Membership Questions

• Who can join the AAW?

Anyone can join AAW who has an interest in woodturning. Membership types are listed in the American Woodturner and the Resource Directory as well as the online applications listed on the "Join AAW - Membership Benefits" page. There are members world-wide. All skill levels of woodturners are members, as well as institutions, collectors, galleries, retailers, manufacturers and other people interested in our craft.

• Does my membership start on the anniversary date or is it annual?

  Membership is by calendar year, running from January 1st until December 31st. If you are a new member (not a renewing member), you have an option when joining to receive journals for the entire current year, or starting in the next calendar year. For example, if it was October 2010 and you wanted to join as a new member, you would have the option of paying the 2010 dues retroactively and getting all six of the 2010 journals, or you could pay the 2010 dues forward and receive six issues of the 2011 journal.

• How do I find my AAW member number? When does my membership expire? What type of membership do I currently have?

  See the address label of your AW Journal, where this information can be found.

• What are the benefits of membership in the AAW? Why join the AAW when I am a member of a local chapter?

  Benefits are listed on the this page. Several significant benefits are your subscription to the American Woodturner, member discounts for publications, videos, and symposium registration, the AAW Resource Directory, and others. Local chapter membership is very important. National membership connects you with the larger audience of turners throughout North America, and the rest of the world.

• What are the responsibilities of membership?

  Members receive a ballot in the Fall of each year for the next year's Board of Directors nominees. It is the responsibility of the members to return the ballots with their choices for the leadership of the AAW.

  Members also have the responsibility to ask questions and provide suggestions for the national group. Members should contact the home office or any of the Directors to provide information. Other information can be found in the by-laws printed in the AAW Resource Directory.

• How do I know if I paid my dues?

  You bank or credit card statement should note the transaction. You should also begin receiving copies of the AW Journal within three or four months, depending on when you register. And, you can always contact the AAW office if you have a question. You can also access the online Members Only area to review and renew your membership in AAW.

• How do I change my address?

  It is very important to provide your change of address promptly, since the post office may not automatically forward the journal to your new address. Please contact the AAW main office to update your personal information. You can also update all of your personal information by accessing the online Members Only area.

• How long will it take to process my membership, and what will I receive?

  Most memberships are processed in 3-4 weeks. If you join through our online webpage, you will receive an email verification. When a new member joins, if they give us an email address, they receive an email confirmation of the transaction as well as a welcome. Due to high postage and labor costs, we do not send out a USPS welcome. Membership cards and a lathe safety notice will be included with new member's first journal delivery.

• Will I get a membership card?

  A membership card, with your unique membership number, may be accessed and printed from the members area after logging on. You'll need to cut the printed card out with a pair of scissors.

• Is the website secure - for product ordering and symposium registration?

  Yes, the website is secure. The online transactions are secured through SSL based webpages. Those webpages encrypt the transactions both ways. The SSL certificate used for the transactions is 128 bits. The certificate is from a leading certificate provider - Digicert. The certificate is renewed periodically.

• Will my privacy and personal date be protected?

  Yes - please read our General Privacy Policy and our Online Privacy Policy.

AAW Organization Questions

• How do I contact the AAW?

  American Association of Woodturners
    222 Landmark Center
    75 West Fifth St.
    St. Paul, MN 55102
    651-484-9094
    651-484-1724 (fax)
  
  email: AAW Inquiries
  

• Who is on the Board of Directors?

  The list of board members are on the Staff and Directors page as well as listed in the Resource Directory. The list is also published on the contents page of each American Woodturner issue.

• How are directors chosen?

  Each year, a list of nominations is received from the general membership through a form in the American Woodturner. The nominations committee takes the list of prospective directors and creates a slate of nominees. The general membership then votes. The nominees receiving the highest number of votes are elected to the board. Answers to many questions are in the AAW by-laws which are published every other year in the AAW Resource Directory.

• What does the board of directors do? When do they meet? Why should I care?

