The Villages Woodworker’s Club

 

Board of Directors Meeting

 

Thursday June 22, 2017

 

Board members in attendance: Bill McGinnis, Conway Williams, Frank Giaccone, Bernie Harkins, Sandy Moraco, Harm Borfitz, Bob Bell and John Herega. 

Absent: Sandy Fuller

 

Others in attendance: Mike Borfitz, President - Jim Spallone, Vice President - Doug Parks, Treasurer - Patty Porter, Secretary - Anne Belle, Office Administration - Dave Adamovich, Shop Administration and Ray Roberts.

 

Meeting called to order at 6:58pm.

 

Quorum established based on the Board of Directors in attendance.

 

Motion to approve the May 25, 2017 minutes made by Harm Borfitz and second Conway Williams and unanimously approved by all.

 

Guest: Member Ray Robert’s presented a request for a BOD Member to submit a “Proposal to Limit VWC Membership”.  Requesting the following;

·        Close the membership to VWC.

·        Notify “The Villages” to stop sending prospective home buyers to the VWC.

·        Allow attrition to reduce membership to safe number (e.g. 750 members).

·        Reopen membership below the Safe Number or after facility expansion.

 

Mr. Roberts sited the reason for this action; “as the continued (and now expanding) growth of “The Villages” has caused overcrowding of the VWC facility to the point that our machines are too close together and we do not have safe passageways for people and supplies.  Also, our parking lot is again reaching the point of restriction”.

 

“Continuing to allow membership growth within current facility limitations would significantly add to our safety issues, hamper our out-reach programs (toys and special projects) and further restrict existing member’s opportunities to accomplish their projects in a timely manner”.

 

“The only way the VWC can continue to safely add new members is to expand our facility space and add new machines, to correct our overcrowding and service the demands of the existing and growing membership.”

 

“Since “The Villages” owns and maintains the facility, the VWC is powerless to remedy the situation without expansion. All we can do unilaterally is to restrict our membership.”

 

“Precedent for this action: When other facilities owned by “The Villages” begins to come near their safe limits of operation, (Rec. Center or Swimming Pool), their facility employees use counters and notify people that the facility is full and no more people will be allowed in.”

 

Discussion: President Mike Borfitz advised she met with VCDD District Supervisor, Janet Tutt on June 6th to advise of the club’s need to expand our space based on overcrowding due to continued growth and based OSHA standards, used to determine our level of safety.  Square footage data and a map of the shop was also provided, along with other statics. Ms. Tutt advised she would take all of our information presented, to Mr. Morse for review and get back to us. Board members agree that something must be done about safety and overcrowding, as well as the pros and cons of limiting membership.  The Board tabled this request to allow Ms. Tutt time to respond to our request to expand the shop.

 

Officer’s Reports:

 

President – Mike Borfitz

Our total members and volunteers, as reported at the general membership meeting, is well over 920.   

 

IT is still looking for a backup volunteer to work systems and hardware. This will stay as an open request until a volunteer can be found.

   

Librarian, Mary Anne Main, is currently checking out the computers in the library, she’s reached out to the library team and she’s looking at possibly using bar codes.  She’s presently on vacation and will follow-up when she returns. Discussion: Conway Williams advised that Mary Anne was having trouble with TV’s and DVD players. Mike will follow-up with IT.

 

PR, Frank Roth with the Daily Sun recently published an article about stained glass in the club. Frank gathered information about stained glass from one of the members a long while ago, without going through PR.

Discussion: Board advised that members giving information to the local media was problem last year, since it was done without the permission of the Board, President or Public Relations for the club. Mike will have an email sent advising that anyone contacted by the media about the club, needs to contact her. Also, she’ll advise Frank Roth with Daily Sun, to come to her first, if he would like to interview our members to write an article about the club. 

 

Shop expansion or not.  Mike met with Janet Tutt on June 6th., to present our needs to expand the club. Ms. Tutt responded that Mr. Morse is very committed to build a second site south of Hwy 44 in two years.  Mike asked if the District would consider buying a new shed and/or expanding the square footage of the present shop based on present overcrowding and continued growth of our membership. Mike presented Ms. Tutt with all the data compiled by the Expansion Committee illustrating the need to expand the club.  Ms. Tutt advised she would take all into consideration and will provide Mr. Morse with a copy as well. Ms. Tutt advised we would hear back in a few weeks, and as of yet, we have not heard from her. Mike will continue to follow-up.    

