Dedicated to providing education, information and organization to those who are interested in woodturning. Beginning in 2010, the AW Journal will be published six times a year.

The current issue is August 2010, Volume 25, No. 4, and began mailing to the membership on 26 July.

This information is provided as a supplement to the August 2010 (Vol. 25 No. 4), American Woodturner, pages 7 - 9... 2010 AAW Board Candidates:

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• John Ellis - Placitas, NM - has withdrawn his name from consideration
  
  

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• Aaron Hammer - Hauula, HI - email

  • Personal website
  • YouTube channel
  • Hammercraft on HGTV"S That's Clever (online video)
    
    

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• Pope A. Lawrence - Merced, CA - email

              I have been following closely the Forum discussion threads regarding the controversy that has ensued since the Hartford symposium. I have contributed several posts to the various threads of discussion. I believe all are available for perusal if anyone is interested.
              One of my reasons for submitting my candidacy is that I believe I can play an effective role in the participatory governance of AAW, and provide service to the community of woodturning.
  As indicated in my statement, I have served on several boards of directors of 501 (c) (3) corporations, and have worked to resolve the tensions that can happen when there is serious conflict.  I think it is important to encourage the free flow of expression of ideas, but that said, I also support the governance structure mandated by State and Federal law regarding these types of corporations. 
              If anyone has questions about my background, experience, or positions on AAW issues please do not hesitate to e-mail me.

I ask for your support.

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• Botho von Hampeln - Ashton, ON, Canada - email
  

            To say I was puzzled when asked to stand for election to the board of the AAW would be an understatement. The request certainly didn’t arrive because of my turning abilities. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed working with wood since about 1952 but it’s only over the last decade or so that I’ve been a devotee of woodturning.
            The majority of my strengths lie in the business, financial, and fund raising/awareness areas. The AAW has grown tremendously over the years without having lost it’s individual touch. At it’s peak, one of my companies employed over 200 people, and I knew them all by name, and most of their families as well. I believe in the personal touch. With thirteen thousand members, keeping that personal touch will be a considerable challenge. In light of my telecommunications experience, this may end up being at least somewhat easier than it sounds. As a director and then the former president of a nationwide association of telecom providers, I am aware of the necessity of both recognizing and reconciling regional differences and requirements.
            Ideally I would like to help grow and expand the organization in it’s abilities to support members, offer continuing education for members as well as introducing our favorite pastime to new generations. To do this we need budget management and fiscal responsibility so that all may share in the benefits of the AAW.
            On a more personal note (I hope this won’t sound like a dating ad) I am a 76 year old, happily married father of one recently married daughter. Unfortunately, my son-in-law is an electronics geek but I may still convert him to the wonders of wood. My wife of 52 years, Helga, has tolerated my newfound addiction to collecting wood. Needed or not. In fact, I am now feeding that addiction again, but in a business sense. Five years ago I started an Amish Furniture business and I tremendously enjoy my buying trips to Amish country in Ohio and Indiana. So once again I am back to budgeting, and planning for  the future of my business. I would like to bring these skills to ensure the longevity and viability of the AAW.
            I would appreciate your support in allowing me to use my skills to the best advantage for our association.

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• Stan Wellborn - Washington, DC - email

