I was just recently elected to the Board of Directors of our local Quilt Guild. We are looking to freshen up our meetings with some fun and exciting things to keep members interested. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions you would like to share? I would appreciate any help you could give us.....Thanks sew much!!

encourage show and tell---the good the bad +the ugly---our guild tried to theme our monthly s+t --- star quilts meallion quilts etc---it failed people want to show what they are working on just finished or just found-----presidents encouragement award [a gift of threads/fabric]---have a suggestion box---many heads work better
a question box---we then all learn from /or input into an answer

Never thought of a suggestion box....thanks! We just discussed trying the show and tell themes..I guess we'll see if it works with this group. We did fashion shows but they don't want that anymore...this is a tough group. Thanks for your ideas...we are ready to try just about anything at this point :thumbup:

CONGRATULATIONS!

We have fat quarter draws. You bring a fq & get a ticket then if there are more then 15 we spilt it into 2 draws the winners get the stack of fq's. It goes over well. We give them themes as well. We gave members a questionnaire to see what they wanted.

The guild I used to belong to did the FQ draw too. It was a popular one. They also did a book raffle. The guild would buy a nice book or someone in the guild would donate one. They sold tickets on the book for 50 cents each or 3 for $1. They drew a ticket for the winner. BOM are also popular. You pick a pattern and color scheme. Then they get 1 ticket for each block. If they had more than 20 blocks they split the blocks. We also made name tags that were mini quilts like the size of a coaster. The guild put together a kit to make them and sold the kits for I think $3. If you didn't wear your name tag to the meeting you got fined..I think the fine was a quarter. We also did an "ugly" quilt contest. They gave a FQ packet to the winner.
Good luck and have fun. crafty_linda_b

Our show & share is a huge part of our guild meetings - for the last 2 years our S&S convenor has organized this so the guild donates $1 and she donates a matching $1 for each person showing an item (she doubles her donation for all new members sharing). This convenor also has a sewing/embroidery/thread shop. The donations go to 'Operation Eyesight'.

One of the very fun things we are doing this year - organizing a 'Sewing Room Tour'. Like house tours at Christmas, but member sewing rooms! Everything from studios to closets.

Enjoy your new posting!

Showcase the talent within. So often we think we have to have a guest speaker from quite a distance to have a good program and it just isn't so. We have incredibly talented members within our guilds. Have a member's night and invite 2 or 3 members to present a mini trunk show. You will be amazed at what some of your own members have accomplished and haven't shared with the guild. It's even more interesting if they can show quilts right from the beginning of their quilting up to the current time. Our guild has enjoyed these nights more than bringing in another speaker. Quite often these evenings lead to requests for a workshop led by one of our own presenters to share some of these skills.

Thank you!!

Love it!! Thanks for the idea!

Great ideas! Thanks!

Love the tour idea... I think we would have to do multiple.
Our guild has over 100 members...
Thanks sew much!!

We have done this and I agree that the talent among the members is amazing!! Thanks!

Show and Tell is the heart and sole of any guild. My guild puts every name of who shows a show and tell in a big box. At the Christmas party a name is drawn for a great prize. It's something super nice like dozens of pre cuts, rulers, etc. We have a simple sewing project aimed for the beginners at each meeting. A demo and free pattern is given and members can bring the project to the next show and tell.

Our program committee just finished a very successful year.

We always have a show and tell; only one was around a specific theme. It was called "Then and Now;" members were asked to bring an item from their early quilting days and something more recent.

Member trunk shows are fun.

We've had a couple of shop owners ocme in, they both came from about an hour away. One did a general "what's new in the shop - she brought some books, tools (mainly specialty rulers), fat 1/4's, and did a demo on Texture Magic. The other brought the same things, but did a demo on Accuquilt Studio cutter. They also gave a coupon for in-store purchases - I'm sure it was worth their while to come, lol.

At the end of the year we have a "social" where members are honored for their various positions, and acknowledgements are made to helpers. Someone coordinates a challenge quilt at the beginning of the year, and those who want to participate get to show their works at the social at the end of the year.
We have door prizes, which everyone looks forward to (Mostly these are gifts donated by members or businesses), a fat quarter exchange that is usually coordinated with the holiday of the month, "holders and folders" that help hold the shared quilts at the meeting, and pass out the prizes. Our "Fat Quarter Coordinators "do a wonderful job of putting the fat quarter bundles together, and adding a small pattern or notion. These are raffled off to the people who bring in the fat quarters, they are given one ticket for each fat quarter they donate.
We have a library of books that are available to all members.
There is an annual retreat or two, usually one in the winter and one in the summer. We plan an annual bus trip. Each month we accept shelter donations. There is a "quilts and covers coordinator" who accepts tops or whole quilts for various charities. Usually in the Spring for the annual "Quilters Day out". Those that want to all gather with our machines and any fabric to make charity quilts. (Some people just come to cut fabrics, some just enjoy putting on the backings.) (Our guild provides the batting.) It is a village of people working on all these quilts. And of course, we have Programs that are presented monthly by various artists, trunk shows, collectors and teachers. Various classes are offered by the teachers. I really enjoy my guild. We have about 400 members. Every other year we put on a quilt show with vendors.
Oh, we always have show and tell. I think people really look forward to it, to show their new quilts or wearables.

Thank you all sew much for all of your ideas! You are all fantastic! I am so glad I joined this board! I can't wait for our next meeting to share your ideas with the BOD!!