Yorkieguy
Established Member
A recent thread highlighted the awe-inspiring work of Joey Richardson MA – a professional artistic woodturner whose work is in galleries the world over. In pre-Covid times, Joey, and other professional demonstrators, demonstrated at woodturning clubs, which prompts me to mention the predicament that all hobbies clubs find themselves in during the pandemic. I guess few of us could have imagined that the pandemic would have gone on for as long as it has, and with no end in sight, albeit the consequences of falling seriously ill or dying have been mitigated by the success of the vaccine programme in terms of the take-up and effectiveness of it.
For 20 years or so, I’ve been a member and committee secretary is East Yorkshire Woodturners.
Until February 2020 we met on the third Tuesday evening each month in Skidby Village Hall to the north of Hull. The term of office of the committee of eight expired in February 2020, since which time that committee has acted in a ‘caretaker’ role to look after the Club’s interest, to formulate an action plan, budget, and risk assessments to enable the Club to be re-launched. It the five years to 2019, membership of the Club had grown from fewer than 50, to 65, with an average attendance of 50 – about 75%. Though we continue to refer to our Club ‘members’ the reality is that until the Club is relaunched, we don’t have any actual members – we have 65 ‘former’ members, most of whom we hope to re-join when conditions will allow us to re-launch the Cub.
49 of those ‘members’ have internet so we’ve kept them informed via email newsletters and on what would have been ‘club-nights, we have a Zoom meeting for any ‘members’ who might like to have a natter, to show examples of their work, to share ideas, seek advice and generally socialise. For those ‘members’ not on internet, we’ve occasionally posted newsletters if we’ve had anything of significance to say.
For Clubs such as ours, whose format has traditionally been to have a programme of professional demonstrators at all or some on their Club-nights are faced with, three key conditions need to be fulfilled before the Club can be re-established. Namely:
1) Demonstrators must be prepared to attend:
In normal times we have a pro demonstrator at each monthly club-night. We've checked with all of our demonstrators booked for 2021 and all but two are keen to resume activities. Of those two has retired, the other has given up on demonstrations at Club premises and has invested a lot of money in giving Zoom demonstrations from his own workshop as an alternative. Such sessions can be live, interactive, and exclusive to a Club if there is an internet connection at the Club premises. Alternatively, if the Club pays a fee, those members who wish to participate could (for a fee payable to the Club), participate in such Zoom demonstrations from home.
Here’s my take on Zoom – which others might not concur with:
Like most I guess, I’ve made the best of lockdown, but what it has taught me is that though Zoom (and MS ‘Teams’) has enabled businesses to continue to function, for non-business applications and socialising, it’s the ‘least-worst’ option when face-to-face meetings can't be held. I don't go to club-nights to just see a demonstration, but to socialise with ‘kindred spirits’. Likewise, I don't go to a restaurants or coffee shops because I'm hungry or thirsty - I can have something to eat or drink to satisfy that need. I do it to socialise. So why on earth would I want to be a ‘Billy No Mates’ and watch a Zoom woodturning demo at home if I can watch a real-life demonstrator amongst chums in a social setting at the Club? That said, I'm aware that during lockdown, some woodturning Clubs which only exist on Zoom have gained quite a following, so I'm not knocking Zoom per se - just saying it doesn't have a close fit with traditional Hobby Clubs such as ours.
2) All restrictions on social distancing need to be removed:
At our Village Hall venue, even a reduced ‘social distance’ of 1 Metre between seats would reduce the capacity of the room from 75 down to 24. As mentioned above, we have (or rather ‘had’), a membership of 65 and average attendance of 50. A normal meeting would involve taking an entrance fee on the door, selling raffle tickets for a draw, having sales tables for members 'bring and buy', a refreshment break for members to mix and mingle. The Hall is now in use for small groups (Zumba, Mothers and Toddlers etc), but present risk assessment compliance would negate most of our Club activities. No handling of cash/issuing of tickets, no use of the kitchen, all to remain seated and wearing masks, (no mixing or mingling) all surfaces, light switches, window catches, door handles, chairs, tables to be sanitised, and so on. Simply setting the room out involves 80 pieces of equipment - lathe, tools, projectors, screen, PA system, cameras, cables, and so on.
