Since 2002, the Northwest Ohio Woodworkers Guild has been a home for residents from Bowling Green and the surrounding area to engage with one another when it comes to putting together woodworking projects.
“The guild was formed for people who were interested in woodworking,” said Mike Shertzer, who helped create the organization, which has roughly 20 members. “We got together and formed a group (because) we thought we could help each other out, use our skills and promote it. It became successful.”
It stemmed from Shertzer, a Fremont native who is married and has three children, having to teach agriculture studies at Bowling Green High School, where he was the FFA advisor from 1970-2012.
“Part of the curriculum of teaching agriculture was teaching wood shop, and I enjoyed the woodworking part of it. I had time, started to make things for myself, and got into it that way,” said Shertzer. “I retired, and now I make a lot of projects. I get the club involved, and do a lot of different things for the community.”
The guild is also celebrating 20 years working with the Wood County Fair this year with demonstrations every night in the Fine Arts Building culminating with a kids’ build with toolboxes on Saturday from 4-5 p.m.
“We’ll put on a demonstration every night from 6-8 p.m. doing different things,” said Shertzer. “We’ll be doing lathe turning, working on small projects, scroll sawing, thread-making and using old antique tools to make some projects. On Saturday, we’ll have a tool-box (demonstration) with kids. We finish all of our materials and the kids get a tool box that they can take home with them.”
All supplies and tools will be furnished and guild members will supervise the activity.
“We’re trying to promote wood working, and the next generation coming up are the ones we pass it down to. Tool box making is popular — simple projects that they can take home and use. It’s a lot of fun working with the kids on other projects throughout the year. They like it, they seem to enjoy it. They can make something and take it home and use it. It’s exciting in their eyes making a project.”
Shertzer is an active member of the BG Kiwanis Club. He gives speeches on woodworking or does demonstrations at the senior center, library or high school to help promote woodworking.
“I enjoy doing that and helping people learn a little bit more about the tradition and the art of woodworking,” he said.
There’s always room for more people to attend the guild meetings, held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Bowling Green High School ag education classroom.
“We’ll have a flyer at the fair with our phone numbers on it,” Shertzer said. “Anyone can attend our meeting — we have a guest speaker or a demonstration, something everyone can enjoy educationally.”
