Galloway Woodturners Chairman’s Annual Report October 2022
After a couple of difficult years when the club was very quiet (remember Covid ?) I am very happy to say that the club has returned back to normal, with good attendances and some new members. Sadly we lost Bobby Lees (not Covid related); our sympathies go out to his wife Anne and the family, and thanks to all the members of Galloway Woodturners who attended the funeral service at Dumfries Baptist Church on 22nd May. Bobby’s passing is a great loss to us all and his cheery face will be greatly missed. Otherwise our membership numbers remain strong.
Our evening workshops twice a week have been well attended, and David has restarted the Wednesday afternoon sessions, our monthly meetings are also well attended.
Despite my intention to have the Beginners Courses in the old format of several evenings rather than as a whole day event, those attending favoured the Saturday all day format due to shift work or remnants of Covid caution. That said I have a new Beginners Course starting in the evenings throughout November. In all I have taken four beginners courses and had ten participants.
Last year we had no professional turners visiting any clubs, or doing tours, but some professional turners have missed the face to face interaction and have partly or fully abandoned the Internet based demonstrations, we were very happy to welcome back Gary Lowe, in person for his Professional Demonstration and Masterclass 9 and 10 April. Gary was due to visit us just as the first Lockdown happened, so it was very apt for him to be our first professional visitor, and gave us a sense of ‘picking up where we let off’, which was another major step back to normality. Thanks go to our former chairman Roger Cutler for arranging these turners.
On 13 August Helen Bailey (of Axminster Tools fame) was our other Professional Demonstrator and stayed on for a Masterclass the following day.
Financially we usually break even, or make a small loss (occasionally a very small profit) from these visitors but I feel it is valuable for the club to have them come, partly to give our own (demonstrating) members something to compare themselves against, and often our own compare favourably, but also for everyone to have a professional demonstrate something more advanced, yet still achievable. The demonstration days are well attended, but I would like to see more members take the opportunity to participate in the Masterclasses. Do not be put off by the name; you do not have to be a ‘master’ to attend the class. These days are simply an opportunity to learn a little more, under expert guidance, so that we can be more creative, more confident, or have our stills and talents confirmed by a qualified outsider.
Next year we hope to have more professional demonstrators and reinstate ‘in-house catering’ so that you don’t need to bring your own lunch (the last of the Covid precautions).
Financially we are still comfortable, and our treasurer has kept on top of things. The details are contained in a separate Treasurer’s Report. Jimmy has been good all year keeping us supplied with our essentials at good prices to us and financially supporting the club.
With rising energy prices, expected rent and insurance bills the committee think it is prudent to raise our annual membership fees from £35 (which was last raised in 2018) to £40, which is still great value at less than 77 pence a week.
From the ranks of our own membership we have enjoyed demonstrations from Roger, Mick, Phil H, plus myself, and at this year’s AGM we have the pleasure of Phil Jones.
On 20th June I travelled to Prestwick to demonstrate Swanee Whistles at Ayr Woodturners club. Ayr have been very good at sending a car or two of members to swell our numbers occasionally when we have professional demonstrators visit us.
On 16 &17 July we had a table again at Kirkcudbright Country Fair where we demonstrated woodturning and sold a few items, thanks to members who helped out over the two days, especially to Arthur for setting it up for us and to young Fin, and his grandfather Alistair, for taking a great deal of the load off my shoulders and Fin’s demonstration sessions which allowed me to nip off for an ice cream occasionally. Kirkcudbright is a nice event to attend and raises the awareness of Galloway Woodturners, gets us the occasional new member and also offers of wood from people’s gardens.
I was also able to promote the club by taking a table, borrowing Bill McCoskry’s lathe that Cheryl kindly donated to us after his death, and demonstrating for three days in August at the Scottish Sheepdogs Trial near Closeburn.
Most recently, on 19 September, we had Clarebrand Rural visit our workshop and I was able to display what we do, and made a little Yew bowl for them. As it was the day of the Queen’s funeral their numbers were very low but they were determined to come anyway as the Queen was their Patron and they felt that she would want them to continue rather than close that evening.
Our AGM is an opportunity for Galloway Woodturners to look back and be content that we have done well. The coming year looks bright and our membership remains strong in numbers and finance.
What makes an organisation like Galloway Woodturners so special is not just numbers of members or numbers on a bank statement but the act that our members all get on well together, encourage each other and extend warm welcomes to new members. Committee members do their ‘bit’ but so do all the members who are generous in giving advice and support to each other, moving chairs and lathes for meetings, wood prep, maintaining equipment, tools and lathes where necessary. When things get dire there is even a bit of cleaning in the kitchen, toilets and workshop. Please continue doing this, I and other members really appreciate it. The club is in good hands tonight and has a bright future.
It has been a pleasure to be your chairman this past four years. At this AGM the membership are free to elect a new chairman, and I would be happy to retire and heckle from the back row in future years should you so wish.
Rolf Buwert
2022 Chairman.