At the last meeting of our turning club, I was elected president. Maybe Shanghaied would be a better description (I think the VP used the term railroaded). I wasn't even there. It's like when they send someone out for more Cheetos, and elect him while he is gone. The biggest problem I face is that the previous president is going to be a tough act to follow. He has done amazing things for the club, including getting us our first five lathes, an excellent meeting place with multiple video cameras to project the demos, and great presenters and programs.

So now, I need to call on the collective wisdom and experience of the SMC family. I am looking for demo ideas. I am hoping to get a bit creative here. Like most clubs, we have all levels of experience in our members. Some, but not many, of the more experienced are willing to demonstrate, and we have used the willing quite extensively. Some of the regular attendees have never touched a tool, or have had such limited success, that they have never tried again. It is obvious from their regular attendance that there is a strong interest in learning, but they are too intimidated to get up and give it a try in front of a group. Add to that the fact that like most groups, there are always one or two know-it-alls who build themselves up by tearing others down. They tend to be overly harsh in their efforts to "help" others. This really increases the level of intimidation for those just starting. Some never come back after this happens, and some keep coming back, but just become part of the wallpaper. Our Presidents challenge and instant gallery have produced some nice work, but this is sometimes intimidating as well in trying to get new entrants to show their work.

So, with this in mind, I have several questions:

Do you have any ideas of meeting demos/activities that would benefit new turners, and still provide challenging content for the more experienced alike (like I mentioned before, willing to be creative here)?

What can be done to encourage talented turners to share their knowledge and experience?

How can we get more bodies involved in showing their work at the monthly challenge and/or instant gallery?

How about Mentorship (is that a word) ideas, probably outside of regular meetings, that provides an opportunity for those who are more comfortable with the one on one learning experience?

What if anything can be done to reduce the level of intimidation and get the newer turners involved?

Sorry to be so windy, but thanks in advance for the help.