Recruiting in the Bluegrass

You know that feeling you get when you go out to the mailbox and you just know you’re about to pull out a handful of bills that you don’t know how you’re going to pay? Well I had that feeling this past Friday when I got home from work. It’s pretty typical for most of my bills to come towards the end of the month so I was prepared for the worst. I opened up the box and pulled out three pieces of mail. To my pleasant surprise…. no bills! WooHoo!! What’s even better is that the three pieces of mail were as follows: the latest Woodcraft sales flyer, this month’s issue of Popular Woodworking, and the May edition of the Kentuckiana Woodcrafters Club newsletter.

A couple weeks ago I emailed the editor of the newsletter some information on LJ and the Thorsen Table Challenge, and I encouraged him to inform other club members about what they’re missing out on. Due to scheduling conflicts I am unable to attend the monthly meetings so I enlisted his help to spread the word. I thought he may check out the site and mention it at the meeting, but he went a step further. I opened up the newsletter, and guess what I saw. I saw a nice little blurb about Lumberjocks and the Thorsen Table Challenge right there in black and white. What that means is that every member of the Club, around 200 craftsmen, will now know about the site and the challenge.

I learned about the Club at my local Woodcraft store one day when I stopped by for a look around. I spotted a beautiful mahogany board that I just couldn’t live without, but I did not have a truck to take it home in. I asked the fellas at the counter if I could pay for it and pick it up later when I had a truck. I didn’t want to take the chance of someone else grabbing it up. Before they could answer my question the guy standing next to me said “I’ve got a truck. I can take it to your house for you.” I was blown away. We had about a 10 mile drive back to my house so we had plenty of time for conversation. It turned out that he was the president of the Club, and he filled me in on all the benefits of becoming a member. I wish I could attend the monthly meetings and meet more of my fellow members, but I can tell you that the few I have met are outstanding people and craftsmen. I hope some of them decide to join LJ and participate in the challenge. I’m positivle that everyone will give them a great Lumberjocks welcome, as usual.

-- JP, Shelbyville, KY