Disclaimer: I'm preparing for night shifts, so had to keep myself awake until 6 this morning, and got curious.
I looked up the patent number, and the Aunt Becky was invented by a woman named Rebecca E Nicklous. She filed for the patent in 1981. In her instructions, and drawn figures, she basically describes rocking the needle, so really, it's not wrong to rock the needle!
Patent link (if you click on images at the bottom of the patent page, it takes you to her application and diagrams--use the arrows or page selection on the left to go through the four pages)
From patent:
"It may be desirable to hold the protector in a substantially vertical position as shown in FIG. 2 when the material is supported by a frame or hoop. Here, the curved surface 25 is held flush against the underside of the fabric and at substantially right angles to the penetrating needle. The needle can be inserted until it touches the protector. The protector can then be moved back under the tip of the needle to push the needle point back upwardly. The eye of the needle is pushed back down simultaneously so it will slide up and over the surface 25 and through the fabric. Again, any of the corners or surfaces available can be used as suited, depending upon the nature of the work being done. "
In 1985, sisters Jan Bressler (the woman in the videos linked above) and Lou Shafer bought the Aunt Becky company and started giving lessons.
I also found out their store is in Philomath, OR (a converted old theater). I drive through that town when I go to the coast! I think I'm going to need to plan a trip to the coast this spring/summer and stop by their shop, and maybe take a class. 