JJB Posted September 7 Report Share Posted September 7 I have been thinking of starting a scroll saw club for my area as there is nothing like that around me. I was just wondering if any of you are members of such clubs or have even started your own, and what a average club meeting looks like. Me and my buddy and OCtoolguy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill WIlson Posted September 7 Report Share Posted September 7 I've been a member of a scroll saw club for many years and president for the past 10-12. Our club has evolved significantly as the original founders & members have since aged out or passed on. The primary focus of the original group was classic/historic fretwork patterns, mostly clocks. One of the two fellows who started the club was interested in finding and preserving as many old fretwork patterns as he could find. These were mostly 18th, 19th and early 20th century patterns, many originating in Europe, some of which became commercially available through places like Wildwood Designs. So the first meetings were discussions of said patterns, the sharing and sometimes recreation of these patterns and ultimately sawing the patterns, the results of which then became subjects of the brag table. Over time, the club's focus shifted. It has since become more of a social gathering where we share tips, sources for material and our latest creations for the brag table. We held a Summer picnic for a number of years. We still have a club Christmas party. We used to attend local art and craft fairs, not so much to sell goods, but to promote the club to the general public. This was a good recruitment tool for new members for several years. For many years we've made and donated hand made wooden toys to give to the local Toys for Tots Christmas collection. Our club grew from the original 8-10 members to a peak of approximately 35 and has since shrunk back to about 12-15 regular attendees to meetings. This includes several spouses. For the first several years, spouses didn't routinely attend meetings, but did attend the annual picnic and Christmas party. Our monthly meetings generally consist of breakfast (we meet Saturday morning at a local restaurant). We have brief business meeting or discussion of scrolling related topics and sometimes we'll do a demonstration on a specific topic or technique. We find it difficult to recruit new members these days. The general age of the club members has risen and age/health issues often prevent us from doing much community outreach anymore. But our group, while smaller than it was 10 years ago, still enjoys each other's company and while our brag table may not be as full as it was 10 years ago, we still enjoy seeing what the others have been working on. barb.j.enders, Roberta Moreton, JTTHECLOCKMAN and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Moreton Posted September 7 Report Share Posted September 7 Our Scroll Saw Club meeting is held once a month. Every month we have a challenge something that we make and bring to the next meeting. We have a drawing to see what we will be making for our challenge. (I made the list from Steve Good’s site.) Place the slips in a Tupperware, someone pulls one, etc. We talk about the things we made. Questions we may have, perhaps problems we had, etc. This past month was music. JTTHECLOCKMAN, NC Scroller, OCtoolguy and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barb.j.enders Posted September 8 Report Share Posted September 8 I don't believe there are any clubs in my area. Not sure there would be interest. I feel like I am the only one in the area! OCtoolguy and FrankEV 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Fengstad Posted September 8 Report Share Posted September 8 not much interest here either although two very good scroll saw artist from surrounding communities have made contact with me this summer OCtoolguy and barb.j.enders 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Moreton Posted September 8 Report Share Posted September 8 1 hour ago, Norm Fengstad said: not much interest here either although two very good scroll saw artist from surrounding communities have made contact with me this summer Plan a get together at a coffee shop. Instant meeting! OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don in brooklin on Posted September 8 Report Share Posted September 8 22 hours ago, JJB said: I have been thinking of starting a scroll saw club for my area as there is nothing like that around me. I was just wondering if any of you are members of such clubs or have even started your own, and what a average club meeting looks like. Where are you located. Some members here maybe in your area. If you are in Durham-oshawa area. Our club has quite a few scrollers OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJB Posted September 8 Author Report Share Posted September 8 22 hours ago, Roberta Moreton said: Our Scroll Saw Club meeting is held once a month. Every month we have a challenge something that we make and bring to the next meeting. We have a drawing to see what we will be making for our challenge. (I made the list from Steve Good’s site.) Place the slips in a Tupperware, someone pulls one, etc. We talk about the things we made. Questions we may have, perhaps problems we had, etc. This past month was music. Thanks for the input. Those are very nice pieces by the way! OCtoolguy and Roberta Moreton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJB Posted September 8 Author