Firstly hands up, I've never been to a seminar, reasons being time of year (have to take my holidays in school holidays), other commitments, I'm an avid cricket fan and this is Test Match time, and justifying costs (£40 - £80 for a day of international cricket before anybody asks). You may even guess who I am by now, if not here's another clue, I've been involved in running a successful turning club for 14 years.
Long ago, when I first spoke to wood turners, I got the impression that the AWGB and RPT were elitist organisations, rightly or wrongly that's the impression I got. Our club was a member of the now defunct Northern Federation, and believe me the members that I met at their meetings only re-inforced the elitist impression, especially as the AWGB at that time was 'down south'.
Well we only have one pro organisation now, so you have little choice, the AWGB have the monopoly. I am a hobby turner and our club is predominantly hobby turners, we have 45 members and as far as I'm aware only 1 member earns his living working wood. So how do we get rid of the elitist impression?
I have no silver bullet, but maybe, just maybe if the AWGB organised a local event which included a number of clubs that might be a start. You see I think the idea of a grand seminar every 2 years does little to dispel this elitist tag, for the common man, which is how I would describe myself.
Our members ask themselves the question, 'Would our club fail if it were not for the AWGB?' they think the answer is no, we might have to go elsewhere for our insurance but our club would carry on as long as we support it and our committee give us what we want at a reasonable cost. Our club has gone from a 'hand to mouth' existence to being comfortably off as far as finance is concerned but we are more than money, we are a club.
So if the AWGB is serious about changing the format and wants the members opinion then they have to 'get out there' and ask, as our members money was 'lost' in the seminar, I hope that's what the AWGB does.
By the way, I think the number of issues of Revolutions could be cut, why not just send a proportionate number of copies to clubs, I for one don't need my own personal copy.