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WOOD CHIPS Northwest Indiana Woodworkers Association Volume 30, Issue 12 November 2025 President’s notes & notions… Greetings fellow woodworkers, Well, winter has now set siege upon us, and I am already tired of the cold and cleaning up the snow. I am sure that a lot of our shops have closed for the season because of it. There is still a lot to do in the woodworking world. Spend some of that extra time looking up new plans and ideas for some simple things that we can do for next year’s shows for our fundraising efforts, some ideas for maybe something that you have never tried before for yourself and/or family and friends, some cool new variations on the toys that we make, and so on. I am thinking about maybe making an intarsia headboard soon and am looking for ideas on that. Als think about seeking out some new recipients for our toy program. If you have some organization in your area that may benefit from our “gifts of love”, feel free to reach out and make some inquiries. Our club would cherish being able to help more kids in our communities. I would like to thank everyone for the great turnout at the November meeting. It was great to see everyone, and we accomplished a lot. Your club officers were all re elected and we are grateful and ready to continue serving this fine organization. We decided to move forward with the new website and are currently putting all the proper people and pieces into place to make this happen and are currently aiming for a January 1st launch date. This will most assuredly help to move our club into the twentieth century, and yes, I know that it is the 21st century but, we don’t want to move too fast…. REMINDERS: This month’s meetings will be on December 10th @ 5 pm for the committee meeting and 6 pm for the general membership meeting (where we will handle this month’s business and our regular show and tell) . THIS WILL BE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER ONLY. Our annual Christmas party will be held on December the 18th at 6 PM. (Dinner, gifts for the ladies and kids, our annual awards certificate presentations and special end of the year show and tell program will be on the agenda.) Page 1 See you at the meetings, Jeff Snellgrove President NIWA Vice Presidents Corner Just a reminder. This year our annual Christmas Party will be at 6 PM on December 18, 2025. Chicken, beef and mashed potatoes will be provided by the club. Each member will need to bring a side dish. Preferably something that will complement the chicken and beef or a dessert. Each member will need to bring a gift bag to give away during the festivities. Please remember to park in the back parking lot. The moose will be having their potluck dinner in the bar area. Based on this the club will provide limited soft drinks and water. Alcohol can still be purchased at the bar. Setup will begin between 4:30 PM and 5 PM. If anyone has any questions or concerns feel free to text me. I would like personally thank each member for a successful 2025 year and I am looking forward to having a successful 2026. Vice President George Denton Money talks From the Treasurer Thank you to all members for your contributions this year and congratulations to our 2025 raffle winners:  1st Prize: $500 – Jim Cook (sold by Susan Bunce, who receives one year of paid membership)  2nd Prize: $300 – Steve Smith  3rd Prize: $100 – Terri Cox (sold by Don Miller) The November silent auction raised $227 for the club. Financially, we are entering the new year in a strong position, with increased membership now totaling 60. Recent investments include expanding our storage unit to accommodate club assets. Some exciting news is that we now have a new committee focused on our social media presence, including updates to our website and other online platforms. Looking forward to more news from this group as we move forward with our updated online presence. Looking ahead to 2026, Don Miller will chair the raffle committee, succeeding John Fluck who has done an outstanding job managing it the past few years. We have 1,500 tickets available and encourage everyone’s continued support. Page 2 Our financial growth is a direct result of your dedication and teamwork. For questions or to get more involved, please contact the board. Thank you for your commitment. Wishing everyone a successful conclusion to 2025. Show and Tell Bill Schoech Kevin Sturgeon Steve Smith Norm Johnson Page 3 Jon Robbins Rodney Foster Don Johnson Page 4 Dennis Byron Page 5 Toys for kids Program Page 6 Page 7 New Website Dennis and Jeff demo the plans for our new website. Items for sale If you have any wood working related items that you wish to sell through the newsletter please contact John Hunter hunterjonhn4841@gmail.com Include a description and the price you are selling them for, also how you may be contacted. If you are looking for a tool that another member would like to sell you can place a wanted ad in the newsletter, just contact John Hunter at hunterjonhn4841@gmail.com 2025 December 10th Committees Meeting at Moose Lodge, 143 South Hobart Road, Hobart IN 5:00 PM December 10th Membership Meeting at Moose Lodge, 143 South Hobart Road, Hobart IN 6:00 PM December 18th Christmas Party, Installation and Awards at Moose Lodge, 143 South Hobart Road, Hobart IN 6:00 PM Page 8