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I Forge Iron

New England Blacksmiths Youth Sponsorship Program


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NEB has initiated a Youth Sponsorship Program in order to introduce young people to Blacksmithing.

Our current sponsorship provides funds for 1 year membership and attendance to their choice of a Spring or Fall Meet. The purpose of this discussion is to solicit those in the Blacksmithing community for their thoughts and ideas on encouraging young people to join their group. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance,

  Steve C.

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I end up with a number of kids flocked around me all week when I do demo's at the Grange Fair every August. ( no big surprise, I'm set up right down past where the kids have all the 4-H animals set up.) Things that interest guys... Knives, tomahawks, swords and armor ( I don't have any swords and armor, but I hear all about it from the kids about the guy who does demo's at the Renaissance Fair...) Girls, it's a bit harder to say. Any of my horse shoe art interests them. Most of my junk like that is welded up as coat hooks and so on ( pays well to cover costs), but things like horse shoes forged into hearts, and so on seem to interest them. Split crosses and leaf key fobs also seem to interest them. Many times though it's letting them swing the hammer. The guys always want to jump in and beg to try and you have to try and keep them from butting in line, but the girls seem to hold back. Once the girls realize you are going to actually let them do something, and aren't going to immediately take the hammer away from them and do it yourself, they really start to get into it. I've heard the same thing from women when working with something like Habitat. Too many guys will just take the tools away from them and "show them how it's done" leaving them the clean up work. I've also found that if I have a young lady forging, the other ladies will want to try. One of the best is the young lady in her early 20's who works the concession stand, who stops by at least once or twice every year. I let her try to make something small like a split cross the one year, last year a leaf key fob, and almost as soon as she starts to hammer on stuff, other young ladies gather around to watch. It's not hard to find one or two who are willing to try their hand after that point.

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Our club is too young and small, less than 10 yrs. old and I'd have to talk to the club secretary to know how any members, I guesstimate around 15. It is however going through a growth spurt with 8 young men and 3 old ones coming to meetings and doing some forging.

I take students occasionally but it's up to them to get it in gear and come to me. I don't charge beyond having them chip in for propane and bring scrap they find. If they bring scrap I show them how to test for the various things a person has to know. They can go as far as I can take them but I don't go looking for them, they have to come to me.

We don't have a large enough club to "sponsor" youngsters but out meetings are open and except for club business guests are welcome to take a slash. We teach whatever the person is willing to LEARN. I show folks what I know, I can't "teach" others I can offer the information and equipment to practice it but it's up to a student to learn. I'm thinking maybe we do sponsor folk but I don't know if it's even close to what you're talking about or asking.

Frosty The Lucky.

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All,

 thanks for taking the time to respond. The demo's at fairs, festival's and other events are a good start, but often they seem to be a one and done affair. In many of the small classes that I have seen with young boys they seem to get their free cool knife out of it and then they are out. What is that extra bit that will inspire them to do more?

Good advice with the girls, I haven't witnessed any showing an interest, but maybe more outreach will help.

Thanks,

  Steve

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There's no telling what a person needs to do to inspire younguns to go the direction you want. Good luck with that one. All you can do is present opportunity, it's up to THEM to pursue it. If all a person wants to do is play video games or drink beer in the shade then they might have a career potential flipping burgers or mopping burger joint floors.

Personally I believe the only way to encourage people to contribute to society is allow them to fail: go hungry, cold and wet, their decisions their consequences to live with. Too many good people have driven themselves half crazy keeping sinkers afloat.

Frosty The Lucky.

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