Chapter Bulletin - February 2015
February 5, 2015
The following topics are covered in this Chapter Bulletin. We encourage you to share all or any portion of this information with your entire chapter membership.
IN THIS BULLETIN
· 2015 Chapter Insurance Programs
· 2015 AAW Pittsburgh Symposium Announcements
· Preview of the February Issue of American Woodturner
· IRS Announces New Streamlined 501(c)(3) Application Process
· AAW 2015 Printed Directory - Still Time to Order
TAW SYMPOSIUM
This past weekend, I attended the Tennessee Association of Woodturners (TAW) 2015 symposium in Franklin, Tennessee. The TAW symposium is among the largest of the regional symposiums and their event drew 353 attendees. A total of 33 AAW chapters were represented and attendees came from 27 states, including Tennessee. Half of the attendees traveled from out of state.
In a touching visual display of the generosity of woodturners, the TAW instant gallery displayed 48 Beads of Courage boxes that are destined for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
I want to thank Brian Clarry and Jeff Brockett for their kind attention to me, and for all of the arrangements they made for AAW to have a presence in the trade show. I also want to extend my appreciation to the entire organizing committee for their efforts in producing what appeared to be a perfect event.
Regional symposia are held across the U.S. throughout the year. These events offer valuable and affordable opportunities to experience demonstrations by renowned woodturners and to experience the engagement of coming together with other woodturners.
EVENTS CALENDAR
The AAW lists upcoming events, including schedules for each regional symposium, on the online event calendar. I encourage you take advantage of this calendar to inform your chapter members about upcoming events near to you. Additionally, I encourage chapters to submit to the online calendar dates, details, and schedules for events that you may be hosting.
AAW online event calendar is available at http://www.woodturner.org/events/event_list.asp
Submit your upcoming events at http://aaw.site-ym.com/default.asp?page=CalendarSubmissions
2015 CHAPTER INSURANCE PROGRAMS
Renewal of chapter insurance under the AAW Group Plan takes place on February 15, 2015, (this notice is repeated from the January Bulletin). All chapters that participated in the AAW Group Plan in 2014 will automatically renew on February 15, 2015 and will remain enrolled for the 12-month policy period. AAW will email an invoice to each participating chapter president for the $95 contribution toward our premium.
If your chapter has decided not to renew this insurance, please send an email to Linda Ferber at linda@woodturner.org.
ALL chapters should confirm their insurance coverage for 2015 at (on the form at the bottom of the page) http://www.woodturner.org/?page=InsuranceChapters.
2015 AAW PITTSBURGH SYMPOSIUM
The AAW Board of Directors and staff conducted a planning visit to Pittsburgh in January. The board toured the convention center and arranged a planning session with all local volunteer committee chairs. Dave Dudney, our Pittsburgh liaison, has done a stellar job arranging an excellent local organizing team. Advance preparations are underway and all indicators show the Pittsburgh symposium may be among the highest attended AAW symposiums of all time.
The hotel reservation rate is running ahead of expectations and additional hotels are in the process of being added. We encourage everyone planning to attend the symposium to make arrangements as early as possible.
Information and details about the Pittsburgh symposium are being continually updated on the AAW website. I would like to call your attention to the following special announcements.
Call for Entries
AAW will link all symposium-related call for entries on this page. This page may also be used by regional symposiums and chapters to post their call for demonstrators.
Visit the call for entries page at http://www.woodturner.org/?page=CallforEntry
Submit a call for entry at http://aaw.site-ym.com/default.asp?page=CalendarSubmissions
Volunteer Symposium Videographers – Application Deadline is February 15th
The AAW seeks experienced videographers for its 29th International Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA, June 25-28, 2015. Applicants should have experience with video camera equipment, possess technical competence, and be able to make decisions regarding lighting, shooting angle, placement of microphone, etc.
Deadline for applications for videographer positions is February 15th. Apply here: http://www.woodturner.org/?page=2015CallVideographer
Symposium Chapter Collaborative Challenge (C3) – Time to Plan Your Project
The Chapter Collaborative Challenge (C3) provides an opportunity for building team spirit within a club while creating a masterpiece that will live on well after its debut at the symposium.
C3 information and rules are available at http://www.woodturner.org/?page=C3
ReTurn to the Community Projects – A Chance to Give to Others
Empty Bowls - The 2015 AAW Symposium ReTurn to the Community “Empty Bowls” project will support Variety the Children’s Charity of Pittsburgh (Variety). Variety offers adaptive and assistive technologies to children with disabilities to allow them to gain the freedom to be as active, involved, accepted, and independent as possible. The local Pittsburgh chapters are issuing an open invitation to all AAW chapters to create and donate bowls (or other turned items) which will be sold to help support Variety’s programs.
Learn more and plan ahead to donate to the Empty Bowls project.
Beads of Courage - In Pittsburgh, the AAW will continue to show its support for the Beads of Courage program, a nonprofit that provides innovative, arts-in-medicine supportive care to transform the treatment experience for children coping with serious illness. Woodturners make and donate to Beads of Courage lidded bowls or boxes which will hold the beads children acquire as they go through stages of treatment. The donated containers will be displayed in the Instant Gallery and will be delivered to local hospitals.
Learn more and plan for your chapter’s donation to Beads of Courage.
More information About ReTurn to the Community - Please contact Linda Ferber at linda@woodturner.org for more information about contributing pieces to either of these important charitable projects.
Symposium Event App for Mobile Devices – Download Now Available
The Guidebook event app for mobile devices is available to everyone for the AAW’s Pittsburgh symposium. With the app, you'll have all the rotations, demonstrators, trade show exhibitors, floor plans, and messaging at your fingertips. The Guidebook app is ready to install now and you can save time by downloading the app before the symposium.