Report Share Posted September 8 1 hour ago, don in brooklin on said: Where are you located. Some members here maybe in your area. If you are in Durham-oshawa area. Our club has quite a few scrollers I am located in Oklahoma City. I work at a woodworking store so I am hoping that once I get the thing going, I'll get enough people to participate. The owner of our store will let me use the classroom when I need it so I think I have the logistics in place, I just need to pull the trigger on this thing. Thanks! OCtoolguy and barb.j.enders 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don in brooklin on Posted September 8 Report Share Posted September 8 You should check with the Gwinnett Woodwork club. they meet at Peachtree Woodworking Supply. https://www.gwinnettwoodworkers.com/ They have lots of videos of previous meetings and have a Special Interest Group devoted to Scrolling. Roberta Moreton and OCtoolguy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJB Posted September 8 Author Report Share Posted September 8 1 hour ago, don in brooklin on said: You should check with the Gwinnett Woodwork club. they meet at Peachtree Woodworking Supply. https://www.gwinnettwoodworkers.com/ They have lots of videos of previous meetings and have a Special Interest Group devoted to Scrolling. I have watched a lot of their videos. I have got some good ideas from them, but man, sometimes those videos are REALLY long and boring. barb.j.enders and OCtoolguy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barb.j.enders Posted September 9 Report Share Posted September 9 23 hours ago, Norm Fengstad said: not much interest here either although two very good scroll saw artist from surrounding communities have made contact with me this summer Just a bit far to travel OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankEV Posted September 9 Report Share Posted September 9 (edited) 23 hours ago, JJB said: I am located in Oklahoma City. I work at a woodworking store so I am hoping that once I get the thing going, I'll get enough people to participate. The owner of our store will let me use the classroom when I need it so I think I have the logistics in place, I just need to pull the trigger on this thing. Thanks! Since you have the great facility at your disposal, and access to the stores patronage, you might want to offer an Intro to SS'g Meeting first...open to the general public. Put up posters in the store along with other local establisments if possible and put free adds, where availble, in local papers and the like. Invite any local Sawers you know to attend and "help out" with a presentation. If there is enough interest, be prepared to announce continuing meetings. The helpers who show up and any interested "newbes" would easily form the bases for the Club membership. A club needs "members" and unless you have a lot of local sawers, there may not be enough interst with only those already in the hobby. Just my 2 cents. Edited September 9 by FrankEV OCtoolguy, JJB, barb.j.enders and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted September 9 Report Share Posted September 9 There is a club here in Orange County, Ca. that meets at the Rockler Store in the city of Orange. The problem for me is not the distance but the traffic nightmare. It's bad enough that I would almost make it an overnighter just to attend. Unless you live here, you can't imagine how bad it is to go anywhere. And then there is the excessive cost of gasoline. JJB and Norm Fengstad 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McDonald Posted September 10 Report Share Posted September 10 There was an attempt to form a club in Indianapolis many years ago at Rockler, but the travel on Saturday morning was the detriment. I was driving nearly an hour each way and others were even farther out. There is a scroller in the county east of here, but he has largely become the assistant in his wife's stained glass shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btseed357 Posted September 11 Report Share Posted September 11 How would you go about finding a scroll saw club if there is one in your area. I am in the vicinity of Cobb, Douglas, and Paulding County Georgia. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted September 11 Report Share Posted September 11 4 hours ago, btseed357 said: How would you go about finding a scroll saw club if there is one in your area. I am in the vicinity of Cobb, Douglas, and Paulding County Georgia. Are you near Gwinnette? The Gwinnett Woodworkers is a great group. They have many youtube videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btseed357 Posted September 12 Report Share Posted September 12 16 hours ago, OCtoolguy said: 4 hours ago, btseed357 said: How would you go about finding a scroll saw club if there is one in your area. I am in the vicinity of Cobb, Douglas, and Paulding County Georgia. Are you near Gwinnette? The Gwinnett Woodworkers is a great group. They have many youtube videos. Thanks, Gwinnett is about 50 miles from me. I would consider the distance, but not the traffic. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted September 12 Report Share Posted September 12 6 hours ago, btseed357 said: Thanks, Gwinnett is about 50 miles from me. I would consider the distance, but not the traffic. I feel your pain. Traffic sucks! Even without the road rage. btseed357 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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