Is there a need for a Guild of Woodturners

[Graham]

Especially for people like myself who have just started out, to be able to know when you have reached a certain level of standard would be very rewarding in itself.
Ryan

That it would.

[PhilipS]

From AWGB Doc 2012

"You should be aware by now that over the last two years the Association have been developing a recognised
Certificate in Woodturning. The bulk of the work on this has been done by Peter Bradwick, AWGB Training
and Development Officer. The first trial was unfortunately delayed to Peter undergoing a minor operation,
but a new date is now anticipated shortly. A second trial, which will be run at the Axminster Skill Centre, is
also anticipated shortly; check Axminster’s website and newsletters for dates.
The Certificate in Woodturning is a huge leap forward for woodturning, and will constitute a nationally
recognised formal qualification in the craft. Plans to have the Certificate ratified by City & Guilds/NVQ are
also under consideration to further enhance the value of the certificate.
Members interested in undertaking the course should indicate their interest to Peter Bradwick in the first
instance."

[woodndesign]

All else fails ... http://www.guildmc.com/ ...  http://www.findacraftsman.com/categorytown.aspx?id=1833&searchtext=woodturning+activities ....

[PhilipS]

http://blog.axminsterskillcentre.co.uk/2013/07/awgb-woodturning-qualification.html

[edbanger]

Brian your quite right, if there was something from The Worshipful Company of Turners that would be recognize and promoted that would be something worth doing.

Or as PhilipS as pointed out the AWGB having a certificate in woodturning which is indorsed by City & Guilds. This is what needs to be done if woodturning is to support woodturners.

If things like this were in place we may even see more people take up woodturning which would be great IMHO

Ed

[TWiG]

Some of the best work I have ever seen is made by some one who is not a member of any organisation  I know of, and no one else has ever heard of her ... yes HER !  She sets her own incredibly high standards and  people who buy her work are judging for themselves , and a "certificate" of an organisation which they have never heard of will make no difference what so ever !  I have seen work by well known turners ( amongst other turners only ) with "accreditations " to their name , which I find uninspiring and of mediocre quality , ( super glued cracks , chucking marks , screw holes filled etc etc )   

[David Buskell]

Actually, I like that. The AWGB currently has 'members' It could also have 'licentiate' (sp) 'Associate' and 'Fellow' awarded by submission of work assessed by committee twice a year.  Members would flood in.

Really? I'd suggest members would leave in droves. To create the system you suggest, the  AWGB itself would probably need to re-organise and become an examining body. Who would be on the assessment committee? This would be a highly contentious issue as from the comments made elsewhere on this thread, we would also have some difficulty on agreeing who we consider our peers to be and thus able to accept their decisions.

TWig's comments about a certain turner who is not a member of any organisation should be a lesson to us all. If it's who I think it is, then we should all aspire to emulate her success. Why in that case, do we need an AWGB or indeed any other organisation??  (this may be controversial!)
David

[woodndesign]

We take an debate the same old cherry ... Our concern for the lack of others in regard to quality, price ... Does any of these issue give them any concern or have an effect on them and resolve their lack of quality with their work .. They'd as likely not know as to Our concerns nor comments.

The Internet can be a wonderful tool.. should one understand or gain from use it.

As for Our Peers... The Group who judge US ALL amateurs and hobbyists. Will Woodturning ever develop pass a predetermine mindset.

[Bryan Milham]

The only other answer - Indentured Apprenticeships.

There is a certificate at the end of that, now if there was still one for turners!

[TWiG]

[
. If it's who I think it is, then we should all aspire to emulate her success. Why in that case, do we need an AWGB or indeed any other organisation??  (this may be controversial!)
    
[/quote]   ( Paula Nolan ).... No we do not NEED any organisation but it is nice to have them ! ... to share ideas , information ,tips ideas etc with kindred folk !   Nothing wrong with that at all ....in fact a lot of good !

[Bryan Milham]

I said earlier the Irish have a Guild but I don't think it works as we are talking about, more like our AWBG.

I'd ask the question, does and country have a Woodturning Guild that does what this thread seems to be considering?

I must admit, I've never heard of one.

[woodndesign]

OK if to qualify as a Turner I'll now need a Certificate in Woodturning ... I'll claim Grandfather Rights as it's coming 20 years since I'd started Turning ...   

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Today I attended a meeting that was to do with the certificate in woodturning that Philip alluded to. It has been put together by Peter Bradwick (who has done an awful lot of work on this) as a joint venture between the AWGB and the WCT. Not wishing to pre-empt any announcements I do not wish to say too much at the moment but eventually the accreditation will be there. The Guild in Ireland is similar to the AWGB.
 Regarding the need for an association like ours I think things would be a lot different if the AWGB did not exist. The increase in woodturning clubs over the last 2 decades is probably due to the formation of the Association as is the development of the number of turning tools and machines that are about now, it was a different story before the AWGB with people using mill wrights tools and ground down files as the number of specific woodturners tools were a lot less than there is now. Insurance  was difficult to get at sensible premiums and you would consider your self lucky to get a book on the subject.
     You would also consider yourself fortunate to work for a (joinery) company that had a lathe and could give you the training you needed. In my case a half blind old man who stuck the chisel out in front and started walking towards the lathe only stopping once he had contacted the wood!!
    The craft has come on a great deal over the last 20 years and a large part of this is due to the forward thinking of people like Ray Key and Reg Hawthorne to name but 2 who are still involved to this day.
 To paraphrase Kennedy, ask not what your Association can do for you but what you can do for it, as you owe it for the hobby that you have today.

[David Buskell]

Woodndesign's comment says it all! There needs to be some transitional arrangements otherwise we'll be in trouble.

Good to see Ray & Reg at the WCT event a few weeks ago - both working hard for the cause, as always.

[Graham]

I don't know if any of you are familiar with the RPS ( Royal Photographic Society ) but they have panels sit every few months to which you submit a body of work and if it meets their criteria they award a distinction LRPS ( Licentiate) ARPS ( associate) or FRPS ( Fellow) according to which one you applied for. They are not qualifications as in the sense of 'you must have them' but it tells people the holder has reached a certain standard and professional photographers would be expected to have at least the LRPS.