Local woodworking associations/guilds...anyone a member?

[John Keeton]

I am curious as to how many creekers belong to local woodworking associations or guilds. Specifically, I would be interested in:
1. How your association functions.
2. Advantages/disadvantages.
3. Geographic size or membership size.
4. Frequency of gatherings, etc.
5. Activities in which you engage.
6. Requirements for membership.

It seems that in any local area there is a tremendous amount of talent and knowledge, much like the creek, that would offer a mutual benefit to the participants. There could be other advantages as well, perhaps increased buying power, etc. Rather than reinvent the wheel, or embark on a mission destined for failure, I would like to see what others have done.

Let me hear your thoughts and experiences. Even if you are not a member, I welcome your input. Thanks.

[Tim Thomas]

I just joined the Alabama Woodworkers Guild, and so far it has been a really good experience. I can't tell you a whole lot about it since I just joined, but I'll share what I know. Maybe there is another member of the guild that is also a member here at the Creek and they will chime in with more info.

There is also info on the guild at their website: http://www.alabamawoodworkersguild.org

1. How your association functions.
The website has a page of the guild bylaws: http://www.alabamawoodworkersguild.org/background.htm

2. Advantages/disadvantages.
I can't think of any disadvantages, but the advantages are numerous. Many of the members have been woodworkers since before I was born, so there is a lot that I can learn from them. Most everybody seems to be very friendly and willing to share information. The dues are only $35 per year so you can't beat that. And they are just about to open the guild workshop which is a fantastic space with some great tools that I could probably never buy for myself (SawStop, 12 inch jointer, 20 inch planer, etc.).

3. Geographic size or membership size.
The AWG is based in Birmingham, and I think some of the members are from as far as 100 miles away. I was told that total membership is around 150 people.

4. Frequency of gatherings, etc.
Official guild meetings are once per month, but there are many other smaller gatherings. There is a group that meets every Friday at the local Woodcraft to make toys for the Children's Hospital and some guild members host classes and shop tours from their own homes/workshops. I've also seen that there are special projects and trips that members make together, like making desks for the Alabama Sheriff's Boys Ranch and working with children at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind.

5. Activities in which you engage.
Since I just joined, I have so far only gone to one meeting and spent one Saturday working at the new guild shop helping to run some electrical for the tools.

6. Requirements for membership.
Show up. Pay $35. Don't be a jerk. Seriously, I don't think it is any more complicated than that. Sure, it is written out more formally in the by-laws, but I didn't have to answer any questions or pass any tests or anything like that. So the only "requirement" is that you want to join. Also, they seem very laid back about allowing guests to visit their meetings. I could have visited several times to check them out before becoming a member.

---------------

Another guild in my area is the Alabama Woodturners Association: http://www.alabamawoodturners.com/
I don't know anything about lathe work, but if I ever develop an interest in it, I'll be checking these guys out. I'm pretty sure that some of the members of the AWG are also members of the turning association.

One last thing: The guild is going to be hosting a seminar by Glen Huey, a Senior Editor at Popular Woodworking magazine, on May 16th and 17th at the new guild workshop. The seminar will cover "Inlay and Construction Techniques as Applied to Period Furniture". Unfortunately, I have to go to a wedding that weekend. If it wasn't my brother-in-law's wedding (and my wife wouldn't kill me) I would be skipping out to go to the seminar. :D
http://www.alabamawoodworkersguild.org/Events.htm
I'm sure there will be other seminars in the future that I will be able to attend. The new workshop will be an ideal place for this type of event.

[William OConnell]

We have one here that meets the 1st Wed. of the month in a 200 year old converted barn . They also have special interest group meetings wich are smaller kind of like sub clubs. Its great mostly grandfathers but lots of pros and even some women and teens, I really enjoy it.
http://liwoodworkers.org/

[Gary McKown]

I and some others on here belong to the Delaware Valley and/or Montgomery County woodworkers guilds (both have yahoo groups web sites). Following are answers to your queries for the DV one:

1. How your association functions. Loose organization of people interested in sharing and learning from others. Everyone from rank beginner to expert welcomed. We meet regularly at the county CAT (high school woodshop in the old days), and sometimes at members shops when demos are done.

2. Advantages/disadvantages. ZERO club fees or admission requirements. No-hassle policy re participation or attendance. Disadvantages are that most are younger folks with myriad work and family duties, and live over a large area (making it difficult to regularly attend meetings, etc.).

