RUSHVILLE — Outside the wood shop door on Wednesday afternoons, kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Rush County line up for their turn inside the room where planks of wood become boxes, benches and shelves between 4 and 6 p.m.

For nearly five years, Dennis Simmons has given of his time, patience and talents to teach local kids how to build projects in the wood shop and how to succeed in life (sometimes without them even knowing they are learning.)

Simmons and Boys & Girls Club of Rush County chief professional officer William Walker are hoping that an adult or two (or three or four), will be interested enough to volunteer to be another helper in the wood shop. Every Wednesday, some children don't make it inside the room because there isn't enough help to add to the number.

A few don't make it into the class because of their age, but they can be found outside the door too, waiting for the smell of fresh cut wood to sneak out of the room.

Simmons recalls a child explaining, "I just turned five, only five more years!"

If Simmons had more help, even more kids in Rush County could participate in this valuable program.

A key ingredient he hopes to find in volunteers is being even tempered.

You don't need to be perfect to help he says.

Simmons is hoping to find folks who are happy and can get along with the kids and are willing to help him spread the joys of woodworkiing and life lessons.

Each young person who comes through the program makes a tool box in which they can store a pencil, hammers, nails and their plans and pieces for future projects. Simmons counts around 100 toolboxes now. Last Wednesday was Brennon Baker's first day in wood shop and he was already elbows deep in sawdust and grinning as he worked.

Trentin Hollin has been going to woodworking for three weeks now; others are counting the years they've been coming like Jordan Brown, Victoria Whittaker and Shelby Brooks.

Before the class even begins on Wednesday, they learn skills that Simmons says are a "recipe for a working life."

While who gets into the room each week works off a rotating list, it also matters if you were in-line and ready to come in on time. You have to be dressed properly for work, such as no open-toed shoes, and have your sleeves pushed up above your elbows when working. And you must always wear safety goggles, a lesson the kids know how to follow.

The math and fractions that kids learn on paper at school gets put to work in the real world of the wood shop.

They learn to follow directions and self-evaluate how they have done during each step of their projects.

Simmons has young apprentices who are not afraid to dream of new ideas or possibilities of what they could build. "I have an idea," is heard more than once in the course of each class.

Under his tutelage they have learned how to visualize a project through its assembly and steps, measure, make materials lists, use hammers, squares, a scroll saw, band saws and safety equipment.

They learn to problem solve as they work their way through each project; what Simmons calls, "hidden learning."

He wants kids to learn, "It's OK to make a mistake. Sometimes they learn more from their mistakes than successes." Because, says Simmons, "they learn to fix them."

One of their first projects is building a small CD box, and even that project has some measurement challenges in the mix that help kids learn from the start as they figure their materials list.

"Once they have a list that satisfies me, then I give them the board," says Simmons. After the small box, they move on to building footstools, a hanging shelf or birdhouse.

"As they advance," says Simmons, "there are no patterns. They have some flexibility of design then." Even something as seemingly uncomplicated as a footstool involves glue, clamps, upholstery and other tasks to complete by hand that maybe your feet, who finally get to rest on the stool, don't appreciate.

Simmons has had 28 years in the industry and had worked with 4-H kids where they lived before moving to Rush County with his wife, Pastor Dena Vittorio who is a Rushville native. He decided to help at the club to share some of this knowledge with our community's young people.

Simmons recalls meeting an elderly man through 4-H who shared with him a woodworking project he had done as a boy and kept all this time. He had a lump in his throat as he shared his long-kept treasure with Simmons. "It encouraged me to put the lump in someone else's throat," Simmons says of the pride and memories that come with each project for the maker. "If you challenge them and show them how. They're not afraid to try."

Victoria Whittaker, a young and enthusiastic apprentice of Simmons',  is working on a large bench for her family's home. Sawdust is swirling under her goggled gaze as her mother comes in to pick her up from the Boys and Girls Club. "She does a really good job," says Victoria's mom while waiting for her to clean up from her afternoon's work. "I'm really surprised she was so into it. I think you do a great job with them too," mom adds to Simmons.

Rush County has, from last count, about 100 moms and dads who could also say the same; 100 and counting.

Simmons has written a book and articles on woodworking including one on making doll furniture and houses for the 18 inch dolls like American Girl dolls. He also makes and restores furniture and antiques in Rush County. Simmons calls it, "refinishing memories for people."

To find out more about becoming a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club of Rush County, call 932-2765. The club's sponsor a child program is also getting underway so there are many ways to help through either giving of your time, your talents or resources to help all Rush County's children enjoy the many programs and support available to them through the Boys and Girls Club.



Contact: Melissa Conrad at 932-2222 x 107