Still No Journal

[Bill Grumbine]

This is not a gripe, and I hope it is not taken as such, but I am really wondering ... It is more like an analysis that I make of any business practice.

Still no journal here at the Five Barns Complex. If it is still MIA in a couple more days, I will call the HQ again and ask for a replacement again. This will make two in a row. That represents 50% of my membership for the year.

I know that it is probably not the fault of the AAW staff that my journal does not seem to arrive at all now, rather than just late. But while I was sitting here thinking it over, I am trying to summarze my benefits of membership.

The Journal does not come anymore. Out of eight mailings this will be at least the third where I have had to call to get a replacement. Again I know that is not the AAW's fault, but it is a headache and a frustration all the same.

I cannot participate in the insurance program because the insurance company people seem to think that if a board is flat it is different that a board that is round, even if it has the same finish on it. So I pay for my own insurance.

I spent extra for my membership this year so that I could list myself in the professional directory. While I am crammed for business as a result of my DVD and other efforts on my own, I cannot trace a single business contact to that directory. I have received many solicitations for donations via that venue though.

I demo at clubs throughout the US and Canada in an ever widening circle from my place of residence, and I thought that perhaps my membership would be a benefit for that. However, the only club which has required that I be a member to demo has been the club that I helped found here in the Lehigh Valley.

The Journal and membership is billed as a way to keep up with what is happening in the world of woodturning, but the internet is much more fast paced and has much more information available on it.

What my membership is buying me? I had a great time at the symposium in Albany, but nowhere was there a sign saying that I needed to be a member of the AAW to attend. Again, I am not griping or looking for commiseration here, I am just making some observations about my membership in the organization. I would be interested to hear any thoughts on the matter.

Bill

 

[RonW]

I received my AW yesterday, the 7th of December. That is entirely too long. As I have said in other messages. Members should get their issues early. Either before the craft stores and book stores or at the same time. I do not like knowing the magazine is in the bookstores and waiting several weeks to receive my copy.

Ron Wilson

 

[Jake Debski]

Bill,

I can't address your other questions/issues but the Journal should get to you in a timely fashion. Have you called your local Postmaster and inquired? Maybe if he is made aware of the situation he can make sure the problem is not at his end. Then you can take the sender to task if need be. Just a thought. Have you considered that you just may be at the top of someone's....list? 😱 😀

Jake

 

[Wilford Bickel]

There are too many late this time to be the local postmasters fault. Mine also came in on 12/7. I believe AAW should start at the publisher and find the problems! I would also add to Bill's post one thing that bothers me and that is the AAW does not seem to be following the Bylaws as printed in the book. The Bylaws clearly state the purpose of AAW is to promote the lathe - does not say anything about promoting carving tools. Just my gripe for today!!

Wilford

 

[Steve Worcester]

I had a great time at the symposium in Albany, but nowhere was there a sign saying that I needed to be a member of the AAW to attend. Bill

The only symposium that I know you have to be an AAW member to attend is the national symposium.

I have never been to a regional/local that requires AAW membership, in fact I would say that probably fewer than %50 (maybe %30) in attendance are AAW members.

 

[john lucas]

One of the main reasons I am an AAW member is definitely stated in the bylaws. To promote turning education. I look at my membership as helping pay for this. We would not have as many turning clubs, and consequently the woodturning newsgroups would be smaller if it weren't for the AAW. If we don't keep turning in the eye of the younger generation we won't have turning at all in 20 or 30 years.
I like to see turning grow with styles for every person's taste, and for that reason I promote using carving tools, woodburning, paint, grinders, and chainsaws. What a great hobby. We get to play with all of these and more. it would be very boring to just have plain turned items all the time.
Unlike Bill my journal did arrive but I don't worry about when. I get so many magazines I just sit back and wait for the next one. Sometimes I get excited about getting an issue of Wood, FWW, Woodturning Design etc because I glance through a copy at Krogers. I've been getting Woodworking magizines for going on 30 years now and as far as I know I've always been able to get them at the newstand first. It bothered me at first but I don't worry about it anymore. To many other problems in the world to be worried about when a magazine arrives. Now not getting one is a different ball game and needs to be looked into.

