Chairman's Report - October 2024
Welcome to Fall! The season that is. Time to start moving back to the shop and making woodchips fly. Make something, challenge yourself to try out some new ideas, and bring the finished product to a meeting to show off, or ask for help.
In our September meeting we tried something a little different. We started the meeting a little earlier than usual and then tried to limit the announcements to just the highlights, so we had more time for Andrew's demo. We did the raffle and instant gallery at the end. I think this format went well and that we will stay with it. I will try to expand on the highlighted announcements in this report, instead of taking up demonstration time.
We ask each member attending our meetings to please sign in on the sign-in sheet in the meeting room. A check mark is all that is needed. We are trying to see who is attending and, more importantly, not attending.
I want to also thank all those who worked and demonstrated at our two summer events. It looks like we may be attracting several new members from those who were interested.
A summary of the May 2024 survey results is posted in the members area of the website. You can find at this link: May 2024 Club Survey Note that you must log in to view.
Membership Dues Our costs are rising. One example is the storage facility where we keep our equipment raised our rate $30+ per month to over $200 per month. The club management software, Club Express, that we moved to in July also is a new expense we did not have previously. That said, the Board has decided that a dues increase of $10.00 to $40.00 per year is necessary effective January 1st, 2025. Family memberships will rise from $45.00 to $60.00 per year. I hope this does not cause a hardship to anyone, but we must do it. Our Treasurer, Rob, will have a full accounting summary available at our January business meeting. You may begin paying dues for next year at any of our meetings by cash or check. We still plan on creating the option for you to remit payment electronically through our website although when this will happen is still unsure. Payments received are recorded within the Club Express software where you have the ability to check your status. The software will automatically send out dues' renewal reminders beginning in early December to those not renewed. Members not renewing will be blocked from access to the members area of the website in mid-January.
Programming:
October 19, 2024: Road Trip. We will be meeting at Pawlosky Lumber, located at1084 Western Ave, Hickory, PA 15340 at 9 am for a tour of the sawmill operation. We will not be meeting at Woodcraft this month, but since the sawmill is located approximately 10 minutes from Woodcraft, feel free to stop there on the way home. We will have coffee and donuts and have our normal raffle but will not have an instant gallery. We will not be selling tickets for the Christmas Auctions. This lumber mill is primarily an outdoor operation, so dress appropriately and there is no seating, so bring a lawn chair if needed. Lastly, the sawmill is very noisy, so wearing hearing protection is strongly suggested. Contact me on one of the board members if you have any questions or need directions.
November 16, 2024: For our November meeting, local woodturner Craig Smith will help us to get a leg up on the December box exchange by doing a demonstration on turning end grain boxes. This demonstration will focus on some of the basic keys to safely and successfully turn your box. Topics will include the differences between end grain and side grain boxes, the proper order of operations, getting the type of fit on the lid that you want, and jamb chucking to complete the bottom of the box body.
Lunch will not be provided, so bring something to eat in, or feel free to step out to visit one of the many local food emporiums.
After lunch, we plan to clear the decks and set up several more lathes for a hands-on session to give interested members the chance to try out some of the techniques on their own box. Craig will be around for this session and some of the more experienced turners will be around, too. Hopefully this will provide an opportunity for anyone/everyone who are interested to try making their own end grain box.
December 21, 2024: Annual Christmas Ornament and Box Exchange social event. This year we have reserved a meeting room in the Bethel Park Community center located at 5151 Park Ave, Bethel Park, PA 15102. Spouses are welcome and encouraged to attend.
January 18, 2025: We will begin with a short, annual business meeting and continue with our regular programming. As of right now, we are planning on breaking out the lathes and doing some hands-on learning.
February 15, 2025: Nick Wolfgang will cover the basics of using epoxy resin for woodworking projects, with a demo of how to make blanks. The session will cover techniques like mixing, pouring, and finishing, as well as creative ways to add color and depth to your work. Safety will be a key focus, including tips on proper ventilation, protective gear, and safe handling of materials.
Springtime / Future: Demo plus hands-on session on making spinning tops. We are looking into getting a nationally known demonstrator for either an in person or a remote demo. Details to come soon.
Website Information:
Emails: The club occasionally gets inquiries from individuals and organizations about our members performing contract jobs. The same goes for offers of free wood and tools for sale. Currently we send a mass email out to all members about such opportunities. I don't know about you, but I get too much unwanted emails. I am guessing that a lot of you are not interested in some or all of these opportunities. Club Express allows you to sign up for multiple member mailing lists specific to each of these opportunities, as well as other things we haven't thought of yet. That way we can target only those interested and not bother those who are not. Let me know your thoughts.
Forums: A number of people who responded to our survey said they would be interested to see a blog of forum within our website. Club Express offers that feature and could be activated easily. Also a few said, although I do not have their names, that they would be interested in being a moderator of said forum. One possible forum thread could be to buy/sell/trade tools or equipment. If anyone is interested, let me know and we can get started. We can have multiple moderators based on experiences. If no one steps up to be moderator, there will be no forum.
Website Navigation:
- The public menu is different from the member menu.
- Most emails sent to membership are available in the member area under the "Emailing" tab.
- Almost every page and section of the website has a "Help" or "Tutorial" button that can guide you.
- The "Profile" tab available where you log in allows you to set up preferences and update personal information - see below.
- You can change the text size of a page using the arrow on right side of screen - also see below