Advantages of Belonging

As a member of the GVWG you will find lots of events and activities to support your hobby. The Guild has members with a wide range of abilities and interests who are happy to share their woodturning experiences and assist you in your endeavours. At alternate meetings, workshops teach basic skills on a wide variety of turning topics; a round table discussion offers critique and discussion on finished pieces; and the Tech Talk table gives you a chance to discuss technical issues. Monthly speakers present information on turning and related fields. We also arrange periodic seminars, workshops and symposiums featuring noted turners – an economical way to learn from some of the best in the world. Finally, we take woodturning to the community in an effort to educate and raise the profile of the art and craft of woodturning.

Membership is $40.00 per year starting in September and entitles the member to the privileges discussed here.

Monthly Meetings begin at 6:30 PM on the 4th Wednesday of each month (excluding July, August, and December), at the Sapperton Pensioners Hall (near Royal Columbian Hospital). On alternate months there are two speakers with a coffee break. At the other meetings there are several breakout sessions in the first hour followed by a main speaker. The breakout sessions include:

• Focus on Fundamentals - Hands-on demos covering basic technical topics – aimed at beginner turners.
• Focus On Form and Finish - Members bring finished pieces to an open-table discussion seeking comments and recommendations - a discussion about the final product.
• Tech Talk Table - A panel of experienced turners offer help and advice on your technical questions - a “how-to” discussion.

The following are part of every meeting:

• Library - We maintain an extensive library of turning books and videos for members to borrow.
• Business Meeting - a short segment to update the members on the business affairs of the club.
  President's Challenge - A challenge is set each month and those accepting it show their work at the next meeting.
• Instant Gallery - Where members show finished pieces.

Other Guild activities and benefits include:

• Newsletter - The club produces a wonderful newsletter that contains articles and photographs from club activities and announces upcoming events.
• Web site - contains a wealth of information, including information about the guild, a schedule of upcoming events, an archive of all newsletters, photographs of events and turnings, useful links and articles on a variety of topics.
• Guest Presenters - The Guild invites world-class wood turners to demonstrate and teach. The demonstrations are day-long events. The classes are hands-on sessions with the presenter guiding and assisting (limited to 6 students per class). These visits provide us with the chance to learn from the very best and they benefit new and experienced turners equally.
• Special Events - We sponsor special events including public demonstrations and a regional turning Symposium that attracts people from all over the world. These activities have earned the GVWG an excellent reputation in the woodturning community.
• Turning 101 - These are day-long, project-based classes aimed at teaching fundamental skills to beginner turners.

Volunteering

The GVWG is a volunteer group and is only as strong and productive as its members. To date our volunteer events have earned the GVWG a strong and vibrant reputation in the turning world. Putting in a few volunteer hours on committees, at shows, in meetings and so on can be very rewarding and is what keeps us going. There are any number of tasks that need doing, ranging from committee work to sweeping up after a demonstration. Help is always needed and is always greatly appreciated.

More detail on all of these benefits and priviledges can be found by exploring the website.

To join see: Membership or Download the Membership Application.