Woodworker's Club of Houston
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Woodworker's Club of Houston?
When and where do you meet?
How do I join?
What kind of initiation program do you have for new members?
What do you do at your meetings?
Do you have "side" meetings?
Do you sponsor raffles or sell things?
I have some old and no longer used tools.
Can I bring them to the meeting to sell?
I make and sell pens. Can I bring them to the meeting to sell?
I need help building my workshop, can you help?
Do you have a happy hour or serve cocktails?
Do I have to present a project?
My woodworking skills are lacking, can you help me out?
My projects look amatuerish, are club members really interested?
Do you publish a journal or a newsletter?
What can you tell me about your website?
Do you have a library?
Do you take field trips?
What kind of parties do you sponsor?
I'm a woodturner and my wife is a wood carver, can we join?
I do traditional woodworking, will I fit in?
I'm a tree hugger, may I join?
What kind of lobbying do you do?
Can I make a "Save the Rainforest speech" at your club?
What is the club's position regarding forestry management?
Do you discriminate
on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, ethicity, religious or sexual
preference?
What is the Woodworker's Club of Houston?
The Woodworker's Club of Houston is a social group of folks, young and old, men and women, who enjoy the art and craft of woodworking.
We meet int the auditorium of the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonet, Houston, Texas, from 9AM to 1130AM every second Saturday of the month.
Come to any meeting and pay annual dues of $24.00. Dues are prorated if you join in the middle of the year.
What kind of initiation program do you have for new members?
We make you stand up and sing, "If I Had a Hammer", and then dump a barrel of sawdust over your head ...... just kidding...but you do have to clean up the sawdust..(snicker)!
A the start of the meeting the president will ask if there are any new members or visitors.
You'll be invited to stand up and tell us a little about yourself and what type of woodworking you like to do. If you feel uncomfortable about being introduced, by all means don't raise your hand. The president will NOT call on you by name.
What do you do at your meetings?
Members proudly present their projects to the club. They explain why they made it, how they made it and whatever else they might want to say. Members can't help but feel proud of their projects.
Members discuss their various woodworking problems and other members offer solutions. Members socialize and talk woodworking before and after the meeting and during the break. A great chance to ask questions.
The meeting is topped off with a guest presentation. Guests range from people representing various manufacturers, experts in certain woodworking fields, to club members with expertise in various areas.
Some members sponsor splinter groups consisting of members who get together in the sponsor's workshop and talk "shop" and/or make projects. They frequently will make projects for charitable organizations.
Do you sponsor raffles or sell things?
Our biggest fund raising raffle is at our annual barbeque. We sell tickets to win a multitude of tools and assundry items donated by local area woodworking supporters and some things bought by the club itself. Tickets are sold at some meetings for a raffle to be held during the meeting.
The club also sells shirts and caps with the club logo on it. Members are not asked to canvass neighborhoods or sponsor car washes to raise money.
I have some old and no longer used tools. Can I bring them to the meeting to sell?
Yes. You can also post them on our website in the Trading Post.
I make and sell pens. Can I bring them to the meeting to sell?
No problem.
I need help building my workshop, can you help?
If you are really "slick", you sponsor a splinter group and coerce the members with barbeque and beer to help you finish your workshop. If not, ask members for help. Some of us can probably come over and give you a hand not to mention hours of advice.
Do you have a happy hour or serve cocktails?
Since everyone is happy to be at the club meeting we do not have a "happy hour".
Coffee and cookies are available for purchase and there is a vending machine. Nothing harder than ebony.
Money raised from the sale of coffee goes into the club coffers.
My woodworking skills are lacking, can you help me out?
Most assuredly. During the break, before the meeting, or after the meeting, is your opportunity to chat with other club members and "pick" their brains. Many members are professional woodworkers as well as seasoned "veterans" who can offer a wealth of advice. Bring your notebook.
My projects look amatuerish, are club members really interested?
Darn tootin' they are. Whether a project looks amatuerish or professional, is a matter of opinion and really doesn't matter. Projects are not judged nor are they criticized. You won't see any thumbs up or thumbs down votes. A project loaded with character is a fascinating as a project made to a tolerance of 1/64th of an inch.
We have one member who claims to hold the Guiness Book of Records for mistakes in a project. The stories he tells about his "flubs" bring laughter to the meetings.
Do you publish a journal or a newsletter?
We publish a monthly newsletter that is mailed out to every member.
What can you tell me about your website?
Glad you
asked. Our website features photos
of projects presented by our club members. Some members have even
submitted a sequence of photos detailing how they crafted something. We
have a Trading Post for club members as well
as non-members to post items for sale. Everyone is invited to visit our Problems
and Solutions Forum
. We also feature detailed plans of projects that
have been drafted by our members. You can also find a list of books, magainzes
and videos in our library for loan to
members.
Yes. Any member in good standing can check out books, magazines, and videos. All borrowed items must be returned at the next club meeting.
Yes. We have gone to sawmills, furniture makers, and professional shops. Usually about two per year.
Do I have to present a project?
Definitely not. It is just as fun to watch other members present theirs as it is to present your own.
What kind of parties do you sponsor?
We sponsor an annual barbeque in October. There are games for the kids and belt sander races for the adults. Members can bring tools or some of their own projects to sell. An auction of donated tools and assundry items from local area supporters is held to raise money for the club.
I'm a woodturner and my wife is a wood carver, can we join?
You betcha! Several of our members also belong to woodturning and woodcarving clubs and attend them as well.
I do traditional woodworking, will I fit in?
Absolutely. Using power tools is not a prerequisite for joining or fitting in. Perhaps you'd like to present a program on the use of traditional methods. Members enjoy hearing presentations on a variety of woodworking topics.
I'm a tree hugger, may I join?
We don't care if you hug bears or cuddle with alligators.
What kind of lobbying do you do?
Sometimes members stand in the lobby of the community center to converse so they don't disturb folks listening to the presentations.
The club is not a political organization and takes no stand concerning politics. We don't donate to political parties nor do we donate to organizations that are politically minded.
Can I make a "Save the Rainforest" speech at your club meeting?
If you really have a point of view that you want the members to hear you must contact our Vice President who is in charge of programs and request to be placed on the agenda.
What is the club's position regarding forestry management?
As I said earlier the club takes no stand on political issues. We are a social club.
I am sure I can speak for all club members when I say that all of us support responsible forestry management policies and that no one advocates wanton destruction of any forest for the sake of getting lumber.
Do you discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, ethicity, religious or sexual preference?
Excuse me? What does that have to do with woodworking? The only thing we discriminate against are shoddily made tools and unsafe practices.