The end of a Goodwill era

[Hmerkle]

Many of you know NCWW had a Goodwill Lathe program.
We had a lathe, tools and accessories donated and made these available to any member who wanted to try turning.

With much discussion and not a little anxiety the NCWW Board decided to end the program.
There are many reasons why we decided to do this not the least of which is when it didn't have a home our group does not have an appropriate place to store the lathe, tools and accessories.

During these discussions we learned that a member has an outreach program in a 3rd world country and regularly solicits tools to teach people there. They had a container and the goodwill lathe, tools and accessories are now on their way to Guatemala to fulfill our desire to help people learn the woodworking craft!

We also realized that when a "newbie" was gifted with the Goodwill Lathe, many times what was needed more than the tools, was a teacher or someone to help the person get started...

When a member expresses interest in turning or any of our woodworking disciplines we want to team him or her with a capable, willing teacher. This fosters what our group is all about; introducing people to the craft and being a future resource for them. My selfish hope is that this draws our members together and creates some lasting friendships. Many people who have offered to work with a member say they feel they got more out of it than the student. That feeling of helping someone and seeing them learn something new is priceless!

 

[Artisan Pirate]

This is awesome!

 

[CharlieGator]

Fantastic!

 

[oldtexasdog]

This on one side I find sad but understandable. On the other it's more progressive and hopefully all-inclusive to the student so to speak.

 

[wndopdlr]

Are you also putting out a request for mentors?

 

[Berta]

That’s a great idea!

 

[Graywolf]

Are you also putting out a request for mentors?

Here is a post that started in 2021 https://ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php?threads/mentor-network.73902/ by a member, it resurfaces from time to time. I like to think of our community as member driven. So let me ask, are you putting out a request for mentors or are you volunteering to mentor. All are great opportunities for us. I do this by putting on low cost workshops and doing demos at our events. I also attempt to answer questions in posts when I can. We have a host of folks here who do similar things. I personally would love to see some new faces and names step up and do something similar. Are you in?

 

[Berta]

I would like to see more workshops. More knowledge sharing!

 

[wndopdlr]

Graywolf- I did not see a link to the thread. I think I volunteered when I first saw the post, but cannot find the old post now.

 

[Graywolf]

Graywolf- I did not see a link to the thread. I think I volunteered when I first saw the post, but cannot find the old post now.

Sorry, I thought I had inserted it…..but I didn’t. however I did do an edit and it’s there now. Thanks for keeping me honest.

 

[cyclopentadiene]

The best place to learn turning is to join a local woodturning club. The members teach one another. In addition, many community colleges offer courses for a minimal fee as well as the woodworking stores.
I learned at a local community colleges offer courses $60 per semester and used to be free for 65 and older. The retirees also assisted the instructor and it was an awesome experience to meet friends with the same interest.

 

[Hmerkle]

You can also reach out to our very own @teesquare at EndlessCircleStudio
Have a look at his work and you will want to make a trip out to the beautiful end of the state! LOL

 

[Mike Davis]

Here is a post that started in 2021 https://ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php?threads/mentor-network.73902/ by a member, it resurfaces from time to time. I like to think of our community as member driven. So let me ask, are you putting out a request for mentors or are you volunteering to mentor. All are great opportunities for us. I do this by putting on low cost workshops and doing demos at our events. I also attempt to answer questions in posts when I can. We have a host of folks here who do similar things. I personally would love to see some new faces and names step up and do something similar. Are you in?

I started that thread and I stand behind it. There is still an unfulfilled need.

Mentors

So, again this idea went nowhere. Is there a need? YES Are there willing mentors? YES Are there new woodworkers who need help? YES Is anyone willing to step up and implement a system? ????

ncwoodworker.net

 

[DTBoss]

I do appreciate my time with the lathe. It was a valuable resource (even in my untrained hands). I guess it's to blame for my repeated scraping of facebook marketplace in search of a deal I can't pass up! Anyway, thanks again for having the program at all, and kudos for finding it a permanent home!