It’s easy to become a member in the Mid-Island Woodworkers’ Guild (MIWG). It’s also cheap! It only costs $50 per year to be a member of the Guild, plus there is a one-time initiation fee of $25.
Benefits of Joining the Guild
- The best argument for joining the Guild is cost-savings! The Guild harvests, mills and sells domestic wood harvested here on Vancouver Island for $2.50 per board foot (BF). If you compare that price with some of the local hardwood lumber retailers, our wood, at $2.50 per BF is unbelievably cheap by comparison. For example, a person needing 25 BF of Alder would pay about $150 at a retail store on Vancouver Island. A Guild member could buy the same amount of wood from the Guild for $62.50, a savings of almost $90. This cost savings would more than cover the full cost of a 1 year membership. Savings are even greater for wood types like Maple, Arbutus, etc..
- The Guild has a number of Sponsors that offer discounts to Guild members. Depending on how much shopping you do at our Sponsors stores, these discounts can easily cover the annual $50 membership fee.
- Social camaraderie and fellowship with other woodworkers at the monthly meetings and other Guild events.
- Training opportunities, learning new skills, etc..
- Interesting presentations at our monthly meetings.
- Joining the executive and having fun organizing Guild activities.
- Making new friends who share similar interests.
- Another benefit is the ability to contribute, via our Wood Recovery Program, to the local public schools in the Nanaimo region. Through this program, we donate wood to woodworking classes and bursaries to individual students.
If you wish to join the Guild, we now have an electronic Online Registration Form which includes a Liability Waiver for meetings and shop tours, etc.. Simply complete the online Registration Form and pay your dues using an e-Transfer or with a cheque. Your membership in the Guild will become active once the payment has been processed, usually within a day or so.
Another way to join the Guild is to come to our next meeting, introduce yourself and one of our Executive members can assist you in filling out the online Registration Form with your name, address, email, etc..
If you have any questions about the process, please contact Chris Badger, our Vice President who is responsible for membership at membership@miwg.com.