The recent Scottish Government announcements are necessary to keep the infection level down so that we are safe until we are vaccinated. This is a very critical time for us and vital that we are careful about infecting those we come in contact with. To that end we closed the workshop after the Tuesday 22nd December session. The workshop will remain closed for all of January when we will see what the government permits thereafter.

Although this may seem very restrictive the reality is that going from level 1 to level 4  from Boxing day right through January will  not be that difficult. We will have our Christmas toys to play with, the weather is poor so we won’t want to go out much anyway and January is the month where many of us do repairs, modifications and improvements to our tools and workshop anyway. 

There are plenty of woodturning videos and interactive demos available to us to keep us interested and delivery drivers will still be permitted to deliver tools, wood, and other supplies to keep us making things for the next few weeks.

Yes, the workshop is closed, but the club is still functioning. The Lockdown will lift, in stages, and Dumfries and Galloway is a low risk area, hence our recent Level 1 status. When the restrictions relax I will let you know, and we will take small steps, carefully, and in the right direction to get back to seeing each other.

So, chin up folks, comply with the regulations, keep away from those that don’t, and we will get back to normal. 

Christmas Message

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all keeping well and managing to avoid ‘the virus’ as well as other seasonal coughs and colds.

It has been a long time since we all met and enjoyed each other’s company in 3D. Although it has been a tough year for everybody, and it is not over yet, there is at last light at the end of the tunnel with the arrival of the vaccines. Some estimates say that it could be another 10 months before we feel a real improvement and return to free movement and activities. We have been very patient, and with a bit of support from each other we will get back together next year so that we can enjoy our woodturning once again. We have already, very carefully, got small numbers back into the workshop, and will increase, or decrease, those numbers and sessions as dictated by the government restrictions.

Quite a number of us in the club are at the age of being placed near the top of the queue to receive the vaccination because we are at the age at risk of getting the virus. It is all a very fine, and serious, balancing act between our physical and mental health. Rest assured that your committee, and fellow members, are monitoring the situation so that we are all safe and can get back to our monthly meetings, live demonstrations and face to face meetings at the club and in the community.

For now I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, with telephone, Zoom, Skype, Facetime etc contact with friends and family, a Happy New Year, and good health in 2021.
Please keep in contact with other members of the club over the next months by entering the club competitions, Internet demonstrations and meetings and the occasional coffee in a garden or café where permitted.

Keep safe and I very much look forward to seeing every one of you again in a wood shavings strewn environment.

Rolf

Here are the results of our 2020 competition. Congratulations to the worthy winners Colin and Stephen!

Covid vaccinations are being given now, but we have yet to be given any kind of dates for returning to the workshop. The committee will meet in January, via Zoom, and let you know how the reopening of the club will be phased in, until then we will continue the monthly competition and the draft proposal of the subjects is attached. Let me know if this is acceptable, or if you would like to suggest another list of items. 

Programme 2021 draft

Welcome to the last competition of 2020, and the same protocol applies as previous months, – upload your entry images, or email them to me, before 7pm, chose your senior winner and your novice winner during your ‘virtual coffee break’ , let me know your choice in the remarks box at the end of this page, by email, text or Whatsapp. I will tally up all the votes (once we are done with the AGM) and then post the winner sometime after 9pm.

I will pick up the trophies from last years winners or you can hand them in to the the workshop on Thursday or Tuesday. They will then be engraved and ‘presented’ to the new champions in due course.

Good luck everyone.

UPDATE – THE VOTES ARE IN AND THE WINNERS ARE

KEN COATES AND STEVEN ECCLES. WELL DONE GENTLEMEN, A GRAND ACHIEVENT AGAINST SOME VERY STIFF COMPETITION.

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Senior 1

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Senior 2

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Senior 3

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Senior 4

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Senior 5

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Senior 6 – THE WINNER THIS MONTH. WELL DONE KEN COATES.

