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Wood turning magazine

Neil

Neil

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Nice to see some healthy debate but wish to state that the reason that I put that comment about the club constitution was not to deride the AWGB but to illustrate the non pc attitude of the club. I think that there is some element of insurance associated with membership.

Having said that I think they are a load of tossers.
 
Walter

Walter

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As far as I am concerned "charity status" is nothing more than a tax dodge and should be restricted to organisations that actually fit the definition of the word charity, i.e. "An institution, organization, or fund established to help the needy."

Sorry for taking your post way off topic Neil

Just for balance here is a link to the AWGB's list of member benefits. (I don't need any of them.)

Association of Woodturners

I do also recognise that the AWGB is not passing itself off as a professional body.
 
bluntchisel

bluntchisel

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I passed my driving test about fifty years ago - and have a license to prove it. Does this make me a good driver?:bwink:

Bob.
 
M

Mark Baker

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Nov 4, 2013
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Lewes
Neil,
I am looking forward to the demo at Bedford Saw and of course the chat about finishing, other techniques and of course the magazine.
I just hope it is nice and bright for the journey there.

Best wishes,
Mark
 
Terry

Terry

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I agree with Walter regarding the "charity" status being a tax dodge. I know that the AWGB do training courses for members free of charge but I probably will learn just as much from this forum and the occasional trip to "Grandad Woody". !!!!!!:thumbs:
 
Grump

Grump

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Brian
I don't think anyone said that Brian, I certainly didn't.
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so in my opinion there is no credible professional body for woodturners in the UK.[/rant]
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I just think it is a pity there is not some form of professional organisation or qualification for wood turners that requires some rather more rigorous measure of their competence as turners and their integrity as business people
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Sorry if I misconstrued the meaning of your words of which I happen to agree to an extent.

I do try not to categorize things or people but in the light of this and previous conversations on the subject.
I have my slots that I have allocated meanings to.
I have 3 basic categories: Professionals are people who earn their living by what they do, whether they are good or bad at it is a separate issue. Demonstrators are those who like to show off and inevitably think they are better than usually they are.
The Hobbyist who everyone else falls into.
This may be right or wrong I don't really care.

I place myself in the Hobbyist category and as such I do not recognize the Association of Woodturners (who gave them the right to call themselves that). Nor any other group that wants to try and govern me or springs up from the great abyss.
I like to keep in touch with other hobbyists and learn from their mistakes as much as my own, hence my participation in the forums.

Professionals good luck to them putting their efforts in to reap their rewards. I am not averse to looking at their wares and gleaning ideas and suggestions from them. I may even make the odd purchase to support their efforts ( arare thing I add).

Demonstrators to me are simply people who have made themselves well known for whatever reason. I can take or leave them as my wont. I like or dislike due to my own mind not because I am told.

Recently our local college was running some wood turning classes, my Drain pointed out as she was perusing the prospectus. Would I like for her to purchase a course for a present to me? When I saw who was tutoring the course I declined her offer as I had kicked this person off a forum for promoting unsafe practices and would not be told, he can say how he does it but not tell others how they should be doing it. I narrowly avoided a court case because of his stupidity, and here is he is teaching lessons in schools.
I don't quiet kow where I am going with all this but that's my rant over I think.
 
Walter

Walter

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I can't disagree with any of that really Brian.

Just to clarify, I don't really care a great deal from a personal point of view whether or not there is a professional association for woodturners, although as I said it is a pity there isn't a credible one as such an organisation would be useful to help customers to identify competent professionals. The same could be said of estate agents. However, my main point of my rant was that if a group is going to describe itself as a professional body then it has a responsibility to the public to operate to professional standards. I don't believe the RPT does that, I don't think their eligibility criteria demonstrate anything at all of any value.

The AWGB does not purport to be a professional body, I have no interest in its alleged "benefits" and thus consider it merely irrelevant.

Your categories seem fair enough to me. I don't consider myself to be a professional or a demonstrator so I must be a hobbyist. I turn and write mostly for my own pleasure and in the hope that what I do may be of benefit to others, I demonstrate only if someone twists my arm really hard and I certainly don't make a living from any of it.
 
Woody

Woody

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at home
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no
Well I'm a professional and I make my living from it and its quite good pay as well with letters in front of my name O.A.P, Rev T V Stone :funny::funny::funny:
 
Penpal

Penpal

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Canberra AUSTRALIA
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Peter
I disregard the letters that I can legally use with my name but the handiest is Hon Life Member of a couple of organisations keeps me in touch without the hundreds of dollars annual fees, no governing board decisions to make nor any more infighting for trade recognition and standards and best of all no internal politics as a trade Union rep for many years no more strikes where paid Union reps go on treble pay. No more local Govt titles and excessive free time to attend constant meetings, budget forming, determinations.

Membership of one so called Professional Body a leading member in business as well came to me from interstate and said either you join my organisation or I will install another studio in your town very near you and run you out of business with promotions etc if this does not sound familiar it is common practice with Woolworths and Coles over here buying out most service stations and crippling the Petrol independants with heavy selective petrol discounts.

Trends come and go like redundancies and reimbursement, pay for you if you lose your job by joining their mob right now as insurance. Bank Cards and 20% interest the list goes on in this minefield.

One of the benefits of quorum membership is being able to observe from others by heads up just how to conduct our hobby of pen turning et al with like minded people by courtesy of the forum namely Jim for this I am grateful also for freedom of expression.

Kind regards Peter.:goesred:
 
Jim

Jim

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bluntchisel said:
I passed my driving test about fifty years ago - and have a license to prove it. Does this make me a good driver?:bwink:

Bob.
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Ah, but if you had an HGV or now called LGV license Bob, you could call yourself a Professional Driver ... :bwink: (True)
 
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