Instructions for how to download the app are available at http://www.woodturner.org/resource/resmgr/Symposium2015/GuidebookAppInstr2015.pdf
Demonstrator Line-up – Complete Listing Now Online
The experience with superior demonstrators who have a diverse and engaging range of topics is the number one factor in the experience ratings in our surveys of attendees at AAW symposia. The line-up of demonstrators for the Pittsburgh symposium is among the largest ever assembled.
All of the demonstrators and panel discussion leaders are now listed on the AAW website at http://www.woodturner.org/?page=2015Schedule
Instant Gallery – Bring Up to Three Pieces of Your Work
The Instant Gallery will cover nearly 50,000 square feet and we encourage all registered attendees to bring up to three pieces for presentation in the Instant Gallery during the event. There will also be a section devoted to non-turned member art.
Save time by pre-registering your work for the Instant Gallery at http://www.woodturner.org/?page=2015IGPreRegister
Pittsburgh Schedule – Plan Ahead
Information is being added continually to the symposium pages on the AAW website as additional event details become available. A number of pre-symposium activities are planned for Thursday, June 25th, including the welcome reception, special exhibition opening, and a variety of Special Interest Night topics. The symposium woodturning rotations will begin on Friday morning, June 26th.
The Omni William Penn Hotel is now accepting reservations at the AAW special group rate of $145 per night. Additional hotels will be added soon. Please visit the AAW website symposium page for all the latest information about lodging at http://www.woodturner.org/?page=2015HotelVenue
Young Turners Program - Encourage Youth to Attend and Participate
New for 2015, the AAW is introducing a special exhibit in the Instant Gallery devoted entirely to youth and student turning. Additionally, we would like to call your attention to the call for entry for Turning to the Future: Student Woodturning Competition and Exhibition for high school and post-secondary students. There will be cash prizes and deadline is May 1st.
More information, including rules and application, can be found at http://www.woodturner.org/?page=StudentEntry
COMING IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF AMERICAN WOODTURNER
The February AAW journal should be reaching mailboxes this week. The following features and articles offer practical guidance with broad appeal to all woodturners.
· Make a Decorative Inlay Pen - Charles Mak describes an easy process for creating eye-catching pen designs.
· Turning and Carving a Wave-Rim Bowl - Capture the energy and sweep of a curling wave-form in your turned bowl, by Neil Scobie.
· Turn the Knob - Mike Peace demonstrates how to add spice and character to your project pulls with custom shapes and exotic woods.
· Square Hollow Bottle from One Disk: The Evolution of an Idea - Where do creative ideas come from? David Springett elaborates on the collaborative process he and Nick Agar followed to develop their unique designs.
· Build a Shopmade Chuck for Offset Turnings - An inexpensive, safe, and vibration-free way to turn offset patterns, by David Mueller.
· Jewelry Made Easy - Small is beautiful. Make something elegant and unique from your tag ends and scraps of wood, by Janice Levi.
IRS ANNOUNCES STREAMLINED 501(C)(3) APPLICATION PROCESS
AAW will soon introduce an updated best practices bulletin for chapters interested in pursuing recognition as a charitable organization by the IRS under subchapter 501(c)(3). The IRS has recently established a new, streamlined “1023EZ” online application that promises to simplify the process and accelerate the review and approval timeline. We will inform you as soon as our new best practices bulletin is published.
The IRS has published a circular with information about the submission requirements and process on their website at http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/New-1023-EZ-Form-Makes-Applying-for-501c3Tax-Exempt-Status-Easier-Most-Charities-Qualify
ORDER THE 2015 AAW PRINTED DIRECTORY
AAW’s Resource Directory is a valuable tool that enables members of the AAW community to connect. A hardcopy of the Resource Directory is printed every two years, and the next printing is scheduled for early 2015.
Update Your Personal Profile Information - To ensure that your member information will be up to date in the printed directory, please log in to your AAW member account at http://www.woodturner.org and review your profile data. Updates must be made by February 28, 2015, for changes to be reflected in the printed directory. All members current as of this date will be included in the directory (unless they have elected not to be included).
How to Order Your Directory - The printed 2015 Resource Directory is available to members for a fee of $5 which covers shipping and handling. Members may purchase multiple copies. The directory will be mailed to members who order them in April 2015.
Order your copy by February 28, 2015, at http://www.woodturner.org/default.asp?page=2015ResourceDir
MANY THANKS
The AAW would like to recognize and thank the Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild for placing the AAW logo and link on their chapter homepage along with the caption, “OVWG is proud to be one of 350+ worldwide chapters of the American Association of Woodturners. We encourage you to join this fine organization.” The AAW is grateful to the OVWG for its enduring support.
Yours respectfully,
Phil
Please Update Member & Chapter Information
Member Updates ~ This is a reminder that our chapter officer listings are only as accurate as the information supplied by you. The AAW Member Directory is available 24/7 on our new and improved website at woodturner.org. Changes you make electronically are “live” for all to see immediately. A hard copy of the Directory is also printed every two years, and the next printing is scheduled for early 2015. To ensure your member profile information is correct in the upcoming printed Directory, please login to your membership account, and review/update your profile by December 31, 2014.
Chapter Updates ~ The new website gives us valuable information regarding chapters, so we are also requesting that chapter presidents (or appointed officers) submit changes to their club’s information using the online form.
New Website ~ AAW’s website has improved design, navigation, and function. Content is updated often to give you a reason to visit regularly. You can now go online to renew your AAW membership, build a member profile (including photos), send messages to other members, control your privacy settings, print your membership card, view your AAW invoices, and more.
Questions? In anticipation of potential questions and login concerns, we have created a Frequently Asked Questions webpage to address the most likely issues.