November/December 2022 President’s Message

by
Arthur Lee

As I write this, it has been just over a week since my mother passed and we ended our 75th Jubilee in La Grange. The Jubilee was a success with about 45 in attendance, fantastic food at Camp Lonestar and great wood and craft auctions. We also had a well-attended champion tree excursion, informative Berdoll sawmill tour, architectural woodwork viewing at Festival Hall, a world-class burl and figured wood show at Casino Hall in La Grange, demonstrations on a lathe, a the veneer lampshade talk, a reservations-only “lunch and learn” by famous gourmet chef Mike Morphew and an on-site Wood-Mizer demonstration.

I would like to thank Dan and Gay Keierleber for providing the lathe, sawmill and the registration bags andgoodies, Eric Krum for the name tags, and Mark Thomas and Natasha Bakuvda for the Texas ebony milled boards and turning blanks. Thanks to Daniel Lewis and Mark Kroeze, foresters with Texas A&M Forest Service, for providing tour guide services for the champion live oak tree tour in Columbus and Festival Hall in Round Top, TX and the “Walk in the Forest” tour. Also, a big thanks to Gary Green and Christine Henning with the registration and logistical help. We also appreciate Gary and others for contributing wood and crafts to the auctions that seemed to be very lucrative for the IWCS this year. And, if it were not for Patti and Bob Dickherber running the registration table and show, the Jubilee would not have been successful.

Thank you to Bob Chastain, Roger Pletcher and Kevin Bassett for the turning demonstrations, and Matt Shane for his PowerPoint presentation on veneer lampshade making process. Thanks too to Brandon Berdoll for taking two and a half hours of his time to show us all the aspects of his sawmilling and wood drying and processing operation, as well as for the free caps and t-shirts. Another event that was well attended and raved about was the “Beyond the Bark” burl and figured wood show that was set up at the Casino Hall in downtown La Grange by David and Christi Flicker. The reception was very nice and was sponsored and run by Dwayne and Janice Naylor and the owner of the exhibited items. Thanks as well to Ron Skipper, Francisco Rodrigues and Kevin Bassett for the help with breakdown of the burl show at Casino Hall. Thanks Don Smith, Art Lee, Thom Bundza, Gary Green and Bob Chastain for being auctioneers and helpers. We also very much appreciate all the work Art Lee has put into updating our website. I also really appreciate all the help from the “Old timers” with organization as I learn the ropes and assume my presidency. I have a lot to learn from Ya’ll and thank you for your patience.

I am looking forward to progress on three fronts as our new year starts. Under the leadership of John Lyons (President Elect) updated Membership Directories will be posted on our website periodically. The importance of an updated Directory cannot be overemphasized. Many members count on other members’ contact information when they are travelling and would like to visit them.

Dennis Wilson (First Past President) will continue his work with rewrites and updates to our society’s Constitution and Bylaws.

We must find a host for our 2023 AGM. This last item needs to be taken care of very soon. It takes many months to organize an annual meeting. Please consider hosting this event. It does not need to be in the United States.

While my style will not be to micromanage any of these projects, please realize that I sincerely offer any help you need or that I can provide you in achieving any of your goals. I am just a call or e-mail away.

May The Forest Be With You

Mark Duff