Tuesday 17 December 2019

Simon's

 HOHOHO


Southland Woodworkers Guild – December supplementary news 19-12-17

The Committee and I wish that you all have a great and relaxing Christmas with your friends and family and the weather gods are kind to you all no matter where you are.

The Clubrooms are looking really good and it is so good to see the rooms being used as we intended - the buzz of the machines and happy laughter is a joy.

The annual exhibition went well again this year but we continue to struggle to attract members of the public through the rooms.  Maybe it is time for the Committee to rethink our advertising, after all it is close to Christmas and we make a lot of wooden toys.  So maybe we advertise the exhibition with a focus on people purchasing wooden toys or something special for that special person for Christmas.  It is worth thinking about.

Sales were on a par from the previous years - not bad but not great.

The Committee would like to thank all the members that volunteered their time to man the exhibition and to those that came along and used the Clubrooms as a  club day - this is just as  important as people get to see a workshop first hand.

We have attracted a few new members to the Guild as a result of the exhibition and maybe that is also something we think about in our advertising for the exhibition - come along and join, and make your own Christmas presents.

You may be shoulder tapped to help over the Christmas break
As many of you may know we have been asked to make bread boards x 50.  Barry is in charge of this project and he may require some assistance for certain tasks so he may call you to assist in January.

This will be a worthwhile venture to again get our name out in the community so please be prepared to assist if Barry calls.  Thanks, Simon

Fairy door project

This project is still on the ‘to do’ list.  I have had a look at the area where the fairy doors are to be located and will have sizes and    details of the competition that we are going to run to make these fairy doors.   This will be a fun event to see how creative you all are with making fairy doors and is to be our focus for February 2020.

2020 is shaping up to busy as usual, we have our AGM so will be looking for new members to step up onto the Committee, new ideas are always good to debate.

Remember the future of the Guild is in your hands.

I look forward to catching up with all of you after Christmas.

Happy woodworking and have a merry Christmas.

Simon Tonkin

Monday 2 December 2019

December newsletter update


December Barbecue


In the December issue of the Woodworker newsletter we were to have a barbecue on the Sunday 8th December  starting at 12.00pm midday.

However, some members would like this changed to the end of the Exhibition.

Therefore, the Committee has decided that the Exhibition will close at 3.00pm on Sunday 8th December with a barbeque.

This will be our Christmas barbecue so please come along and celebrate the end of another year’s successful exhibition.

Members may be able to take any of their exhibition items home with them if they  wish - provided we haven’t already sold them of course.

This will be a great opportunity for members and their families to come and have a last look at the exhibition  and then join in for a bite to eat and chat about what they intend making for next year.

I would like to express the Committee’s thanks and appreciation for all the volunteers that have come along and contributed to this year’s exhibition, from entering an item or two and for manning the exhibition, including putting out and taking in the sign boards.

And on that note the sign boards work very well.  It was such a good idea to direct people to our venue with these boards.

And finally, we have secured some funding for some repairs and maintenance to the Guild’s clubrooms so the Committee will discuss the best way to spend these funds.  Thanks to Neil and his team for assisting in obtaining these funds for the Guild’s use.

Thank you all and have a great Christmas!

Simon Tonkin

Sunday 1 December 2019

December Newsletter




What a great showing of wooden items at our annual exhibition!  And the club rooms looked an absolute treat - what great club  rooms we have! I am sure that other clubs would give their eye teeth to have half of what we have.

We had a good turnout of members and their partners at the opening and prize giving. The evening went very well—from the organization of setting up the exhibition, the food and drink, and the great atmosphere within the club rooms.

My special thanks to all those that made this happen and helped to make things run so smoothly.

And my very special thanks to all the members that contributed work for the exhibition - the work is a credit to you all, it was so varied and the skills of the members shone through with their work.

Congratulations to all those chosen by your peers in each of the categories. Also, the judges for the first time that I can remember, picked different items to win than the members in each category - that just goes to show how difficult the judging and selecting the best pieces actually was. Congratulations to all that entered and I trust we shall see good results with sales.

