Saturday 29 February 2020

March 2020 newsletter


Kidzone

Remember, we have Kidzone sample toys to design and make for the March meeting.

The rules are that the toy must be able to be put together by children and be made out of 19mm brads. You can include wheels in a toy but they are difficult to make and also need to be fitted usually by parents or woodworker volunteers so if we can design and make a toy without wheels, that would be better.

And the theme for this year’s kidzone festival is ADVENTRE so please put your thinking caps on and come up with a great toy.

Fairy Doors

A number of fairy doors were delivered to the clubrooms for judging and handing to the Parks Department of Council. They will fit them into various trees close to the children’s playground at Queens Park.

What a great variety of fairy doors we made - well done to all.

The winner will be announced at the March General Meeting when Lesley McCoy from Parks will address us.
Simon Tonkin
President
 


 


 


 



I think the parks department will be very pleased with this great selection indeed.

Memorial Plaque


A special thanks to Peter Robbie who undertook repairs on two War Memorial plaques. A job of love and absolutely well done! And what a huge plaque - I don’t think the photo does it justice.



Background from Peter Robbie–


The Memorial was in the Hawthorndale Scout Hall of which the Scouts gave me permission to remove. As part of the memorial research and refurbishment, I organized a team to remove it but at the same time managed to secure some funding from Venture Southland via Bobbi Brown for the SWWG to restore.

Peter, Ivan, Linden and I removed the memorial about 14 months ago from the Hall with the Scouts present to officially farewell it.  Over the time, Peter has worked on restoring the Memorial keeping the aesthetics of it.  The borer had done a huge amount of damage and the ornate Memorial required some intricate, precise work. Now that the Memorial is   restored it will be re-dedicated at the Fiordland Military Museum on 29th February. A really special occasion. 

Peter Robbie


Tools

A reminder that the Guild has some surplus tools for sale and these have been priced and are on the stage area.
So if you want any of the tools, pay the Treasurer the amount in cash.

As part of selling tools, it was asked whether the Guild has an avenue for selling tools? This was discussed at the February meeting and it was decided that Yes, a member can place a tool for sale on the stage.  The item must have the price and contact   person’s name and phone number.

The Guild will charge 10% commission. This will be an honesty system of course, so if you sell an item then you are to provide the Guild with the commission.

The stage is the place to place any item for sale and this area is a sale area from member to member.

Let us see how this goes as we may use either our face book page or website for future sales as well.

I know that we have sold some items through marketplace on face book and that my also be a place for sales.

Workshop Manager role and member accountability

 At February’s meeting, the role of Workshop Manager was discussed and as part of the discussions members accountability of members was also discussed.  The outcome was that the President would write down, as part of an induction program, member accountability or rather, what is expected from a Southern Woodworkers member’s conduct within the workshop.


Southern Woodworker member accountability

Accountability means answering or being accountable for your actions and results.  Accountability is like rain  - everyone knows they need it but no one wants to get wet.

¨ Each member will work towards the objectives of the Guild as described in the constitution.
¨ Each member will ensure that their work area is kept in a clean and tidy manner and be conscious of other member’s work areas.
¨ Each member shall be responsible for safety of themselves and others in the workshop.
¨ Each member shall leave their work area in a clean and tidy manner at the end of the day - this means ensuring floors and work areas including benches are  free from dust and any waste is  removed from the work area.
¨ Each member shall only use the Guild’s equipment if they have been properly instructed in its use.  If in doubt, ask for assistance. The same goes for a member’s own tools when they are being used within the Guild’s club rooms. If you require assistance, even with your own tools, ask for assistance.
¨ Each member shall assist the workshop manager or a member of the committee when requested and  if able - this request will usually be a verbal request.
¨ Each member shall treat the guilds workshop and tools as if it was their own and ensure that any issues with either the building or any tool is reported to the workshop manager.
¨ Each member shall report a fault on a power  tool to the workshop manager and place an out of order sign on the affected tool immediately the issue is apparent.
¨ Each member shall foster good relationships with other members.
¨ Each member shall clean up after themselves in the kitchen / bathroom areas.