3. Geographic size or membership size. Generally covers a fairly large area west of Philadelphia, Northern Delaware, etc. We are small, 12 or so members with 4-8 normally attending meetings.

4. Frequency of gatherings, etc. We meet regularly once a month on a scheduled day, plus occasional other times for field trips, etc.

5. Activities in which you engage. The most interesting activities are the annual "toys for charity" production - three years worth are shown on the web site - and demonstrations of particular techniques by members. This month was a bowl-turning demo with all given an opportunity to handle the gouge. Occasionally we schedule field trips to lumber sources and such.

6. Requirements for membership. Only an interest in woodworking.

[Paul Girouard]

I am curious as to how many creekers belong to local woodworking associations or guilds. Specifically, I would be interested in:
1. How your association functions.
2. Advantages/disadvantages.
3. Geographic size or membership size.
4. Frequency of gatherings, etc.
5. Activities in which you engage.
6. Requirements for membership.


Let me hear your thoughts and experiences. Even if you are not a member, I welcome your input. Thanks.




#1: Whidbey Island Woodworkers guild .

Guild link : http://www.whidbeywoodworkers.com/

#2: I've been a member for a couple / three years or so .

#3:Meets monthly , sort of we just tried a period (about 6 months ) of bi-monthly meetings which IMO didn't work well at all.

#4. Annual dues $25.00.

#5. Annual show held in Bayview , none juried show, so far ( I think this years will be the 5th ) everything shown was of excellent quality.

#6. There a leadership group , we meet at someone shop , or studio as most would rather have them called :rolleyes:. Sometimes it not a wood shop , we've been to at least one college down in the Seattle area , a local glass blower shop , a wood sales guys place . So the shop / studio visits vary.

#7. As in all things there's + and - to it . The + out weight the - so if you can find one to join I'd say go for it.

[Travis Gauger]

Northeast Wisconsin Woodworkers Guild

http://www.newwg.org/

I have only been a member for a few months but enjoy it tremendously. Last month we had David Marks in to talk and teach. It was amazing. The value for the $30 a year membership can't be beat. We meet once a month and have an annual show held a a large local shopping mall that is a huge success. I would recommend membership to anyone, from carvers and crafters to professional cabinet makers.

[John Thompson]

I am not a member, but intend to join the Georgia Woodworkers Guild. I have been aware of them for years through Highland Hardware (now Highland Woodworking) and booths at the shows. I know quite a few of the members also.

Tim covered most of the positives with the exception of discounts at various sources including hard-wood lumber. I already get a contractor's discount (even though not a contractor... I've just purchased that much from my 33 year supplier) so...

My main reason is that there are a quite a number of professionals and amateurs that are as (or more) talented than some of tauted names you see published. A ton of experience lies within that group. We have a fairly large local county WW club... but it is more entry level-intermediate with a few very experienced sprinkled in.

So.. in the case here.... the Guild is taking it up a notch if not several.

Regards...

Sarge..

[Matt Meiser]

I'm a member of Southeast Michigan Woodworkers (http://www.semiww.org). The club is very informal. Until recently, we had one elected officer, a president and no formal charter, constitution, etc. That meant we didn't have much defined in terms of who was responsible for what and that recently created some turmoil among our members. So we recently had a "constitutional convention" and decided to go to a board of 5 members and the board is working on a simple constitution. In the future the board will be responsible for running club events, guiding change, etc.

We meet monthly for our main meeting at one of our member's large, well equipped shops. The Galoots also meet monthly for an additional meeting at another member's shop, usually for a more hands-on topic (frequently toolmaking.) We are also going to try to start doing more hands-on, in-depth topics (think Woodcraft class) for Saturday events in members shops as well.

We have no significant expenses and therefore, no dues. This eliminates the need to have a treasurer and some other issues. It also makes us ineligible for some things, for example one of our local Woodcraft stores gave us a club discount, and then retracted the offer after a couple months when they found out we weren't more formal. Not all though as we have a discount with one of our large lumber suppliers in the region, recently joined a major mail order tool company's discount program and are working on a discount from another wood supplier.

