Quilt Guild Meetings
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 368
I just had to wade in on this one. When I joined our guild 15 years ago there were around 35 members with quite a high percentage attending daytime meetings. Now there are close to 85 members with about the same number attending monthly on a regular basis. But you never can tell until the meeting day. We have changed locations four times to my knowledge because we outgrew our location. We are at that point again, but don't have another place we can afford. It is really frustrating because such a small percentage actually help, run for office, show and tell and so on, but we have to plan ahead just in case they decide to come. The guild seriously discussed limiting membership to 50 a few years ago, but it was voted down by the same people who make such a small contribution. Of course those people are there with bells on for a party or free class. It is very frustrating. I've gotten to the point that I would rather get together with a small group of like-minded quilting friends and sew, visit, share and so on without all the extra work.
#22
I belong to a large guild in Spokane that only meets 4 times a year. They have a meeting that starts at noon and a second meeting in the evening. Officers stay the same, guest speaker does a different speech for each meeting - makes those of us who don't have jobs working for others that can attend the day meeting want to stay for the evening meeting. There are around 400 at the day meeting and probably 250-300 at the night meeting. The guest speakers also give a class on Friday and Saturday - two different classes - following our Thursday meetings. Works great.
#23
I belong to a bee group in Florida (Oh how I miss them!) - there are 7 of us who meet weekly at one member's house (she has a dedicated building for quilting with her longarm, huge cutting table her hubby made, and a table large enough for all of us to sit and sew at) every week where we sew, go out to lunch and return to sew again. Different political and religious view points, different backgrounds, levels of education, bound together in the friendship of quilting. No arguments or fighting, always willing to lend a hand in a quilting project (or anything else, for that matter), never a catty remark about another member, just a wonderful, deep friendship with other women who share the same love of quilting. They are the sisters of my heart.
#24
I'm not sure why you think there is a limit to membership. Isn't it just as easy, and more cost effective, to have a program for 200 hundred members as 50? I can see limiting workshop numbers, but the more members, the more $$ in dues to run the organization, donate quilts, hold shows, etc. Plus, how would you divide your members? There's bound to be hurt feelings from people who are "ousted" from the original group. Is it worth it? Our guild has smaller sub groups who get together from time to time, but we all come together once a month and keep up with what we're all doing.
#25
The very large guild (in Salem) has a morning meeting and an evening meeting. Most people come to the morning meeting, so it can be very crowded. Each meeting has the same speaker, but there is a different set of officers for each meeting (a morning president, an evening president, etc.) They meet together for board meetings. I never thought about the challenges, but I think they are the same for both groups.
Last edited by Skyangel; 08-07-2012 at 11:32 AM.
#27
Our guild has 200+ members and only meet once a month, at 6P.M. to 9P.M. At each meeting we have committe reports, This includes everythng from our Quilt show to the Sunshine report. We pass a blessing basket, recognise birthdays for the month, welcome new members, and guest. Have a drawing for the block of the month, also usually a suprise drawing for something useful ( if you wear your name tag your entered) always a guest speaker or demo, a show and tell for all to show off our newest quilt. We have a break mid way through for coffee and cookies. we have round robbins but that is something members set up and do on there own. We know before we start the meeting that we are on a tight time line, and we have to stay focased to get everything done. but we usually have plenty of time after the meeting to just sit and chat for a few min. Members of our guild are spread over a large area, I have one of the longest trips, 2 hrs. one way. So we will meet in groups of 2-? to work on charty quilts, round robins, challenges, ect then report on what we are doing or have finished at the next meeting. It works for us and we have never turned anyone away.
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: kansas
Posts: 6,407
I belong to a Guild of about 160 that has both a morning and an evening meeting. We have one set of officers, which does limit who can serve to those that can make both meetings pretty regularly, but they do cover for one another too.
Our programs usually mean a speaker needs to commit to both meetings. Which means that if the speaker is not a Guild member, that some members of the Guild need to treat to lunch, squire around to the local LQS, antique stores, etc. But we have a group that work after the morning meeting on community service projects and sometimes the speaker will stay and participate.
Most of our workshops are held at separate times than the meeting/programs. I'd say that about 60-70 members attend the mornings and 30-40 in the evening--so like all organizations, there are about 25% of the members that are not very active in participation, but still enjoy the "drop in" affiliation. I think that anytime you are a new member of any organization, you have to make an effort to get involved in order to get to know people--smaller size groups mean it can usually result in knowing everyone fairly quickly, but that doesn't mean larger groups are less friendly.
and larger guilds can muster the resources (both $$ and PEOPLE) to tackle big service projects, shows, etc. So both have advantages--it's all in how you look at it.
Our programs usually mean a speaker needs to commit to both meetings. Which means that if the speaker is not a Guild member, that some members of the Guild need to treat to lunch, squire around to the local LQS, antique stores, etc. But we have a group that work after the morning meeting on community service projects and sometimes the speaker will stay and participate.
Most of our workshops are held at separate times than the meeting/programs. I'd say that about 60-70 members attend the mornings and 30-40 in the evening--so like all organizations, there are about 25% of the members that are not very active in participation, but still enjoy the "drop in" affiliation. I think that anytime you are a new member of any organization, you have to make an effort to get involved in order to get to know people--smaller size groups mean it can usually result in knowing everyone fairly quickly, but that doesn't mean larger groups are less friendly.
and larger guilds can muster the resources (both $$ and PEOPLE) to tackle big service projects, shows, etc. So both have advantages--it's all in how you look at it.
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Englewood, CO
Posts: 531
I actually stopped attending my guild meetings because of the negative, catty garbage that was going on. I was not the only one, a small group of us now get together once a month for a sit and sew. It's great!
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