 

[Dave Beringer]

Aaw Benefits

Bill:

You raise interesting questions. As a board member of a local club and member of the AAW I ask myself sometimes how can our club be a local chapter of the AAW when our membership is encourage by the board but not required to be a member of the national organization. There is a missing link somewhere. I personally believe in the not for profit mission statement of the AAW. I believe that a organization of that size promoting wood turning has benefit to me even if I can not quantify it. To some extent I look at it as donation to promote an area of personal interest to me.

It's not that I have any great ideas or think the national board of directors is doing a bad job, but I do think there is a disconnect between the local chapters an the national. Other than personal beliefs I can not really think of any benefits to a local chapter to have it's members join the AAW. The AAW doesn't to the best of my knowledge know who our members. They offer no more benefits to a club who has a certain number or percentage of AAW members. That is not to say that recent events such as the lathe and chuck purchases were not a benfit to local chapters.

 

[Mark Mandell]

As a board member of a local club and member of the AAW I ask myself sometimes how can our club be a local chapter of the AAW when our membership is encourage by the board but not required to be a member of the national organization. There is a missing link somewhere. I personally believe in the not for profit mission statement of the AAW. I believe that a organization of that size promoting wood turning has benefit to me even if I can not quantify it. To some extent I look at it as donation to promote an area of personal interest to me.

It's not that I have any great ideas or think the national board of directors is doing a bad job, but I do think there is a disconnect between the local chapters an the national. Other than personal beliefs I can not really think of any benefits to a local chapter to have it's members join the AAW. The AAW doesn't to the best of my knowledge know who our members. They offer no more benefits to a club who has a certain number or percentage of AAW members. That is not to say that recent events such as the lathe and chuck purchases were not a benfit to local chapters.

David,

I rather agree with you that the benefit of the AAW as an entity to individual members is rather hard to quantify. That's probably due in part to the organization being prevented by its Section 501 (c)(3) status as a not for profit charity from engaging in commercial activities that have a direct economic benefit to any member of the association beyond that general promotion concept you mention. Good example is the blocking of links to commercial sites in these posts and not even allowing members to sell their turnings through this site. What more direct promotion to turners and turning could there be than running an on-line selling gallery for their work, siphoning a discounted commission, and using the money for charitable purposes? Not many, I'm sure, but the Tax Man will say "No way," and then revoke the tax-free status and wipe out what little effect is left for charitable deductions after the AMT.

That's not to say a charity can't solicit contributions and run raffles, and fund scholarships and grants, all of which involve money and finances. All of those things are permitted, but the funds raised have to be used strictly within the original mission statement that was submitted and approved by the Government. While the AAW can sanction a local club so the club can function as a chapter for things like the collaborative challenges, it can't control that club with exclusionary rules on membership because to do so would conflict with its overall "promotion" mission and transform the whole deal it into a trade guild. I haven't joined a local club/small-c chapter because with my work schedule I don't have the ability to participate on anything like a regular basis [ maybe if I retire some year . . . 🙄]

I also agree with you in that I look at my membership dues as a donation rather than as buying any particular benefit or thing. I send in my check, I get this cheezy card-sized membership "paper" back. The Journal is a perk, but I don't feel like I'm paying $10 an issue for it, especially since I can buy it for $7.50 at the store and save $10 a year. Maybe that's why I'm not upset if it gets here [it did 😉 ] a month after it's on the newsstands. When I joined AAW I didn't expect to get a decoder ring or secret handshake as one of The Members. I was more joining a group to help promote an activity I enjoyed. As such, I'd sooner see my dues go to help some deserving kid with a scholarship rather than toward getting the damn magazine here a few weeks (or months) earlier.

Were I a professional turner, I suspect I'd join just to put the logo on my cards and letters. Other turners wouldn't be impressed, but I think the General Mr. & Mrs. John Q. who shop for stuff might like to see that I'm a member of a professional organisation rather than some Traveler whose driveway coating won't last past the first rain. Whether it would get me a return equal to my membership dues "investment," I haven't a clue.

Of course, that's just my opinion . . 😀

 

[Bill Grumbine]

Thanks for the responses to this one everyone.

