Doug Williams, Volunteer Publicity Coordinator
Did You Know? The Sun Lakes Rock, Gem, Silver & Creative Crafts Club (SLRGS) has four separate and distinct craft shops. And all four of them are just waiting for you! Two are located in Cottonwood; one in Sun Lakes Country Club and one in Oakwood. Note: You are not limited to the one in your own neighborhood. Any of the nearly 200 members of the SLRGS Club are welcome to participate at all four of our craft shops.
How Do I Get In? Well, all you have to do is join the Rock Club for $30 (annual fee). When? A general meeting is held each month on the third Monday, October through April, at 10 a.m. in the Cottonwood Lecture Hall. There you will meet the instructors and sign up for their classes. We have 18 very inexpensive classes to enjoy, creating exciting stuff with your own two hands!
After you have taken a class and passed, you are then qualified to work on your own personal projects as scheduled in the open shop of your choice (small fee). This is the greatest bargain of any club in Sun Lakes, because we provide all the latest equipment, the instructors, the monitors, and craft chairpersons who will assist you in completing your project.
Check It Out: By going online to the club’s website slrgs.com. There you will find pictures of club members’ completed projects, applications for membership, a listing of all the classes with their respective fees (most around $25 to $30), schedules for all four shops, as well as the club’s Constitution and bylaws.
Costs and Class Fees: Arizona State University, Mesa Community College, and Mesa Arts Center all offer many art classes, such as Silver Smithing, Beading, Fused Glass, and Metal Clay, etc. So, if you’re looking for the big college atmosphere, you’ll also be getting the high cost of $200 to $400 per class! By way of comparison, our class fees of $15, $20, $25, and $30 are a tremendous bargain, which are most welcomed by our members, and especially newcomers. We do not strive to make profits. In fact, we keep your costs as low as possible while we cover the cost of keeping the club solvent.
Who’s Who: Here’s a short list of the club’s officers and board member positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Class Coordinator, Craft Chairperson, Membership Coordinator, Equipment Oversight Manager, Field Trip Coordinator, Museum Curator, Instructor, Open Shop Monitor, Hospitality Coordinator, Website Coordinator, Raffles Coordinator, and the ever-popular Publicity Coordinator. Want to know a little about each of the club’s principal positions? Go to “Documents” on the website’s pull-down menu and then “SLRGS Appendices” and read the full descriptions.
Remember: A special thank you to all of our volunteers for sharing their valuable experience, time, and patience with our club.
At This Point: We hope you’re thinking, “How can I help out, give back, and make a difference?” It’s very easy to make new friends in the Rock Club! Just come over and say hello on Monday, April 15, at our general meeting held in the Cottonwood Lecture Hall at 10 a.m. C U there!