The Santa Clara Valley Carvers hosted a two-evening Wood Carving Merit Badge class for local Scouts, allowing them to earn their badges in February 2025. Eleven enthusiastic scouts, aged 11-17, participated in the class, eager to try their hand at woodcarving.
The class was made possible thanks to the support of the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of Scouting America, which provided a convenient space for the sessions in San Jose, CA. Our experienced instructors, John Parisseti, Mike Campi, and Dan Brady (pictured left to right), did an excellent job introducing the scouts to the fundamentals of woodcarving, including safety practices, tool handling techniques, basic cuts, sharpening, and honing.
Through a combination of theory and hands-on practice, the instructors worked one-on-one with each student to ensure they used the tools correctly and safely.
The scouts were also treated to special presentations by Debbie Mize, a seasoned woodcarving show judge affiliated with the California Carvers Guild, who shared insights on participating in local woodcarving shows and competing for prizes. Roman Chernikov introduced the group to chip carving and showed an impressive collection of chip carving projects.
The club provided all the necessary tools to support the learning process, including sharpening stones, bench hooks, and basswood blanks. We also set up a large display table featuring various woodcarving projects demonstrating different styles and techniques, from whittling to flat-plane carving, wood-burning to chip carving, and relief to in-the-round carving.
By the end of the class, the scouts had gained a solid foundation in basic woodcarving skills and had even chosen their projects to work on over the next few weeks.
With these new skills, they are on their way to earning their Wood Carving Merit Badges, a significant achievement that will recognize their hard work and dedication to the woodcarving craft. They were also invited to join the Santa Clara Valley Carvers as members, allowing them to benefit from regular one-on-one mentorship with experienced carvers at our weekly meetings.
The class was a resounding success, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the scouts and their parents. The Santa Clara Valley Carvers look forward to hosting another woodcarving class in collaboration with the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of Scouting America later this year and regularly.
