OMQG Board Meeting Minutes

OMQG Board meeting minutes
May 15, 2015

Present:  Yanick, Marge, Rene, Michele, Ede, Beth, and Debra (via Skype)

• Discussion of placing ads on our blog.  We have received inquiries from some businesses offering us free materials in return for an ad placement on our blog.  After discussion, it was agreed that ads will be only for local shops, and will appear for a limited time.  Sewing Studio could have permanent ad due to the fact that they give us our meeting space without charge.  Ads might appear in the form of an interview with a quilt shop owner, for example, rather than an actual ad.  They could be part of a feature called "Friends of OMQG".  It was agreed that we do not want ads to dominate our blog.
• Beth proposed  two new challenges: a mini-quilt swap and a UFO swap.  The mini-quilt swap would be voluntary, and take place after the Maitland Library show.  (Members would make a mini-quilt to be shown and then swapped if they wish when the show is over.)  UFO swap will take place in August and announced in June. Members will put a ticket in a jar or envelope for any UFO they are interested in, and winner of each UFO will be drawn from those tickets.
• Two members have asked for mentors, and have been assigned.
• Discussion of upcoming teachers:

  Carol Lyles Shaw would like to share her Fibonacci techniques at one of our Sew Days.  Board agreed to ask her if she could do this at our August meeting.  Debbe will calculate fees.

It was agreed that we should go ahead and book our teachers through 2016, and even 2017, as their schedules fill so quickly, and demand is so great.

• It was agreed that we will investigate new locations for a possible retreat this year.   Debra knows of a possible location in Gainesville; will discuss with Debbe.
• MQG has re-designed some of their website to encourage more interaction from members.  Rene will work on getting more items from our guild on the mothership website to encourage more interaction from our membership. 
• We agreed to re-open the UFO list.  Mentors should encourage new members to add items to the UFO list, and to make name tags.
• We would like to participate in this year's Maker Faire at the Orlando Science Center.  Volunteers for a committee will be solicited.
• The Trenton quilt shop has a quilt show each year in Feb-Mar, and would like to feature our guild, alone or with another guild, at a future show.  We will follow up on this with guild membership
• Debra will post a "Help Wanted" ad on our blog, for a new Block of the Month chair, and volunteers for the Maker Faire and Maitland Library quilt show committees.
• Our next board meeting will be held Oct 1 at 8:30 am (prior to Sew Day) at Panera's on Sand Lake Road.