Note:  The intention is to have this member accountability as part of member induction and part of each year’s subscription.  So in effect, ALL members will sign this.

General.

Roof replacement

As the time of writing this newsletter we have signed the contract for the roof replacement but don’t have a date yet as to when this work will  take place. But, as noted in previous newsletters, the work is unlikely to cause any disruption to our normal use of the clubrooms, except that we will need to park away from the building.

Wood burrs

Further to the February supplementary article on wood burrs, Jordan has procured some wood burrs.  These are at the Guild clubrooms and are available for sale - prices are noted on each burr.

So if you want one or two, you can pay the Treasurer.


Guild’s tools and equipment

I have been shown some items that have been placed back in storage in a worse condition than when they went out to be used.  Nail punches that had been ground to what appeared to be a centre punch,  forstner bits that looked like they had been thrown in a fire. They were placed back in the box in a very poor condition, covered in burnt on wood and very black.

Please ensure that you put tools back in the correct place and also in good condition.

The person that gets the tool out next time doesn’t want to spend a lot of time trying to clean or reshape the tool to what it used to be like.

And we all understand that tools get blunt and need sharpening and sometimes you have to manufacture a tool to do a certain job.  But these ones certainly looked like they had been used to within an inch of their lives and put back in a poor condition.

We expect better.  Please treat the Guild’s tools as if they were your own.  Thank you.

Quote of the week

“If you could kick the person responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month”

Workshop report

The workshop is away to a good start for the year with new faces being present especially on Monday nights and this is a very welcome sight. One of our new faces has been trained in wood carving overseas and his skill and production is a pleasure to see even if the style looks different to what we usually see. Unfortunately, as very few of us speak Spanish, communication is a challenge.

Wednesdays are starting to change from looking like a firewood factory to more like woodworking club rooms and this is a pleasing change.  One of the original objectives when the Guild was formed was to encourage an interest in woodworking rather than being a fundraising organisation. Let us continue to pursue that objective.

I was very disappointed lately to go looking for a nail punch only to discover that most of the punches had been sharpened to a point as though some genius had tried to make centre punches from them.   As the centre punches are made from hardened steel all this has done is ruin some of the Guild equipment.   If you are the person that did this, please feel free to replace the ruined punches.

On a positive note, one of our newer members recently bought a plane to my attention as it was blunt and needed sharpened. What a pleasant change rather than going to get a plane or chisel and finding it had been put back in a blunt condition.

Let us continue to follow the original objectives of the Southland Woodworkers Guild.
Ivan Carran

AGM notice    ðŸ‘€

As stated in the Southland Woodworkers constitution, notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be posted to members six weeks before the meeting.

I have taken this to mean the usual way of correspondence is by email to most members and the few that still operate by postal service. This notice will also appear on the Guild’s webpage.

AGM meeting date - Tuesday 5 May 2020

Business of AGM is as follows - Agenda

à To receive a report, balance sheet and statement of accounts for the preceding year.
à Appointment of honorary auditor for the ensuing year.
à Decide any motion of national policy duly submitted to the executive 6 weeks before the meeting.
à Discuss annual subscription and decide on upcoming yearly subscription.
à Nominations and election for officers of the Guild.  They shall be:-
* President
* Vice president
* Secretary
* Treasurer
* 4 committee members

3 weeks prior to the 5th May, you are supposed to receive an agenda for the AGM, notice of motion, annual report and balance sheet with statement of accounts. However, due to financial time constraints this will not occur, financial statements will be handed out on the night of the AGM.

The Agenda shall be as above.  Nomination form is below.

I want to encourage members to be nominated for the officer bearer positions of the guild as new ideas and thoughts are helpful to the continued running of the Guild business.

AGM and running of the Guild

Later this month we will send out notification of the AGM.

This year we will require a new President and Vice President, and some Committee members.  And possibly an Editor, Web master and face book people  - these last 3 positions are not executive members but appointed members.

 So if you think you have skills in these areas and want to contribute to the successful running of the Guild please consider putting in your nomination.

A Club like ours only runs on volunteers doing what they can to assist in the successful running, this year we have the usual exciting projects from kidzone - our major fundraising project for the year to cutting up firewood along with assisting other members get their projects completed  - all very worthwhile projects.

