Newsletter for December 2021

Hi MAWT members,

We had a wonderful gathering of members who attended our Annual Christmas Party on Monday evening. It was a great time for camaraderie and talk, combined with good food (thanks to Suzy Hoffman for the pulled pork and chicken), the Gift Exchange and the Special Raffle.

This is also my last month and my last letter as the MAWT President. It has been an honor to be the president for the past three years. We accomplished a lot, from welcoming the Wisconsin Woodturner club into MAWT, increasing the membership from about 60 to almost 100, and jump-starting our video capabilities. I was able get our community programs energized and we have been able to donate dozens and dozens of bowls and vessels for Empty Bowls and Beads of Courage.

But I would be lax in not stating that it has also been a very difficult time. The pandemic was a challenge, certainly for individuals but also for the club and it greatly curtailed our outreach. It took a lot of work by our video/audio crew to get us online. We only missed one month and were able to broadcast member demonstrators and paid presenters since May of 2020. We continue to perfect the equipment and software that will allow MAWT to keep Zoom meetings and recordings going into 2022. Compared to many clubs around the country, we have done extremely well and that is something we can be proud of.

I would like to notably mention members and others who were especially helpful:

• All of the MAWT Board members – Tony Rozendaal, George Wawrzyniak, Suzy Hoffman, Mike Figueira, Eric Meigs, Mark Trenier
• Tony Rozendaal as Vice President, Program Director and Website/Email Manager
• George Wawrzyniak as Treasurer and Membership Director
• Jerry Anson, along with Tom Hipsak who set up our video system
• Dave Drickhamer and Carl Brust – coordinators for Turn for Troops
• Chris and Dena of Woodcraft for giving us our meeting area space
• Barb Nelson, Dan Meylink and Dennis Motl who helped out with special projects and repairs that benefited the club.
• Members who turned and donated bowls and vessels for EB and BoC.
• And many more who demonstrated, donated and helped the club in numerous ways.

As we head into 2022, MAWT will continue to promote woodturning, for our members and also for the community as a whole. You can volunteer as a demonstrator, help with special club projects, get involved in our community programs and activities, become a mentor, and just basically help encourage and foster the great craft of woodturning.

Stay warm, keep turning and be safe,
Ron Zdroik
MAWT President