Hello, guildies! Welcome to the first meeting recap of the new officers and programming. This meeting was packed with information, and some of it warranted its own blog post. Links to those topics will be provided. Show & Tell is sprinkled throughout. Let's jump in!
- First off, we had a special election for the VP of Programs. Per the by-laws, a minimum number of days must be allowed after announcing an open candidacy spot. When Mary moved from Programs to run for President, Programs became unexpectedly open. We're in luck, though, because Erin Balke stepped forward and was elected! She is already working hard at cultivating great programming. Special thanks to Judy who acted as our election official this year!
- The winner of the raffle drawing for a free retreat stay was Cheryl Hayes! The retreat will be 5/5-5/7/23 this year and will be at the Crestfield Conference Center (Slippery Rock) again.
- Gail informed us that we have 49 members as of January 2023, and 21 people attended the January Zoom general meeting. She is currently working on creating biographies of members - just a few sentences and a photo, if desired. She also reviewed the new Show & Tell forms. They include your name, a bit of information about your work, and whether the work can be photographed. We even had 3 visitors at the Feb meeting!
- For security purposes, we won't publish the numbers shared by our treasurer, Jen, to the blog, but if you are curious and missed them the first time, please reach out to any leadership and we'll make sure you get the details. Jen covered our balance, and the expenses related to the charity quilt, as well as reimbursements to members and leadership. Renewing our MQG dues is right around the corner and she shared the amount due based on our membership numbers. She also discussed the retreat. Possibly needing volunteers for the games and ice breakers, as well as questions about meal times were mentioned. Jen worked really hard to keep the pricing as close to 2022's prices as she could.
That brings us to the raffle changes! In an effort to recognize participation on all levels and all programming, we have decided to implement some exciting new chances to earn raffle tickets. You can find all of that information here.
- Social Media is getting an overhaul! The profile page for Instagram has been updated, and the website is going to look a bit different soon. Leadership has agreed to explore getting a new, updated website with more features and the convenience that you expect in 2023. I am also evaluating the need for our current presence on Facebook. Please update your social media information, too. (Ahem, raffle tickets.) I covered finding new modern designers using block samplers and featured Ben Millett and Wendy Chow as examples. The WhatisLove sampler has expired, but keep an eye out on Instagram as I find more.
Judy showcased the work she does on totes for the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. It is a wonderful way to help out as sewists. A separate post was also written for the totes, click here. Tracy made a bunch that were distributed over the holidays.
- Mary & Erin worked on programming together - reviewing the MQG website. The MQG's site was also redesigned recently. They covered QuiltCon, News & Happenings, where to now find the quilt of the months and patterns, etc. Episodes of the MQG tv show (last year's president, Karen, appeared!) Fresh Quilting can be found on Vimeo, too. A video by Rob Appell on machine tension was shared. The Q1 Challenge is Keep It Small, so any finished work interpreted as small. Small piecing? Small size? You decide!
- Mary created a survey that went out that afternoon that covered programming ideas and preferences, workshop ideas, retreat meal questions, retreat projects like last year's name tags. She also set up monthly leadership meetings via Zoom. Any guild member can attend; they just need to request the link to join. Minutes are also available afterwards, too. Just ask. March is going to be a QuiltCon review and building your own portable design wall.
This is a HUGE information dump and if you're still with me, you deserve a reward. If you mention the codename HOUSEPLANTS to me at the March meeting, I'll give you a treat. ;) Seriously. See you soon. -Cheralee
No comments:
Post a Comment