I'd be in real trouble with that bunch as I have carpal tunnel AND rheumytoid arthritis - I CAN't quilt by hand anymore.

:thumbdown: :evil:

I joined a quilt guild here and went to one meeting. It was so LONG and so BORING I never went back! It lasted almost 4 hours. I guess I'm just not a joiner.

I think it's true in any group that a certain few feel like they do everything and a certain group feel like they are never asked.

I like the roll call idea. Im in several community and civic groups and I think that what happens is that you KNOW so and so will get it done or has always done it so that's the path of least resistance.

IMHO, all jobs should move around and nobody should remain the committee person in charge of anything for an extended period of time (no matter how great of a job they do) because it either stagnates the process or burns the person out.

As one of the 'burn-out victims' of several organizations, I try really hard not to volunteer for anything, but seems like I open my mouth before putting brain in gear all too many times. And in a fairly small communnity everybody knows who can and will get things done, so oftimes it is just automatically assumed that those people WILL do it all.

The business meeting part is one I'm trying to change in my guild. I have shortened it to only the essentials. It's boring and very few members care about the behind the scene workings. But the charter members put things in the by laws that are very formal. I have a few charter members still in the guild and it's still their baby so I am going slow in the changes. We get grants for community service projects so being registered as a non profit is a must as well has having elected officers and a board. So there has to be a business meeting and a record of it. It's hard to keep the pace even for the new younger members to feel interested and active and keep the older more set in their ways members non shocked. I'm trying to implement two different workshops instead of the usual one per month. One for new modern patterns, techniques and computer savvy. One for the more traditional patterns and hand work. This way the members can be comfortable in the workshop of their choice. I would love to hear what other guilds are doing to make everyone have a great guild experience.

You must be a tremendous guild president is all I can say. It is refreshing to hear a president who is so sensitive to the needs of the members. I appreciate your remarks about shortening the business part of the meeting and getting on to subjects of more interest to the members. It is very hard to satisfy everyone. My objective for guild membership is to make new quilt friends and learn new things about quilting---short and simple.......

I am so sorry to hear this. As someone else said, it is their loss. Is there another guild, maybe in the town next door?

Would you come be our guild president?? :mrgreen:

That' how I feel too. You guys are my quilt group :)

Sometimes it seems that people get involved in "the group" rather than remembering what the group's original intent is. They get involved in each other's lives as well as their egos and become group snobs. I've been in several groups that turned sour because of that -- well they turned sour for me. It became more about who was "better" rather than the actual fellowship.

We at the QB seem to be on the right track. Stay here with us. I have felt so welcome here -- even with my "dumb" questions. And I've always received kindness and lots of help.