Jake, I am sort of afraid to talk to the local postmaster. It is the kind of thing where you don't dare do anything to tick these guys off. Mail around here is delivered with a shotgun approach. Many of the neighbors only know one another because of regular mail exchanges. And my neighborhood is like yours! There aren't that many people out here to mix us all up so frequently, but don't dare say anything! You should have seen the ruckus when I wanted to move my mailbox to a location where I would not have to worry about being run over every day. :mad:

One theme that is being expressed here is ongoing education of the public, forwarding the art of woodturning, etc. I am very well aware of that component of the AAW, as I am with other organizations. I am not one to toot my own horn, but I do a lot to further woodturning here in my own neighborhood. A lot of you know that I teach turning and I sell my turnings, but most of you probably have no idea how much time I spend on my own dime answering questions via email, how many people get demos for free in my shop, how much time I have invested in our local club, etc, to further the cause. The dues I pay are a very small drop in that bucket.

There are some areas of my life where I am thoroughly content to wait for some ephemeral pie in the sky by and by, but this ain't one of them. This is a business proposition for me, and as much as I enjoy what I do, I have to take a long hard look at things that are not turning a profit (so to speak).

John, to address some of the things you mention, I have no problem with spending money or time to forward something important to me, but I like to have a say in how it is spent. I don't really have that in the AAW, beyond my vote for whatever board members happen to be running at the time. I do not have the time to be a board member myself because of other things in my life, and truth be told, I am not sure I would want to be one even if I had the time.

Again, I am not trying to run the AAW into the ground, but I am really wondering where the value is in being a member - at least my being a member. Mark mentions having the privilege of putting the logo on his cards. Most of my customers have never heard of the AAW, and really aren't interested in what organizations I belong to. No one buys my stuff because I am a member of the AAW local or national, or because I am a juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, or a member of the Lehigh Valley Woodworking Guild. They are interested in the pieces I make, whether artistic or functional. This is also not a ploy to get people to beg me to stay. Nor am I trying to generate an exodus from the organization. We all assign different values to these kinds of things. This is a post to examine the value of my money and time spent. I appreciate the input, and I hope this thread continues, for a while anyway.

Bill

 

[Jake Debski]

Bill:



............I can not really think of any benefits to a local chapter to have it's members join the AAW. The AAW doesn't to the best of my knowledge know who our members. They offer no more benefits to a club who has a certain number or percentage of AAW members. That is not to say that recent events such as the lathe and chuck purchases were not a benfit to local chapters.

Dave,

I don't know about the pros because it does not pertain to me. As an individual I have taken advantage of the EOG's and am extremely happy that they are available. Our local chapter has gotten grants for equipment. One of the recent grants will be used to donate a mini lathe to the local school for use by middle school students. All that is required is that the chapter be affiliated with the AAW. 10% or 100% AAW membership, doesn't matter all members benefit. I will continue to encourage people to Join the AAW. :cool2:

 

[Jeff Jilg]

I will continue to encourage people to join the AAW. Note that I am a volunteer in a volunteer organization. The benefits of membership are listed here

Similar to Jake's experience I have also had positive experiences with the EOG portion of the AAW. (Currently I am also on the EOG committee). At the Texas SWAT symposium this year, a couple of Midland, Texas woodturners walked up to me at the banquet and I thought "here it comes".

Lo and behold it I got a full blown account of how great the AAW had been to them. Wow! They had applied for and received an EOG grant. With the receipt of the AAW grant, they also received a matching grant from the local college. With the combined money they had purchased 6 mini-lathes, tools, and equipment. And now they run night classes teaching woodturning to the community. They told me their program was so successful that they progressed from one beginner's class to 2 classes (beginners and intermediate). And their classes are always full! What an encouraging thing to hear at a symposium!

Their account is one of many EOG grants which are given out each year. It is a successful program which is fostering education in a very broad arena.
Similarly, at the last symposium we sponsored a set of Youth Turning sessions. These were so successful that we will repeat the youth sessions in 2006. Who knows, maybe one of the youths from 2005 will end up becoming an amazing woodturning artist like Bonnie Klein or David Ellsworth in 20 years. Programs like this help youths explore new talents and creativity.

I am always interested in hearing about ways the AAW can improve. Putting a first class stamp on the magazine has already been discussed. It's not going to happen because of the costs.

Maybe there are other areas or programs which the AAW could implement. If folks have suggestions it might be good to discuss them in the forum. I'll accept them via email as well, but open discussion is usually better. :cool2:

 

[Mike Gould]

Ok.....sure.....I can't believe it happened again.

