Jeff Backlin
For the Logos

If you've been to any of NIACC's band extravaganzas, concerts or taken a music course at NIACC, you probably have seen the man in charge, John Klemas. However, to every coin there is another side and Klemas' other side is his passion for woodworking.

One of three brothers, Klemas said his grandfather, who enjoyed working with wood while he managed the local movie theater here in Mason City, influenced him at an early age.

"My granddad was a major influence," Klemas said. "After he finished his job at the local theater, he became a pattern maker at Winnebago and put his woodworking skills to use."

According to Klemas, woodworking is just another extension to his all around creative nature. Klemas said that for him personally, woodworking is along the same line that orchestration and compositions follow.

"There is a bit of catharsis in it. It gets me away from teaching and is completely different in that I can do this whenever I want to," Klemas said.

Klemas said that he still has some of the tools his grandfather used when he was a woodworker.

"Several of the tools we still use were our granddad's," Klemas said.

Having been involved with woodworking since he was a boy, Klemas and his two other brothers, Dennis and Mike, also enjoy working with wood.

"Dennis and I work in the garage at our acreage and Mike has his own place," Klemas said. "At this point, this is just a hobby with the limited amount of tools we have."

Klemas said that he has always enjoyed being busy with his hands. Klemas said while he was in graduate school he could remember that he would buy model rockets and put them together in his spare time.

Woodworking to Klemas is a creative venue. "You see something, you design it, you build it and you get that sense of pride," Klemas said.

And build he has. Klemas has custom-built the majority of the furniture in his house along with projects such as stereo cabinets, medicine cabinets and art deco fences.

"I just completed a kitchen cabinet out of tile for my mother and this summer I made a pergola for our yard out of redwood and cedar," Klemas said.

Build times vary, according to Klemas, on whether the project is a job or for himself along with the type of project that it is.

"Sometimes it takes weeks and then sometimes years, it just depends on if you are doing it for someone," Klemas said.

As time goes by and Klemas continues building, he said he has entertained ideas of incorporating woodworking as a second job into his schedule.

"It could very easily be a second income," Klemas said. "We are toying with the idea of semi-custom furniture and would hope to specialize in some aspect of specific customization, like cabinets or bed frames and then selling those to furniture stores."

Working out of their garage shop at his acreage north of Mason City, Klemas said that he is slowly but surely improving the Mortin collection in his shop.

According to Klemas, some personal favorites of woodworking styles are Prairie School and Art Deco styles because of their lines.

"Every project is fun," Klemas said. "There is no one thing that is better. Although if you ask me it would be whatever I was working on at the moment."

Whatever the project, Klemas said he loves using his creative juices and appreciates the freedom of creativity.

With the auditorium renovation in full swing this past summer, Klemas said he liked to just sit in his car and watch the building unfold.

"Anytime something is built I have to go watch," Klemas said. "I was in seventh heaven with the auditorium renovation."

Samantha Donisi
Assistant Editor

College students have a lot on their plates with classes, homework, jobs and extracurricular activities. With all that and more, not many students have the opportunity to volunteer.

The Girl Scout Council of North Iowa is aiming to solve that problem.

They are looking for college-aged volunteers to help out with various activities, and can tailor a student's volunteer time to fit the student's particular major.

Rosie Hussey, executive director of the Girl Scout Council, said that a study they had done showed that young girls would rather be led by young women, rather than older women.

"The study showed that girls relate better to people not much older than they are, but old enough to be looked up to," Hussey said.

The Girl Scout Council is looking for both men and women of college age to help out.

Volunteers can help with events, chaperone trips, work directly with troops or join a task force.

The various task forces help with things such as executing various programs throughout the year, managing cookie sales, doing administrative work or recruitment.

Diane Murphy, the Adult Development director/Product Sales for the Council, said that the time commitment is up to the student.

"If a student wanted to only volunteer one Saturday, that would be okay," Murphy said. "If they wanted 25-30 hours, we can do that too."

The Girl Scout Council is particularly interested in NIACC students because they come from so many different places. The Girl Scouts of North Iowa is a regional program that covers 12 counties in the area.

A lot of students from NIACC come from those same 12 counties, and could either work in Mason City at the office, or branch out to help out in their home county.

Most activities take place after school hours at night or on weekends, so it would not conflict with school for the students. People with special skills that would like to share them with the girls are encouraged.

Murphy said that foreign exchange students are great to have come in and talk about their culture with the girls, or someone with expertise in a certain area is welcome to share their talent.

"For example, somebody in a computer class at NIACC that could volunteer some time to help show the girls how to design a web page would be great," Murphy said.

Hussey added that almost any class at NIACC has something that could be offered to the girls and that everyone is welcome.

Volunteering with the Girl Scout Council can help students get class credit, build a resume and fulfill an internship. If interested call (641) 423-3044.