The Shed
Issue 13, Q2 June, 2023
The Official Newsletter of the US Men’s Shed Association
Photographer Dean Kirby, Ruston LA
“Men don’t talk face to face, we talk shoulder to shoulder”
The Shed | June 2023
1
Isolation is a health risk
Loneliness can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by 30%, according to Dr. Ramesh Mazhari, Director of Interventional Cardiology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Sciences. “The risk associated with social isolation could be as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being obese,” she said. “It looks like if you have more friends, you may need less pills,” Mazhari added. A recent survey by Psychology Today found 47% of Americans feel lonely. But there is good News for Shedders: Men who attend their Local Men’s Shed have often reported having a greater sense of purpose and connection! So come in, have fun, and stay healthy!
Photo Credit: "A lone tree stands in a field surrounded by fog" by shixart1985 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
By Mark Winston On the afternoon of March 14th, I received a call from Clare Ansberry of the WSJ. She told me she wanted to learn more about the US Men’s Shed Movement. I was driving, so we ended up speaking for about 20 minutes before we started losing contact. Before the contact was lost, we agreed we would continue our talk the next day. The next day we spoke for an hour. I learned that this article was going to be fairly comprehensive in nature. We spoke about what USMSA had been doing and how we became involved in the US. Then we spoke about many of the sheds and what they were up to. We spoke about why there was a need for Sheds. I gave her a brief history of the movement internationally and why the need manifested in Australia and Ireland, etc, and that men were men no matter the country they were living in. I shared the fact that in the US we have a population much larger than the other countries, some of which have more than 2,000 sheds. Clare thought this a very compelling story and decided they would send people off to various sheds to learn more from the ground level. This aspect of her research was impressive; I knew the WSJ was invested in the what , why’s and how’s of shedding. Clare and I had a remarkable collaboration and spoke a couple of times subsequent to the article’s publication. She wanted to know if they captured the true spirit of shedding. They did. The article was first published digitally and then also appeared the next day in the paper edition. After the story appeared, we were contacted by hundreds of people - both men and women - who wanted to start sheds. Usually, folks contact us who want to join a Shed, but these WSJ readers wanted to start a Shed. We scheduled Zoom information sessions to The Wall Street Journal Features the US Men’s Shed Movement 200+ people show interest in starting a Shed
accommodate the questions in April and May (and will continue to host them monthly.) We are still being contacted daily for additional information. T his type of exposure and enthusiastic response speaks to the enormous need for Sheds in the US. At USMSA, we have never been busier. The sum of all this activity will improve the lives of many and even save the lives of some. The future is bright and we embrace it. Please help spread the word to everyone you know about what Sheds mean to all people. Thank you Clare and WSJ for sharing our story with the nation!
The Shed | June 2023
3
Shedders being Shedders
4
The Shed | June 2023
5
6
Have Fun
Be a Lifelong Learner
Be willing to Teach
Listen to diverse Opinions
Support the Community
The Shed | June 2023
7
Making Bee Boxes
Lorin Tate handles the insulated bee hives located on family property in Grand Rapids. Insulated bee hives give the colony a much greater chance of surviving winter, and are now being sold by the West Michigan Shed. Lorin is also shipping some hives to his 19-acre nut plantation in Mississippi. FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mensshedwm/
3 Christopher Wilson, Shed Lead
The Shed | Oct 2022
RESEARCH: Health, Well-being and Reduction in Social Isolation are some benefits of Men’s Shed attendance According to a SAGE Journal Article, “(Referring to the companionships and new connections established in the Shed), the participants value the function of the Men’s Shed in reducing social isolation…one study reported that ‘Social contact through the Shed was emphasized by participants as a way the Shed contributed to their health and well-being’ … referring to improvements in mental health… contributing to better mental health, better physical health and energy levels, improved confidence, better partner relationships, new friendships, etc.” (Moylan, 2015, Flood & Blair, 2013)
Sage Journal Article: “The Role of Community-Based Men’s Shed in Earth Promotion for Older Men: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. American journal of Men’s Health March-April 1-18, 2022. Authors: Linda Foettinger, Birte Marie Albrecht, Thomas Altgeld, Dirk Gansefort, Carina Recks, Imke Stalling, and Karin Bammann, Creative Commons Attribution/Open Access/SAGE. Research also from Meylan, et al, 2015
10
PROJECT IDEAS
The Shed | Feb 2023
11
Root Beer Float Day at the Aloha Shed
Bob Jewell, Shed Lead
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gtmenshed/
CPR Training at the Grand Traverse Shed
Jim Novak, Shed Lead
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AlohaCommunityShed/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php? Can you help us with a single click? YES! The national Men’s Shed Facebook page needs you to “Follow” Could you please click on the link above, or go to The US Mens’ Shed Facebook Page and click “FOLLOW” We would like to go from 308 subscribers to 400. In other countries, the Shed movement is well-funded by government support / taxes. In the US, we are still years behind … we don’t even have a US Men’s Department of Health! Currently, the US Men’s Shed movement is one of very few organizations targeting Men’s health and wellness, happiness and community contribution. When we reach 400 followers, Mark will go for a 6 mile run in an isolated forest with only bear spray and a dog to protect him … oh, wait! he does that every day. But on THIS DAY, he will run to celebrate the 400th Facebook Follower! Please click now!