[Steve Mellott]

Originally Posted by John Keeton http://www.sawmillcreek.org./images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.sawmillcreek.org./showthread.php?p=830166#post830166)
I am curious as to how many creekers belong to local woodworking associations or guilds. Specifically, I would be interested in:
1. How your association functions.
2. Advantages/disadvantages.
3. Geographic size or membership size.
4. Frequency of gatherings, etc.
5. Activities in which you engage.
6. Requirements for membership.


Let me hear your thoughts and experiences. Even if you are not a member, I welcome your input. Thanks.

John:

I've belonged to woodworking guilds in 3 separate cities and all have been positive experiences. I currently belong to the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association which is located outside of Atlanta. http://www.gwinnettwoodworkers.com/

1. Our club meets every Saturday morning from 8:00 until 9:30 at the local Stone Mountain Power Tool store. Most of the meetings are demonstrations conducted by club members, but occasionally we have an outside speaker or go on a field trip. Last year, we toured a local shop that makes violins. This Thursday, we have a group going to Judy Gale Roberts' workshop in Tennessee. We also host a booth at the Annual Woodworking Show.

2. I can't think of any disadvantages. I learn something new at every meeting and have branched into areas of woodworking that I would never have previously considered. For example, last year, I ventured into scroll sawing and have just started to turn pens on a lathe. We have sponsored several group buys (DeltaCad, lathe drill chucks, lathe index wheels, scroll saw blades) to obtain discounted prices and also receive discounts at several local woodworking stores. One of my previous clubs had a very extensive library of woodworking DVDs, magazines and books that were available to club members. One of my previous clubs also hosted meetings with national woodworkers like Michael Dunbar, Ernie Conover, Silas Kopf and Mark Duginske.

3. We have approximately 100 members. Approximately 50 attend each Saturday meeting.

4. As previously mentioned, we meet every Saturday meeting. We also have a group of scroll saw members who meet the first Monday of every month and a group of woodturners who meet the first and third Thursday of every month. We also host an annual 2x4 contest, box making contest, and candle stick contest for club members.

5. In addition to all of the above, we host a summer picnic and annual Christmas party. One of my previous clubs was very active in making toys which were donated to needy families at Christmas time.

6. Our annual dues are $50. Anyone can join and we have members with all levels of skills.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Steve

[Sam Yerardi]

I joined SAPFM, The Society of American Period Furniture Makers earlier this year. I wish I had joined years ago. There are chapters throughout the US, primarily in central to eastern US, and they provide a wonderful environment for learning, meeting others, and discussing woodworking and furniture making. The range of expertease is amazing, and you get to learn one-on-one and meet people whose article's you've read in all the woodworking magazines. Recommend it highly to anyone interested in this area of woodworking. Even if you're not, and just want to be around a bunch of woodworkers, I can't think of a better place to do it.

[John Thompson]

Morning Steve M...

I've belonged to woodworking guilds in 3 separate cities and all have been positive experiences. I currently belong to the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association which is located outside of Atlanta. http://www.gwinnettwoodworkers.com/ (http://www.gwinnettwoodworkers.com/) ... Steve M.

I see you live in McDonough and drive to Indian Trail on Saturday mornings... that's dedicated at the current price of gas. I would like to get down to SMPT one Saturday morning... but I work in the shop daily from around 2 PM till mid-nite and getting up that early is not easy.

But someday maybe...

Regards...

Sarge..

[Jeff Bratt]

I am a member of the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association. Information on the many activities are at the website - http://www.sdfwa.org/

The benefits are numerous, and I can think of no disadvantages. Current membership runs around 1600 woodworkers, from all around the county and beyond. There are monthly meetings with a woodworking presentation, a yearly weekend seminar presented by a top name in woodworking, and tours of a local woodworker's shop every couple months. The big annual event is presenting the juried "Design in Wood" show (http://www.sdfwa.org/diw.htm) at the San Diego County Fair.

This is a nationally recognized show, including prizes sponsored by major publications and manufacturers. This year there will be over $21,000 awarded in more than 20 entry classes - including furniture, carving, models, clocks, turning and musical instruments. In addition to the woodworking show entries, the exhibit room includes booths for the local turning guild, the San Diego Maritime Museum (wooden boats), the local scrollsawers, and the 19th Century Cabinet Shop where, during the course of the Fair, around 50 chairs are manufactured using hand tools - then donated to local charities.

Other activities the club supports are the Wooden Toys for Kids program, biannual tool swap meets, scholarships for local students in woodworking, and a book purchase program for the county library system.