3) Enough members will need to re-join for the Club to be financially viable.
If the same meeting format is to be retained for our Club, to enable us to cover the fixed and variable operating costs and enable the Club to be financially viable, a minimum of 45 to re-join, with an average attendance of 34 (75%). We've contacted all members (or more accurately former members before we had to cease activities in Feb 2020). We're encouraged that most are keen to resume as soon as we're permitted to meet once more.
Strictly speaking, from Monday 19 July, all Covid restrictions are (allegedly) to be removed, so in theory, meetings should soon be able to recommence, but frankly, I can't see the Village Hall Management throwing caution to the wind. In the next few weeks, we’ll seek their views on whether or not (regardless of what relaxation of mandatory rules the Government might decree), the onerous restrictions presently in place will be removed.
For us to re-launch the Club, we'd have to call an EGM with one month's notice in writing to elect a committee to serve until the next AGM in Feb 2022. Enough former members would need to re-join and if they did, there’s a chance we could re-start the Club in Autumn 2021. If sufficient members didn’t re-join, we’d see if things are more settled by the AGM in 2022. We remain positive about the prospects of re-launching the Club, but if insufficient members are forthcoming, at the 2022 AGM, the Club would need to be wound up, and any residual funds after all debts are settled, distributed to local charities. Hopefully that a bridge we won't have to cross.
Like almost all woodturning Clubs, ours is affiliated to the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. (AWGB) which arranges public liability and all risks insurance for Clubs as a group scheme. Because we had no idea (still don't have), when we will next be able to meet, though we've had no income in 2020 & 2021, we've retained our membership of AWGB and paid our insurance premiums. Along with some modest expenditure on admin costs to date amount to £600.
Over the next few months, it will be interesting to see how many hobby Clubs are able to re-establish themselves on a sound footing. In my village of Cottingham East Yorks, (really a township of 20,000 residents), until lockdown there were some 80 clubs and societies catering for every interest. Only a small handful have yet been able to re-start to date. It will be interesting to see what happens post-lockdown from 19 July.
I hope this rather wordy post doesn’t come across as a negative whinge, less still a rant. I just thought it would be useful to set out the challenges that Clubs, (or at least our Club), face, and go some way towards explaining why there isn’t a simple response to the question ‘When will Club Meetings start again?’.
I hope it's of interest.
David.
For 20 years or so, I’ve been a member and committee secretary is East Yorkshire Woodturners.
Until February 2020 we met on the third Tuesday evening each month in Skidby Village Hall to the north of Hull. The term of office of the committee of eight expired in February 2020, since which time that committee has acted in a ‘caretaker’ role to look after the Club’s interest, to formulate an action plan, budget, and risk assessments to enable the Club to be re-launched. It the five years to 2019, membership of the Club had grown from fewer than 50, to 65, with an average attendance of 50 – about 75%. Though we continue to refer to our Club ‘members’ the reality is that until the Club is relaunched, we don’t have any actual members – we have 65 ‘former’ members, most of whom we hope to re-join when conditions will allow us to re-launch the Cub.
49 of those ‘members’ have internet so we’ve kept them informed via email newsletters and on what would have been ‘club-nights, we have a Zoom meeting for any ‘members’ who might like to have a natter, to show examples of their work, to share ideas, seek advice and generally socialise. For those ‘members’ not on internet, we’ve occasionally posted newsletters if we’ve had anything of significance to say.
For Clubs such as ours, whose format has traditionally been to have a programme of professional demonstrators at all or some on their Club-nights are faced with, three key conditions need to be fulfilled before the Club can be re-established. Namely:
1) Demonstrators must be prepared to attend:
In normal times we have a pro demonstrator at each monthly club-night. We've checked with all of our demonstrators booked for 2021 and all but two are keen to resume activities. Of those two has retired, the other has given up on demonstrations at Club premises and has invested a lot of money in giving Zoom demonstrations from his own workshop as an alternative. Such sessions can be live, interactive, and exclusive to a Club if there is an internet connection at the Club premises. Alternatively, if the Club pays a fee, those members who wish to participate could (for a fee payable to the Club), participate in such Zoom demonstrations from home.
