For a number of years, our club had dreamed of having a clubhouse of our own. From about 2008 to 2014, we rented a space in an Artisan center and put what equipment we had in it to do lapidary work. It was adequate, but limited and did not allow for meetings or other events.
Over the years, we had been saving what funds we could and built a small “Building Fund” with the hopes of one day making the dream of a clubhouse a reality.
In July of 2013, after a couple of months of looking, we found a piece of property that looked like it would be what we could afford, and what could eventually become the facility we needed. At the August meeting that year, a proposal was made to the membership to acquire the property, which included a 1500 square foot building, and invest the money needed to restore the building into a Clubhouse that would serve as our home. The proposal was adopted by the membership and the property was purchased.
That began a nearly year long effort to restore the building. We ripped out everything in the interior down to the studs. That included the old electrical and plumbing, the old insulation, all of the walls and ceilings and a good portion of the floor. From there we gradually rebuilt it into a fully functional facility with 3 workshops, a meeting room, a small kitchen and a rest room.
In an amazing show of volunteerism, the vast majority of the work was performed by a dedicated group of our club members.
We opened our new home in June of 2014 and it continues to be a terrific place for our club to grow and prosper.
We are extremely proud of what has been accomplished and look forward to continuing to build our membership. And, for those reading this who are not members, you are always welcome either at meetings or open workshops, to check us out.