  The AAW board of directors is a working board where directors are active participants in the work at hand. There are a variety of committees which serve the membership including: Conference, Chapters/Membership, Publications, Finance, Education, Nominations, etc. Membership on the committee is made by choice of the directors. (See By-Laws in the Resource Directory for more information).
  
  The AAW directors meet face-to-face several times a year. Historically, in Winter at the site of the future symposium, and after the national symposium in the Summer. There are also two telephone conferences held at other times of the year. The agenda for these meetings is made after a call for agenda items via email or telephone. This agenda is usually extensive. Minutes are kept by the secretary who is a member of the board.
  
  Most contacts are between committee members and/or the staff who actively oversee their responsibilities. These contacts are normally by telephone and increasingly via email.
  
  Other non-regular meetings can happen if planned in advance. Strategic Planning Sessions have taken place where the Board discusses long range and very long range plans for the organization. Since travel and room and board are expensive, meetings such as these are minimized.

• AAW Logo - Can AAW chapters and members use the AAW logo on their business cards, stationery or web site?

  Yes, AAW chapters and members use the AAW logo in any manner described here. Several variations of the AAW logo and the AAW membership logo are located on this same page: AAW Logo (different formats)

• How can chapter Presidents effectively communicate with other chapter Presidents or demonstrators?

  In order for one chapter President to get a message out to other chapter Presidents, one can compose the email that they wish sent to the other Presidents, and send it to the Membership and Chapter Liaison Committee Chair listed here.
  
  In this message, indicate which states you want to have included in your mailing. The message will be sent to all of the presidents in the states that you indicate. If you want to send an email to an individual President, go to the Local Chapter List and locate them. All replies will come back to the original sender.
  
  The same procedure is used for a chapter president to communicate with demonstrators. If you need a demonstrator and you want to communicate with all of them in particular nearby states, send your message as above. To find individual demonstrators go to the Demonstrator Directory.
  
  There is also a AAW forum dedicated to facilitating discussion between Chapter officers, located here.

• How can AAW demonstrators communicate with all chapters in a state or group of states?

  Any demonstrator who is an AAW member and is registered with the POP (Professional Outreach Program), may compose an email that they wish sent to chapter presidents located in an area in which they would like to demonstrate, and send it to Membership and Chapter Liaison Committee Chair listed here.
  
  In this message, indicate which States you want to have included in your mailing. The message will be sent to all of the local chapter Presidents in the States that you indicate. All replies will come back to the original sender. To contact a specific individual local chapter president, go to the Local Chapter List and locate them.

Local Chapters Questions

 

 

• Are all members of local chapters, members of the AAW?

  Not necessarily, these are separate organizations with separate memberships. Some local chapters require membership in the AAW and some do not. Chapters are separate legal entities and generally make their own by-laws. To be a chapter of AAW, the Officers and Directors must be members of the AAW.

• How do I form a local chapter in my area?

  You should check the list of current chapters to see if there is a chapter in your area. If not, please contact the home office to get a chapter start-up kit. Use your AAW Resource Guide to find other AAW members in your area or contact local woodworking businesses to see if there is other interest in your area. You can contact the home office to get a current list of people in your area.
  

• Can I use the AAW tax number for getting a chapter account?

IRS rulings preclude the use of the AAW tax number to get a local chapter bank account. You can get a tax number or use a member's social security number to get an account.

• How can I get a demonstrator for my club?

There is a list of demonstrators in the AAW Demonstrator Directory. The Demonstrator Directory contains a database of demonstrator contacts for woodturning groups. Chapter leaders may also want to communicate with other chapter leaders in their region to see if demonstrators are coming to the area.

Woodturning Resources Questions

 

• How do I get information on parts for my lathe?

You should look in the AAW Resource Directory under Woodturning Resources for listing of tool manufacturers. If you find information on old lathe parts, please contact the AAW office to spread the news. We get many calls about people with older lathes, and where to get parts.

There is also an excellent lathe information and reference tool available by clicking here.

• Where can I get wood to turn?

