Join a Woodworking Club
I’ve belong to two woodworking organizations, the Des Moines Woodworkers Association and the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild, although I’m not an active member of either of them at this time. The Minnesota club has around 700 dues-paying club members and it’s one of the largest in the country. The Des Moines club has been steadily growing for the last several years and its membership is closing in on 400 members, which is amazing considering the population base in central Iowa.
Woodworking clubs promote the craft and encourage members to become involved in their hobby. Joining a club is a great way to meet other woodworkers and depending on how involved you are, it’s a great way to educate yourself, as well as others.
The DMWA activities include such things as tool swap meets, summer tours to places of interest to woodworkers, meetings for like-minded members (turning, scrolling, and small furniture groups are offered by the Des Moines club), and special events like the Festival of Trees, in which members participate in charity fundraising by building and auctioning holiday ornaments.
Of course, the best thing about belonging to a club is having the chance to interact with others who share your interest in the wonderful world of woodworking. I was active with DMWA when they got involved with building flag boxes for the families of victims of the 9/11 attacks. The Des Moines Woodworkers Assoc. teamed up with Woodworkers United for America (WUFA) and other clubs around the country to build over 3000 Memorial Flag Boxes. It was a very rewarding experience.
Here’s a list of active woodworking clubs: