Turners Without Borders - Twinning

[Marianne Patton]

Hi everyone! I'm on the Turners Without Borders committee, tasked with moving along a draft proposal for "twinning" clubs. Probably that's more of a European term; perhaps in the US it would be more like Sister Cities. I'm not sure that this forum is the best place to to put this request, but I'm starting here with a few questions: Does anyone have experience with twinning clubs? If not your club, then have you heard of any? Does anyone have connections with turners/clubs in Inter or South America? Has anyone travelled there and visited a club?
I'll probably post this same message on another forum just to make sure I'm getting the right place.
Meantime, thanks in advance for any experience or insights.
PS - Emiliano is also on this TWB committee and has a lot of wisdom on the subject, but I don't want to overlook anyone else!
Cheers!

 

[Marianne Patton]

THANK YOU for moving this post to a more visible position!

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Hello @Marianne Patton We are also looking for anyone traveling to Buenos Aires to take a few tools. I have donated tools that I need to take to the woodturning school there. The owner Matias Castro will be your host. You could turn all day, get some dense woods to bring back, enjoy an Argentinian "Asado" and meet some great people. I have tools donated by Doug Thompson, Trent Bosch, Mike Hunter, Dale Larson, and more. Steve Pritchard got the "Twinning" started. His club now sponsors "La Casa del Tornero". They have watched a few IRD's and Steve donated lots of carving burrs...

 

[Pat Wisniewski]

A friend grew up there, and travels back to see family. He helped me by taking arborist gear down for a friend on one of his trips.
I can check to see if he has a trip planned.

 

[Thomas Lynch]

Does anyone have connections with turners/clubs in Inter or South America? Has anyone travelled there and visited a club?

Hi, Marianne. I'm one of the instructors at the school in Argentina that Emiliano mentioned (La Casa del Tornero). This year I attended the symposium in St. Paul together with Emiliano, and had the pleasure to tell a little about our story and what we do at the TWB meeting.
The support we've received from Emiliano, Doug Thomson, Mike Hunter and Dale Larson, amongst others, has been truly invaluable to us.

I've now moved back to my home town in Tierra del Fuego, all the way south at the end of the world, but keep close contact with Matias and Franco Castro (owner of the school and son), as well as with Steve Pritchard, who has very kindly made us online members of the Georgia Association of Woodturners.

Unfortunately, they don't speak english, so I generally help them with communications or translations, so if I could be of any assistance, don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers!

 

[Pat Wisniewski]

Hmm, 5 1/2 hours travel time from my friend’s home to La Casa Del Tornero… maybe I’ll have to go with him and make the round trip while he sees his family… though if he flies in and out of EZE (Buenos Aires airport)