Hitting the Nail on the Head 

Commentary: Taking the club in new directions. Part two of a two part article. by Bill Jones

August, 2004. We're on-track with the incorporation. We're already an Indiana corporation and the federal paperwork has been submitted. "October would be the earliest," says Tom Meeker. Depending on the IRS' work load, it might take longer. 

As an Indiana corporation, HCF can own and register vehicles. A recent donation of books has caused an unforseen problem. Without a place for a library, how do we make material available to members? Our tape library is easily transported, but books aren't.  The suggestion was made that we convert a small travel trailer for transporting and storing club material. (If you know of a trailer at minimal cost or for donation, speak with an officer.) In addition to the library, the first steps toward a place of our own might be workshops  on wheels. 

The HCF board has been negotiating with the Westfield school board for the use of the high school's shop room. The club hopes to  organize Saturday morning classes at the school. This summer's, workbench class was a prototype for what we want to do. We want to sign up members to lead classes around subjects they're interested in. Experience isn't necessary to take the lead on a class, just a little research and planning.  And classes don't need to be complicated. A class could be a weekend to bring in hand tools for sharpening, or just an "open shop" to use tools we don't have at home. 

Classes aren't limited to the school, either. I'd like to see the toy shops organize some teaching sessions around the work they're doing. Some of the men working in those shops are pretty good at turning out specialty parts. When Tom announced his intention to build workbenches, Leonard Birk offered the use of his shop and his shop-made laminating press to make the tops. It turned out to be a much easier way to make tops than any other method we had available to us. And we learned something from Leonard about laminating. 

By September, we should have a contract to use the meeting hall at the Center for Agricultural Science & Heritage (see Finding a Bigger Meeting Place.) The facility is large enough for members to  display and demonstrate what they're doing in their own shops. 'Show & Tell'  has always been a good way to learn new techniques. 

Finally, there may be an opportunity for the club to participate in the Indiana State Fair. Our board hopes to assemble a committee to approach the fair with a proposal. It's a much bigger event than the three-day shows the club has done in the past and it would likely be a joint effort with the other groups in the state. It would be a chance to increase our membership and introduce home woodworking to a new generation.