A large amount of green wood can be collected for free from your local tree trimmers and arborists. You can also purchase a wide range of turning stock from wood vendors listed in the AAW Resource Directory. One of the best resources for finding wood is to contact other turners in your area. Local chapters usually have a number of people who are talented at scouting out fallen timber. Many turners tend to gather more wood than they can turn and will gladly share the excess.

Insurance Questions

 

 

• Does the AAW offer it's members discounted health insurance?

Yes, AAW offers most of our US resident members and their families medical insurance policies at very competitive rates. Click on this link for more information and to get a quote.

• Does the AAW offer liability insurance?

Yes - All AAW members and local chapters are covered. Click here to view a detailed pdf file on the subject. Note that the AAW liability policy has recently been updated, and some of the terms are different. The new policy is being reviewed so that the statements regarding its provisions can be accurately reflected.

• Does the AAW offer it's members insurance for their personal business?

Yes - There is an opportunity to purchase additional business oriented insurance. Click here for more information.

Annual Symposium Questions

 

• Who is responsible for the annual national symposium?

The Board of Directors are responsible for deciding symposium issues after the conference committee makes recommendations.

• How are the sites picked for the annual national symposium?

The conference committee and coordinators are always on the lookout for sites for future symposia. The sites are usually picked from proposals sent in from local chapters or other interested people. These sites are picked several years in advance and rotate through regions. The Symposium page has a map showing the locations future annual symposia. We look for second tier cities where the rates are lower, whenever possible.

• How are demonstrators selected for a symposium?

The Board of Directors selects featured national and international demonstrators for a symposium. A call for proposals for other demonstrations is made a year before the symposium. The proposals and demonstrators are collected and judged by the conference committee. A list of these proposed demonstrators is made to the Board of Directors who vote on the list after discussion.

• Who sets the registration fee for a symposium?

The Board of Directors sets the registration fees and other costs during the January board meeting.

• Does AAW sponsor other symposia such as chapter and regional symposia?

The annual national symposium is the only regularly scheduled event, but other events have been sponsored wholly or in part by the AAW. Regional events sponsored and run by local AAW chapters have often been partially funded through AAW Educational Opportunity Grants. Anyone interested in the subject should contact the home office or the education committee chair as listed on the AAW Staff and Directors page.

 

 

AAW Publications Questions

 

 

• How do I find old articles in American Woodturner?

There is an index published in the journal periodically as well as a searchable on-line version.

• How often is the Journal, American Woodturner, published?

Beginning in 2010, our journal is published six times a year.

• What do I do if I don't get my issue in the mail? My American Woodturner was mangled in the post, what do I do?

Email, telephone, or mail the main office in Minnesota. See the AAW Staff and Directors page for contact information.

• Who is responsible for the American Woodturner?

The editor is responsible for the production of American Woodturner under the guidance of the Publications Committee chair, the administrator, and the board of directors. The current editor is Betty Scarpino, whose contact information may be found here.

• Why is the journal so oriented to beginning turners? Why is the journal so arty?

  Over time, a wide variety of articles of every level and scope of woodturning have been published. The journal is AAW’s primary communication with members; the board of directors seriously considers the content of the journal, following the guidelines in AAW’s bylaws. Many articles pertain to a variety of skill levels, which will appeal to all types and interests of woodturners. The journal will continue to contain a broad range of articles covering projects and techniques, reviews of traditional and contemporary woodturning exhibits, general woodturning news, and association news and notes.

• Do writers get paid for articles?

  The AAW has long been blessed with talented and loyal members who submit articles and photos for publication. We now pay authors for writing project and techniques articles, as well as for exhibit reviews and profiles of woodturners.

• How can I get my article in American Woodturner?

  Please send your article, along with low-resolution digital images, to the editor. The editor will evaluate the content and be in touch with you about your article. You may wish to review back issues of the online journal to see what other references are available for your idea. The editor has provided guidelines for writers and photographers documents which are available online or by email.

• Who gets articles published?

  The authorship in the journal is wide and varied. A review of the tables of content will reveal an extensive number of authors. Many people are prolific writers and enjoy the craft of writing, so are repeat contributors. Some are first-time authors.
  

