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| OHCC LIVING | AUGUST 2023 | 41 Woodchucks Mahjongg Club Ever since Homo Erectus discovered that a sharp stone could save time and effort cutting wood for their daily needs, humans have been inventing and improving wood- shaping tools. Stones were replaced with fire-hardened wood, followed by copper or bronze, then iron, and finally diamonds making vast improvements over the Millenia. e powered circular saw was invented in 1878, actuated by a foot-operated treadle similar to that of the treadle powered sewing machine. In 1929 the portable electric circular saw was invented by the Porter Cable Company which is still making power tools to this day. Fast forward to 1999, when an amazing technology was developed in the haylo of a barn near Portland, Oregon. e SawStop saw is able to stop its spinning blade in .005 seconds (about the length of a camera flash). e 'brake' that stops the blade is activated by a powerful spring and an electrical solenoid. Once the machine detects a conductive surface, human skin for example, the blade immediately stops and retracts below the surface of the table. Many YouTube videos show a hot dog being shoved into the path of a spinning SawStop blade and the saw blade stops before touching the skin of the wiener! e Woodchucks are proud to have this digit-saving machine as a centerpiece of the wood-working shop. I know that the blade brake has been activated about a half-dozen times; probably saving a few fingers! Our Shop Foreman, Dale Wills, recently installed a high-tech dust collection system on our saw and gave it a 'tune-up'. Here we see Dale admiring his work. If you, or someone you know is interested in making a fine work of art, or just crossing off some "Honey-Do's," the necessary forms for joining the Woodchucks are available at the Clubhouse Desk. I hope to see you in the shop making sawdust! ~ Larry See e world of Mahjongg is quite large. ere are local, regional and national tournaments, online games, themed cruises all over the world and conventions where players gather for fun and the challenge. It can be addictive! Mahjongg originated in China, spread throughout Asia, and today millions of people around the world play every day. In OHCC there are primarily two forms of Mahjongg: Chinese and American. Chinese Mahjongg has numerous variations around the world, one version is dominant here in OHCC, taught by Weiling Mao by reservation. American Mahjongg evolved from Chinese versions in the early 1920s. During this time various versions were woven together and a standard for American rules evolved. Today the National Mahjongg League oversees these rules and publishes an annual card, which keeps the game fresh and challenging. Here at OHCC, classes for American Mahjongg are done by reservation at the clubhouse front desk. Growth of this mind-exercising game has occurred here, resulting in ever-increasing requests by OHCC residents for more classes. Requests for Clubhouse space have also increased. As Mahjongg players try to form new games or find substitutes for existing games, we need a better way to connect. New OHCC residents and students want to connect with the wider OHCC Mahjongg community. In order to meet this growing demand, we proposed a new club, which was approved! June 5 marked the launch of our new OHCC Mahjongg Club. e purpose of the club is to expand the social interaction and communication among the large number of Mahjongg players at OHCC. e OHCC Mahjongg Club Board and volunteers are busy establishing a foundation upon which our new club will operate. Right now, we are constructing the new club website. e bank account is set up, we are registering members, and we are working on the schedule of activities for 2024. We plan to revive the annual OHCC Tournament which ended during COVID. For the remainder of 2023, we will continue to provide training classes for both Chinese and American Mahjongg. • e "Drop-in" schedule for Chinese Mahjongg remains unchanged: Mondays from 3 to 5 pm. • A "Drop-in" schedule was established for American Mahjongg: Saturdays from 1 to 4 pm. Mahjongg players may come and play on a first-come, first- served basis. is is a social time to establish new contacts and make new friends. Mahjongg enthusiasts playing at all levels may come and exercise their minds and their skills. An open house is planned for Sat., Aug. 19 from 11 to 1 pm in the Majorca Room. All Mahjongg players are welcome to drop by and connect, exchange information, and greet birds-of-a-feather. Club suggestions may be made each Saturday aernoon during Drop-in play in the Majorca Room. Look for the suggestion box and contribute and/or volunteer. ~ Written by Dawn Edwards

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