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Senior 7

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Senior 8

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Novice 1 THE NOVICE WINNER THIS MONTH. WELL DONE STEVEN ECCLES

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novice 2

Axminster tools have ‘Daily Deals’ for the first 18 days of Christmas (not 24 because of posting and delivery being too tight after the 18th)  so if you haven’t got yourself a Christmas present yet then there may be something to interest you here, at a bigger saving than Axminster’s usual reductions (which to be honest are often not that massive, although their standard prices are quite fair)

Click on the link below, or retype it into your search engine yourself.

https://www.axminstertools.com/daily-deals

Thanks Susan for reminding me about this.

Here is another nice wee demo, and very topical at this time of year. A good quality demo and ideal for a cold and wet Saturday morning.

Thanks David for the reminder.

Live Sessions in Association with Record Power Saturday 5th December 00:30am (GMT) & Saturday 5th December 9:30am (GMT)   Please click the banner above to download your personal RSVP invitation, for the next instalment of Live Sessions …a Free Educational Programme for Woodturning.   This week’s Live Session, aka ‘Interactive Remote Demonstrations’ (IRD’s) is brought to you direct from Theo Haralampou’s studio workshop in Brisbane Australia. To learn more about Theo – CLICK HERE In this session we are treated to one of Theo’s signature projects, which helps to demystify the complexities of ‘indexing’. Theo walks us step-by-step through the marking out process, and demonstrates how to put the indexing features of your lathe or chuck to work. We learn how to make jigs for indexing and hole boring, and get deep into the techniques of fine spindle gouge control…..using a popsicle stick.   The result will be a beautiful hanging decoration that you can make for the festive season. It really is rewarding for us to see so many familiar names and faces each week, and we encourage you all to bring along your woodworking friends and join our International Live Session community…all they need to do is send us an RSVP. Please remember to let us know which country you will be joining us from with your RSVP.   This week, Theo covers: • An introduction to indexing • How to make an ‘interesting-boring’ jig • Balance and proportion • Fine spindle work with a popsicle stick Please RSVP on the invitation form or simply send an email to miked@recordpower.co.uk with RSVP in the subject line to register, and you will be sent your Zoom log in code. Please remember that your friends and fellow club members are welcome to join us too…all they need to do is send us an RSVP!

Our treasurer has completed the accounts for the previous year, and we are in a fairly good position to survive until the Covid situation has calmed down and it is safe for us to return. Obviously, with no meetings taking place, out income is less than our expenditure, but with careful management the future looks secure.

All members should have received an email with details of how to join the AGM via Zoom, let me know if you didn’t receive them, or need them again. 

I post the draft accounts for your perusal prior to the AGM on the 8th December 2020.

Click on the line below to read them.

Rolf

Draft Accounts 19-20

This year is one best forgotten, or glossed over if possible, but there are some procedures that need to be dealt with, and the AGM is one of them.

Below is an extract of some relevant points from our constitution.

• • A Quorum of the Annual General Meeting shall be 25 per cent of the paid up membership to include at least two Officers.
  • The ordinary business to be transacted at each Annual General Meeting shall be:
    1. To receive and adopt the Chairman’s report of the previous years working.
    2. To receive and adopt the Treasurers report and the statement of account covering the financial affairs of the previous year.
    3. To elect Chairman, Officers and Members of the Committee for the following year.
    4. To elect an Honorary Auditor to verify the financial status of the Club.
    5. To fix the Annual Subscription for the coming year following submission of a Committee recommendation.
    6. Any other business that the Chairman of the AGM may seem fit.
  • Motions for the Annual General Meeting must be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary fourteen days before the date of the meeting.
  • Nominations for all Officer positions and for replacements for retiring ordinary members of the Committee shall be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary fourteen days before the time of the Annual General Meeting.
  • All nominations, proposals or motions for the Annual General meeting must be signed by both Proposer and Seconder, both of whom must be paid up members of the Club.

Although we have a written constitution, and try to stick to this as much as possible, Covid has forced us all to do things differently, so we will try and stay as closely as possible to the constitution but may be forced to be flexible in order to see the club and membership through this most unusual year.  

The committee currently stands at

Rolf Buwert  Chairman, Christine Carson  treasurer, Sarah Burns secretary, Bill McCoskry, James Brown, Bryan Jardine, David Simpson,  and Mick Schofield voted onto committee taking on the role as competition secretary.

I will send all current members an email with the link to the Zoom AGM a few days before the 8th December.

2020 AGM Agenda