June 2021 Newsletter
From the President
I would like to welcome our new members.
Some come with experience in woodwork, some with no experience. What is experience without enthusiasm? I personally think our new members are going to be a great asset to our shed.
Our monthly garage sale was well attended by our members. A reminder to everyone if you can attend and help out on the day it would be gratefully appreciated.
Around 20 members turned up to help last Saturday. It is not a work day but a great chance to catch up and communicate with members who you may not normally react with.
A thank you to the team who is in charge of the sale. Well done again, a big contribution to our coffers. Not only do we make a few dollars we are able to restrict the number of items accumulating in our shed.
Our band played at the garage sale. It was great to see a new member of our community, come and participate. I am sorry I cannot tell this gentleman’s name. He comes from a West African country. He listened to our band for a while, then went out to his car and returned with his own instrument and joined in with the band. This was a very special occasion, something that will stay with me for a long time.
I would like to take this opportunity to express the need to ask for assistance with the use of machinery. It is impossible to induct a member, in the full capabilities of a machine in a short time. In 60 years of working in the building industry. Our shed has the best collection of machines I have ever had available to me.If you have a job that requires something special, something out of the ordinary, please ask. “HELP” It is there for you. These machines will do things you never thought possible.
On a sterner note. Put things away where you found them. This is not just for other members, it's for you. The shed is for you, each and every tool is for your use. Get it , use it put it back where you found it. If it has a problem, report it. Don’t just put it back.
Unfortunately our membership is on the wrong side of the ledger age wise. One of our most staunch members has found himself in hospital. It has been a hard time for those remaining at the shed without Peter. There was no-one to tell us where to go. how to go and at what speed to go. We all hope you are on the mend Peter, and will return to us, sooner than later.
Our band is shaping up as one of the great extensions to our shed. The number of new members coming to join the band is most impressive. It is another avenue that gives our shed another interest to the community. If the numbers keep increasing at the rate they have we will soon have. Not a band but a sympathy orchestra.
Any manual task will never turn out 100%. However if you aim for 100% you may reach 95%, 95% is far better than 60%. I would encourage members to go that little bit further. Try a little harder. Look at what you have done. Ask yourself where could I have improved? If I did that again what would I change. Put your best foot forward. Personally I have never been completely happy with something I have made.
The work on the mezzanine is nearly complete. We only have the plumbing and tiling to finish. Our elevator is now up and operational. It is also down and operational. Last week I was stuck on the escalator in what was the Palm Centre. I was half way up when it stopped. I stood there for half an hour calling for help. I hope our elevator works better that that.
I thank each and every member for their support. I feel we have one of the best sheds, membership wise and equipment wise.
Please enjoy everything it offers you.
President: Tom Skinner
General News
Mezzanine
Jobs, Jobs and more Jobs
Garage Sales
Doug and his team have been working hard in receiving donated items, evaluating, preparing items for sale, pricing and running the first Saturday of the month garage sales.
These sale days have been very successful as a fund raiser for the Shed.
Members are stepping up, to help at the Friday setup before the sale, in increasing numbers. The sale day also has seen up to 20 members coming along to help and have a chance to mingle and get to know other shed members.
A big thank you to Doug and his helpers in organising and running this important function. Monies raised are used to buy consumables for members' use including glue, sand paper etc. as well as helping with overhead costs.
Members Health
We have a number of Shed members who are having health issues at this time. Tom has already mentioned Peter Jackson "Jacko", who manages the metal area as well as helping out in many other areas. We wish you well and a speedy recovery.
Ray Meyer who setup and has managed our media including this newsletter and the web site has been forced to step down because of ill health after years of dedicated service. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for the countless hours of passion and expertise he has poured into this area. The quality of his work enhances our footprint in this community and beyond.
Tom Skinner is another who won't want any fuss made, he works tirelessly for the benefit of the Shed. Tom had a bit of a scare recently which makes us all reflect on the fact that we are not getting any younger.
This is by no means a complete list, many of our Shedders are dealing with both physical and mental issues which make life less than comfortable. Please keep in touch, even if it is just a call or a cuppa at smoko, because the relationships that are formed at the Shed are important.
Member Profile: Chris Hansen
Well that is a long story. I grew up on a wheat and sheep farm in Western Australia at Bindi Bindi. My father started the farm under the returned soldier settlers’ scheme. I wasn’t interested in being a farmer, so they sold up and moved to Perth.
The job had changed significantly by this stage, with me now having little responsibility and only acting as voice go between with international and light aircraft and the Air Traffic Controller. I put up with the job and the climate in Brisbane for twenty years but we were always going to move south and Coffs Harbour ticked most of the boxes.
2021 was supposed to be our year of travel, but when Covid put paid to that, Rosemary said “well I may as well work” and got herself a job in Admin at Baringa. I knew I’d go spare at home so I came along to join The Men’s Shed and found that the blokes weren’t too obnoxious so I stayed on!
How have you found it?
I must say it’s a pleasure to be able to be oneself at the shed without fear of PC censure, and all in all the guys are pretty good (there’s always one! No names no pack drills!). It’s good to banter with the members and the Coffs Support Services guys with their carers on a Thursday and I’m learning things about the history of Coffs that I would never have learned without the interaction at the Shed gives.
I am loving being a shed member and enjoy doing what I can to give back to the community and on a personal basis fulfill my own projects and get some good interaction with blokes of my ilk.
Thanks Tony for including me in the newsletter
Notice Board
Induction to operate Fixed machines
If you haven't used a machine for sometime or just want help operating a machine, please approach Tom or a committee member, they will be only too happy to help.
Remember it is always better to be safe than sorry.
If a machine is not working properly please report it to Tom or the Office. We have a maintenance schedule but naturally things wear out. The committee strives to maintain the Shed at optimum usage for members but your help is required in reporting issues, returning tools and equipment to their storage areas and using the tools for the purposes that they were designed.
Membership Renewals
Improvements to the Shed
The Shed is looking more and more like a commercial setup.Thanks to the fund raising efforts of members, Government grants courtesy of Ken's vigilance and expertise, and donations from the community. During the past 12 months despite COVID, improvements have continued.
A Shed wide dust extractor has been purchased and installed. It has made a huge difference to the amount of dust throughout the Shed. The machine has been installed on the Western side of the Shed.
Also, the air compressors have been housed outside at the southern end of the Shed and air lines installed around the Shed to give access to compressed air in most parts of the Shed.
Storage of wood has been improved with the addition of a roof over the containers and racks being made to house addition wood. A much needed clean up of the area.
None of these improvement could have happened without the hard work and dedication of Shed members. Well done fellas!
Be Covid Safe
COVID-19 IS STILL OUT THERE!
Remember, it's your health Also that is at risk.
Committee 2021
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President: Tom Skinner
Vice President: Ken Ryan
Secretary: Tony Winter
Treasurer: Garth Howard
Assistant Secretary: Warren Sanger
Assistant Treasurer: Ken Ryan
GENERAL COMMITTEE
David Churchyard
Robert Houston
Peter Jackson
Ken Howe
Glenn Cox
Brian Franklin
OPERATIONAL MANAGERS
Shed Managers & Office Administration:
Robert Houston
David Churchyard
Health & Welfare Officers:
David Churchyard
Ken Howe
Woodwork Shop:
Tom Skinner
Metalwork / Engineering:
Peter Jackson
Website / Newsletter
Tony Winter
Supporters of the Coffs Harbour Men's Shed
The Coffs Harbour Community Men's Shed wishes to thank all our supporters, both large and small,
for their ongoing support and generous donations of time and money.