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When
the five founding members of the East Tennessee Woodworkers
Guild met in 1983 to discuss the creation of a new organization,
they made two important decisions that still resonate today
within the association they envisioned. These individuals were
part of the arts-and-crafts revival that swept the United States
during the 60s and 70s. They were also among the few nascent
woodworkers of their time fortunate enough to undergo an apprenticeship,
of a sort, with a true master woodworker who shared with them
the mysteries of Old World craftsmanship. This experience left
them with an enviable set of skills and a seriousness of purpose
towards pursuit of their chosen craft. Perhaps their master
also gave them a finer appreciation of woodworking history,
at least at an earlier age than most of us, for they chose a
medieval term, guild, as the primary descriptor of their new
fraternity. Perhaps just as important, they decided to allow
both professional and nonprofessional woodworkers to be eligible
for membership, thus allowing for future growth.
The idea of a guild in today's society is an anachronism to
many. Its original purposes, such as a means to restrict entry
and advancement within a trade, a way to control commerce within
a geographical area, or the eventual evolution into the governing
body of the local community, have all been lost with time. Quaint
as these notions might seem, there remains at least one traditional
function of a guild that is tremendously useful to the current
woodworking community still undergoing its renaissance.
In their day and age, the old guilds were the unquestioned arbiters
of excellence within their crafts. As such, they determined,
with broad approval among their own ranks that likely extended
to the public at large, which individuals deserved the title
of master and what qualifications they must possess. By extension,
this gave the community some reassurance that the work of the
best craftsmen would meet a certain standard and be worthy of
its cost. Think of this process as medieval quality control.
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Two
pieces by Marion Randolph of the East Tennessee Woodworkers
Guild.
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