Well, this month Joe Rusik was pinch hitting for president Carl Borst and called the meeting to order at 7pm November 7, 1999.  It seems Carl was enjoying a performance by comedians Tim Conway & Harvey Korman at the Pepsi Arena.  It might have been a let down for Carl from the comedy acts he usually resides over on Tuesdays!  Anyway, George Hallenbeck, who was sitting in for Martha Colinas, read the meeting minutes from last month.  Minutes were accepted as read and the ‘B’ team carried the meeting off real well.

Don Painter gave a lengthy, three-sentence treasurers report.  Not my observation Don.  It’s here in the minutes.  I actually thought the dynamics were getting better.  You must be getting coaching from your predecessor no doubt.  Bottom line is, we’re still pretty flush with a grand total of $5693.95.  Don’t forget to get your club dues to Don (if haven’t already taken care of that item).

George Hallenbeck gave the show committee report.  This was quite a trick since he was also taking the meeting minutes.  That might explain why this paragraph of the minutes is so hard to decipher… just kidding George.  Invitational mailings went out this month.  Harold and I distributed some entry forms out at the Erie Canal Woodcarvers meeting, and I think the Oneida County Contingency is going to increase by a couple of carvers this year.  George knows that Woodcraft purchased the ‘Blue Moon Saloon’ from the Caricature Carvers of America (CCA) and he is seeing if they’ll display it at our show.  They said they usually only display near Woodcraft franchises.  Hey!  Plant one of them puppies in Albany!  Wouldn’t THAT be a win/win situation?  Thanks to Fred Jenzer, show posters, handouts, and raffle tickets for the Nativity are ready.  Proceeds help fund our big show and the Christmas Make-a-Wish fund we donate to.  Everyone should grab at least a handful.  George thanks all his show committee cohorts for all their help so far.  They are:
 

Jim Molitar                 -    club table
Walt LeClair               -    table setup
Fred Jenzer                 -    nativity raffle
John Raucci                 -    front door
Sr. Mary Ellen             -    publicity
Marcus Kruger            -    judging
Ron Meyers,
Monte Foster,
Betty Meyers
& Ernie D`Assandro    -     ribbons & entries
Dick Moran                 -     guest carver & seminar
Ev Bottsford &
Nelson Downs             -     Whittling Contest
Martha Colinas            -      Judging Report & Auction

… more to come
 

George Twillinger and his gorgeous cane production got a great write up in The Gazette.  Way to go George!

I’m real happy to report that there were some contributions to the newsletter this month.  Whew! That’s a relief… I’m starting to run out of material.  There’s a limit to how much of this stuff I can make up!  We’ll get to those later in this letter… promise.  I really don’t want the contributions limited to the e-mail folks.  Anything you got, drop of to me at the meeting or snail-mail me at:

Our Christmas covered dish supper follows the December 7th meeting.  Yummmm!  Can’t wait.  One dish per couple is your ticket, and if you didn’t sign up, call Kay Borst @ 355-2933.  Bring your own cups and silverware.  Plates, coffee, tea, and soda will be provided.  Don’t forget that Christmas carving to show off at your table.

Carol Ayers says our patches will be ready in a couple weeks.  She made a motion to sell them to members for $3.50 and non-members for $5.00.  See?  Your $6.00 dues already saved you lucky members an easy $1.50.  The vote went to many, many, MANY, enthusiastic ‘ayes’.  There was one ‘nay’… the usual.

Dick Moran reported on the upcoming programs.  We’re in need of some talented folks to present programs for Jan & Feb 2000.  Come on!  We know you’re out there.  What a way to ring in the millennium!  Yeah, yeah, I know.  It doesn’t officially start until next Jan, but hey, 2000 is such a nice round number.  You know it’s special.  If no one steps up, I’ll be forced to give a dissertation on the Y2K computer bug which will be old news by then, and ten times more boring than it already is.  Now there’s a threat!  There is a bright spot since March 2000 promises George Twillinger, Carol Ayers, & Bill McCormick with a program on Carving Canes & Walking Sticks.  Dick listed suggested subjects: carving antlers (a rather pointed discussion), carving safety (or ‘why I can only count to seven’), carving carousel animals (we could go round and round all night on that subject), painting and staining techniques, air brushing, carving fish, creating appropriate mountings/habitat, and deep relief carving (at this point it would be a ‘deep relief’ if
someone would volunteer).  Dick also reports that the David Sabol program has thirteen sign ups with twelve of those having paid their deposits.  We have thirty-five videos in the library.  There were 170 sign-outs over the last 28 months.  The top loners were the ‘sharpening tape’ (signed out 19 times), and Dave Bennett’s ‘Relief Carving in a Different Light’ (with 17 sign-outs).  Great stats Dick.

John Raucci has secured space in a file cabinet at the Innman Center for books, patterns and the like.  We have two donated books, one a carving fish, and Laura Putnam Dunkel’s “Whimsical Birds”.  Plans are in for a motor and wheel for honing carving tools.  Poor John, there were so many phonetic variations on his last name flying around at the meeting that I forgot how it’s really pronounced!  Luckily, I know how to spell it, and he answers to ‘John’ (isn’t that right Mr. Rachi?).  I don’t like to point fingers, but George Hallenbeck started it.

