I noticed a Woodworking shop in The Villages
 

Can anyone visit and use the equipment?

thank you.

No, you need to be member, attend training, pay dues, etc., and i understand the waiting list is very long. I gave up.

You get to pay for it and can’t use it.

One of the membership clauses states you need to be , the seventh son, of a seventh son, born on 29th February.

There is no waiting list. There was one after the COVID mess, but there hasn’t been a waiting list for months?

Is that the $1,000,000 Woodworking Shop?

There is a process to getting in, you just can't walk in there and use the machines.

There has been a lot of controversy around it hence the snarky remarks. lol

This is what I have been told also.

A representative from the club came to one of the CDD meetings to explain the situation. There was a spike in interest in using the facilities during Covid and when the new facility near Brownwood was opened. New members are required to go through a training session to learn about the equipment and safety procedures. With a surge of applicants, a learning period for the new facility, and only so many introductory classes available, a "waiting list" grew. I have heard that the list has now been worked off.

Been a member since 2013 and you just noticed?

Another
 

Like championship golf courses?

You do not pay for the championship courses unless you play on them.

There are two woodshops. One on Rolling Acres, one near Brownwood. Both are very similarly equipped.
Any village resident can join.
You can go there for info, but cannot use any equipment because you must be safety trained.
There was a wait to be trained during covid, but they are caught up now.
Membership costs $200 to join, and $90 per year (that just went up due to rising costs). This pays for the operation and equipment repair costs of the shops.
Everything needed to operate the shop is done by members. All volunteer; nobody is paid... except there is only one paid employee - the janitor who cleans bathrooms, break room, etc.
Every member is also required to perform three 4-hour "monitor" shifts per year. You are in the shop to watch over things, lend a hand, clean the dust collectors, and be the lead in an emergency. You cannot work in your own projects during your monitor shift. This is another way that all the members have to contribute to the shop operation.
Since everything is done by the unpaid members, the shops are open in the daytime. Nobody is asked to work in the evening (or on holidays).
There are many members who are experts in certain skills. Some choose to lead training classes. Others join the special teams such as maintenance, special projects, operations, the board, etc. Others use their skills to help in all sorts of other jobs. Everyone benefits from these people stepping up to help.

About the snarky remarks - grow up. Stop making up lies and learn some manners.
I've noticed people who are not a member seem to always make disrespectful remarks. Don't want to pay your share for operational costs? Object to having to do a few hours of volunteer time? Too entitled think you don't need safety training? This is an expensive type of place to operate, both for equipment, maintenance, consumables, and the need for manpower.

This is an amazing amenity you won't find elsewhere, with commercial quality equipment, opportunities to take classes to learn new skills, and with a group of people who all contribute to make a great facility.
Imagine a rec center requiring everyone using those amenities to work on its upkeep? Having to pay for new nets, equipment maintenance, refurbishment, lawn cutting, pool chemicals, etc. Wonder why our monthly amenity fee doesn't cover similar costs for the woodshops?

Thank you for the clarification, I will look into this again since there is no waiting list, I tried to join several years ago at the original shop and was told the list was 2 or 3 years long. Then when the new shop opened I saw an article (or some report) that there was still a significant waiting list, so I did not bother, I will check again. Over the years, I have been able to do everything I wanted to do with equipment I bought and use in the garage, this has worked well for me, just takes longer.