Giving Back

Roger Strautman demonstrates chip carving to an attentive audience at the Artistry in Wood show in Dayton, Ohio.

Finding a meaningful way to contribute to your community can be a challenging task. Understandably, you want to derive personal satisfaction from the act, but more importantly, it should have real value for the community.

When Woodcarving Illustrated exhibits at carving shows, it’s our way of flying the company flag. We want folks to know the people behind the pages. Bob and I love chatting with exhibitors and show attendees. We often find a few new contributors and we always get valuable feedback from our readers. But more importantly, it’s a way for us to show our support of the carving community.

The challenge lies in finding a way to show support that provides a real benefit to the community. This year, we hosted a spit-n-whittle at the Artistry in Wood show in Dayton, Ohio. Guest carvers generously donated their time and Belcher Carving Supply loaned us knives and carving gloves. While spitting was highly discouraged, we sure did make a lot of wood chips! Judging from the attendance at our booth and the comments we heard, the event was a huge success. Attendees were able to watch guest carvers demonstrate their skills, ask questions, get some great pointers, and make a few wood chips of their own.

Rick Wiebe of British Columbia, Canada, (see page 20) has been sharing his passion for whittling with his community for more than 20 years. Through his woodcarving classes, Rick is enriching the lives of his students by teaching them the skills they need for a rewarding hobby. It’s obvious Rick doesn’t see his efforts as a duty, but rather an honor.

Giving back to your community doesn’t need to be a major undertaking. If you’re not comfortable teaching a class, arrange to give a short demonstration. Libraries, community outreach programs, and retirement communities are eager to organize events. Display some completed carvings and demonstrate a simple whittling project. Provide a handout sheet with resources where they can obtain more information. Include the location and phone number for your local carving supply shop, some recommendations for educational materials, and your contact information in case they want to learn more. Give us a call and we’ll send you a handful of magazine fliers you can hand out as well.

The key to a successful program is sharing your passion. At Woodcarving Illustrated, we’re passionate about connecting carvers with each other and nurturing the love of woodcarving. That’s why the spit-n-whittle was successful—because we believed in what we were trying to accomplish. Ask yourself what it is you are passionate about—then get out there and share that passion with your community!