Relationship of Woodturning Chapters to other Clubs

[Rob Wallace]

Hello Everyone!

I am in the middle of writing By-Laws for a new AAW Chapter here in Central Iowa (Ames Area Woodturners). What we are now calling our "Woodturning Group" is a special interest group (about woodturning!) of the Ames Woodworkers Club (AWC). Our members pay annual dues to the AWC, and in addition to the Club's normal monthly meetings, the special interest group on woodturning also meets (separately) once a month. We intend to get a charter affiliation by becoming an "official" chapter of the AAW, and hope to benefit from this Chapter status. About 1/3 to 1/2 of our turning group members are also AAW members already, and a "nucleus" of these members are particularly active woodturners and attend AAW Symposia. We think this would be a significant improvement for our turners group to become an AAW Chapter.

We need to resolve and describe the relationship (in the governance section of the by-laws) between what is now a just a subset of the Ames Woodworkes Club and the new AAW-affiliated woodturning chapter. It would be helpful to know how others may have dealt with similar situations.

I would like to ask if there are woodturning clubs or guilds that are also AAW chapters who have official relationships with another woodworking (or other) organization, and what the specifics are of these relationships as to governing rules, operation, event and demonstration scheduling, use of club/chapter funds, any special requirements for Chapter membership, etc. - I would be very interested to learn about how others deal with similar relationships between separate, yet related organizations. This would help a lot with the development of our forthcoming new chapter's by-laws.

Thank-you in advance for any information you can provide!

Rob Wallace

[Private messages to rwallace@iastate.edu also welcomed....]

[Steve W. - After "airing" on the main forum for a while, could you please move this to the Chapters forum? Thank, Rob]

 

[Mike Peace]

Your organization sounds very similar to the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association. Dues are paid to be a member of the main club but you can also participate in one or both of the SIGS, one on scrollsawing and one on turning. Gwinnett Woodworkers Association is chapter 192 of the AAW. I have not seen a copy of the bylaws but you might be able to get a copy from the GWA president.
Here is how you can contact an officer for more detailed information. http://www.gwinnettwoodworkers.com/contact-us

The SIGs do not have any separate written bylaws but they do elect their own officers. Generally that is a SIG chair. Less than half of the GWA members are turners. Based on a survey I did a while back, about 40% of the survey respondents from the turning are AAW members. The main group had about 100 members last year with just under half having some interest in turning.