Here’s my take on Zoom – which others might not concur with:
Like most I guess, I’ve made the best of lockdown, but what it has taught me is that though Zoom (and MS ‘Teams’) has enabled businesses to continue to function, for non-business applications and socialising, it’s the ‘least-worst’ option when face-to-face meetings can't be held. I don't go to club-nights to just see a demonstration, but to socialise with ‘kindred spirits’. Likewise, I don't go to a restaurants or coffee shops because I'm hungry or thirsty - I can have something to eat or drink to satisfy that need. I do it to socialise. So why on earth would I want to be a ‘Billy No Mates’ and watch a Zoom woodturning demo at home if I can watch a real-life demonstrator amongst chums in a social setting at the Club? That said, I'm aware that during lockdown, some woodturning Clubs which only exist on Zoom have gained quite a following, so I'm not knocking Zoom per se - just saying it doesn't have a close fit with traditional Hobby Clubs such as ours.
2) All restrictions on social distancing need to be removed:
At our Village Hall venue, even a reduced ‘social distance’ of 1 Metre between seats would reduce the capacity of the room from 75 down to 24. As mentioned above, we have (or rather ‘had’), a membership of 65 and average attendance of 50. A normal meeting would involve taking an entrance fee on the door, selling raffle tickets for a draw, having sales tables for members 'bring and buy', a refreshment break for members to mix and mingle. The Hall is now in use for small groups (Zumba, Mothers and Toddlers etc), but present risk assessment compliance would negate most of our Club activities. No handling of cash/issuing of tickets, no use of the kitchen, all to remain seated and wearing masks, (no mixing or mingling) all surfaces, light switches, window catches, door handles, chairs, tables to be sanitised, and so on. Simply setting the room out involves 80 pieces of equipment - lathe, tools, projectors, screen, PA system, cameras, cables, and so on.
3) Enough members will need to re-join for the Club to be financially viable.
If the same meeting format is to be retained for our Club, to enable us to cover the fixed and variable operating costs and enable the Club to be financially viable, a minimum of 45 to re-join, with an average attendance of 34 (75%). We've contacted all members (or more accurately former members before we had to cease activities in Feb 2020). We're encouraged that most are keen to resume as soon as we're permitted to meet once more.
Strictly speaking, from Monday 19 July, all Covid restrictions are (allegedly) to be removed, so in theory, meetings should soon be able to recommence, but frankly, I can't see the Village Hall Management throwing caution to the wind. In the next few weeks, we’ll seek their views on whether or not (regardless of what relaxation of mandatory rules the Government might decree), the onerous restrictions presently in place will be removed.
For us to re-launch the Club, we'd have to call an EGM with one month's notice in writing to elect a committee to serve until the next AGM in Feb 2022. Enough former members would need to re-join and if they did, there’s a chance we could re-start the Club in Autumn 2021. If sufficient members didn’t re-join, we’d see if things are more settled by the AGM in 2022. We remain positive about the prospects of re-launching the Club, but if insufficient members are forthcoming, at the 2022 AGM, the Club would need to be wound up, and any residual funds after all debts are settled, distributed to local charities. Hopefully that a bridge we won't have to cross.
Like almost all woodturning Clubs, ours is affiliated to the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. (AWGB) which arranges public liability and all risks insurance for Clubs as a group scheme. Because we had no idea (still don't have), when we will next be able to meet, though we've had no income in 2020 & 2021, we've retained our membership of AWGB and paid our insurance premiums. Along with some modest expenditure on admin costs to date amount to £600.
Over the next few months, it will be interesting to see how many hobby Clubs are able to re-establish themselves on a sound footing. In my village of Cottingham East Yorks, (really a township of 20,000 residents), until lockdown there were some 80 clubs and societies catering for every interest. Only a small handful have yet been able to re-start to date. It will be interesting to see what happens post-lockdown from 19 July.
I hope this rather wordy post doesn’t come across as a negative whinge, less still a rant. I just thought it would be useful to set out the challenges that Clubs, (or at least our Club), face, and go some way towards explaining why there isn’t a simple response to the question ‘When will Club Meetings start again?’.
I hope it's of interest.
David.