Here's a profile on Stan from the Capital Area Woodturners

            From my first association with AAW during its startup years, I have always valued the knowledge and experiences I have found in this great organization. The local clubs, the symposiums, the American Woodturner, and the friendships gained remind me again and again of the genuine benefits of my AAW membership. I’m constantly impressed by and grateful for the way woodturners share their expertise and techniques with others. And I continue to be amazed by the exceptional quality of work being produced – by amateur and hobbyist turners as well as professionals.
            After encouragement from several Board members and other senior AAW officials in recent months, I feel my experience in journalism and publishing and with nonprofit organizations could be useful to the work of the Board of Directors.
            Like most AAW members, I am not a professional. I began turning in the early 1970s on a table-top lathe my dad gave me, and I pretty much taught myself, making candlesticks and lamps and simple bowls while reading Dale Nish books. The relaxation, enjoyment, and fulfillment I get from turning useful and attractive objects – and giving them to friends and family – are for me what this pastime is all about.
            Those experiences have made me realize the continuing need for an organization that raises the profile of our craft and provides the education and training opportunities for those who want to grow their ability, both in technique and design. This applies to those who are new to the lathe as well as for experienced turners, and for those working in remote workshops as well as those with access to nearby clubs. AAW’s mission must always be to enhance its value to both long-time and new members through constant upgrades to its services, whether they are on the website, in the journal, at the symposiums, or in the support of youth programs, public outreach, and collaborations with likeminded groups, such as Collectors of Wood Art and American Craft Council.
            By way of background, I was a reporter and editor for more than 25 years, mostly with U.S. News & World Report magazine. I also wrote many articles for Fine Woodworking magazine during its startup years. I currently am an editorial advisor of American Woodturner and have written and edited a several articles for the journal. I am a member of two woodturning clubs in the Washington, DC, area – the Montgomery County (Maryland) Woodturners and the Virginia-based Capital Area Woodturners, and have attended numerous national and regional symposiums. For the past four years, I have been a member of the AAW Best Practices Committee.
            Since I left the news business, I have worked in communications for nonprofit organizations, including two nonpartisan “think tanks” as well as with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national philanthropy. I am on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit American Youth Work Center, publisher of Youth Today, a monthly newspaper that circulates nationally and focuses on youth programs and policies. I also am a licensed referee for USRowing, the national membership organization that supports American rowers at the scholastic and elite levels. Although I am currently employed full-time, I plan to retire or substantially cut back in early 2011.
            We all know that the one constant in this world is change. We see evidence every day of an ongoing revolution in technology, communications, education, and business conditions. It is imperative that AAW continually reassess, upgrade, and professionalize its operations – including its website, journal, advertising and marketing, and membership services – in order to remain strongly connected to its current and future members. To build our membership base and retain its support, we must avail ourselves of all the talent, the resources, and the capacity for hard work that a vital and forward-looking organization must have today.
            Finally, I believe that a central duty of AAW is to preserve and honor the legacy of our master turners – the Prestinis, Stocksdales, Ellsworths, Lindquists, Drozdas, Gilsons, Raffans, Lacers, and Hogbins, among many others – who pioneered the modern rebirth of woodturning and pointed the way to the exquisite forms that we see today in museums and private collections. It goes without saying that we also must encourage through the Professional Outreach Program those known and yet-unknown artisans who are currently extending those traditions. It is these turners who continue to inspire and challenge us, and drive even the casual hobbyist to push beyond the routine and explore the possible.

I look forward to contributing my efforts to serving those needs.

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• Tom Wirsing - Longmont, CO

            I am currently serving as president of the AAW.  I am running for a second term on the Board of Directors.  I ask for your support. The AAW has seen many improvements during my time on the board, but there is much work still to be done, and I would like to remain involved.

My vision for the coming year includes:

1. An AAW which attracts more members, more younger members, more women, more minority members, more non-US members
2. An AAW which attracts more people to attend its local Chapter meetings and to join the AAW
3. An AAW which puts on an annual symposium with increasingly better programs, more world-class demonstrators and panelists, and programs which appeal to every member of the AAW
4. An AAW with a renewed focus on providing excellent educational programs through our Chapters, our publications, our symposia, and through our Educational Opportunity Grant program
5. An AAW Journal, the American Woodturner, which appeals to every member’s interests and skill level.
6. An AAW with a web site which is very attractive and invites everyone to enter, get involved, and join the AAW
7. An AAW which takes advantage of other social networking capabilities which appeal to a younger audience
8. An AAW with updated bylaws which conform to Minnesota statutes governing non-profits, in the creation of which every AAW member has a voice, and which are submitted to the full membership for a vote of approval
9. An AAW which is very well managed financially so we can provide better services to our members at lower costs
10. An AAW which is demonstrably responsive to the wishes of all our members
11. An AAW with such transparent communications with our membership that everyone understands what the AAW is doing and why.
12. An AAW which creates a better way of notifying our membership of upcoming board meetings and has a state-of-the-art conferencing facility which allows our members to dial in easily with a high-quality audio connection.
13. A board of directors which communicates so well within itself, and is so cohesive, that we never experience divisiveness among board members.

            I realize this is a tall order for one year, but we are already working on many of these objectives, and I believe, if we all work together, we can accomplish everything in the coming year.

I ask for your support.

With warm regards,

Tom Wirsing
President
American Association of Woodturners

P.S.  Please visit my web site at thomaswirsing.com

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