Lets journey back to early 2000 where a friend and I (woodworkers) discussed adding a lathe to our shops. I bought mine first a Craftsman 16" VS. Got it set up and put a 35 lb piece of wood on it, positioned the tool rest, Craftsman spindle roughing gouge in hand (really didn't know its name then, it was just the biggest). Hit the start button and stuck that tool in. Well BANG the tool rest breaks, the tool breaks and that piece goes over my left shoulder 33ft to the other end of the shop. I told my friend at work on Monday, "You know of that woodturning club that just started up? Well I think we should join". Well it took a couple of meetings to get the lay of the land to see who and what the club was all about. About then GE handed me the greatest gift Early Retirement at 55 years of age. I then sorta figured out who I would ask questions of, his name was Tim Reid. Well after getting up enough nerve to ask a question he invited me to come to his house and shop. That was the start of a great friendship, he was a retired state cop. We were both 55 years old, we both were in the Marines, I was a sgt he was a lcpl, I worked with jets he guarded Caroline Kennedy's pony 
Tim over time introduced me to Bill Noce from Ohio and because of these two folks I joined two clubs in Ohio. So I'm retired so traveling 100 and 130 miles every month plus my home club meeting, it couldn't get any better traveling with my new friends ultimately becoming my best friends. There was a dust up in my club and the guy that was supposed to become the next president gave a long diatribe that led to him not becoming President and during that speech directed at me I wanted to get up and hit him (sorry to say) but Tim held me back with a firm grip on my arm. He whispered in my ear that the club will be good for me and that I will be good for the club. I took that to heart and unbelievably the next January 2005 Tim died. I got it worked out where our club carried him half way and his State Police brothers carried him the other half. Well that year I took the Presidency of the Presque Isle Woodturners and held that position for the next ten years. Bill Noce and my friendship grew but our wives just got to se each other at the club picnics (my wife still worked as she is a little younger than me). Bill and I and others traveled to symposiums all over. Plus I was making good friends with other club mates. When out of the blue I got a phone call from Bill's wife telling me he died I was inconsolable. Why do I tell you this because without these clubs I would never have made the friends I had and have and I would have never learned what I know. I have a group of great friends who I would have never known without these clubs. If you have to travel a 100 miles or more to go to a club do it, it is well worth it. Woodturners are undoubtedly the greatest group of people that you will ever run into. This is why I'm proud to call myself a woodturner.
Tim over time introduced me to Bill Noce from Ohio and because of these two folks I joined two clubs in Ohio. So I'm retired so traveling 100 and 130 miles every month plus my home club meeting, it couldn't get any better traveling with my new friends ultimately becoming my best friends. There was a dust up in my club and the guy that was supposed to become the next president gave a long diatribe that led to him not becoming President and during that speech directed at me I wanted to get up and hit him (sorry to say) but Tim held me back with a firm grip on my arm. He whispered in my ear that the club will be good for me and that I will be good for the club. I took that to heart and unbelievably the next January 2005 Tim died. I got it worked out where our club carried him half way and his State Police brothers carried him the other half. Well that year I took the Presidency of the Presque Isle Woodturners and held that position for the next ten years. Bill Noce and my friendship grew but our wives just got to se each other at the club picnics (my wife still worked as she is a little younger than me). Bill and I and others traveled to symposiums all over. Plus I was making good friends with other club mates. When out of the blue I got a phone call from Bill's wife telling me he died I was inconsolable. Why do I tell you this because without these clubs I would never have made the friends I had and have and I would have never learned what I know. I have a group of great friends who I would have never known without these clubs. If you have to travel a 100 miles or more to go to a club do it, it is well worth it. Woodturners are undoubtedly the greatest group of people that you will ever run into. This is why I'm proud to call myself a woodturner.
