The meeting was called to order by the Vice-President, Sharon Musch, at 1:06 p.m.
Secretary’s Report – We dispensed with the reading of the minutes since they were previously distributed to the members via email. A printed copy of the minutes is available for review at each meeting if anyone is interested.
Treasurer’s Report – The checking account balance on August 9th was $3,028.39. Receipts during the last month totaled $197.50, and expenses for the same period were $123.33. The ending balance on September 13th is $3,102.56. Retreat fund allocation is $1,360, and chapter funds are $1,742.56.
Membership Committee – We’ve had 2 new members join in the last month — Joan Keltner and Marilyn Duncan. We now have 77 paid members. An updated roster will be distributed with the meeting minutes, and it includes contact information for our new members as well as several updates on email addresses and phone numbers for others.
Program Committee – Sharon Musch encouraged members to check the Guild website (www.qgotv.org) to check out the latest information regarding upcoming Guild programs and classes. Micki mentioned that there are still openings for the October 5th class that will deal with the values of colors and how to use them to the greatest advantage in your quilts. There are also a few openings available for Mary Shara’s machine appliqué class on Friday, Sept. 16. If you are interested in attending any of these classes, please contact Sharon at sharonmusch@comcast.net or see her at a meeting to register.
Dale Angione, a fellow Guild member, will be teaching several classes – October 26 will be on paper piecing; November 9 will be on Celtic knot; and November 30 will be on the Little Something Jacket. Each of these classes is $10, and you should sign up directly with Dale at a Guild meeting or by calling her. If you need her phone number, please contact Sharon, and she’ll provide it.
The Free Motion Quilting class being coordinated by Carolyn Page is now at capacity. The instructor will be Judy Hansen from The Quilt Shop of Deland, and the class will be held on September 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the library.
Sharon provided information regarding the Christmas Golf Cart Parade. The Guild would like to have as many carts as possible to decorate with quilts and advertise the upcoming Marketplace 2012 that will occur in January. Micki shared that it was a very well run event last year, and the ladies that participated had a nice time. Please see Micki or Sharon if you’re interested in joining the group this year!
Old Business:
1. 4-H Project – Carol Fox shared the latest information regarding the 4-H group we’re trying to start. There are 217 4-Hers enrolled in Sumter County, and there are several thousand students involved in the 4-H enrichment program at the schools. Insurance is paid by the students as part of their fee to participate. Other volunteers are covered through insurance with the University of FL if something should happen while participating with the 4-H project. Carol and Sharon Musch will be our co-leaders, and they will each have a background check done on them. The questionnaire for students has been completed, and this will help us determine the sewing skills of interested students. The 4-H agent indicated they had 12-14 sewing machines that are used for the sewing camp in the summer, and they would be willing to work out a loan program with interested students who don’t own a sewing machine. The student would work this out directly with the 4-H office. The recommended age for our group is 10-16, and the agent indicated we should expect fairly low skill levels. In other words, simple projects are best! We need at least 5 students to start a group, and we are limiting the total size of the group to 12. The next step is to set up and man a table at the September 22 4-H gathering where parents and students peruse the various opportunities and decide which one they would like to join. Carol needs a couple of volunteers to join her and Sharon that evening. They will need to arrive at the meeting place in Bushnell prior to the 6:30 p.m. start time. The students will spend a half hour looking over the opportunities, and then they will leave to do some activities with 4-H leaders. The parents and group leaders then meet with the 4-H Extension Agent to cover the rules and various other important points pertinent to being in 4-H. The meeting should be over by 8:00 p.m. If you are interested in helping Carol and Sharon, please contact Carol (pfox2162@comcast.net) as soon as possible.
2. 2012 Retreat – There are 18 members registered for the retreat. If you are interested in attending the retreat or in getting more information about it, please contact Monique via email (billfoley@bellsouth.net) or at an upcoming meeting. The retreat will be held on February 21-23, 2012 at the Life Enrichment Center in Fruitland Park. A deposit of $50 will hold your spot! This is a great event, and if there is any way you can make it, you should try! There is good food and plenty of time for sewing and getting to know your fellow quilters a bit better!
