My local woodturning club (Mackay Australia) has held meetings on a Wednesday night for a year or so now. A couple of experienced turners and half a dozen beginners. At the moment we pay membership fees and a $2 door fee. (Club is open 2nd 4th Sundays with $2 door fee) The powers that be in the club want to treble the door fees on a Wednesday to try and make some money. There was a heated meeting today but nothing was resolved. We are in need of some suggestions. What times are your clubs open and what, if any, door fees then apply? Do you differentiate between people there to turn and people there to teach? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Regards Mick
We have something like 60 or 70 members, a couple make a living turning and then we have a mix of experienced, and less so, also quite a few beginners. We had a $30.- a year membership fee, but with approval of all have increased it to $50.-, we do need some better sound and video equipment and so we will now be able to purchase it, after that we will decide to go back to the $30.- fee or set our sight on some other needed equipment. We also have a raffle for bowl blanks, pen blanks, turning wood and tools and stuff that the members donate, makes for a nice exchange and a overall good feeling and camaraderie. We also have several members that will take newcomers under there wings as well as those that like to get some specialized experience, from spindle to hollow turning or bowl coring etc. Visitors are welcome and we encourage repeat visitors to become members. We also have challenges and demonstrations by members or visiting wood turners. We have one meeting per month and some special days like BBQ every year.
Hei Mick, I'm a member of Liddlelow here in Perth. We're open 1 evening, 1 morning and 1 afternoon a week and facilities include large and small bandsaw, about 14 assorted lathes, sharpening facilities and assorted chucks and tools. We pay $50 a year plus a $4 door fee per session and the club also sells drinks, sandpaper and other supplies to help with finances.
I'm not sure if there is any differentiation tween turners and teachers. I personally think up to $5 a week on top of the annual fees is reasonable, although I think your club should maybe do the increase in stages.
You may like to post this on the ebeaut forum since there's a lot more Aussies there. Cheers Paul
Unless otherwise stated all references to location refer to Western Australia
My primary chapter has a yearly $35 dues. Your group, Leo, sounds about like ours in number and makeup. One thing that really seems to add to the bank is the yearly auction. Usually in August, most of the members bring in wood and or tool donations for the auction. It is generally fine wood that is just taking up too much space or that the member wishes to share - I usually try to donate wood that is a little unusual, like filbert or magnolia. Plum is pretty popular and usually gets a high bid. This year we combined our auction with our BBQ; I think that was very popular and we'll likely do that again.
This past year we hosted Jean F. Escoulen as a demonstrator and workshop instructor. He turned a 24" trembler, signed it and gave it to the club. A base was turned for it, a scrap piece of acrylic cylinder was trimmed to size and fit into a mortise in the base to protect the trember and a finial was added to the top of the cylinder. This was added to the auction and went for something on the order of $200.
We also have a monthly raffle of donated items and sell CA glue, sanding disks, and a "wood of the month." Wood of the month is purchased in bulk at a discount at one of the wood suppliers. It's then cut to different sizes if needed and marked up to something reasonable but still inexpensive compared to retail outlets. It's also an unusual wood that most folks might not turn regularly and that seems to be part of the interest in buying it. What ever doesn't sell this month is marked a little lower next month and may end up in the auction if it's still around by then.
We don't have any kind of door fee and our lathe and facility isn't available to members other than on meeting nights or during the couple teaching workshops throughout the year.
of revenue is a monthly raffle, during our normal meeting. We have 4 or more pieces that were turned by the members and put into the raffle, the name of which is "The Bring Back Raffle". A chance is $1, and if you win one of the pieces, you are obligated to bring back a piece next meeting, hence the name. Altho we started with just 2 or 3 pieces, now we are up to about 8-10 pieces per raffle, which really increases the raffle activity. We have 100 marked 'chips', and occasionally run out, so we take in nearly $100 each meeting.
Each member who 'brung back' a turning, gets to talk about it, if desired.
Works for us!!
Regards, James Johnson Hill Country Turners, Kerrville, TX USA
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