N.B. This is a test of a new “public” newsletter blog post. As you can see, I have added a “Subscribe” button which will allow you to subscribe to the Newsletters, and to receive an email every time there is a new posted version.

Greetings to you all!

As September cools and we have probably reached the end of the fabulously warm and sunny summer days on Vancouver Island, it is time to get back to woodworking thinking, planning and projects. For me, this means opening up my shop doors and once again pondering the layout and configuration of a shop that just doesn’t quite match up to my aspirations and hopes for organization. The good news…I am beginning to see the functional daylight in a reorganized woodworking environment. Someday soon, I hope to become a woodworker again!

On the “what’s happening” side of MIWG…we have members scattered and away from their home on the Island, we have an upcoming meeting this coming Wednesday, September 13, at NDSS (see the maps at www.miwg.ca/meetings/) with the Australian Editor of Woodsmith Magazine – Chris Clark, as our featured presenter, and an upcoming members and affiliate members (VIWG) only wood sale and family barbecue on September 23.

(As a reminder to the non-member readers of this newsletter, you are always welcome to attend a meeting as a guest, and our membership fees are extremely low-cost – $25 initiation and a pro-rated annual membership fee of $50 in case you feel you would like to join us, or just learn more. This membership entitles you to attendance at our upcoming workshops, as well as wonderful fellowship with others of like interests.)

In addition to our guest presenter next Wednesday, we will have our regular door prize draw as well as a full discussion on where we have come, and where we are going with the MIWG activities.

We have plans for upcoming woodworking training workshops, as well as hopes for more wonderful shop tours. I am sorry if you missed June’s outstanding visits to Karen Trickett and Cam Russell’s beautiful workshop near Mill Bay, and the visits to Michael Moore’s amazing wood and metal-working shop nearer to Duncan and the LiveEdge workshop in Duncan. All three visits were awesome (in the full sense of the word) and inspiring!

We hope to make our core business this year “educational” in the sense that we hope to fulfil a gap in mid-Island learning needs for woodworking. Join us if you feel the need for these workshops, or would like to pass on your skills!

Best wishes to you all, and I look forward to seeing many of you soon!

Tony

Tony Dobson, President

Mid-Island Woodworkers’ Guild

Nanaimo, BC