Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Real long: Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Dan Manturi

>100 people at your meetings? nice turnout.

With respect to members speaking -it is REALLY tough for some folks to get up in front of a room and speak. I have seem magnificent woodworkers fall apart when speaking. We have a feature at each meeting where we take a few minutes to allow members to ask woodworking questions and then pass the microphone to get answers. It is amazing when even a shy person thinks that they can help and steps up to supply a response. We also have a once a year woodworking contest and members participate. For some it is easier to make a piece of furniture than to speak about it for 2 minutes. We do not restrict speakers to pure woodworking. Stained glass, cane and rush chair making, upholstery techniques, furniture repair. These are good adjuncts to woodworking, may be easy to do, and of interest to members. Maybe a family member who has a related hobby can give a speach. We have had some degree of success with virtual shop tours. Sometimes you need to assist - not everyone is digital camera literate, so send someone to take the photos and help to arrange the presentation. Tool reviews - bait some members like "Hey, who bought a new tool lately" then ask for comments. Sometimes you need to draw out the speakers. I can relate to your dilemma - a lot of folks attend meetings more out of friendship than to learn or speak. We also have monthly Drag and brag, where members can bring in any project and say a few words about it. All of this stuff gets photograhped and put into a short newsletter write up so the exposure is a nice plus. We poke fun at one another too, and that helps to lessen the stress, I hope.

We have had members do presentations on trips to Colonial Willamsburg. If you hear of a member who is talking about some event or class they went to, ask them to say some words about it. One member made a trip to Mexico and took a side trip to a sawmill there and we got a nice write up.

Our guild has been a great source of data and friendship, and the fact that the old American Woodworker crew from Rodale is in our guild and helped by supporting us when we started is a big reason why we are still here after 12 years. Ellis, Paul Anthony, Andy Rae, Bill Hylton, Fred Matlack, Ken Burton - I've got to be forgeting some names - magnificent people - many still attend regularly. People they brought in like Ian Kirby. Local woodworkers who have made their own names like Craig Bentzley and Bill Grumbine. Cannot lose with these ingredients and a good solid guild council.

We also have mostly outside speakers as our main event. If you'd like any suggestions on that, e-mail me offline. I have taken up enough bandwidth.

Dan Manturi

ask the experts

Bill Tindall, E.TN

>This topic has been very popular. Who ever is leading the meeting, usually program chair, asks if anyone has a question they need an answer for. We get some unusual questions some times but always a good discussion.

Most of our meetings have speaker that is not a member. these speakers are solicited by the program chair.

Re: Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.

>Your guild sounds much like our local association here, except for turnout (we seldom get 40 people attending).

Nevertheless, we seem to have the same problem, mainly that there is a "vocal minority" and a "silent majority" in our meetings. Many many members never ask questions or intervene in any way during the meetings, out of shyness or humility, I don't know, they just sit there and absorb whatever info is presented. It does drive me nuts a bit...

The way our monthly meetings go is that we have a 45-60 min. presentation on a given topic, either from an association member or outside guest, a break, then a digital shop tour where one member shows his/her shop layout and rationale in the setup and choice of tools. That part is quite popular with the crowd, that's where we get the most questions.

We've done a few "tips and tricks" sessions here and there, often some member will bring his solution to a problem shared by others, apart from the meeting's agenda. We use to do a "jig meeting" once a year, where people show up their new and improved jigs, that meeting is one of the most popular ones.

But to be honest with you, I've basically given up on the "silent majority" getting up and participating any more than they do. If pressed to contribute more they might just elect to quit the association, out of not wanting to be bothered. It then falls upon the executive to blindly steer the association's direction and activities in a way that will not put off the silent crowd while satisfying the vocal one. Not easy...

Good luck,

DC

Re: A few suggestions.....

Dale Lenz

>when asking someone to speak. Have some thoughts what you would like the presenter to talk on. As a forester I often get invited to speak to groups, WWing clubs included. What burns me up the most is when the person tell me: to speak on what ever you want to talk about. My inside thoughts are: so you need someone to fill an hour slot in 3 months. I've talked with other foresters and they often feel the say way, so it's not just me. I'd like my talk to be wanted, and hopeful well received. As many speakers will tell you, it takes several hour to prepare, at least it does me.

So I guess what I'm getting at here, is you need to convince the approached potential future speaker that their topic is important and many folks in the group would benefit from their knowledge. As many diplomats will tell you, it may take several approaches over several weeks~month to "talk" the potential person into making a presentation.

an explanation, maybe

Bill Tindall, E.TN

>I think WW clubs are a mix of people that come to learn and others that come to fill a social need, and maybe still others that want to be entertained, like watching Norm. The social folks are very valuable as they can be good organizers.

By involving people from outside the club as presenters we are never lacking programs.

Re: Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Norman (Metcalfe, Ont.)

>The association Denis is referring to sounds a lot like the one I belong to.

Wait a minute, it is the same one. he,he,he.

Kidding aside, I have found the same. However,we do have a Program Coordinator that organizes the different theme nights or primary topic nights and gathers different speakers or volunteers to talk at these meeting nights. The ideas for these theme nights are gathered from club members to make everything fair.

Something you might want to consider.

Norman

Re: Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Dave Anderson Chester, NH

>Participation levels in any organization are always a challenge. different folks are comfortable doing different forms of volunteer work. Our NH guild operates mmeetings of 3 types. We have 5 general meetings per year, four of which have major 2 hour presentations on a variety of topics, and the fifth is a guild trip to a woodworking related destination within a 2-4 hour drive. Our second type of meeting is the "Small meetings" format where in October and February we run 3-5 meetings simultaneously on different subject in different parts of the state. The purpose of this format is to allow us to both get back into members shops that are too small for large meetings and to cover subjects which might only interest part of the group. It works a charm. The final type of meeting is the "Sub-group Meeting". We have special interest groups in woodturning, period furniture, lutherie, and a beginner-intermediate group which focuses on instruction. Each meet 5-6 times per year.