Additional membership benefits include discounts at most area woodworking suppliers, a video lending library, cyber swap meet, a mentoring program, and just a great group of people. This is by far the best $25 (annual dues) I've ever spent on woodworking.

[Jack Vines]

FWIW, here in Spokane, WA, we had a very informal group, The Spokane Woodworker's Guild, which got together most months at one shop or another. There was no central meeting place, no real organization. Once a year, there was a tool swap meet, usually the best attended meeting. Of late, it has petered out. No one really wanted to be an officer and be responsible for dues and newsletters.

During the years the group was most active, I traveled on business and seldom got to meetings. Now I am newly retired and may see about getting it revitalized so I will be able to network and keep up with WIGO in inland northwest woodworking.

thnx, jack vines

[Jason Beam]

First: I am a member of Sacramento Area Woodworkers. I joined in september of '04. I served as Treasurer in '06. I am the webmaster and am an active participant in much of the club business and activities.



1. How your association functions.


We have a voting board with President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Activities Chairman, and 2 Members At Large. Along with the voting board are many supporting roles such as Webmaster, Librarian, Food/Beverage Committee, Raffle Prize Committee and a few other folks who sell t-shirts and such along with a Toys 4 Tots chairman and committee that coordinates our annual donation of toys to the Salvation Army.



2. Advantages/disadvantages.


Pros:
TONS TONS TONS of woodworking experience and opportunity for meeting lots of good friends. When we get together, there is alwas LOTS of information to learn from people willing to share it.

Cons:
All the things that come from having a group of varied personalities. We have the occasional disagreements and stepped-on-toes and they get dealt with. Sometimes things move a little slowly but that's probably the nature of the beast.



3. Geographic size or membership size.


We welcome any and all who wish to join no matter where they're from. We've got a handful of out-of-state members as well as members from the other end of the state that only get to come by once or twice a year.

We have 200+ members this year. We suffered a small dip the last two years but the numbers have come back to surpass where they were before the dip.



4. Frequency of gatherings, etc.


We have a monthly General Meeting that is open to the entire membership. We typically have 100+ people show up for this meeting. It happens on the first tuesday evening of each month. At this meeting, we have a presentation or a contest open to members. We also have a show & tell segment where members bring various projects and discuss their techniques, challenges, etc. We also have a few raffle prizes that are drawn for at the end of the night.

Every second Thursday is our Board Meeting. All members are invited to attend, but usually the board and a couple of the more active members show (myself included, sometimes). In this meeting we discuss the Treasury and any of the club business.

Nearly every weekend, we have something going on. We have these things we call SIGs (for Special Intrest Groups) that meet each weekend. There are a few specific topics like Scroll Saw, Small Lathe Turnings (There's already a turning club, so we don't get too involved here) and Furniture Making. We also have a "Wood Projects" sig that kind of acts as our catch-all for ideas that people come up with to discuss. We also have a Novice sig that rotates between a few various topics throughout the year such as Shop Setup, Safety, Electrical, Power Tool Overviews and such.



5. Activities in which you engage.


Annually, we have a few other things we do. Each year, we have a booth at the local woodworking show (This weekend!!). Here we setup our club banner and just share information about the club. Last year, we started actually doing demonstrations and that really helped boost membership. We had a small workbench and used it for handcut dovetails and planing demonstrations, etc.

Also each year, we have a booth at the state fair where we also do some demonstrating and discussions about the club.

Then we also perform a few club-only type activities. At least once a year, we find a few people who live in the vacinity of one another to open up their shops to the general membership. We all travel to the various shops to take the Tour. This is an immensely popular activity. We all love to see each others' shops and get their ideas.

Another activity we do each year is at a local lumber yard. They open the yard on a saturday (the only time they are ever working on a saturday, btw) and let only our club members peruse their lumber stock and enjoy some burgers and hotdogs. This is usually a good opportunity for them to move their smaller supplies of stock and for us to get great prices on the lumber we want. I've had my share of good deals over the years. :)



6. Requirements for membership.


Simple: $30/year. That's pretty much it.

[John Keeton]

Thanks to all that posted. Some great information and enough to go the next step with this. I would love to see a local/regional club in this area. For that matter, one may exist that I am not aware of, but will check that out as well. We have a new Woodcraft going in close, and I am considering speaking with them to see if they would be interested in hosting the club.