Greetings friends and woodworkers!
Much has transpired since the last newsletter! We are now well into the Fall, and there were a couple of changes to events that were posted in the last newsletter.
The members had a wood sale, tool sale and barbecue on September 21. The weather co-operated and although not much wood was sold, some members were able to acquire more tools to add to their inventories. (This is a requirement for woodworkers! More tools!! I heartily endorse that, though I must sometimes sneak my new acquisitions into my shop after paying cash! Forgiveness comes later, I hope.) Our President handled the cooking chores, and did a great job of grilling the burgers and hotdogs. About twenty members and their partners and family members participated in the day’s events.
Our next major event (after tomorrow’s General Meeting) is on Saturday, October 19 when we hold our October wood sale. These monthly wood sales are now scheduled for the second Saturday after our regular General Meetings. The Wood Recovery Committee, led by Ed Tremblay has been very busy this past weekend extending the floor space and overhead cover for our wood storage.
With the help of Steve Neil, our Webmaster, we now have a calendar of our upcoming events on our website: www.miwg.ca/events. Please check it out! If you hover your mouse over an event, it will give you a brief synopsis. More details can be seen by clicking on the link. In addition to the upcoming wood sale, Gord Shoquist has organized our Fall Shop Tour on October 26 for workshops north of Nanaimo. Some small details still have to be planned, but please make a note of it, and make your travel and participation arrangements known to Gord.
Plans are in the formation stage for planning a winter showcase like last year’s show at Nanaimo Arts Council. Unfortunately, we do not have a venue for this yet, and NAC is restricting their November show to “2-dimensional” works. If we are unable to locate a suitable site for this show, we may have to wait until the Brant Woodcarving show in April in Parksville.
With our membership growing, and participation very active in all of our meetings, workshops, work-parties, and social events, members need to be reminded that all organization takes man-power, and with our Annual General Meeting coming up in November, it is important that everyone considers the possibility of taking an active role in MIWG. This can be simply volunteering for work activities, or it could mean a higher commitment to stand for an Executive position. The Executive members meet once per month in the week before each meeting to clarify events and make decisions on behalf of the Guild. This is not an onerous commitment, but having a committed Executive is essential to the well-being of MIWG. We would ask all members to consider standing for election. Please contact me directly if you would be prepared to stand for a position for the upcoming year or would like information about the duties of each position. The Executive positions are:
- President
- Past President (or Member-at-Large)
- Vice-President – Membership
- VIce-President – Programs and Events
- Wood Recovery Chairperson
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Librarian
- Shop Tour Chairperson
Best wishes to all, and safe woodworking
Tony