So please  consider what you can do for the Guild.

Thankyou
Simon Tonkin

did you get all this ?
  


Sunday 2 February 2020

It's February 2020 already

Happy new Year 

Just another happy new year to the members who have been on a big annual leave and just got back all tanned and ready to roll for another season.

Have you checked the Fairy door story yet and made one or two doors perhaps ? Please Check the story below from last month.
These doors must be completed by Saturday, 15th February and delivered to the Clubrooms.


Kidzone

Our services are requested again this year to come up with a toy that matches the festival theme.

This year’s theme is adventure so please all put your thinking caps on so I can present sample toys to the Great South Committee.

And remember the rules are that the toys need to be able to be put together by children - with parents help and using 19mm brads.

And put together in 5 minutes time.  

( and also no glueing the part (s) )
( a real adventure to come up with a great idea )

Car parking signs

We have had both signs removed - clearly someone wanted them more than us - so we will try fitting signs to the buildings and painting yellow lines on the ground.

Building maintenance

Funding has been received for the roofing replacement, we are a little short but hope to make that up with some of our other fundraising during the year.

A roofer has been engaged and when work is due to start I will let you all know but it shouldn’t disrupt us too much.

The main doors have been reclad - thanks Peter, back door and kitchen to go. Floor mats have been purchased for the bottom of the ramp - this is so you can wipe your feet when you go from the dusty workshop into the more pristine area to eat your lunch. Please be mindful of the mess you make and tidy up after yourselves.

Bread boards

Barry and his team have been very busy making 50 odd bread boards for Ryall Bush transport - all out of recycled rimu - top effort to all concerned.

Exhibition debrief

Bev has prepared some sobering thoughts from last year’s exhibition - we were down on members of the public visiting - 183 people over 17 days - was approximately 350 the previous year. And the Guild made approximately $.... in sales. ( we now how much )

The Committee will need to rethink our advertising as there is a very fine line as to spending on advertising and what sales you make but this is partly offset by the fact that we are not paying for rental space in the centre of town.

Maybe a more sharper time frame and advertising wooden toy sales will draw in the public.

December monthly meeting and January Committee meeting – notes General
 Saw sharpening—see Ross Forester for details.
 Plenty of firewood for sale.
 Workshop safety was discussed.
 Funding has been secured for roof renewal.
 Chopping boards are being made for a local company
 Machining second-hand timber was discussed.
 E Hayes trophy presented to Bev—for best in show.
 Neil King’s motorcycle was awarded the Founders Trophy at Oamaru.
 Ken Welsh presented Guild with a new Battery Drill/Driver set.
 Roofing contractor has been contacted.
 Fairy doors, details in last newsletter.
 facebook pages need an Editor
 Kidzone theme for this year is Adventure, ideas are called for.
 Guild’s wooden toys to be advertised for sale.
 Missing ‘No Parking’ signs to be replaced.
 Repairs to main entrance doors almost completed.
 Guild’s surplus tools are for sale, offers accepted.

Sawbench


The saw bench has been sold for scrap due to poor wiring and unsafe guarding.

Edenview

Edenview has been confirmed to run again this year on August 14th, 15th and 16th, which is the Friday night through to Sunday.

Entry forms will be available from Peter later in the year.  Mark your calendars.

Workshop Manager role 

As you will all be aware Ivan has tendered his resignation from the position of Workshop Manager.

To date we have not sorted out actually what the duties of a workshop manager are, we no doubt all had our own ideas but we had nothing written down or even a loose agreement except the understanding that someone had to look after the workshop.

So in the interests of starting the discussion I have jotted down some thoughts on what I see should be the roles of a workshop manager.  I should note that I don’t see the workshop manager actually             undertaking all this work as he/she could delegate some of the tasks to members where members agree to undertake some task.

So this is all up for discussion and debate with a majority voting rule.

And probably one of the first questions is—do we require a workshop manager?

Simon

Workshop Manager role – duties  

more on this topic when the dust has settled and something has been nutted out after Simon's discussion paper has been read and discussed by committee and members.  P.