Mark Winston joins the Visible Man Podcast to promote US Men’s Shed
Website: https://visibleman.org/mens-sheds/ YouTube: "Men's Sheds" - Visible Man
Shed Hands in Action
Photographs of the Ruston Shed Hands in Action provided by photographer Dean Kirby. To see all the amazing "Hands" photos, go to the Ruston Men's Shed Facebook page! FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067813345161 Tommy Folk, Shed Lead
The Aloha Shed gives us those nice, bright colors Cell Phone Photo Contest Winners
3 Winning Cellphonographers are pictured above ( l - r ) : Tim, Mark, and Audrey
The Benefits of Men’s Sheds Some of the the key benefits of local Men’s Sheds (as reported by Shed Leaders) are: a reduction in social isolation, the creation of friendships, the enhancement of both physical and mental health, and stimulating the process of continuous personal growth and contribution throughout a man's lifespan. Men come to Sheds for comradeship, for socialization, to learn new things, to regain a greater sense of purpose in life, and to be able to contribute to their community.
The Shed | June 2023
15
Women at the Shed
Women Are Welcome!
Men’s Sheds also host Ladies’ Night, Women on Wednesday, family BBQs, and many other inclusive activities. Some Sheds also open their regular meetings to women from time to time (or each week!) but, according to research, male Shedders do look forward to talking with other men about “guy stuff.”
The Shed | June 2023
17
Elgin Area, IL Shed Tours Local Sawmill
Paul Reardon Shed Lead
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ElginAreaMensShed.IL/
Charles H.Townes 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics
“We can’t avoid age. However, we can avoid some aging. Continue to do things. Be active. Life is fantastic in the way it adjusts to demands; if you use your muscles and mind, they stay there much longer.”
"This is why I have learned to question everything!"
The Shed | Oct 2022
8
USMSA ® Board Members Mark Winston Steve Werner Janice McDowell David Helmers
Please
Website usmenssheds.org Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?
The JUNE 2023 issue of The Shed has been produced thanks to private donations / volunteers. Designed and Edited by Janice Altman. Cover Photo courtesy of Ruston, LA Shed / Photographer Dean Kirby. Most photos in this edition were taken by local members. Back Cover photo: Ruston, LA / Photographer Dean Kirby. Photo Attributions: Some enhancing Images obtained through CreativeCommons: Pg. 2 Tree: "A lone tree stands in a field surrounded by fog" by shixart1985 is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Pg. 8 Bees: "Honeybee Conservancy Grant Brings Bees to College of DuPage 2017 25" by COD Newsroom is licensed under CC BY 2.0.. Pg 9."Macro Bee Pollen" by ForestWander.com is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0."Honey Bee macro" by eleZeta is licensed under CC BY 2.0. "The Wall Street Journal Logo am PC-Monitor, durch eine Lupe fotografiert" by marcoverch is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Charles Townes: public domain (pre-copyright era). Mikael Häggström/Non- medical diagrams. “Dark Rough Wood” by Brett Jordan is licensed under CC BY 2.0. “Donate” image; "donate-button-chilis" by United Workers is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
The Shed | June 2023
16
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker