"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Virginia Tadrzynski" > wrote:
>
>> I just attended a "Ladies' Night Out' at church with a speaker and an
>> optional craft (blessing wreath). I was speaking to the organizer about
>> upcoming events and we got around to discussing the last 'cooking' night.
>> They had a 24 speaker who had a cook book collection of (drum roll
>> please)....20 cookbooks. I snorted and called her a rank amateur (I
>> think
>> I have around 3k but don't quote me). I suggested a night where we trade
>> crafts. I crochet and can do cross stitch and have done other artsy
>> fartsy
>> things, but the one thing I cannot do is knit. I told her I would like
>> to
>> learn how. She looked whistful and said the one thing she would like to
>> do
>> is learn to jar thingies. I asked her 'you mean canning and preserving'
>> and
>> she said yes. I told her I would get back with her, as we could work out
>> how
>> it could be taught to the group.
>>
>> So here is a hypothetical question for you, my illustrious group of
>> canning
>> giants. What would you trade teaching canning skills for? What would
>> you
>> like to learn that you don't know how to do? I think I would can all day
>> for someone if they would just clean my damned house for me. What about
>> you?
>
> Ginny, I'm not sure that in my other post I made clear that rather than
> trade (too much negotiating fair) mostly I'd prefer to do it with no
> exchange other than expense money. Pay it forward. Part of my pitch
> last night was an offer to come help someone with the canning < free of
> charge. I'm pretty sure that one woman may take me up on it; I made the
> same offer a month ago at the apple butter class and never had a call.
> Which tells me that those folks (your case may be different) were just
> looking for a congenial night out; or maybe after the class they decided
> it was too much work. Dunno.
>
> Now, re-reading your post, you're talking about teaching an organized
> group -- sounds like my last night's adventure. I'm back to cash again
> -- people around here pay $30 for a 2-hour Community Ed class (a common
> charge) in artsy fartsy stuff, I think. In the spirit of Good Christian
> Fellowship, that might be steep, but I'm not so sure that $15 is
> unreasonable, especially if the group is small and they do hands on and
> they go home with what they made.
>
> It's an interesting question to think about. I'd suggest a demo class
> unless you've got LOTS of working space and not more than about 4 people.
>
> Heck, ask Ellen what she does. I don't know if hers is a paid position
> but she's working with folks in a community kitchen, I believe.
>
>
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> Notes about our meals in Tuscany have been posted to
> http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; 10-16-2007
The way this thing usually works is that once a month the 'ladies' in the
church meet for coffee and a speaker then those who wish to, do something
with their hands. The last one I went to we made a 'blessing wreath' and
were told upfront, if you wanted to do the craft the cost per person would
be $6 to cover the items needed. Once they did a cooking demo and it cost
$5 a head to cover the cost of the items cooked. Most of these 'sharing'
ideas are just that, you share your knowledge and is just a subtle push to
get going on something. The emphasis is on the getting together outside of
Sunday mornings and without men and children rather than on the topic at
hand.
I do, however, agree that if you are teaching a class, you should never
devalue your worth. I would teach this in a flash and bring all my canning
gadjets with me, but they would have to provide the jars and the ingredients
(I may be generous with my time, but NEVER my jars). But this is for the
church where I attend. I will take your advice if asked to do this outside
of the congregation I attend.
What I really would like to do is take the teenaged girls from the youth
group and conscript all the 'seasoned' ladies who loved to hear about my
fair adventures and tell me what they 'used to do when they were kids' to
help teach this. Sort of serving two purposes, teaching the younger girls
(and boys if they are interested) that all food that comes out of a jar does
not originate in aisle 7 of the grocery store, and make some ladies who
often feel like they are 'past it' feel like they are a vital part of the
'community' again. Also, how else can you pass down an oral history if you
let those who know it pass on into that dark night without tapping the
hidden resource.
-ginny
the working space. The congregation I belong to has a reprobate chef as
member. Everytime he felt guilty about something he made a donation to the
church kitchen fund. He must have been one bad mofo, because when they
added on a fellowship hall with a new kitchen he donated the whole kitchen,
with two industrial sized refridgerators, and an industrial ten burner gas
range (I want to say subzero, but I'm not sure) an industrial dishwasher
and more than enough counterspace to make Mother Teresa curse. The kitchen
can handle it.
-g