“Your latest newsletter asked for the benefits of a local woodworking guild. I became a member of the Central Virginia Woodworking Guild a little over a year ago. Some of my thoughts about guild membership are tangible; however, many benefits are difficult to discern and place into words. Since I am of German heritage, I love making lists, so here goes: 1) Knowledge. Seeking and finding that elusive bit of information that solves a sticky problem. A solution that even YouTube videos have not provided. 2) An extensive email list of the members. There’s gotta be a couple of hundred fellow woodworkers on the list. I blasted out two emails to the group this past year. First one was to locate a woodturner who could turn an 8-ft-long wood column for a historic house. Found him. Second was to source a planer to replace mine that crapped out mid-project. Found an older 15″ Grizzly planer and had it chipping away within two days. Third time was a group email from a member who was shutting down his shop and offered tools to members. Nothing like getting first dibs on tools. 3) Inspiration. At each meeting, a few members will bring recently completed projects. We get inspired by others’ creativity. How they solved a problem. What worked for them and how their solutions could work for my projects. 4) Fellowship. I am not a particularly outgoing person. Turns out, many of the other members are not either. Many of us are wood geeks. We are entirely comfortable in our shop. Not as much around others. But a connection is there. And when we talk with one another we understand each other. Ever try to communicate your enthusiasm about a new tool to a non-woodworker? Notice how quickly their eyes glaze over? 5) Networking. All of us have goals. To achieve them, enlisting the group is powerful. Our challenges can be solved by group power. I am certain more benefits are there – just not uncovered from my mind.” – Kim Fischer

“I’d like to tell you about my experience with the Florida Westcoast Woodworkers Club, of which I used to be a member. The club had around 100 members with several being snowbirds. On average, meeting attendance was usually between 20 and 30. We usually got better attendance at the winter Christmas party and the spring picnic. The club met in one of the club member’s shops, which was a large warehouse-sized shop. Our members ranged in age from their twenties to their eighties, and the wealth of knowledge and experience was extraordinary. The members’ experience consisted of flat work, turners, carvers, chip carvers, intarsia and more. One of the members created a jig that he patented and sells that will make a perfect sphere on a lathe. We met once a month as a group with additional skill-specific monthly meetings, such as for turners. The general meeting consisted of a short ‘business’ meeting followed by a presentation (more on that later). Then a break followed by ‘Show and Tell,’ where members brought in one or more pieces of their work and briefly discussed it. As the meeting drew to a close, we’d have a raffle and other giveaways for members. The heart of every meeting was the presentation. Many of the presentations were by club members, but we had outside presenters too. One annual presenter worked for Titebond (and he gave away samples). By the questions asked of the various presenters, it was clear that we learned something from most presentations. One of the other things the group did was to support the Manatee County Food Bank with their fundraiser each year. The food bank has local chefs who prepare their signature soups. The club’s turners created bowls that were given away with the soup. Those of us who were not turners donated other items for their auction. I donated a half dozen sets of coasters I make. The best part for me and, I think for most of us, was the camaraderie. The experiences, stories and help that we all shared with one another made the time I spent with the group invaluable. Unfortunately, due to family medical issues, we moved back to Pennsylvania from Florida last spring. I really do miss the group. My suggestion, if you’re considering joining a woodworking group, is to attend a meeting or two to see what the club has to offer you and what you can offer the club. Hope this helps.” – Barry Meyers

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