpy,recalcitrant old men that do nothing but bicker amongst themselves. (local men's shed consists of a handful of members who do nothing but war with each other...they leave,they come back,they leave,they come back )
    For only a few members they get a lot of funding too!
    They don't realize how fortunate they are having a 'shed' to go to.
    Sure the youth of this area would be a lot more grateful to have a shed as opposed to the few old grumps that think the planet revolves around them...MM
    Mapleman

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
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    Northen Rivers NSW
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    57
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    Default

    You make a good point particularly with the high rates of suicide among younger men.

    Perhaps not ALL men's sheds are as you describe though [emoji57]


  4. #3
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    Jan 2005
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    Sydney
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    1,205

    Default

    in theory this is what bikie clubs of the past were before large scale drug dealing and criminal activity

  5. #4
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    Somerset Region, Qld, AU.
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    66
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN View Post
    So it seems 'Mens Sheds' were set up for for older men with health issues!
    Somewhere to go and relax with friends,do woodwork and improve ones mental state.
    Fair enough.
    What i would also like to see happen is the creation of 'Mens Sheds' for the use and benefit of 'young men' who find themselves with little to do and lacking esteem and social skills.
    They need their own shed!
    Sure they don't want to hang around with grumpy,recalcitrant old men that do nothing but bicker amongst themselves. (local men's shed consists of a handful of members who do nothing but war with each other...they leave,they come back,they leave,they come back )
    For only a few members they get a lot of funding too!
    They don't realize how fortunate they are having a 'shed' to go to.
    Sure the youth of this area would be a lot more grateful to have a shed as opposed to the few old grumps that think the planet revolves around them...MM
    Chris,

    Something like what you're suggesting was happening decades ago, but seems to have died out. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I was based at RAAF Williamtown (near Newcastle), and lived in Islington (Newcastle). I was a member of a Woodworking Club in the suburb, and the club operated most evenings and weekends. Monday to Friday during business hours, when the club facilities were not being used by the members, a local Charity, assisted by some of the retired club members, ran the woodworking workshop for what was then collectively described as "disadvantaged men" - a term that sounds very wrong with the benefit of 33 years hindsight. From memory, I believe that the men involved were mostly long term unemployed, and some came from a homeless shelter in Hamilton. There was also a group of disabled men and women who came to the club on Fridays, who learnt wood turning. Many of the disabled people became normal members of the club once they'd developed their woodturning skills.

    I helped out at the week day workshops on a few occasions when I was on leave. The people from the Charity who ran the show, focused as much on the well being of the men, as on the woodworking, so it operated something vaguely along the lines of a Men's Shed, but with qualified social workers etc running the welfare side of the show.

    Anyway, when I was posted back to Williamtown in 1985, the Club's Workshop was a construction site, and the club was no more.... I guess that most of the retired guys who worked with the Charity are either in their late 90s, or dead by now, so unfortunately there's not many people around who can add more info.

    It's probably something that current woodworking / woodturning clubs could do, but it takes a lot of effort to get the social work side of things funded, organised and running.

    Regards,

    RoyG
    Manufacturer of the Finest Quality Off-Cuts.

  6. #5
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    Cedarton
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gaza View Post
    in theory this is what bikie clubs of the past were before large scale drug dealing and criminal activity
    ...MM
    Mapleman

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Horsham Victoria
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    Roy ... amazing the funding that is there if you can get iin qith the right grouo. As mentioned earlier ... mens sheds get a lot but there arr other grouos looking to support a good cause

    Dave TTC
    Turning Wood Into Art

  8. #7
    Join Date
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    Cedarton
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    Quote Originally Posted by RoyG View Post
    Chris,

    Something like what you're suggesting was happening decades ago, but seems to have died out. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I was based at RAAF Williamtown (near Newcastle), and lived in Islington (Newcastle). I was a member of a Woodworking Club in the suburb, and the club operated most evenings and weekends. Monday to Friday during business hours, when the club facilities were not being used by the members, a local Charity, assisted by some of the retired club members, ran the woodworking workshop for what was then collectively described as "disadvantaged men" - a term that sounds very wrong with the benefit of 33 years hindsight. From memory, I believe that the men involved were mostly long term unemployed, and some came from a homeless shelter in Hamilton. There was also a group of disabled men and women who came to the club on Fridays, who learnt wood turning. Many of the disabled people became normal members of the club once they'd developed their woodturning skills.