Ok, now the November 13th show at The Innman Center.  In a nutshell, it was a disaster as far as attendance from the non-carving world, but… it was a screaming success in so many other ways that none of the woodcarvers (or their friends) cared.  Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t there, so here’s where this month’s contributors come in to bail me out…
 
 

No offense to the other two, but I obviously saved the best for last.  If Sr. Mary Ellen ever writes a newsletter like that, I’m out of a job!

Our program this month was a slide show by George Hallenbeck.  This guy’s a one-man-show this month.  He even writes the later half of this newsletter!  Actually, it’s comforting to know there’s someone else the spelling-and-grammer checker beats up on as much as me.  He tells me in the minutes here I can write up what I think of his slide presentation…  now he knows I’m not going to take advantage of a wide open shot like that!  The show included photos of the club’s May extravaganza, some club sideshows during the past year, and these neat carving places he finds during his travels.  The photography is awesome, as always.  I don’t know how he gets up on top of those Adirondack Peaks.  I was gasping for air just sitting on my butt looking at his photos!  Besides that, was it Dick Moran behind me, identifying the spots by latitude and longitude?… ya know those are two candidates this tenderfoot won’t be hiking/canoeing with?  “No!  That’s alright boys.  You go ahead and canoe over to that mountain, climb it, and have lunch at the top without me.  I’ll just park myself in this here Adirondack chair, mess around with this nice piece of basswood, and enjoy the view from down here!  Wouldn’t want to slow you down, and I need the carving practice anyway.  Someday I want to carve like John What-his-name.”

Hey folks, next newsletter I report on the culinary delights of our December meeting.  Promise to keep the drool marks to a minimum.  Tell you what… make it easy on me and come sample them or yourself.  See ya!
 

Thursday, Oct. 28th   - Twenty-nine carvers in attendance 

Andy Ebli is back from Austria and displaying 5 or 6 beautiful carvings!  Our home grown "master Carver" out did himself in the Austrian School!  His work is outstanding!

Walt LeClair in with more Cardinals, nicely done and all for sale!  Great X-mas presents.

Sister Mary Ellen hard at work on a sign for a friend’s husband, "Mike's Doghouse".  She's a doggone busy carver!

Mike Fields hard at work on his really attractive fishing lures, trout etc.  Also nice x-mas presents for that fishing person your fond of!

Everett Botsford finishing his Cardinal fluffed out in the snow.  A different style and quite
interesting.  Lots of feather carving!
 

Thursday, Nov. 4th   - Twenty carvers in attendance 

Our Steve Madej is at it again!  Our "Inventor Originator" brought in a Cowboy twirling his lasso and a Cowgirl both made of horseshoes!  They're painted black and have red neckerchiefs.  What a guy, our Steve.

John Raucci is working on something!  The block of wood has not yet emitted a figure but it's coming.  Maybe a "Big Beggar".

Chris Schmocker finishing his "Waterlilies" Relief.  So professional!  The detailing is
exceptional.

Stopped at Pieter Paulding's station!  He was in the middle of what looked like an emergency operation in a veterinary clinic!  But all the tubes, containers of colored water, brushes, Pepsi Cola and 20 different paint bottles simply meant that he was painting two chickadees!  Just another Michael Angelo in the making.

Thursday Nov. 18, 1999       
 
Ev Bottsford finally "finished off" his cardinal just in time for winter.  Now that he will be
heading to Florida, he has a pelican in the works.

Ron Myers is starting a relief carving of 3 raccoons, plus he has another ready to go, a pretty woods sprite sitting on a Mushroom, a very romantic looking drawing!  What a relief.  Huh Ron?

Walt LeClair "hard at work" on a Donny woodpecker #33?  It will be flying in a week or 2, I guess.

Monti Foster working on a well dressed PIG! Not in a blanket, but a sports jacket!

Saratoga’s Sunday gazette had a full page spread on Bill McCormack with pictures of his
wonderful "Last Supper" drawn and carved by Bill and also photos of his fish and cane!  He just  had carped tunnel surgery and we all wish Bill a speedy recovery and good health.

Dick Moran’s "Angel" is finally reaching fruition! She’s been dropped, suffered a broken
wing, cracked, stepped on, and abused, as was the ceramic statue, his model.  But she’s looking good and should be fully recovered and on display, a medical marvel!  All kidding aside, Dick, it’s a model of perfection (and perseverance).

Nelson Downs in the middle of a family of gnomes.  X-mas soon.

And how about "Mandrake the magician Borst"?  He displayed his magic trick, showing a small ball in a vase, the ball then ending up in Chris Schmocker`s shirt pocket and then back into the vase!  All this by the waving of a magic wand (a #3 gouge) and some muttered incantations! (The Joys of Toys & the Toys of Boys).