AWA Meeting Minutes

March 14, 2017 – North Woodside Community Center, 230 Pleasant, Dartmouth

15 members and guests in attendance – shortened meeting after AGM

Business & Reminders

Most business completed before break at AGM

• Membership update – Walt – currently 30 paid members, 9 others active but not yet paid. Walt contacted people on previous lists to invite them to rejoin; 3 bounced back and 5 people respond not interested in rejoining at this time.  No other responses.  Mail list updates

Presentation

Presentation by Brad Holley on a custom hutch that he made for his Grandfather’s 100^th birthday – slide show with details of the process and finished project.  Brad shared some of the decisions and challenges and the final result.  Unable to bring the piece as just presented to recipient but will try to bring to April meeting.

Show and Share  

• Responses to last month challenge to bring something with a taper
  • Guy – prototype of dining table with through tenons
  • E. – table leg from work in progress, walnut
  • Doug – took challenge from last month seriously and attempted chopsticks…. Brought one chopstick completed
  • Phil – small project from zebra wood and challenged members to guess what it was…. Cheese holder for hard cheese
• Other show and tell – Walt demonstrated table runner kits he is going to make for Christmas toy drive. Gary wondered if we could maybe make kits to sell at market

Other Business

• Brad brought up possibility of buying bulk walnut from Ontario site everwoods.ca because of the high cost of walnut available locally.  Some discussion of concern about quality of wood and whether cost of shipping would counter the savings.  Brad and others want to revisit for possible future discussion
• Mary Elizabeth gave more details about the Lee Valley Community Outreach project   Lee Valley is celebrating Canada 150 by involving community organizations across the country to build for bird houses/ bee houses/ bat houses for donation to community groups.  Lee Valley Halifax has asked us to lead youth groups to complete projects.  They would like us to have 1-2 leaders / group to help youth complete kits that will be provided.  Dates will be in May and June.  Confirmed dates are as follows (others might be added).  Gary and Guy have volunteered  for slots indicated but we could take another volunteer for those times and still need 1-2 volunteers for remaining sessions 
• • Tues. May 9 – 3-5pm – Home School Group – 8 kids (Bird House)
  • Tues. May 16 – 3-5pm – Home School Group – 8 kids (Bee House)
  • Wed. May 17 – 6-8pm – Boy Scouts – 6-8 kids (Bird House)           GUY
  • Fri. Jun 9 – 6-8pm – Cubs – 12 kids (Bird or Butterfly House)
  • Sat. Jun 10 – 10-noon – Cubs – 12 kids (Bee  or Butterfly Houses)   GARY

  Reminders that any participating members should wear their name tags.  Also, recommendation that we ask Lee Valley if we can put up a banner. [update – no problem to put up our banner but not many people likely to see it — we will take our own pictures]  

50/50 Winner – Brad – $11

Next Meeting / Challenge

April 11.  Presenter will be Bill Howe speaking about spokeshaves

CHALLENGE:  UFOs (UnFinished Object) – Complete a Work in Progress