Sun City Hilton Head is an active retirement community for adults 55 and over located in Bluffton, SC. One of the premier chartered community clubs is the Woodworkers and Modelmakers Guild. The Guild is in its seventeenth year and boasts 750 members, 11% of which are women. More than 95% of all new members have little or no woodworking experience. New members are required to attend eighteen hours of safety, orientation, and training before being allowed to use the primary power equipment around the shop, except lathes which are taught in the Guild's advanced training program. The Guild has three Special Interest Groups (SIGs):
Model Railroad SIG: About 30 members who design, build, and operate model railroad layouts of varying gauges, predominately HO. A new G(arden) gauge layout adjacent to the Shop is in development. You must be a member of the Woodworkers Guild have completed the required Basic Orientation and Safety class. Railroad dues of $20/year are in addition to Guild dues. Woodturners SIG: About 90 members who focus on developing the finer skills and techniques of wood turning. SIG members must be members of the Guild. The SIG meets at the Shop on the third Tuesday evening of the month from 6-8 PM. Woodcarvers SIG: About 30 members who focus on learning to carve objects in wood from the very small to the substantial. They meet weekly each Friday in our resource room from 9 AM to noon. SIG members must be a member of the Woodworkers Guild and have completed the required Basic Orientation and Safety class. This are no dues for this SIG.
