Hello MMQG!
Fact:
Membership is growing by leaps and bounds because you’re all so fun and talented! We currently have 89 members and our meeting room at Blue Bar Quilts accommodates 59. WOW!
To address our growing membership and current space constraints, all members were invited to attend a workshop on October 25. Member Wendy Franczak and her coworker Jill List lead the group through a consensus workshop attended by 17 of our 89 members.
Some data:
- Since 2014, an average of 48% of paid members attend meetings. This is relatively consistent every year.
- Throughout 2018, our total attendance averaged 84% of the capacity (59 people) of the BBQ space.
- Two times we exceeded the room capacity:
- May 2017 = First meeting at BBQ
- Sep 2018 = Modern or Not? By Trish
The workshop:
Through guided and focused exercises, the attendees brainstormed and categorized MANY potential solutions to this issue.
Our findings:
Short term (through 2019): Regardless of the long term solution, we agreed there is an immediate need to cap attendance numbers regardless, due to capacity and safety (i.e. fire code) restrictions.
As a result, RSVPs will be required soon and will be a short term solution to prevent us from exceeding the BBQ capacity for the room. Based on the 2017-18 data (above), this should not limit attendance at very many meetings.
- Elaine has agreed to research an on-line (not Facebook) R.S.V.P. program and will get this set up for the guild by December meeting.
Long term (2020): After reviewing all possible options, 8 members voted to find a larger meeting space and 9 voted to stay and figure out a way to make Blue Bar Quilts work.
The guild will continue to consider multiple options. Members volunteered to research the solutions they were passionate about:
- Research Alternate Location:
- Tara
- Elaine
- Sue
- Tiffany
- Bridgett
- Sally (researching location for “special events”)
- Alternate Fee Structure:
- Gwen
- Sally
- Alternate Mode of Meeting Delivery
- Eileen
- Ester
- Tess (video expertise)
Next Steps:
- The RSVP will be started for the Dec 2018 meeting with info regarding sign ups sent to the guild before the meeting.
- The group that met in October will meet again to check in on research and progress before the Jan 2019 meeting. We will provide an update to the guild.
- The final solution will be identified by the end of 2019.
- By January 2020 plan will be implemented.
Our sincerest thanks to those who participated. For those of you were unable to attend we’d like to thank you for your trust and support while we continue to work through this issue.