Middle School Carving Club Inspired by Grandmother

Long-timer carver Nancy Borson shares her passion with middle school students

By Kathleen Ryan

The middle school in Hermantown, Minn., provides a popular carving club for students. Now in its second semester, this successful club has generated a keen interest in carving among students, faculty and parents alike. It has also produced a growing number of talented carvers. The inspiration behind this school carving club began with woodcarver Nancy Borson and her grandson Kade, who clearly demonstrate that the apple does not fall very far from the tree.

Nancy taught herself how to carve in the 1960s, while living at a remote canoe camp in northern Minnesota. Later, after relocating to Rochester, MN to take a position as a research biochemist at the Mayo Clinic, she hooked up with the Rochester Carving Club. “That club was a huge part of my life for many years,” Nancy mused. After retirement, Nancy moved to back to the Duluth area where she hoped to join another carving club, only there was none. So Nancy started a carving club there in 2011 called The Knotty Carvers of the North. That burgeoning club now has over 40 active members.

Since none of Nancy’s three children ever showed an interest in carving, she was caught by surprise when her 11 year old grandson Kade Borson asked her to teach him to carve. “I began to think in terms of big wood, big tools, big projects where we could use a mallet, chisels and gouges rather than small, sharp knives,” Nancy explained. A story pole provided the perfect solution and Kade loved it. “I really enjoy the fact that you can make your fantasy visions a reality with carving,” he said. Kade’s younger sister Kiera started her own story pole too.

Upon entering the 7th grade, Kade surprised Nancy once again when he queried the industrial arts teacher, Wally Michelizzi, about starting a school carving club. “Kids often asked me if carving was fun, so I thought that they should see for themselves,” he said. The teacher, who had previous carving experience, met with Nancy to draft up a club strategy. “We choose a large relief pine tree project, that could be firmly clamped to workbenches,” Nancy explained. “It’s a wonderful way to teach the kids some woodcarving basics: stop-cutting, taking advantage of angles, and making clean cuts, while still leaving room for individual creativity.”

Eighteen students enrolled in the club and the school provided a small stipend for mallets, gouges, safety gloves, chisels and clamps. “It has been a wonderful experience for students,” said Wally. “To create an interest in something that is not technology related and obviously very hands on has been awesome. Now the students can use technology to watch videos or search topics on how to wood carve or sharpen tools.” Parental support has also been impressive. “Many parents stop by just to look at the carvings and to tell me how much their kids like the club,” said Wally. “Some have even purchased tools so their kids could start working on projects at home.”

Kade is pretty proud of the fact that his school now has a carving club where he and his fellow students can enjoy the camaraderie of carving. He said, “The students seem to enjoy the club and have a lot of fun . . . even when they mess up.”