PRESIDENT’S CORNER

 Message from Incoming President
Thanks for your confidence in voting for me as your next President. I am a little nervous but also looking forward to the future of the guild. I have also been thinking of the changes since I joined about 2002.

• We have added the Saturday Chapter which meets in a less traditional way then the other chapters by having a less formal program and time to sew afterward. This allows quilters to learn and practice their skills beside each other. If we run into a problem we can usually find someone at that chapter to help us out of it.
• The Day Chapter has moved several times and each move has presented different opportunities and challenges. Chapter Coordinators have introduced incentives and changed things around to keep things interesting and fun.
• The Night Chapter is also a joy. We have the largest attendance and the space to accommodate us. Besides the traditional choices of stencils, library, patterns and block of the month, they have added Lucky Buck and Embroidery Block of the Month.
• Our Program Chairs have arranged for numerous outstanding and varied national speakers/workshops to broaden our skills.
• The quilt shows get better and better each time. The skill that goes into each and every quilt is made evident at these shows.

My dad is a retired Pastor and he stated to me once that churches who fail to change and become inward thinking are the ones that die. I think that is true for any organization. I am proud to say that our guild is open to change. This is reflected in our membership growth. There were less than 200 active members when I joined; now there are nearly 400 members. In addition, we also serve outside our organization through Linus, Quilts of Valor, Purple Heart and sending quilts to those affected by natural disaster. I am looking forward to being a part of our future.
Ann Walls

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