American Association of Woodturners,

national organization and 309+local clubs

I’m a member of the Minnesota Lakes chapter of AAW, which covers the area from Detroit Lakes to Park Rapids to Perham. It’s a smaller club but very active and lots of fun. Youcan contact them through Ron Eberle, oakdrive55@yahoo.com our current president or Don Wattenhofer, donwatten@gmail.com another officer and active member.

I also belong to the MinnDak Woodturning Club is one of our local chapters of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW). We meet monthly and often have special trips, tool making days or guest workshops too. The club offers a good lending library of books and videos, which can save you lots of money. We also have a great time together. Dues are $25 a year, with no charge for high school or college students who want to become members. You don't need to be a national AAW member to be part of the club, but you'll find that it's a good encouragement to your turning to also belong to the national group. http://minndakwoodturners.com

Fergus Falls also has a local turning club, not yet associated with the national AAW but active and a good place to learn. You could contact them through Rud Wasson rud@prtel.com or Dan Charlson dgc1@prtel.com

Many of us really enjoy and learn a lot from being part of the national organization, the American Association of Woodturners. http://www.woodturner.org They are a very successful and comprehensive group, with a wonderful reputation among turners. I have heard that woodturners tend to be more gregarious and more willing to share whatever they know with other turners, which is not so true about other craft organizations. You would do well to consider joining. Their web page, magazine and national symposiums are all great. Their office is very close by, right in St. Paul, MN and they have a fine little gallery there by their office in downtown St. Paul, where you can see some very fine turning. Their address is as follows:

  222 Landmark Center
75 West Fifth St.
St. Paul, MN 55102
  651-484-9094
  651-484-1724 (fax)

email: AAW Inquiries

AAW office description and driving directions: Landmark Center (location of AAW office)

American Woodturner is the journal of the national woodturners guild and comes 6 times a year. They organize national and regional conferences, serve the 309 and rapidly increasing number of local clubs, and generally have been a major impetus in the growth of woodturning these past years. The journal used to be pretty simple, but it has become larger and more sophisticated and the price for membership and the magazine is still very reasonable-$48.

The AAW National Symposium meets in a different part of the country every year. The 2010 Symposium will be held in Hartford, CT June 18-20 and the 2011 close to home at Riverview Ctr. In St. Paul, MN June 24-26. It's a great place to meet big names and just lots of nice people. There is a great spirit of community there and even the pros are willing to share everything they know. http://www.woodturner.org