What's In The Newsletter?

• Presidents Report
• Meet The 2022 Candidates
• Guild Woodworking Projects
• November Program:  Scroll Saw Scrap Wood Snowflakes
• Newsletter 2022 Articles

Presidents Report ...

 I started serving as president of the Tidewater Woodworkers Guild in January, 2020 and had only two meetings under my belt before life as we all knew it changed.  We have made it through almost two years meeting virtually, then in a hybrid mode.  We are almost back to where we were two years ago and looking forward to once again having more people joining in with the fun, educational presentations and discussions.  As I mentioned in last month’s article, we waived the dues for this year and will start back for the 2022 year.  The dues are only $20 per year and a true bargain considering the amount of tips, tricks, inspirations and discounts available to the membership.  Yes, I did say discounts because Ed, the owner of Woodcraft, gives a 10% discount on purchases one hour prior to our meeting.  You could easily pay for the dues with your discounts!  Come and join us at our next meeting which will be on November 23 starting at 7:00pm with the discounts available from 6:00 to 7:00.  Looking forward to seeing you.  

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Fran Foster

President TWWWG

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Meet The 2022 Candidates

 Our by-laws require the newsletter editor to present a short biography on each of the candidates that were nominated by the committed back in October to be published in the November newsletter.

Presidential candidate Fran Foster

I attended a very small school, grades 1-12 in the same building in Littleton, NC.  My experience with woodworking began in high school.  The school did not have Industrial Arts, but did have an agriculture class that had a half year of agriculture instruction and the other half year working in the woodworking shop.  We started with hand tools and progressed to equipment as the year progressed.  I took this class for two years which led me to East Carolina College, (yes “college” it became a university in 1967). in 1965 and a major in Industrial Arts Education.  I had to declare an area of concentration so I chose drafting and woodworking.  I stayed and received my master’s degree.

After graduation, I was ready to enter the workforce as an Industrial Arts teacher.  I was fortunate enough to land a job teaching at Plaza Junior High.  I taught the following areas: woods, metals, ceramics, plastics, photography, graphic arts, power and transportation, construction and manufacturing.  I stayed there for nine years then opened up Green Run High School as the woodworking teacher.  Taught three levels of woodworking for seven years.  I was given an opportunity to work in the maintenance department for the school division for the next, very rewarding, twenty-five years.  I retired in 2001 after completing forty-one years all with the Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

My interest in woodworking went beyond teaching.  I have built many additions and renovations to our house which we have lived in for forty-six years.  I have a “Swift Garage” that I have used as my woodworking shop.  I used to build reproductions of antiques, tilt-top tables, lowboys, drop-leaf tables.  I have also built most of the built-ins and other furniture for our home.  After filling up our home with stuff, I started building things for our three daughters and the nine grandchildren.

What I would like to do if selected as president of the guild is to continue the direction that has been established by the previous presidents.  We need to not only continue to increase the skills of the current members, but also need to demonstrate that woodworking is a rewarding and worthwhile hobby for people that may show an interest.  We need to provide programs that are both interesting and something that will spark interests.  We need to continue to show Woodcraft that their support is appreciated.

Vice-Presidential candidate Greg Guertin

I graduated from Western Branch High School in 1978. While in high school I was a member of various organizations including but not limited to the Key Club and Student Government where I was treasurer for 1 and 2 years respectively. I was also an active many other clubs and organizations. I retired from Norfolk Naval Shipyard January 3rd of this year. After taking about 6 months and enjoyed retirement I decided I was too busy and went back to for QED Systems Inc as a government contractor in Logistics which the same thing I was doing for the past 15 or so years at NNSY. 

I have enjoyed making splinters and sawdust ever since I was a kid. I thank my Dad for exposing me to woodworking. I took shop classes in high school and they were my favorite classes. 

I have been a member of the TWWWG about 11 years. I joined at fist to see what is was all about as I have always been a joiner of clubs. Anyhow it has been a great ride. Where can you spend $20 and get the education you get from our fellow members? There is so much knowledge in the guild. My parents instilled in me at a young age that you will reap what you sew and they were so right. With that said that is why I am running for vice president. Part of my duties will to be to help find programs for our monthly meetings and I believe that will be fun. I want to help make TWWWG more fun than it already is.

