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Membership

Palmetto Woodturners meets once a month - usually on the first Saturday of the month - at Mann Tool & Supply in West Columbia. Our club brings in some of the best woodturners - regionally and nationally - to teach and demonstrate their techniques. Whether you're just thinking about taking up a gouge and turning your first bowl, or you've done some woodturning in the past and want to try your hand at it again or are a seasoned turner, you're bound to find something new to learn. More importantly, you'll meet great people who share a love of all things woodturning!

Our Saturday meetings are all about the demonstration - usually by a professional woodturner. Our demonstrators share their experience and techniques. You'll be able to watch all the action on a large screen.

Our members bring in their own work for our Instant Gallery. Our club has some very talented and innovative woodturners who bring their latest creations to share. For those who really want to improve their designs, if asked, our demonstrator will give you their constructive critique!

Visitors are always welcome. Our President, when the meeting is called to order, will ask if any visitors are present. Please stand up and tell us your name and where you're from. We would love to welcome you to our club. There is no fee for first time guests.

Joining

If you decide to join, our annual membership fee is $35.00. We ask that the annual membership fee be paid by check (if possible) so that we can maintain a paper trail. Every member is also required to pay a Demonstrator Fee of $10 (non-professional demonstrator) or $15 (professional demonstrator) at each meeting that he or she attends. To apply, please fill out this form and deliver or mail to the person listed on the application.

Our Hands On Classes, offered to members only, are perhaps the biggest benefit to becoming a member. On the Friday before our regular meeting, we often hold a special class with the demonstrator for the month. Our club has ten mini-lathes so, each month, members can learn woodturning from some of the best woodturners around.

Library

Palmetto Woodturners maintains a woodturning library filled with books, magazines, videotapes and DVD's that cover many aspects of woodtuming. In order to check out materials from the library, you must be a PWT member for at least one month and have a membership ID number assigned by the Treasurer. All items are checked out for one month and are due back at the next meeting. Checkouts are limited to a total of three items per month, and the fee is $1.00 per item. Overdue fines are assessed at $3.00 per item. Failure to return and pay fine due can result in Library privileges being revoked.

Scholarships

Palmetto Woodturners awards eight scholarships on an annual basis in three categories:

General PWT Scholarship: One limited scholarship is awarded by a raffle open to each member present at the December meeting. This scholarship can be used for attending a quality educational program.
President's Challenge Scholarship: One limited scholarship is awarded by raffle open to all members who participate in the President's Challenge program during the calendar year the raffle is conducted. This scholarship can be used for attending a quality educational program.
PWT Hands-on-Class Scholarships: Six individual scholarships in amounts not exceeding $100 are awarded by a raffle open to each member present at the December meeting. These scholarships are intended for use attending a monthly hands-on-class offered by Palmetto Woodturners.

Mentors

If you don’t have enough time to make all of the mistakes other woodturners have made, you’re in luck. Many of our members are willing to share their skills through mentoring or private/group instruction.

Our mentors assist new members who need help with the fundamentals of turning. Some of the subjects that can be covered are safety, wood acquisition and handling, recommended tools, elementary tool sharpening, the basics of rough turning of green wood, bowl turning tips, chucking methods, use of "super glues", and basic finishing procedures.

The goal of this mentoring is to bring the new turner up to speed on some of the basics, build confidence, and establish skills that they could improve through advanced instruction.

For mentoring, contact:

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