I don't know where you are in W Texas. I lived for 60 years in Odessa and know that WTexas is a big place. I don't know whether your group has enough money to bring a person with particular skills in for a program or trunk show.
Good programs, particularly if the speaker is entertaining at all, will spur interest. However, programs should be limited to 35-45 minutes in length. Remember the rule, "The mind can absorb only what the bottom can endure."
Skip the reading of the minutes. Your group is not Congress--thank God--and the only thing that should be in the minutes are motions, seconds and the result of votes. It may be interesting to the group that Ms. Gotrocks lost her 4 carat diamond, but it doesn't belong in the minutes. And putting Sunshine and Shadows in the minutes may violate privacy laws, so be careful. See how many people have computers and send newsletters and minutes by e-mail. Then you don't have the problem or expense of snail mail. You will need to get a newsletter editor for this and for goodness sake, don't gripe at that person.
You need an activities chairperson to plan exchanges, quilt block challenges, etc. There are lots of suggestions on the Internet. You might try one our guild did last summer. Everyone who wanted to participate brought a bag of scraps, big enough scraps to do something with, the bags were numbered, participants drew a number and got the bag that corresponded with the number. Each person had two months to use the bag of scraps to make something of their choice that is given to the original owner of the scraps (who also gets the leftover scraps back.) THis spurs some creativity. The things that were made included aprons and tote bags as well as quilts.
Also, why don't you try a mystery quilt? Or a block of the month? And a fifth Saturday sew day? What are you doing for community service?
Hey! I know you all will come up with something wonderful! froggyintexas
Originally Posted by
WTxRed
I'm closing in on my 2nd year of quilting and it's been a blast!
About 10 months ago, there was a new local guild formed and I and several others who are 'new' joined. Us newbies have occasion to visit and we were thinking we'd get another 'look' at quilting, some skills, etc. and walk away from meetings feeling like we were learning, growing, etc. We've already seen meeting attendance fall about 30-35%. Our next closest guild is at least 70 miles away.
So here's my real question(s) -
1) what should the guild meetings 'be'? we follow Robert's Rules or Order, have a reading of the minutes from the last meeting, any new business discussion (mostly social at this point), and a 10 minute presentation by a guild member of something they're working on. We usually close up with a show & tell, which is typically the same 5-8 people each month. Interest is starting to wane as it feels to many that we're not 'achieving' anything at the meetings. Is there some defined 'process' new Guild's should follow?
2) what makes your guild (or group) meetings successful in your opinion?
Just so you know - I have lived my whole life under the concept that you don't bring up a problem without at least one option to make it better or to resolve it. I wouldn't mind being on the board or a committee, but I know working Fulltime at my paying job, working part time at my mom's LAQ shop, + all of my chores at home & a DH who has some medical issues, time doesn't really afford me the ability to do a volunteer position justice at this point.
I would love for our Guild to be vivacious, active, interesting and provide a service but I don't know how to get there with the constraints I, and we as a group, have.
If you have any observations, comments, questions, please toss them out here.
Thanks in advance -