March 2024 Newsletter
Greetings Fiber Friends!
I write this as the winds howl around us like the proverbial March lion entering the season. It's a bit harsh now but I do see the signs of spring that give me hope for a lamb-like finish to the month. I'm relishing the longer days and how the angle of the sun is changing and bringing new colors to the fore. And speaking of colors - I highly recommend a trip down to the Skagit Valley over the next month of flowers dancing jubilantly in the fields, it's glorious and vibrant!
It's the season of new growth and we are stepping forward with new energy after the inspiring retreat hosted by Handweavers Guild of America in January. The Board identified some areas to focus on and created committees to come up with ways to strengthen and sustain our guild. Made up of board and general members, these ad-hoc committees are tasked with investigating options and ideas and bringing these to the group as proposals for the guild to consider.
The Tech Committee will be focused on just what the name implies - our tech needs as a guild. It is a broad range to cover - everything from the hardware and people needed to run a hybrid meeting, to maintaining our Google drive and managing the passwords. (The passwords! Can I tell you how crazy our tangled web of passwords is?!) After 5 months of hybrid meetings, we've got a better sense of what we need to make them successful for both groups of attendees and this committee will come up with a plan for next steps.
The Leslie Comstock Committee is looking at how to manage the money that Leslie left to the guild. We realized we wanted to make an intentional plan for the bequest instead of falling into the trap of just using it fill budget shortfalls. The committee will create a plan to allocate the funds over time and bring a proposal to the group.
The Diversity Committee is looking for ways to expand the makeup of our group to be more reflective of the fiber arts community around us. Our guild is wonderful and strong, and it is also a subset of a larger community of fiber makers/creators (I keep thinking of Venn diagrams). The committee will look beyond just saying that 'we welcome everyone' to identify the ways that we can make people feel welcome and included. So, over the next few months we will be inviting community members to share how we can dive into our welcoming nature in more deliberate ways. We're excited to bring in new fresh ideas to our group while welcoming fiber artists in our diverse community to share in our passion for all things fiber.
I'm grateful for this guild and the members who are engaging in the discussions, meetings and activities that will carry our group forward in a strong and thoughtful way. You may have heard me say this before (I won't apologize for repeating myself) - being actively involved in the guild is a great way to strengthen connections and friendships as well as nurture and grow the group. We've got lots going on and there are many ways to participate, don't hesitate to reach out with ideas or to volunteer.
LeslieAnn Bestor
WWG President, 2023-2024
I write this as the winds howl around us like the proverbial March lion entering the season. It's a bit harsh now but I do see the signs of spring that give me hope for a lamb-like finish to the month. I'm relishing the longer days and how the angle of the sun is changing and bringing new colors to the fore. And speaking of colors - I highly recommend a trip down to the Skagit Valley over the next month of flowers dancing jubilantly in the fields, it's glorious and vibrant!
It's the season of new growth and we are stepping forward with new energy after the inspiring retreat hosted by Handweavers Guild of America in January. The Board identified some areas to focus on and created committees to come up with ways to strengthen and sustain our guild. Made up of board and general members, these ad-hoc committees are tasked with investigating options and ideas and bringing these to the group as proposals for the guild to consider.
The Tech Committee will be focused on just what the name implies - our tech needs as a guild. It is a broad range to cover - everything from the hardware and people needed to run a hybrid meeting, to maintaining our Google drive and managing the passwords. (The passwords! Can I tell you how crazy our tangled web of passwords is?!) After 5 months of hybrid meetings, we've got a better sense of what we need to make them successful for both groups of attendees and this committee will come up with a plan for next steps.
The Leslie Comstock Committee is looking at how to manage the money that Leslie left to the guild. We realized we wanted to make an intentional plan for the bequest instead of falling into the trap of just using it fill budget shortfalls. The committee will create a plan to allocate the funds over time and bring a proposal to the group.
The Diversity Committee is looking for ways to expand the makeup of our group to be more reflective of the fiber arts community around us. Our guild is wonderful and strong, and it is also a subset of a larger community of fiber makers/creators (I keep thinking of Venn diagrams). The committee will look beyond just saying that 'we welcome everyone' to identify the ways that we can make people feel welcome and included. So, over the next few months we will be inviting community members to share how we can dive into our welcoming nature in more deliberate ways. We're excited to bring in new fresh ideas to our group while welcoming fiber artists in our diverse community to share in our passion for all things fiber.
I'm grateful for this guild and the members who are engaging in the discussions, meetings and activities that will carry our group forward in a strong and thoughtful way. You may have heard me say this before (I won't apologize for repeating myself) - being actively involved in the guild is a great way to strengthen connections and friendships as well as nurture and grow the group. We've got lots going on and there are many ways to participate, don't hesitate to reach out with ideas or to volunteer.
LeslieAnn Bestor
WWG President, 2023-2024
