This is the story of the founding of MSSW as related to the author, Jeff Keller….
Former Massachusetts South Shore Woodturner member Roger Hill recalled that the Massachusetts South Shore Audubon Society on Rte 3A in Marshfield was the host of a pre Christmas holiday sale of turned items in November of 1966. This came about because their director Ellyn Einhorn knew Wally Kemp through seeing his turned items for sale at the Silver Ribbon store on Rte 53 in Pembroke. She asked him if he would be interested in displaying items for sale at Audubon prior to the Christmas holiday. Wally replied, “Sure if I can include some of my woodturning friends also.”
Others in the show were Hank Cahill, Al Vandam, Jack Nash and Roger Hill. John Shooshan (our only original and continuous club member) also stopped by. Prior to this, Wally, Hank, Ernie Grimes and others were driving out to Worcester each month to attend meetings at the Central New England Woodturners. It was suggested by someone that they should get together and start their own woodturning club. Hank said that since he had a large barn attached to his home in Abington with several lathes that they could meet there. The first club newsletter was published in May of 1997. At the previous meeting, Wally had suggested future meetings be held at different shops in addition to Hank’s Dust Bowl on a rotating monthly basis.
The newsletter name, “As The Wood Turns” was selected by members from a list of several suggestions by Mal Partridge who also produced and designed the club logo seen here:
and here is the first issue of As The Wood Turns