Carving Club

[PeterG]

Hi Gang,
Looking for some quick feedback.

Our area has not had a carving club for sometime - we are looking to start one. Having never been in one I was wondering what formats different clubs use. How often do you meet? What takes place at a meeting - carving, competition, guest speakers? Where do you meet?

Any other info would be helpful.

Thanks,
Peter

[uvawyo]

Re: Carving Club

Our little club is just 5 guys who get together every Monday afternoon and carve and chit chat. We compete in local art shows and the state fair and the Northern Colorado Carvers annual show. No dues no bylaws occasionally one of the wives sends cookies. we just carve and help each other learn, I take photos and post them here and on our Facebook Page--- Deer Creek Wood Carvers.

[Neil A. Ward]

Re: Carving Club

Peter,

Our club meets once a month at a 4-H center. Meetings start with taking care of business in running a club; Library report; Show planning report; a show-and-tell. After the meeting we have a 1 to 2 hour seminar on some type of carving taught by a club member, or we my have a speaker. We have an annual woodcarving show once a year, held at a National Guard Armory. Also we have nationally know woodcarvers teach a 1 to 3 day seminar.

Hope this helps...
Neil

[jimp]

Re: Carving Club

Ours is a resurrected club. It hadn't met for several years and then a few of us met up and started to get together again
We meet weekly in a church. We each kick in a dollar to give the church. No dues, no officers. We try to help each other out. We have had little "clinics" on occasion, nothing fancy. There is some talk of perhaps an exhibit at a local library, but we don't have a show.
We have between 5 and 8 folks there on any given week.
There is a lot of good natured teasing and joking that goes on. We even do some carving!
GOOD LUCK!
Jim

[tbox61]

Re: Carving Club

Our carving club meets once a week on Thursday nights for 2 hours. The retired guys meet and carve in the afternoon prior to the Thursday night ‘meeting’.

Once a year, we have an open house and have the public come in and see what we have carved. The members carve from 9-4 on Saturday, (if I remember right), and a brief time on Sunday. We have a potluck supper on Sunday evening.

There are various events we are asked to carve at—historical society, True Value Hardware store, etc. to recruit new carvers and show our wares.

Our dues are very reasonable--$25.00 per year or $35.00 for a family. We also try to have at least one big name carver come in during the summer and do a 2 or 3 day seminar. We have had Gerald Sears and Chris Hammack in recent years.

[Claude]

Re: Carving Club

The club I belong to meets on Wednesday afternoon at a church for 2 hours. No business meetings, no dues, no officers. Several of the members of the club also belong to the church, so we get to use the facility for free - all we have to do is clean up after ourselves. Usually have around 8-10 folks show up. Happy to have new comers and a couple of us are also happy to teach the new people, if they are new to carving.

Claude

[mdallensr]

Re: Carving Club

We have a small group that meets in my basement Monday nights from 6:30 to 9:30. We don't have dues or programs; we just get together and carve. I have a wood shop and can make blanks for those who can't make their own. A local instructor, the Woodcarver's Den here in Bellevue, OH, hosts an annual carving show coming up February 7 & 8, and there will be 60 - 70 carvers exhibiting at that show. So we have a lot of carving activity here in northern Ohio, with several clubs and carving shows to attend each year. Mike

[Magicman]

Re: Carving Club

Hi Peter
Our club has been in existence for 40 years, we meet on Tuesday Mornings from 8:30 to about 11:30. We have about 35 members. We have carving demos at Fairs, and different outings that people invite us to. We have no dues. The club has coffee and cake or doughnuts and the members who want to partake puts in a dollar and eats and drinks what they want. We have a nice library of Carving books and Magazines that members can check out free and then return. We meet in a community center for free and just clean up after our selves.

Larry

[Dan S]

Re: Carving Club

Ours meets twice weekly. The guys and gals who cannot make it on Saturday often come on Tuesday.
We have a president and a collection of sacred bylaws that we follow. The biggest of these is that if you cut yourself you owe a dollar. Five if you need stitches. The funds go toward our annual potluck at Christmas. There are no other fees we charge.
If you start a club your biggest challenge will be getting members. This forum is a good place to advertise as are book stores and craft supply houses.

Good luck!
Dan

[slipknott]

Re: Carving Club

Our group meets on Thursday nights from 6:00 to 8:30 in a church nursery. There's no charge, we just clean up when we're through. No dues, no officers. Just carving, coffee, life stories, helpful coaching, and good fellowship. I have to drive about 30 miles each way to get there but it's worth it. At age 58 I am the baby, newby, beginner. The oldest in the group is in his early 90's and a active scout leader. What more can I say. Priceless!

[Steev]

Re: Carving Club

There's a carving show in Waterloo in March. You'd probably be able to talk with club people there. Probably worth the hour's drive.

[kdispoto]

Re: Carving Club

Keep it simple (for starters). There's no rules for when & where, etc. Let the members direct the path.

See if you can meet in a local library, school, or nature society. Advertise at these same places. Contact local paper and internet sites that report on local news.

When ready, do a few public demonstrations. Be sure to have flyers to hand out. Over time people will know you out there.

[pallin]

For several years we're heard about Deer Creek and a bunch of guys with no last names (Wayne, Joe, Larry). This discussion is the first time I've seen a description of who and where. LOL

[Brian T]

Is the popularity and longevity of a carving club dependent on the style and size of carving?

[Randy]

Our carving club is more of a group than a club. No formalities just a gathiering. We will pick a project and everyone will work on it sharing with each other if some one needs help. 5 of us started out in a guys shop once a month. We have moved around over the years, Now we meet twice a month one day time meeting in a city rec center and a night meeting in a church. We have about 14 members but average 5 to 7 at a meeting. This carving quilt was one of our projects afew years back. 3/4 inch stock. 51/2 basswood squares.
Quilt 2.jpg