The point of describing our meeting structure is that most of our demonstrators started demoing for either a sub-group or for a small meeting and later graduated to making a 2 hour presentation for the whole guild. It's much less intimidating that way and you are likely to get more volunteers. As an important note, we don't pay any of our speakers nor do we charge for any of our meetings. Even our triennial symposia which are open to any woodworker anywhere in New England are absolutely free and none of our speakers have ever been paid.

Dave Anderson

President

the Guild of NH Woodworkers

Thanks for your insights !!.....

R. Lance in GR, Michigan

>will propose your recommendations at that next meeting and hopefully others will like your ideas and incorporate them in our formate. Thanks again.

Re: Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Doug Reynolds in Seattle

>R: My Guild, which was started by Michael Dresdner, author and actor extraordinaire, has a monthly meeting. My complaint is that too much time is spent with Guild business and, not enough time when we have speakers from out of the area. Jim Tolpin and Gary Rogowski, both authors with FWW have presented. Guild business should be at the end of the meeting not at the beginning when folks have driven hours to put on a demonstration.

Darryl Peart is in our area and has done weekend Greene and Greene hands-on classes that cover some of the stuff in his new book for the Guild. I believe he has gone back east and presented at other guilds/clubs as well.

Of course, whenever you have guild members present you never know what their public speaking ability might be.

Some of our best presenters have been tool distributors. The Festool guy came with a whole show like you see at the woodworking shows. We have had Dewalt and others. Did visit the Systematic saw blade plant. We also do sawdust sessions ever so often on Saturdays at a guy's shop. The last one had a Stihl regional rep walk us through operator level maintenance. Did not matter what chainsaw you had. Went from about 9 AM to 2 PM. It was great. I learned a lot about my saw and how to really care for it. Another sawdust session demo was with Eli Alversari (SP?), the woodturner from Israel. Great for all day Saturday and way too much for a weekday meeting.

I understand that raffels are a big draw but, I never win anything even when I buy tickets. We also do an anuual swap meet and an annual auction that is well attended.

Mini-seminars are also popular. We may have a half-dozen demos going on at any given time from sharpening, Leigh dovetail jigs, joinery, finishing, etc. You can go see what you are interested in.

Long - Sent this as an e-mail...

Dan Manturi

>Since we are now talking about outside speakers and not motivation of members, I sent this offline to someone. geared toward outside speakers for pay or no pay......

What we have is a steering committee of folks. We all rely on one another to look for speakers. We have 70 people in our guild and pay speakers a nominal fee. If a guild member gives a presentation, no payment as a guild is about sharing expertise. If a vendor gives a presentation, no payment as they are marketing. We will look for people at woodworking shows, craft shows. We will call local tool shops to see if they have speakers. We will call local cabinetmakers, upholstery shops, tool sharpeners, stained glass stores, chair seat material vendors (Like places that sell supplies for re-caning chairs, etc), Refinishers. Tool repair shops. Like "If you will not give a presentation, do you know anyone who would?". If there are classes for crafts or woodworking, carving guilds, turning guilds, woodburners, The local vocational schools. Ask members to always be on the lookout. if they are in a place or see a sign for woodworking related services, stop in and ask. Local sawmills and kilns can provide speakers who know all about wood technology. If there are any local publications on woodworking or crafts of interest, give them a call. Also, when you see an article and the biography of the writer is at the end, note where they are from. Sometimes they are local. We have a great presentation coming up from a local hospital and OSHA contact on shop safety. Some of the things you can do to inspire members I already wrote. I do agree with one fellow, and I mentioned it as well -some folks just show up because it is something to do once a month.

With respect to tool stores / repair - we used to have an entire bunch of DeWalt folks at our guild once a year. Perhaps a local big name vendor is local and will suitcase a presentation to you. We also had a veneer company come to our place to show veneering. We had a Formica guy do a great presentation on what you can do with Laminate.

Good luck. It is not easy, is it?

Re: Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Thomas S Stockton

>I was in a group that had the same problem with business takeing up to much time during regular meetings the solution we uused was to have a business meeting that started an hour earlier that way only officers and interested parties would need to sit through it.

Another thing we did was at the begining of the meeting everybody introduces them self to the group this is a great way to get to know people or at least figure out names to faces.

Tom

Re: Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Joe Dusel (Vista,CA)

>I belong to the North County Woodworking Club in San Diego county. We only have about 135 members, so we are the little club in San Diego county. The San Diego Fine Woodworker's have about 1500 members.

Our club has about 10 meetings per year with topics including guitar making, violin making, segmented bowl turning, basic turning techniques, safety (we had a surgeon do a very graphic PowerPoint presentation), antique tool collecting, dovetail jigs, bandsaw tuning, router techniques (with Carol Reed) and jewelry box making to name a few. One of the favorite meetings is our annual "Show and Pie" night where our members bring in pies or a project to show and the club provides the coffee and ice cream.

We also have real shop tours at members shops on separate days and have taken field trips to places like Sam Maloof's shop.

Joe

Re: Suggestions for WW Guild meetings.....

Carol - now in NC Nebraska

>Hey Joe,

So the 'little' club got up to 135 members. Great! Mike's dream came true. He would have been very happy.

Haven't done a router technique demo for some time. I am probably out of practice. LOL!

Now, when I have a little time, I dabble in turning. It will 2 more years before I can get to do some flatwork. Tools are still in storage.

Sighhh.....