This needs some background.....
A while back, I was thinking about pulling the trigger on a wolverine jig. I hemmed and hawed with myself and after reading many people swear by them, I went ahead and got myself one. I debated about buying the vari-grind. But, just for simplicity I went ahead and got it too. About a week later I found Jean Michel's site. Sheesh! Could saved myself some $$$

Also a while back, I was buying a new truck Decided on F250 Superduty 4X with a V-10. I wanted to have plenty of power was didn't want to spend the extra $$$ for the diesel. About a month after it was delivered Ford came out with a new model year and raised the HP rating. If I'd a waited a month I could have had the stronger motor.

Last week I renewed my AAW membership. I had let it lapse a year due to some personal issues. But as the wallet is fat this month I decided no only to re-new But I did it for 2 years. Now you guys are making me think......

Stop...your killing me!!! LOL

---Nailer---

 

[spinsdawood]

Kinda sounds like griping to me. If you will call the postmaster generals office in washington and explain to him your mail problems I can assure you the mailman will straighten up immediately. The local postmaster will call you to be sure your problems have been addressed and all is well with your postal concerns. You will need not make a second call to D.C. Hope this helps,

Jim

 

[John Nicholas]

Tax Issues

David,

I rather agree with you that the benefit of the AAW as an entity to individual members is rather hard to quantify. That's probably due in part to the organization being prevented by its Section 501 (c)(3) status as a not for profit charity from engaging in commercial activities that have a direct economic benefit to any member of the association beyond that general promotion concept you mention.

Perhaps the AAW Board should then take a cue from some of the other non-profit groups. Hospitals forming a for profit corporation that does business or joint ventures with other entities. Example: A clinic that is a joint venture between the hospital and the physicians.

If this concept can apply in other areas, perhaps it would be appropriate for AAW.

I have been active in e-mail groups for over 10 years. In the past 3 months, I have been reading several turning message boards. Many of the threads on these boards boil down to "I turned this." Replies are "Great" The threads on this board have replies that continue to make me think and point me in new directions.

I hope those posting to this board keep up the style that makes this board a good one.

Thanks

John

 

[Bill Grumbine]

Kinda sounds like griping to me. If you will call the postmaster generals office in washington and explain to him your mail problems I can assure you the mailman will straighten up immediately. The local postmaster will call you to be sure your problems have been addressed and all is well with your postal concerns. You will need not make a second call to D.C. Hope this helps,

Jim

Well, Jim, I don't know about your P.O., but I ship there on a regular basis as well as receive my mail this way. I've been told flat out, if they lose my DVD, that is my problem, unless it is insured. No one insures magazines Jim. I can tell you right now - assure you even, that no one is going to get excited about a lost magazine or two. These are people who lose who BAGS of mail for months or even YEARS without doing anything about it! These are people who send letters in little plastic body bags that say we're sorry we shredded your mail, but when you consider that we process millions of pieces a day, one or two shredded is a pretty good record. I had a friend who used to work at the P.O. in the sorting dept, and he tells stories that would make your hair stand on end. No, these people are not waiting in Washington to ream my carrier or anyone else for losing a magazine.

And this is an observation, not a gripe. When I gripe I say so.

Bill

 

[Brian Hahn]

I spent extra for my membership this year so that I could list myself in the professional directory. While I am crammed for business as a result of my DVD and other efforts on my own, I cannot trace a single business contact to that directory. I have received many solicitations for donations via that venue though.
Bill

I use the AAW Resource Directory like I use other reference resources: As one means of verifying the identity of a person or business. Think of it as sort of a background check. The fact that the entity exists and is listed in places other than its web site and that the information from multiple sources agree give credence to that entity. Scam operators usually don't go to the effort of setting up multi-year, multi-source background information. So, that entity may get my business in part because they were listed in one of those resources, but they will never be able to trace my business to that resource.

Maybe it is like belonging to the Better Business Bureau - you won't get customers directly from them but you are more likely to get business because you belong.

 

[Jack Savona]

Feeling "special"

After reading some posts, I see that many of us have our own individual reasons for belonging to AAW, just like we have for beloning to any other group (religious affiliations included).

But, whatever the reason, human feelings often and naturally enter. I think most members in any group like to feel "special" by being part of the group, i.e. fraternal bonding, reduced admission costs, special discounts, advanced notifications, special privileges, etc.. Is there any way AAW members could receive anything "special" pertaining to the magazine? A pre-distribution email listing the issue's detailed contents? Perhaps some photos or even a single article of what's in the upcoming issue?

