The General Meeting of Grand Clay Arts will be Thursday, January 16 at 9:00 AM, Chaparral Center in the Hopi Room.  We look forward to seeing you at this, our first meeting of the new year with our new board.  Please plan to attend and remember, coffee and donuts will be available.

Class Name	Class Dates	Time	Instructor
Hanging Totem	1/15, 17, 2/5, 12	6-9 PM	Shanrock – Wait list
Coiling	1/16	3-6 PM	Olson - Wait List
Raku with Jim Calhoun	1/19	8-11 AM	Calhoun - Observe only
Beginning Wheel	1/20, 23, 27, 30	6-9 PM	Marx
GR Forms	1/23	9-11 AM	Jeff Rottman Demo
Advanced Throwing	1/28, 2/4. 11	3-6 PM	Rozman
Basic Clay Hand Building	2/4, 11, 18, 25	3-6 PM	Marx – Invitation only
Leaf Bowl	2/17, 24	3-6 PM	O’Brien/Boggs
Wow of Glazing Pt. 1	2/19	6-9 PM	Marx
Wow of Glazing Pt. 2	2/22	9-11 AM or 12-2 PM	Marx
Texture & More Vase	2/27, 28	3-6 PM	Rothzeid

Check the website frequently for updates.

This was at the making portion of Jim Calhoun's recent Raku class.  The firing will be taking place on January 19.  Come to watch the process.  Dress warmly!

                                

It's starting to feel like winter.  Temps are plummeting and our studio is becoming busier by the day!

We'd like to remind everybody - please don't touch, move or remove other members' works.  We know that drying racks (both throwing and hand building racks) are getting full but please do not move anything that is not yours.  It is really easy to dislodge wrapping plastic which results in dry pieces in just a few hours.  It is also easy to damage an appendage (a handle, spout, or other fragile parts) or break a delicate rim.

And finally, please don't remove any piece that is not yours from the already bisqued shelves or from the already glazed shelves.  Make sure it's yours. 

Thanks for paying attention to these little details.  It makes working in a community studio more pleasurable.

If you are new to the club, new to the website, or just need a refresher, check out this "How To" guide for common website activities.  The guide gives steps for logging in, getting around, registering for classes, volunteering and more!

Access the guide on the GCA website (GrandClayArts.com)
    Resources>
        GCA Documents>
            **Member Documents**>
            Using the Website -- Help for Members (Click on the blue link to view the document)

Have you noticed the new air filters now installed in the studio?  They have made a significant difference in the quality of the air.  However, along with that good news comes an observation.  There seems to also be an impact on the drying time of our clay projects. It appears the increased air circulation speeds up drying time.  So if you want to preserve the moisture in your clay or wish to slow the drying time, be extra careful when you cover your pieces. This may mean no holes in the plastic coverings and no air gaps either unless you are ready to dry your pieces. 
 

To be in "good standing," members are required to maintain 12 service hours at all times.  Earned service hours "roll off" after one year.  It is a good idea to plan how you will earn hours regularly throughout the year.  A good example is to plan to monitor once per quarter, earning 3 hours four times a year.

New members are granted 12 volunteer service hours to be in good standing and be able to use the club facilities from the start.  These hours will "roll off" in one year, so new members will need to start replacing these hours right away.  When the year is up, all twelve original hours will be gone.

Monitors, kiln operations and glaze operations use the website to sign up for volunteer day/time slots:  In the "Events" section, click Volunteering, then View Volunteering Calendar.  Note that these committees require training.  Contact the team leads listed on the Volunteering Calendar if you wish to participate here.

All other volunteer service hours are recorded in the binder located behind the monitor's desk.  Fill in your name, date, duty and hours in the binder.  Each month these hours are entered into the system on the last day of the month.  For example, if Edgar logs 3 hours for "cleaning duties" on 1/15, Edgar will see 3 hours logged in the system on 1/31.  Note that whenever volunteer hours are entered into the system - either by signing up for a time slot or by having them entered via the binder - the member will receive an email confirmation.  The email confirms the date/time the member volunteered to serve.

In the case of Edgar, this might be a little confusing.  He will get a confirmation that says "Thank you for signing up.."  The email will list a 3-hour time slot on 1/31, the last day of the month.  Edgar will want to keep track that he did indeed log 3 hours in the month of January.

One more note:  Members who earn more than 6 hours in the month may have multiple time slot entries listed in the confirmation email.  Just add up the hours to ensure you have been given the appropriate number.

Finally, to check your hours: 
    In the "Events" section, click Volunteering, then Volunteering Reports.
    Click on the green "Run Report" box.
This will show the number of "active" hours, i.e. the hours from the current date and back one year.  To see a different time frame, change the start and/or end dates.

The Glaze Committee is in need of 2 new members.  The thrills and spills of this job are far too numerous to describe in a want ad, but you'll learn a ton about glaze and glazing.  If you are interested, please contact Jean Zeidler at 623-853-5975 or Cyndi Swintek at 734-718-3304.