The program for our Dec 1 meeting will be our annual Christmas Dinner at Hillcrest Lodge. All members are invited to bring a guest for what is always a good time. We’ll again have a raffle to benefit Toys 4 Tots and we’ve got some great raffle items. Raffle items include tools, wood, gift certificates and some nice things for the spouses in attendance who aren’t woodworkers.

The evening will also feature our 2×4 Woodworking Challenge and presentation of the club’s annual Spirit Award.

Our evening will begin at 6:00 with a social hour that will give everyone a chance to view the raffle items and buy tickets. We’ll follow with a potluck dinner that begins at 7:00 with the club providing the main course (ham and rolls). All members are asked to bring a side-dish, salad or dessert. If you are unable to bring an item for the potluck, please still come to the dinner. We’ll have a donation bucket for Toys 4 Tots if you want to put in a few dollars as your contribution to the evening.

As a help to those preparing dinner we ask that all members and guests enter through the main entrance on the west side of Hillcrest Lodge. Your potluck items and 2×4 projects will be taken care of at the main door and you’ll be able to pick up a name tag for you and your guest. The sidewalk leading to the main entrance is off the west side of the parking lot about 75 feet south of the lodge.
We look forward to seeing all of you there.

The program for Tuesday, November 3rd will be the presentation of the toys made by the Toys for Tots Committee to representatives of the Marine Corps Reserve. Many thanks to all the members who have contributed of their time and skill to make this program a success!

NCWA member Jack McKee has done a lot of volunteer work and much of that has involved working with kids, teaching them woodworking and other hands on tasks. In the process, he has developed an amazing ability to get kids interested in making things. He has designed and built equipment used in children’s museums, schools and preschools that promote early development and get kids interested in working with their hands. He has written two books, Woodshop For Kids and Builder Boards. At our last two woodworking shows this year, Jack set up his custom kid’s workbench and had plenty of young customers working on various interesting projects. His presentation for our September 1st meeting will include projects that he has built for kids and talk about his approach to woodworking with kids age 4 to 12. Check out Jack’s website: woodshop4kids.com

On Saturday, August 8, we’ll gather at Val and Laura Matthews place from 1-5 PM for the annual picnic and tool auction. Our traditional combined Northwest Corner Woodworkers Association (NCWA) and Northwest Washington Woodturners (NWWWT) event takes the place of our normal monthly meeting. Val and Laura have ample parking and space for this, and all you have to do is show up with a side dish (salad, desert or whatever), something cool to drink, and a lawn chair or two. Normally, we eat about 3 PM and close the bidding for the auction at about 4-4:30 PM. Burgers, hotdogs, brats, fixings, soft drinks, water, paper plates, plastic ware and napkins are provided. This year, the Turners are cooking!

SILENT AUCTION

The annual silent auction is an excellent opportunity to sell tools, wood or just about anything related to your shop! The rules are pretty simple. The seller displays the item for sale with a sales sheet listing the item, a short description of the item condition (e.g. new, works good, needs repair, etc), seller’s name, minimum acceptable bid if the seller wishes to state one. Anyone interested in the item simply enters a bid and their name. Anyone else interested in the same item enters a higher bid on the next line. Normally, bids should advance by at least 10% over the previous bid. Check back often to see if you are still the highest bidder. When the cutoff time is announced, the highest bidder wins the item provided their bid exceeds the stated minimum bid. The bidder then pays the seller, so don’t forget to bring money or your checkbook! You never know what might show up for sale!