Central Tablelands Woodcraft has long been thought of as a male-dominated club dedicated to all things woodwork and carpentry, but for the first time ever, the club's executive is predominantly a female affair.
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The club, colloquially known as the 'Woodies', currently has three women among its five-person executive, with Elizabeth Forbes, Diane Johnson and Christine Curry serving as president, secretary and treasurer respectively.
"When I first joined the club five years ago, I often received bewildering comments such as "isn't the Woodies a men's shed", so in many ways, we're enhancing the club's image and diversity," Ms Johnson said.
"But at the same time, we're still dedicated to promoting the Woodies as an ideal club for learning new skills, making new friends and fostering a healthy and safe workplace for all," Ms Forbes added.
All three women were present during a difficult COVID-19 period for the club who, given the age of the majority of members, were significantly affected by the changes.
"We had to shut the shed for a couple of months as we didn't want to risk our 'OBE's' [over bloody eighties], but we maintained correspondence through newsletters and meetings," Ms Forbes said.
"But thankfully we were able to stage our open day last October, which went well despite the rain, and have been able to resume our community programs this year, with our most recent appearance being at the Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail."
The club meets three times a week, and currently has 58 members.
Long-time member Bob Cassidy said the presence of three women on the executive for the first time is a proud achievement for the club.
"We've got about seven women in the club now, and it's great to have them involved as their organisational skills are unparalleled," Mr Cassidy said.
The Woodies are situated at Dorman Place, Kelso. For more information, call 63326215.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