The exhibition runs until the 8th December so if you can assist on any day please put your name down on the whiteboard and advise Barry that you can help.

NOTE—to celebrate Christmas and also the end of our exhibition we are going to have a barbeque on Sunday the 8th December starting at 12.00 midday, the exhibition will still be running at that time.  

NOTE—please also remember to check the Guild’s web page - all the photos from the opening night are loaded up with the winners and their winning items.  I did think that Neville was taking liberties with the judges in his photo or was it round the other way?  Photos don’t lie do they Neville?? Great photos all round and a big thank you to Peter Aalders for taking the shots and putting them on the web page.

Fairy doors

At the last General Meeting it was discussed about the possibility of the Guild making fairy doors for Parks Department and the decision was a resounding yes to making them. 

What we are waiting for, is the specifications of these doors as to sizes and also what finish—if any, they want on the doors. 

Last Workshop of the year

The last workshop of the year will be held on Wednesday, 18th December 2019 and start up again on Wednesday, 15th January.

Next meetings – please mark in your calendars

General Meeting—Wednesday, 4th December, 7:30pm at the Club rooms

Committee Meeting—Monday, 16th December, 7.30pm at the Club rooms

January Committee meeting—Monday, 20th January 2020, 7:30pm at the Club rooms


Sad note

The Committee has received further resignations from Committee positions so while we currently have a quorum the Committee may elect to co-opt particular members for certain duties.

And on this note, please consider whether you would be willing to stand for the Committee as there will be positions available from the President down.

I hope that you and your families have a joyous Christmas and a great New Year and that you are all able to catch up with family over the break.

Merry Christmas, Simon Tonkin


Playpods

We have had another order for a playpod and Peter Robbie has cut that out and completed it so it is ready for delivery—thank you Peter.


Facebook

The Guild’s facebook page is in need of a revisit as we haven’t posted anything for about a year.  This is a call for a volunteer that deals with such matters as facebook to assist the Committee in deciding whether the Guild requires a facebook page, or what is required to update it and keep it going.


Surplus paint required

With the sale of some of the Guild’s train sets, we are in need of making more. We require any of your surplus   acrylic paint - it must be a bright colour.  

And any screws or nails you have as surplus would also be appreciated.  Thank you


Safety in the workshop

Just a gentle reminder that we are all responsible for safety in the workshop.  

Make sure that you apply safe practices to everything you do and if you see an unsafe practice please have a discussion with the person (not a heated discussion) a quiet word and point out the issues as you have seen them.  

We all learn from our mistakes so they say but let us keep each other safe in the workshop.

Firewood

Summer is coming and it would be a good time to get in some firewood for your fire pits and outdoor     burners.

We have as usual got bags of firewood for sale at $5.00 per bag or buy 5 bags and get one free — a good deal however you look at it.  We also have kindling at $12.00 a box for sale.


Contact details

Summer is coming and it would be a good time to get in if you change your email or telephone numbers, please  remember to contact Simon and advise him.

Ideally, if you could send an email to Simon with your new email address.

We have had a number of instances where members have changed their emails and then didn’t receive the Woodworkers Newsletters.

This is not an ideal situation.  And strangely, when we send the Wood news out you would think that the news would be undeliverable and would bounce back to us but it doesn’t—so the email disappears into cyber space.( as per normal :))

We understand that when an email address changes it is usually because of some issue and the last thing you remember is to notify everyone.

PLEASE ADVISE SIMON IF YOU CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS


Saw Sharpening

Service available in Dunedin.  Ross Forrester travels to Dunedin every 2 weeks as part of his work. He will transport and have saw blades returned.


Put saw blade with your name and phone number placed in a plastic bag and deliver to Ross at 43 Thurso Street, Invercargill 
Please  phone first  021 190 6922  to advise you are dropping off a saw blade.  This service will take about 1 week.

Note: Leave saw blades in back porch – clearly labelled.

You will be required to pay by internet banking.

Other tool sharpening;

Great Southern Timber at West Plains Road. They sharpen buzzer and planner blades only.  Please arrange this yourselves.



Merry Christmas