Author: Jim Hall

The Quail Creek Woodcrafters Club held a general meeting for all members on Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 PM, in the Ocotillo room in the Kino Center. Officers were elected for the upcoming 2 years. Check out the minutes by clicking HERE.

Present were:

• Mike Downes – President | Dan Doyle – Vice President | Jim Ratley – Appointed Treasurer
• Jim Volenec – Appointed Member at Large

Absent were:

John Thompson – Secretary | Harold Alleman – Member at Large

Working in the Shop Alone.

One of the main reasons we met was to discuss the policy of ‘working alone in the shop’. With the intent of trying to make the shop more enjoyable and trying to find ways to help the CNC users manage the long run times that are needed on the machine, starting in January the Board instituted a trial process of ways to use the shop.

It was discussed in the two (2) past Board Meetings:

From Minutes of The Board meeting held on January 7, 2019

“Our policy of working alone in the shop was discussed.

Currently only monitors can work alone in the shop, but the work is restricted to glue-ups, hand tools small electrical tools (i.e. random orbital sanders and small drills etc.) and use of the Makerspace computers for the CNC.

We plan to expand this to include the following large tools. These include the CNC, floor mounted sanders and the drill press.

If this works out OK, we may expand in the future it to include bandsaws, jointer and planer but do not ever expect to allow the use of the table saws, router table, lathes or chop saw while working alone.
Again, this applies to Monitors only.
This is expected to help in the recruitment of new monitors which we need!”

From Minutes of The Board meeting held on April 1, 2019

“Because of the ‘long runs’ on some of the CNC programs, the board decided to allow work in the shop by experienced monitors alone in after hour periods but in no case before 7AM or after 9PM which is when the Patrol locks down the building.

Shop tools may be used except for table saws and chop saw.

This will be a trial period and if it seems to work out OK, we’ll need to modify some bylaws and procedure documents in the future.”

This trial process did not work out as well as we hoped.  This is ‘On the BOARD’.  We take responsibility.

The trial process findings were:

1. We did not really recruit new monitors ‘as a result of the change’. (so we still need more monitors!)
2. We had a couple of machines misused/damaged during this time frame which pointed directly to a safety factor.
3. Mike Taylor, the POA’s General Manager, was recently brought into the subject matter of ‘Working in the Shop alone’ and the particulars of the subject were discussed.  The ‘take-a-way’ from that meeting was that the Policies and Procedures from the QCPOA Creative Arts & Tech Center must be followed.
   

Page 6 of 10 of the QCPOA Creative Arts & Tech Center:

“Studio Monitors

It is the policy of the Center that all Clubs will certify and appoint Monitors to be present at all times when a studio is open or that a club member or other person is using the studio.”

In other words:

1. A Monitor will be present when the Shop is open (If Monitors are available, the standard open hours are 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday thru Friday and 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturdays)
2. A Monitor will be present when a club member or other person is using the Shop

This is a ‘Buddy System’ – each person assumes the responsibility for one another’s welfare and safety.  The POA cannot accept the risk level of someone getting hurt without someone also there to assist.

The Policies and Procedures manual by the POA has already tagged us as a ‘perilous’ member of the CATC.  This is straight out of their manual: “Where dangerous equipment is involved as in the Woodcrafters Shop . . . .”  This club is supposed to be fun and we should have a good and safe experience there, but remember that this club also operates as an instrumentality (the fact or quality of serving as an instrument or means to an end; agency) of the POA.

As of the publishing of these minutes – The following Policy needs to be observed:

A Monitor will be present when the Shop is open

A Monitor will be present when a club member or other person is using the Shop

Meeting closed – 9:15 am

Signed,

The QCWC Board

·        Present were Dan Doyle, John Thompson, Jim Volenec, Jim Ratley and Harold Alleman.  Absent: Mike Downes

·        In the absence of President Mike Downes, VP Dan Doyle conducted the meeting.

·        John presented an email from Mike Downes sent today indicating that his full-time job plus the new business recently sent up was taking all of his time and he could no longer perform the duties of President but would be willing to stay on the BOD and serve in an advisory role.  Mike’s term of office ends this year and we will be electing a new President at our November meeting.  After considerable discussion, the BOD decided to not appoint a new president now but Dan Doyle as VP will perform the required duties of President consulting with Mike as required until the November election. 

·        It was pointed out that with Harry Pell’s January resignation from the BOD that we have an opening and need to appoint someone to fill his position until the end of his term.  The BOD will try to identify someone this month.

·        Jim Volenec announced that he is resigning his position as Treasurer effective the 15th of April but will stay on the BOD.  Jim Ratley agreed to assume the Treasurer’s role and will work with Jim Volenec to transition and do a collective audit of the books

·        Dan noted that we need to “de-clutter” the shop.  The old CNC router needs to be removed along with the unused computer, displays and video screens.

·        The shop is not intended to provide long term storage.  It is fine to leave a work piece overnight if you’re going to be working on it the next day but please do not use up table space unless it is a “glue-up” and then only until the glue is dried

·        It was recommended to add a “real” phone line in the shop with a recorder.  This was tabled until a later meeting.

