Woodcraft is leaving the Freedom Pens Project
Woodcraft's corporate office has just informed me that they will be operating their own project to provide pens for our Troops. Woodcraft prefers to handle their own distribution to send their pens directly to the Middle East so they will no longer be operating as part of our project.
As Woodcraft will no longer host our Freedom Pens Project Veterans Day Turn-A-Thons we need to find an alternate host for our TAT's. Your help obtaining either another company as a host or an alternate local facility would be appreciated. Jackie and I will be glad to coordinate announcements concerning local events including locations and time for each event.
Please respond in this thread if you are able to coordinate a local host so we can get a list of sites together for this years Turn-A-Thon.
Yesterday I was informed that the Military Medics and the Morale Welfare and Recreation Centers will help us to distribute our pens to our Troops. This will help us streamline the route of pens from our organization directly to those serving in the combat areas.
Thanks,
Keith
ATTENTION: Albuquerque-area turners!
I just spoke to Albuquerque Woodcraft, and they WILL have a Turn-a-Thon on Saturday, November 10, at the store, from 9 to 5. The lathe classroom will be open, and each participant will get one pen kit and one set of blanks for free to turn for the Freedom Pen Project. They will also accept for shipment any pens that are turned at home for the project.
The gentleman I spoke with has no idea why Woodcraft corporate has pulled out (and really wasn't aware that they had done so)---as late as this past summer corporate reimbursed the local store for 100 pen kits for the Ruidoso group to turn Freedom Pens.
Since Albuquerque is not a "company" store, but is locally-owned, they aren't compelled to fall under the corporate constraints. Since the owner and his wife are retired Army and have a daughter who was/is active military, they are big boosters of the program, so I don't foresee Albuquerque abandoning the project at all.
Bottom line: come one, come all to Woodcraft on November 10 for a turn-a-thon!!!!
Nancy (51 days)
Disappointment in Woodcraft
It has come to my attention that Woodcraft has pulled its sponsorship/partnership with the Freedom Pen Project to promote your own version of a pen turning program. My students and myself have been involved in the program since it’s conception and will continue to support the FPP, we also supported your “Think Small Win Big” clock contest and based on the results of the contest and article that was written in your magazine it looks like we contributed to its success. I supported the Des Moines Woodcraft (when it was open) whenever I could and add equipment / supplies to our program and my home shop every year. Because of your support to the Freedom Pen Project you were at the top of my list for my purchases, (most had been made at the Des Moines store). As of today that has changed, by pulling your sponsorship from the FPP and promoting your version of a “similar” program I will no longer support Woodcraft either monetarily or through participation in programs/contests that you sponsor. It is a sad day to think that corporate America is allowed to steal a successful grass roots program that the Saw Mill Creek community established for its own gain. My voice may be small but that is how the FPP started and look what it turned into.
David Bonde
Iowa Falls, IA.