This was taken from our Nov/Jan 2008 Newsletter.
United Chainsaw Carvers Guild By Ed Meyer
What would joining a Guild do for me? Lets begin with the American Heritage Dictionarys definition of the word guild:
"Guild".. an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect the mutual interests and maintain standards.
This is a basic explanation of the word but the word carries so much more meaning for me.
Here is what I think of when I refer to my experience with our guild.
"G".. stands for Group. A group provides you with like-minded individuals to support your interest. They are your carving buddies who see what you carve. By combining each members talents and strengths, knowledge and skills, the group expands the body of information available to each member. The group shares knowledge and skills to support your efforts, celebrates your accomplishments, understands your problems, motivates, consoles, inspires, and becomes your best friends. It takes the combined efforts of every member to make the guild strong, fun, and rewarding.
"U".. stands for Unity of purpose. The purpose of the guild is to promote Chainsaw Art and to promote and support Chainsaw Carving as an organization. The guild provides an opportunity to grow together in knowledge and skills. It offers opportunities to work together to achieve a goal, develop skills in management, business, interpersonal relationships, public relations, fiscal responsibility, the list is limitless.
The unity of purpose is shown best by the lack of competition between guild members and the emphasis on sharing the joy of carving and supporting each other and the UCCG organization. It is all for one and one for all.
"I".. stands for Information. The guild is the place to learn about Chainsaw Art. Its only through the free exchange of information between members that we can become smarter carvers and produce the best carvings with the best finishes. We all strive to offer the best carvings we can with the knowledge we have and no one carver has all the answers.
"L".. stands for Leadership. The act of becoming a guild member opens a world of opportunities for developing and practicing leadership skills. There are many jobs to be done in any organization. Whatever skills you bring to the group can be put to use in making this a better Guild. There are or could be guild Officers, committees, public relations, classes to teach, demos to organize, fund raisers, scheduling, records to be kept, articles to be written, etc. Everyone has an opportunity to contribute in his or her own way. Guild leadership can lead to broader involvement with the Carving World, serving on committees, organizing special events, becoming a judge, giving seminars.
"D".. stands for Demonstrate. Guilds are responsible for holding true to the spirit of chainsaw carving as an art form and passing it on. This is done by setting an example in many areas. We present an atmosphere for learning where there is no competition among ourselves, only sharing and helping each other so that each individual may reach his or her personal goals.
Carving is a difficult sport. Not everyone will be successful in attaining titles but everyone can be successful in attaining a deeper feeling of accomplishment in their carving. I like to think of it as a journey with the possibility of a title at the end. I may never get to the end but the experiences I am enjoying along the way are what are important to me. My guild membership has given me the opportunity to grow alongside my fellow carvers. The Guild is only as good as its members, and chainsaw carvers are the best people.
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