SWAT 2004 great success! LINK

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SWAT 2004 great success! LINK

10/3/04, 11:39 PM #1

Mike Mastin
Guest

SWAT 2004 great success! *LINK*

Mike Mastin

>The 13th Annual SWAT Syposium (Southwest Area Turners) was once again a smashing success. This year we had well over 500 people in attendance! I am sure that someone will have the final tally on attendees, but I heard that it was at lease 540 at last count and that was early on Saturday morning.

Temple, Texas was a great location, but the facilities were a bit smaller than what we have grown accustomed to in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Temple location does make it much more convenient for the southern turners from Texas to make the event though.

Again overall an outstanding event and still the second largest turning symposium in the US, second only to the AAW National event. I simply can not image any event being as grand as this one was though! My hat is off to the SWAT board for organizing another great symposium and we can not wait for next years event!

Curly Woods

Re: SWAT 2004 great success! LINK

10/6/04, 5:16 AM #2

Jerry Whitaker
Guest

Re: SWAT 2004 great success!

Jerry Whitaker

>Mike, I bought some of the beautiful wood you brought to the symposium and as soon as I get some time, I am going mount it on the lathe. You are right about the success. We set an attendance record and hope to beat it again next year in Wichita Falls. There wer over 30 beautiful turnings donated for the Saturday night banquet raffle worth thousands of dollars. On Sunday, a PM3520 and two variable speed Mini Jets were raffled off as well as many other valuable prizes. We had about 20 vendors which is also a major attraction. As a Board Member, I thank you for being there and for donating some of your exotic wood for the raffle. AAW president, Phil Brennion was there as a demonstrator but briefly spoke as a representative of the AAW praising the instant gallery due to the fact that there were pieces from across the spectrum and not just museum quality pieces. He further stated that the pieces in the gallery had "Heart and Soul". He further stated that the AAW and other symposiums could "Learn something from SWAT". Often times the Vendors do not receive the recognition they deserve, but we value their contribution and we thank you again for yours, Mike. Jerry Whitaker, SWAT Board of Directors