·        We need a volunteer to buy and install casters on both of the scroll saws.  Anyone willing to do this, please mention it to a BOD member and proceeed.  You will be reimbursed for cost of wheels.

·        Because of the “long runs” on some of the CNC programs, the board decided to allow work in the shop by experienced monitors alone in after hour periods but in no case before 7AM or after 9PM which is when the Patrol locks down the building.  Shop tools may be used except for table saws and chop saw.  This will be a “trial period” and if it seems to work out ok, we’ll need to modify some bylaws and procedure documents in the future.

·        The board decided that a summer full membership quarterly meeting was not required so none is planned.  Next meeting will be the annual November meeting where we will elect board members/officers.  A nominating committee will be appointed prior to that meeting.

John Thompson

Secretary, QCWC

The following are the notes form the January 7th Board Meeting: (I am sending this, as the Board Secretary John Thompson left for a trip for a month on the 8th).

The 2018 Financial Balance Sheet was reviewed and approved by the Board and as soon as the audit is completed, it will be sent out to the Membership. Also, a Proposed Budget for 2019 is being completed and will be presented at the February General Meeting (date to be announced) .

The Majority of the Board voted to make a change to #5 of the Operations Manuel that reads as follows: “The woodshop cannot be used to carry on any commercial endeavors. This is not to thwart the incidental personal sale of hand crafted wood items made in the Shop. However, any member who makes items for sale (whether or not placed in the display cabinet at the Shop) using wood shop equipment will reimburse the wood shop for 10% of the amount of the items sold. This includes individual sales, craft sales, hobby shows, etc. The purpose of this rule is to cover the use of the wood shop materials and shop equipment maintenance.” Currently the Board has been letting members use the Shop for a commercial endeavor if that member donates 10% of the amount that he/she makes on that endeavor. The majority of the Board moved to change #5 of the Operations Manual to “the 10% fee will apply to only those items sold in the display case. Items built (all or part) in the shop and sold will not be charged a flat 10% fee, but rather there will be an expectation of a donation to the shop from the seller based on the proportion of shop use content in the item determined by the member/seller.”

Our policy for working alone in the shop was discussed. Currently only Monitors can work alone in the Shop but the work is restricted to glue-ups, hand tools, small electrical tools (ie. random orbital sanders and small drills, etc.) and use of the Masterspace computers for the new CNC machine. The majority of the Board plans to expand this to include the following large tools: These include the CNC machine, floor mounted sanders and the drill press. If this works out ok, we may expand in the future to include band saws, jointer and planer, but do not ever expect to allow the use of table saws, router table, lathes or chop saw while working alone. Again this applies to Monitors Only. This is expected to help in recruitment of new Monitors, which we need!

John Thompson will be gone until February but gave an update on machine repairs. The General Drum Sander has been fixed and is now in operation. A complete new conveyor control was installed by Mike Downes and John Thompson last week and all seems well. John reminded everyone to “take small bites”. The Drum Sanders are the most abused machines we have. A new gas spring was ordered for the Saw Stop table saw and will be installed as soon as it arrives. We expect this to alleviate the difficulty of raising the blade that we have been experiencing. The meeting adjourned at 6:30 P.M.

On an additional note: If you have not paid your dues, please pay this as soon as possible. We need the money in our checking account. Also, in the past, General Meetings have had a good turnout from our membership. However, in the last few General Meetings, we have had as few as 15 members which included the 7 Board Members. These meetings give updates to what is happening in the Shop and when there is voting for changes in the By-Laws and or Operations Manual, we have currently 144 Members and I am sure you don’t want a Majority of the 15 Members to decide on what happens in the Shop! Just a thought!

On a personal basis, I have been in charge of organizing the building and producing toys for the Annual Marine Corps “Toys For Tots”. In 2017, our Shop built and produced over 70 various toys that I delivered to the Marine Corps. Last year, I delivered only 50 toys to the Marine Corps. There is always a need that is greater than what the Corps collected! If you are willing to help in this great need, please let me know and I will gladly purchase the necessary wood needed to produce these toys! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Semper Fi.

Harry L. Pell

Hello Woodcrafters:

We are having our General Meeting on Wednesday, November 7^th at 6:00 P.M. in the Keno Center in the Ocotillo Room.

At the meeting, in addition to other subjects, elections will be held and 2 weeks before the meeting you will receive a notice letting you know who is running for which office and/or Board Membership.  If you wish to run for a position on the Board, please notify Terry Moody who is the head of the Nominating Committee attkmoody71@gmail.com at least by October 24^th.  Also, nominations can be made from the floor on the 7^th and if you are not going to be at the meeting, you can give your email proxy to any member who is going to the meeting and/or to a Board Member.  PLEASE sent your RSVP with your YES or NO, whether or not you will be at the meeting so we will know how many to expect.  Send your RSVPs to the following email address:  hjpellaz@yahoo.com.

On another note, if some of you have been a member for some time, you might remember Jim Burkhart.  Jim was a past Treasurer on the Board.  I received notice about a week ago that he passed away.  Very sorry to receive that news!

Hope to see you at the meeting!  Thanks for your time.

Harry L. Pell, Board Member