OUR FIRST JUNIOR MEETING

First thing, how did it all begin…….

Well it was 9.00 am on the Sunday morning of our 2nd Annual Open Weekend in March 2007; I'd discovered that two lads that had come to see us before in 2006 hadn't turned at all in a year! So having put so much time and effort into getting new members I gathered the members who where preparing for the general public together, and as a result of my shock discovery I said with some conviction "Next year our junior section will be sitting at those two tables" this was met with a couple of negative remarks but I stood my ground and replied "we will deal with it, they will be sitting at those tables next year".

Now being on the committee I know I should have at least consulted somebody else to say the least but sometimes you have to shake something to wake it up. Now I don't want you to get the wrong idea of our club, it has run very well for many years, its just that it hadn't changed much or evolved as I like to put it and had become sort of stale, hence the Open Weekends and things.

So some three plus months and a bit of leg work later at 9.00am sharp on the first Saturday morning club in bounced Kayleigh, Blythe and Emily all with big enthusiastic grins on their faces, you could see they where going to have a good time. I was confident it would work but there's always a sense of satisfaction when it does. Very soon after the others arrived just as eager to see what was in store for them.

Well, it was a complete success, it was always going too really, the past couple of years has seen quite a change at the club with the members in their own time getting more involved with the activities, sounds like play school doesn't it?

After a brief chat to the juniors to explain the serious side of things they where told to go and enjoy them selves, they turned mushrooms and coloured them with dye, John coloured his fingers, that's John our ex chairman, perhaps I should have had a word with the helpers as well to keep them out of trouble? James spent some time with Eric our club judge and had a go at chess pieces, most had a go at pyrography and some turned light pulls and others turned some beautiful pens with Derek.

They had three hours of fun turning, not technical, just fun, they all understood how to behave and even offered to help clear up at the end, we had 12 very keen and enthusiastic juniors and another 4 who would have loved to have been there but had other commitments this time, so a promising 16 so far, I'd say it was a resounding success wouldn't you? The feed back is also very encouraging so the next few meetings will be interesting to say the least.

They will receive a news letter as we do and as from the next meeting if we can get it ready in time they will have their own computer to use. You've all seen the Innovation advert in the club magazine, well James has agreed to wipe the hard drive clean and reprogram it ready to use. CRM of Waterlooville very kindly donated a Record Coronet Lathe to the juniors and Bill has had an adjustable stand made for it so it can be lowered to suit the shorter turners.

What more could you want, well there is actually, more help on a Friday night setting up even if its just to make the tea, and somebody to just keep an eye and guide them with the computer, we could do with mushroom and fruit size timber to turn and some more helpers on the Saturday morning. There are no guarantees if you come we will need you all or for any length of time but support would be useful, once it's been going for a while a pattern will form and all will be clear. The clubs future is now sealed, brilliant.



Boots - August 2007