When the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band was in need of new wooden cases for its glockenspiels, Men’s Shed Vernon suddenly had another project on their hands.
And they delivered.
It started on the pickleball court with a chance meeting between Men’s Shed project coordinator Pat Broschart and trumpet player Wendy Clarke. The band had been looking for a while to replace its aging glockenspiel cases, which were built in the 1960s and have travelled the world. Some of the girls didn’t even have cases for their “glocks.”
Clarke was invited to do a pitch at the Men’s Shed and the men instantly latched onto the idea of the project, as they were very familiar with the band and its history in the community.
The cases had to be light enough for the girls to carry but strong enough to hold the heavy glocks, while being portable enough to carry in car trunks.
John Laity jumped in as project lead and with the knowledge and muscle supplied by the Men’s Shed, a donation from Rona and a generous gift of hardware from Canadian Tire, the project was soon well underway.
The girls from the band were invited to the Men’s Shed on Meadowlark Road Saturday, Dec. 9 to see the results of the men’s labour. They were thrilled at the presentation of the six finely crafted cases.
Meanwhile, the men were surprised at the weight of the glocks and interested in how they were played, and several of the girls demonstrated a few notes, happy to put on a bit of a show to signal the conclusion of a community-helping-community effort.
Men’s Shed Vernon is a collaborative workshop space where men work alongside one another to create a variety of projects for themselves and community organizations. Any men who are interested in getting involved or finding out more can view their Facebook page.
Any women — new or former band members — interested in the band can contact vernongirlstrumpetband@gmail.com or check their Facebook page.
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