    I helped out at the week day workshops on a few occasions when I was on leave. The people from the Charity who ran the show, focused as much on the well being of the men, as on the woodworking, so it operated something vaguely along the lines of a Men's Shed, but with qualified social workers etc running the welfare side of the show.

    Anyway, when I was posted back to Williamtown in 1985, the Club's Workshop was a construction site, and the club was no more.... I guess that most of the retired guys who worked with the Charity are either in their late 90s, or dead by now, so unfortunately there's not many people around who can add more info.

    It's probably something that current woodworking / woodturning clubs could do, but it takes a lot of effort to get the social work side of things funded, organised and running.

    Regards,

    RoyG
    Thanks for your reply Roy
    Always feel it's important to look after those folk that 'fall between the cracks',so to speak.
    Would like to think it be a lot more healthy for a young bloke or woman working a lathe than taking ICE!!
    A 'Shed' for young folk to learn new skills,meet new friends,create and to embrace life again.
    Sure the 'gambling' fund could finance something like that Roy.
    I believe it has plenty of moolah to splash ...MM
    Mapleman

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
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    27,756

    Default

    A few random thoughts.
    All organisations and clubs have their plusses and minuses and mens sheds are no different.
    I don't think age is all that relevant as there are dummy spitters and grumps in all clubs including those which have predominantly younger members.
    I have visited a number of mens sheds around the Perth Metro area and I have seen younger members at all of them. I have not heard of any major problems involving younger members.
    One well known issue that affects younger member is that most inner city sheds are usually restricted in their operating times so they don't suit working age blokes otherwise they would probably have more younger members.
    The amount of funding available to mens sheds is a recognition that there are more opportunities for younger blokes to do other stuff including more active pursuits in sporting clubs.
    There is absolutely nothing to stop a group of younger blokes setting up a shed in a location like an industrial estate that could provide more outside working hours access. Funding would be available for this provided they met the Oz mens shed association guidelines.

    What all the blokes that join Mens sheds have to realise is these facilities are NOT places where they can
    - use the facilities renovate their rental property
    - do commercial work
    - do everything for themselves and bugger everyone else
    - pick up lots of free materials
    - get someone else to do things for me for free
    - offload their junk
    - ETC

    Being the front man for our shed one day a week I can usually pick up on these attitudes within a couple of minute of talking to a prospective member.
    It's not age dependent and it's disappointing that there are so many of them.
    Anyway they get very little change from me.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    BELL POST HILL, 3215
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    2,332

    Default Younguns Shed.

    Hi MM,
    Not sure of your age, but we have a couple of Young Chaps in our Shed. Early 40's.
    So what age is considered Young.
    So if there are no grumpy men there, so who is going to teach them anything. They need a couple of older Chaps to show them.
    Are they expected to Know it all when they get there. Some think they do.
    We are not all to Grumpy, or I wood like to think I'm not. I'm only 78.
    Justmy2senceworth, & not having a go at you, but I hope it works & as you say there are heaps of them & not knowing what to do with themselves.
    Regards,
    issatree.
    Have Lathe, Wood Travel.

  11. #10
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    Feb 2006
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    Perth
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    Default

    I would estimate that, including me, ~10% of our shed members are grumpy.
    I have a T-shirt that warns people I'm grumpy but it's not working as I constantly get asked to help and provide advice.

  12. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    I constantly get asked to help and provide advice.
    Bob i'm sure your knowledge and skills would be most welcome in any 'Mens Shed'.
    You certainly give a lot of time to problem solving anything 'chainsaws',on this forum.
    Mens Sheds are a great concept...i'm all for them
    And they are for 'there' for 'older' men who may be facing mental health issues
    Bob...how many members in your local shed a.t.m ?...MM
    Mapleman

  13. #12
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    Perth
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    Quote Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN View Post
    Bob i'm sure your knowledge and skills would be most welcome in any 'Mens Shed'.
    You certainly give a lot of time to problem solving anything 'chainsaws',on this forum.
    Mens Sheds are a great concept...i'm all for them
    And they are for 'there' for 'older' men who may be facing mental health issues
    Bob...how many members in your local shed a.t.m ?...MM
    We have about 80 members.
    Average age would be in the low 70"s
    Our youngest member is 32 and our oldest is 89.
    We have a prospective member who is 16 years old and will be coming with his grandfather.
    We have an ex-navy vet and a couple of blokes in between jobs that are around 50 years old
    Our expert metal turner is 85 and drives a metal lathe like he retired yesterday.
    We have about 10 ex-engineers some of which are very hands on talented, and others have rarely picked up a tool in their life.
    We have 6 ex- TAFE/Manual arts teachers - all of these guys are good value and very handy.
    Likewise for the 4 former farmers and the 3 electricians
    There are a fair share of business and professional blokes, bank managers, accountants. dentist, IT blokes, academics,
    About half a dozen guys that come along don't do anything hands on - they just come for a chat and a cup of coffee.
    Mostly these are the older blokes who realise their limitations and thinks it's safer not to use machinery or tools.
    The President of the local Senior Citz centre next door to the shed is a former Judge and also a shed member but he only comes for morning or arvo tea. He is VERY generous with donations and his time in making contacts for fund raising and anything legal.

    From what I can tell, a significant majority >(90%) of members do not have an obvious metal health issues
    We have 3 blokes with obvious Alzheimers that need to be looked after.
    Several blokes have physical handicaps, one is totally blind and needs looking after, others have a missing leg or hand but these blokes are very hands on active. One legged Bill in particular fixes machinery and builds machine guards etc.

    The most common non-visible mental health issue is that members once had a large shed or large business involving some kind of workshop (some of the workshops were VERY large and well kitted out) and these members have since retired and/or downsized to either the back of a small garage or nothing at.
    A half dozen or so like myself still have a fair size shed to play in.
    The main reason I joined was to help with old machinery restoration (especially their electric motors) but these days I only go to supervise shed operations for half day a week and another half day I spend on general maintenance.

    There have been 3 blokes that obviously "Spat the dummy" - "they told us what was wrong with the way we we running things and then left".
    One guy claimed he knew everything about computers and uninvited took over looking after our computers. When it was obvious he didn't know as much as he claimed and we ignored his recommendations he left and personally I was glad that he did because the new bloke that took over our IT stuff is excellent
    One ex-military bloke has been and gone several times and we think he may do this again. This guy is just frustrated about how chaotic it gets at times - it does my head in as well from time to time - but that's how it is.
    One bloke has been gone a month but we since found out his wife has been ill and he is thinking about coming back again soon.

    Over several years we have "lost" ~20 members for a whole host of reasons, mainly blokes losing interest and finding other things to do with their time.
    We have a few minor trouble makers but the organising committee seems to be on top of things at the moment

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Busselton, WA
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    Default

    I would have loved to join a men's shed to learn basic joinery skills. In return, I would have made things needed by the group and contributed where I could. I work and have small kids, so a meeting during the week days is not possible for me.
    I went along to suggest a night meeting after 7:30 and was met with icy silence. And just so I wasn't thought of as a clown off the street, the president knew me and has voiced for my character. There were a few other younger fellas in my boat too, we just don't have the time during the day but in return for access and skills, would have helped out.
    Just goes to show that each club's different I guess.
    I found a wood turners group a bit later that operates at nights.
    The local shed seems as though it is for the older blokes only. Meetings, events etc are all during weekdays.
    I would love to see a younger man's shed that can run at nights, maybe in return for commissioned projects by the day members?

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
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    3,543

    Default

    Just to stick my head in the thread to let you all know that there are Men's Sheds being set up and running in Canada.
    I'm pleased to read that.

    No chance of it in my village, not even a small group of wood carvers. However, I am able to select and buy top quality
    western red cedar pieces for carving. 24" x 40lb shake blocks, 5" x 5" x 64" 25lb posts, all $5 each. I take some of that to the city.
    The Brain Injured Group, the alternative education school for native kids, I just slip in the back doors and drop off a load
    from time to time. If that's how I can support improved mental health and physical well-being, I'm pleased to do something.

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by nicked74 View Post
    I would love to see a younger man's shed that can run at nights, maybe in return for commissioned projects by the day members?
    ...MM
    Mapleman

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