Following Farley Fundraiser Dry Stone Walling Workshop

Date: 
Sunday, June 5, 2016 to Monday, June 6, 2016
Location: 
Port Hope Ontario
Type: 
Fundraiser
Status: 
Completed



DSWAC ran a special summer workshop in support of the upcoming Farley Mowat Boat-Roofed house relocation, Thanksgiving Weekend (October 8 — 10) here in Port Hope. 
After ten years on private property, this singular tribute to one of Canada’s greatest writers and environmentalists is being relocated to the town park along the Ganaraska River, fittingly right across from the public library.
Seminar participants collaborated in the construction of a 4 foot high dry stack wall running along the perimeter of a shaded historic residential property bordering a picturesque farm field. 
Walling basics such as foundations,  batter, through stones, hearting, coping and various design issues were dealt with during this totally hands-on course. There was no heavy lifting or machinery used. It was a sunny happy event. Lunches and drinks were provided and written material backed up the instruction.
Much of the money raised is donated to the Thanksgiving celebration.
 

End of second day of the 'Following  Farley' Fundraiser Dry Stone Workshop Event in Port Hope, On. 
 
If there was only one thing I was able to get across to someone enrolled in a dry stone wall workshop it would be the concept of having fun. 

Forget the pressure of maintaining an air of seriousness, of thinking of it as arduous labouring, of it being a grudgingly burdened interaction with heavy material, of the whole thing being an exasperating attempt to not break any rules, of keeping up to someone else's standards, of trying to get done more than you feel physically capable of, of trying to impress people, of needing to pass some sort of test, of thinking that if your having fun you're not learning. 

That's all baloney. 

Any learning situation has a special self-fulfilling component to it that, if you allow it a chance, makes the whole thing surprisingly pleasurable. 

It's called 'fun'. Don't build walls without it.

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