3. Nominating Committee—Guild Level – Jo Loder and Cathy Barlow attended the Guild’s Nominating Committee meeting as Allamanda’s representatives. Alice Nichols has volunteered to run for the President position, but no-one has volunteered to be the Treasurer. The goal is to announce the slate of officers in October and have the membership vote at the November meeting. If you are interested in either of these Guild-level roles, please contact Jo (billjoloder@comcast.net) or Cathy (cathybarlow56@yahoo.com).
4. Nominating Committee—Allamanda Chapter – Marilyn Paluszak and Janice Tingle are still working to find members who are willing to volunteer for the roles of President and Treasurer for the 2012-2013 term. Please give these opportunities some consideration. We need ALL our members to jump in and get involved!
5. Marketplace 2012 (One Stop Shop Hop) – Planning for this event is really coming along, and it looks to be a spectacular success! Don’t miss all the latest information on the Guild’s website! [As of 9/17 there are 49 vendors; only room for 1 more: MarketPlace2012]
6. Showcase 2013 – Each chapter has been asked to create a banner that represents their group. The banners will be used to cover the ends of the racks and hide the construction that holds up all the beautiful quilts. Marlene Jensch has volunteered to lead a group of volunteers to create our banner. Look for more information about this from Marlene in the future! Many of you are very artistic, so please consider volunteering to be a part of this opportunity.
New Business:
1. Holiday Luncheon – Dee Dean mentioned that a couple of people had expressed concern about the cost of the luncheon that will be held on December 6th. The group discussed the possibility of having the chapter pick up the cost of the luncheon, but many felt that it was not the appropriate use of dues money. Marge Hopkins made a motion that members who want to participate would be charged $15 for the lunch, and a $3 corresponding amount from our treasury for each registered person would be put in a fund to be used by the luncheon committee to cover expenses. The motion was seconded by Jo Loder. The motion carried. Dee will be creating flyers with all the details for the luncheon, and she will begin taking reservations at next Tuesday’s meeting.
2. Community Service – Carolyn Page’s efforts to organize the Quilts for Kids resulted in 15 quilts being donated to Arnold Palmer hospital (via Whippoorwill). There was a great article in The Daily Sun this past week, and we were also highlighted on The Villages television show. Great job Carolyn! [Featured on Chapter News]
3. Allamanda Block of the Month Blotto (A-BOMB) – Terry Murphy will be leading this new activity which was mentioned in last month’s minutes. Terry will select a block. At the meeting she will have a sample to display, and for $1 members can purchase the pattern. Sometimes the pattern will include certain fabric, but there are times when all you will receive is a pattern with instructions regarding the type or color of fabric to be used. You take the pattern home, make the block, and then bring your finished block back to the business meeting the following month. For each finished block you bring in, your name will be entered in a drawing. One lucky winner gets all the blocks and a great head start on a quilt top! (If there are a LOT of blocks, then we may have two winners.) This is a great way to try new techniques, so don’t be afraid to jump in and participate!
This month’s block was an origami Hawaiian shirt. Terry gave an impromptu lesson on how to fold the material to make a shirt, and she will also be available at next week’s meeting if anyone would like some help. The kit included the pattern and background fabric. You’ll need to select a flowery type material from which to make the shirt. We’re all looking forward to seeing the end results at October’s business meeting! [See photos in Allamanda's Show-n-Tell]
4. Storage Space at Allamanda Rec Center – We were notified by the Rec Center staff that we would not be able to continue storing all the items we’ve had in the back closet. The Rec Center originally agreed to let us store the bulletin board, ironing board, cutting mats, and green tub. We have gradually taken over more space in the storage area. A recent building inspection precipitated this action. At this point, we are back to the original items agreed upon, and they are being stored behind the sound system to the right when you enter the storage area. All other items are at Janice Tingle’s home. If you brought in items that you would like to re-claim, please contact Janice.
As we move forward, if you bring items to the meeting to share with others, please make sure to take them back home with you if no one else wants them. We have no space to
store extra items. This also means that if you lead a group project or some charity effort, you will need to arrange for storage some place other than the Rec Center.
5. Finish Line Workshop – Jo Loder is putting together a workshop that will cover all the essential techniques regarding the finishing of your quilt. She will cover squaring up the quilt, choosing and making your backing, and binding the quilt. The workshop will be held on January 31st.
Several beautiful items were shared with the group during the show-and-tell time. Check out the pictures when they’re up on the website! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the creativity of our members!
The meeting was adjourned at 2:42 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Barlow