 

Mike advised of a potential member, who is special needs person, who might be joining with his father.  This 62-year-old man is an experienced at home wood worker, under his father’s guidance. Mike, Jim Spallone, John Herega and Conway Williams have met with this man and opined he will need hand holding in certification and they are willing to help. His father said he will do whatever it takes until we are comfortable with this potential member.  

 

Vice President – Jim Spallone: Everyone is enjoying the newly paved cart path.         

 

Treasurer – Doug Parks: Financial Reports: Not in attendance.   

 

Other Reports

Office Administration – Anne Bell:  Getting ready for the at home “Intro to Lathe” class on Monday.  Next month will bring the Club’s 2018 calendar for the Board’s approval.

 

Shop Maintenance/Administration – Dave Adamovich: Purchased new drill press, training is needed to learn how to set the stop. He has two new volunteers, Grumpy who will give 1 to 2 days a week, Brian and Bob Hunt who’ll help with the machines. This will carry him through the summer, until Bob and Walt return.  In July, he’ll begin training Glenn Croteau who will eventually take over his job.

 

Toys – Conway Williams:  Reports we’ve satisfied our commitment to the Children’s Home Society for 2016 and 2017 producing 1110 toys with donation value of $13,787. Production report; In May produced 748 toys with year to date production of 3529 toys. We are running about the same as last year. In May shipped 427 toys with year to date shipping of 2137 toys with donation value of $16,650.  

 

Committee Updates:   

Safety Committee – John Herega:  A matter that has been thorn in the committee’s side is to be sure that instructors follow our safety procedures.  John did meet with Bob Matthews, Education Manager this week and they still need to work on getting something together to present to the instructors. Bob Matthews now has an assistant Debbie Larouere, retired school teacher. Who will be helping in this endeavor, when Bob Matthews is not available.    

 

John said, often times a member shows interest in giving a class and we have a difficult time getting them in touch with Bob Matthews, to have the class approved and set-up. Therefore, it’s necessary to have someone who’s readily available to assist in these matters, so we don’t dismiss and miss out on the talent available to us.

 

The beginners “Intro to Turner” at home study is ready and will be rolled out on Monday.   

 

The committee has suggested adding glass windows in both doors.  The glass has to be fire retardant. Jim Spallone will follow-up with the VCDD Property Management Staff regarding same.

 

John reported Turner’s supplies have been inventoried and as a heads up, advised a lot of tools need to be replaced.

 

Unfinished Business: Harm and Bob provided the Board their “Stained Glass Situation within The Villages Woodworkers Club (VWC)”.  It’s an examination of the facts, followed by the proposal to formally discontinue stained glass practices within VWC.  Proposal to Discontinue Stained Glass Efforts Within VWC.

 

Discussion: Bernie Harkins and Bill McGinnis explained when the VWC was formed it was to solely concentrate on carving, turning and general woodworking endeavors. They were asked to bring in metal working and the club founders said no, only wood working endeavors.  The VWC by-laws; state the club is to concentrate on carving, turning and general woodworking endeavors. Also, the VWC contract with the VCDD states that club is solely to concentrate on carving, turning and general woodworking endeavors.  Stained glass was unofficially brought into the club by a carver and continued from then on without Board approval.  Board members agreed that stained glass activity as a stand-alone medium as a group and individually does not belong in the wood club.  This activity can be done at any one of the recreation centers.  The Board agreed to give the stained-glass supplies and equipment away to a member who wishes to form a group in a VCDD Rec Center.  The Board reviewed the “Proposal to Discontinue Stained Glass Efforts Within VWC” and opined that it needs to be reworded. The proposal will be rewritten and presented at the next Board meeting to be voted on. Mike Borfitz advised that she will notify the Stained-Glass group that the Board is moving to discontinue stained glass activity in the club/shop and that they are welcome to attend the July board meeting in which voting will take place.

 

New Business:   Increase 2018-membership initiation fees and member dues.  Discussion: Board sees no financial reason to increase 2018 membership initiation fees and members’ dues. Motion made by Bob Bell and second by Bernie Harkins not to increase 2018 dues and initiations fees and was unanimously approved by all.

 

Motion to adjourn made by John Herega and second by Bernie Harkins and unanimously approved by all. Meeting adjourned at 8:41pm

 

Meeting minutes prepared by Patty Porter, VWC Secretary on June 29, 2017.

 

Minutes approved by the Board of Directors: July 27, 2018