For whatever reason offered (slow mail, cost factor, etc.), you have to admit people can't feel "special" when non-members have something way before they do. And if receiving the magazine is an important reason for joining, well....

Jack

 

[Jeff Jilg]

Jack - potentially such things could be possible. We're working on a software project now for the AAW website. Every AAW member will have a login. Potentially we could put protected content in that section which would be updated periodically. Putting a preview article in there is a good suggestion.

Originally I had hoped we would be done with the project by now. At this point I forecast it will be late February.

 

[JimQ]

Might it be easier to ask the printer to hold the retail copies for 2 weeks after sending out the member copies before they ship them off?

JimQ

 

[Barbara Gill]

Mine has not come either Bill. :mad:

 

[Joe Herrmann]

Might it be easier to ask the printer to hold the retail copies for 2 weeks after sending out the member copies before they ship them off?


JimQ

We tried that with Woodturning Design to try to correct the problems we had with stores getting copies before subscribers. It helped some but not a lot. I think the key to both problems is the thread above regarding the postal codes.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Brodie Brickey]

I just received mine and I'm in Southern California. Now that I can see what the winter competition bowl is supposed to look like, I may just have a go at it.

Regards,

Brodie

 

[Andy Hoyt]

I just received mine and I'm in Southern California. Now that I can see what the winter competition bowl is supposed to look like, I may just have a go at it.

Regards,

Brodie

Yeah but all them other guys have a three week head start on you.

And this demonstrates what is so wrong:

Developing a contest that mandates the purchase of the magazine or membership; which is actually a membership drive in disguise.

 

[Jeff Jilg]

I respectfully beg to differ AE. The contest was developed at my suggestion that we could have fun and encourage woodturning. Since this is the AAW forum, we also thought it would be a good idea to make it topical and to leverage the content in recent Journals.

So far we've had around 20 people/contest. Not exactly driving membership in droves when one considers that the overall membership is over 11,500. The last contest was on goblets and there was nothing particular about the contest where the magazine was needed as a guide.

 

[pfduffy]

Got mine yesterday!

Gee, and I don't live out in the woods, like Bill! And, to top it all, the mailing label is correct in all respects, with all the little numbers just like they are supposed to be. Still, it was worth the wait! Phil

 

[Andy Hoyt]

I respectfully beg to differ AE. The contest was developed at my suggestion that we could have fun and encourage woodturning. Since this is the AAW forum, we also thought it would be a good idea to make it topical and to leverage the content in recent Journals.

So far we've had around 20 people/contest. Not exactly driving membership in droves when one considers that the overall membership is over 11,500. The last contest was on goblets and there was nothing particular about the contest where the magazine was needed as a guide.

I beg to differ, Jeff.

http://www.woodturner.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=1040

Andy Hoyt

 

[Jeff Jilg]

Andy - any and all turned wooden goblets were acceptable for the contest. The goblet theme was selected to be inline with the article in the Journal, but goblets didn't have to be made like the items shown in that issue.

Participation in the contest is optional and non-members are invited.

 

[Steve Worcester]

And this demonstrates what is so wrong:

Developing a contest that mandates the purchase of the magazine or membership; which is actually a membership drive in disguise.

I hardly see it as a membership drive. The articles in the magazine will describe or show a technique that we base the contest around. If you aren't a member or the AAW and therefore don't receive the magazine (on time or otherwise) go buy the magazine, or hang out at Barnes and Noble and read it.

For Gods sakes, the contests were inspired by us, the moderators, and for the sole purpose of allowing the forum users to focus and come together every quarter. We even come up with the contest between Jeff and I in conjunction with the editor, once we know what techniques are outlined in the upcoming journal.

I hardly feel it is a plot to drive membership, or even magazine sales for that matter. But ultimately, the AAW does pay the bill for this forum, but neither of us are paid employees of the AAW.

 

[JimQ]

I entered my goblet before I joined, and had never seen a copy of the magazine.

JimQ

 

[Jason Ledbetter]

I got mine 14-Dec-05

My journal just arrived yesterday. To top it all off, the postman folded it longways and wrinkled both corners.

 

[mkart]

where's that mule?

I am still waiting for my journal but with any luck will receive it by Saturday. I saw one at woodcraft and have a good enough idea of how to do the layered bowl so I will submit one regardless.
mkart