 

• How do I get my calendar item listed in the American Woodturner?

Contact the AW editor to list your event in the American Woodturner, and use the online event submission form to list your event on the AAW website.

• How often is the Resource Directory published?

The hard-copy Resource Directory (phone book) will be published in 2011. Members renewing or joining before December 31, 2010 will be listed in the directory and will have an option to receive a printed copy. Additionally, a complete listing of membership contact information is available online through our members only area.

 

 

Education Grants and Woodturning Education Questions

 

 

• Who can receive an AAW educational grant?

Members are eligible for educational grants if they have not received one before. Chapters are eligible if they have not received one in the past year. Youth grants have a wide eligibility. Please see the Educational Opportunity Grants page for more information about this topic. The EOG committee members are listed on the AAW Staff and Directors page.

• How are grant proposals judged?

The education committee members all read each grant application and grade them on a scale of 1-7. These grades are combined into a combined score. The grants are then assigned until the funding expires. Names of the individuals are not used in judging.

• Are education grants based on need for financial assistance?

Historically, the education grants given by AAW have not been based on the need for the funds. Information on the grants and application forms are published in American Woodturner and on the web page.

• Where does the AAW get the funds for the educational grants?

There are two funds for grants, the general education fund and the Daphne Osolnik Endowment Fund. Funds for the general education fund come from the annual auction at the national symposium. Funds for the Daphne Osolnik fund come from interest on the endowment and donations.

• How can I contribute to the AAW Educational Grant Fund or the Daphne Osolnik Endowment Fund?

Donations can be made to either of these funds for grants and to the Osolnik Endowment. Please contact the AAW office for information on how to contribute. Donations of turned items for the annual auction are always welcome. The auction is held at the annual symposium banquet each year and all the proceeds of the auction flow into Educational Opportunity Grant program for woodturners.

Woodturning Safety Questions

 

 

• Is woodturning a safe activity?

Woodturning can be a safe activity if you follow safe practices. The lathe is a power tool and can be dangerous if used improperly or by individuals who do not respect the power of the tool and the momentum of a spinning blank. Sometimes things happen that can't be foreseen even if a person is very cautious. Many accidents happen when the turner is tired. Take breaks and stay alert while using any power tools. Never work in the shop under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

• What safety precautions are paramount in woodturning?

Eye protection and respiratory protection are the two paramount issues in woodturning. General shop safety rules are also very important as in any workshop activity. Safe mounting of turning blanks on the lathe and vigilance in assuring the blank or pieces don't fly off the lathe are extremely important.

• What precautions should you take when turning wood?

Woodturning can be dangerous in many ways. You should read the manuals from your equipment manufacturer and avoid modifications to equipment which is not recommended by the manufacturer.

The AAW supplies safety warning information in each renewal confirmation. You should take the precautions in your shop to the extent that you feel comfortable, but be vigilant about safety.

Using a lathe is dangerous in a number of ways including eyes, skin, lungs, and other body parts and functions. You should always wear eye protection. Wood dust can be very dangerous, especially some woods which can be sensitizers and spalting woods with biohazards (see below). You should wear filtering equipment or have adequate ventilation in the shop. Sanding and finishing at the lathe can produce extremely fine dust which is suggested to lead to disease and/or disability.

• What woods are unsafe to use in woodturning?

Click here to view the Wood Toxicity page.

 

 

Miscellaneous Questions

 

 

• How do I get information on woodturning classes?

You should contact your local craft institutions to get information on classes. Also, many instructors have advertisements in the American Woodturner. You may also want to check with local woodworking businesses about local resources. There is also a searchable database of schools available through our online AAW Resources.

• Can AAW help me meet other woodturners in my area?

The AAW Resource Directory contains addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses that is published for our membership. You can use this information to search for other people in your area. You should also contact a local chapter close to your area to see if they have non-AAW members in their roster from your area. Local craft galleries and markets may also be able to tell you of woodturners who sell their pieces at the location.