Treasurer candidate Chris Zuchristian

I was born and raised in Illinois. Graduated Barrington High School in 1985.  I joined the Marine Corps reserves in 1987, commissioned in 1991, and retired in 1 Sept 2010.  My Wife Wendy, our three children and I moved to Virginia Beach in Sept 2010 and I started working at Marine Forces Command in Norfolk.  I am a readiness officer as well as the contracting officer representative.  I have an MBA from the Naval Postgraduate School.  

I got interested in woodworking about 15 years ago when I started building shadow boxes for people retiring from the Marine Corps and civil service.  Since than I have expanded into all woodworking except turning.   I have not purchased a lathe yet; maybe Santa will be good to me this year.  I joined the TWWWG to learn from more experienced woodworkers and to meet people with similar interests as myself.      

Secretary Larry Larue

Born and raised on an Iowa farm, Larry LaRue attended Iowa State University  majoring in Agronomy.  Upon graduation in 1970 Larry entered the US Navy though the Aviation Officer Candidate program.  Larry received his Navy wings in December 1971 which began a 26 year Navy career.  In addition to numerous operational tours as a Navy helicopter pilot, Larry attended the Naval Post Graduate school and the Royal Navy Staff College in Grenwich England.  Following a tour in the Pentagon, Larry commanded a Navy helicopter squadron and later served as the Executive Officer of Norfolk Naval Air Station.  He retired in 1996 as a Navy Captain.

Following retirement Larry accepted a position with USAA, serving as the Director of Corporate Real Estate for the mid-atlantic region.  He retired from that position in 2012.  

He now enjoys woodworking, hunting and fishing full time.

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Guild Woodworking Projects

 This months project comes from Gary Stephens.

A few years ago some friends asked me to make some drink holders for there daughters sofa furniture.  I made them and gave them away as a Christmas president.  Since I had been out of my shop for over 45 days with early voting I decided to recreate these drink holders for the sofas in our house.  They are both made of scrap white oak with a hole recessed into the top of the drink holder and filled with a cork liner.  Now I get to enjoy my drink while sitting on the sofa and not having to worry about a 65 pound Boxer dog jumping up on the couch and trying to sit on my lap and spilling the drink!

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November Program:  Scroll Saw Scrap Wood Snowflakes

 At the November meeting of the guild Karl Bogot will demonstrate the process for making a series of unique 4 ½” snowflake decorations from scraps of ¼” wood. These are simple for a beginner, requiring little of the tedious work of fret sawing tiny holes. The patterns I’ll be using are from Big Book of Christmas Ornaments and Decorations, From Scroll Saw Woodworking Magazine. I’ll show you how I created the blanks using a simple shop-made jig, how to lay the patterns out, what blades work best, and how to cut them, from the center out to provide maximum stability.

The folks at Woodcraft will allow us to use their scroll saws and I will have five patterns ready for five woodworkers to try their skill and take home their efforts to finish and hang on their tree.

These decorations make great holiday gifts. Each pattern takes less than one hour to complete, not counting the blank preparation or final finish application.

See you at the meeting.

 Karl

Newsletter 2022 Articles

 Coming up on the fourth year of doing the newsletter and I thought it would be interesting to do some articles on guild members’ shops and feature a guild member each month highlighting information about the member.

On your shop it would be nice to see some photographs of your shop and information about the shop such as its size, is it heated or air-conditioned, is it attached to your house or is it a separate out building?  It would also be interesting to know what kinds of power tools you have in your shop, dust collection, if you spray finish, do you have a spray booth, etc.

On the feature about a guild member it would be nice to have a photo of yourself and tell us how you got interested in woodworking, how you got into the guild, what kinds of projects you like to build and what are your future plans to increase your woodworking education.

If you are interested in having your shop or yourself featured in future issues of the guild newsletter please contact the editor, Gary Stephens, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Gary