Design-Your-Own National Craft Guild

[Amy]

Let's pretend we are going to create a national guild/organization for our favorite craft. It doesn't even have to be crochet-related, so feel free to offer ideas that would be generic for any craft. But if you would create a crochet organization, feel free to offer crochet-related ideas.

 

How would you structure the organization?

 

What would you want as benefits?

 

What would the organization have to do to make you want to be a member?

 

What would be a fair price for a membership fee?

 

What should you get as part of that fee?

 

Now, while we're dreaming and brainstorming, let's remember to try to keep our suggestions realistic and feasible. National, non-profit, educational organizations do not have a lot of spending money. So it won't be possible to offer benefits that cost the organization a lot of money unless you plan on charging quite a bit for membership dues.

 

Start dreaming and let me know what your dream organization would look like!

[RachelG]

I'm sorry you aren't getting any responses, Amy!

 

Unfortunately, I don't know enough about guilds or organizations and therefore cannot offer any helpful advice/input/suggestions.

[Amy]

Perhaps it would help others to think of groups like the Crochet Guild of America, The Knitting Guild Association, The Embroiderers' Guild of America, the Smocking Arts Guild of America, and so on.

 

Why would you want to join a national group dedicated to your particular hobby? Just to support the organization and the craft? For the ability to attend national conferences at a discount? To have the ability to organize a local group about your craft, with guidance and tools from the national organization so you don't have to dream it all up on your own?

[Gardener]

I've been thinking about this ever since I read the first post this morning, but I really don't have any ideas.

[jura2908]

for a benifit, a shopping discount would be great. as for membership fees, i could not even begin to guess. it would vastly depend on the scope of the organization. i do like how it is done for my daughter in girl scouts...a small annual fee and then the programs offered are additional. this way rather than one huge fee, we can pick and chose what would interest us.

[kidge]

Heritage Crafter's Guild of America

 

It is a non for profit, educational guild, dedicated to preserving the crafts of yesteryear. And passing them on to America's youth.

 

We would welcome males and females with a talent to pass on their crafting ability in routine crafting classes and fairs, etc.

 

Crochet, Needlework, Knitting, Woodworking, Leather working, Cooking, Quilting, Sewing, Rug Making, etc.

 

Dues would be $120.00 to register and then $60.00 a year after that to keep your name in the registry. The initial fee to register includes a background check and administrative fees, all names would be listed in our guild registry. All accepted members would receive a hardcopy of the registry (as well an online website would be up with info, patterns, and registry), membership card, T-shirt and Plaque. Individual websites could be available for additional charges.

 

We would have "guild functions" as well as public events (IE: Arts in the Park, Craft day at a Farmer's Market or possible at LYS, Seasonal Craft Shows for selling products) to provide our members public exposure (non members may be invited to join but would have to pay to participate), also the registry would be open to the public so our members could do "private lessons, school events, or showroom events".

 

That's my dream.

[ratdog]

A membership card that offers discounts at major craft reatailers like AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Joanns.

 

A monthly or bimonthly newsletter with updates on craft related events and trends

 

Maybe regional meetings with an annual national meeting that moves around the country from year to year (south east one year , New England another, California another)

 

Support for selling crafts (maybe a Guild Seal of approval for sellers, craft venues, craft related items)

 

I would think $60-$75 / year membership fee

 

Membership should give members opportunities to enter craft related contests and discounts at annual meetings.

 

OK, that's it for me!

[heart]

This is a good one. I've got some ideas. I'll post them after I pick up the boys from school.

[magiccrochetfan]

Maybe regional meetings with an annual national meeting that moves around the country from year to year (south east one year , New England another, California another)

 

And then the Midwest the next year, please!

[heart]

We would have some sort of minimal fees, payable at or by the quarterly or half yearly meetings/conferences. Minimal fees because we'd offer on the home site a place for patterns/templates, (which ever relate to the specified craft) from the various members so they can make money as well as the home site/guild could proffit from the listing/sales of it's members. The quarterly or half yearly meetings would take place in central locations, varing each time so that all members don't have so far to travel. As well as local/state chapters for once monthly meetings to get together, see what everyone is currently doing. Maby have some sort of store or sale/exhibit during the conferences as another way to raise money to help support the guild. Some sort of discounts with local vendors during the conferences.

 

Large focus on charity. Mabey get the local news involved as a way to help the guild gain new members, as a way to grow the guild/business.

 

As to the daily running/overseeing of the operation I would probably delegate responsibilities.

 

Also have a yearly book or calander/daily planner that comes out with all guild dates/info, and member patterns/things related to the craft, to sell as another way to support the guild.

 

I could probably go on forever, but this is it for now. I'm making tripple chocolate brownies, and they are about done. Yum!

[totalrealtor]

Are we moving toward a "paid membership" Crochetville?

[ratdog]

And then the Midwest the next year, please!

 

 

Absolutely! The midwest would be the next year.

[darski]

Personally, I think that this sort of group is better as a Regional set up. Thinking of your (usa) constitution being set up with power in the states and assistance from the national body would seem to be a better service to your members.

 

I would see members joining the regional group and some portion of the fees would go to national. it is nice to have a big Everybody from Everywhere Get Together every other year or so.

 

Now aside from the fact that I don't have easy transportation I am also not a good traveler (some friends have looked at me askance for my ability to cause yellow lights ) and I don't like to travel. Traveling further is not a plus for me.

 

I have to admit that my eyes are turning very, very green. I can't find another die-hard crocheter in my town let alone get to know someone in my province. Having an organization of fellow crochet nuts would just be heaven.

 

Now, having said all that... I know you said national and it is much easier for your contiguous states to organize these things. Again I am getting green eyes

 

Hope y'all can make it happen.

[heart]

Back to the calendar/daily planner for profit idea, it would be mass printed and sold eveywhere, not just to members. Kind of like this http://www.amazon.com/Better-Gardens-Family-Planner-Calendar/dp/1554561248 and the pattren a day combined with the guilds events already listed.

 

Also have a few "free days" where non members could log on/come to the events for free. Hopefully as a way to encourage new membership. As well as supply give aways. Or gift baskets pertaining to the craft worth maby $100 or so raffeled off for profit or just as give aways. Fun things like that to keep it interesting and enjoyable too. A Charity Day Event where you can bring all your charity items and donate them to the various charities, which would have representatives set up with information on their charity/contact info. A good all around event benifiting several charities at once as well as the guild.

[Ladykats]

How about this, I am the founder of NJRC or New Jersey Reefers Club. It is about saltwater Aquaria and we have been around since 1998. What started as a rag tag group of saltwater aquarist has grow over the last ten years to a full organization with members dues and monthly meetings. We have a forum that gave us a section to post and keep in touch with each other in our group. Something that crochetville might be interested in doing to help state or city clubs is to give them a space ( subforum ) to keep in touch and let members know when meetings are. It also benefits people that are visiting the area to know what is going on. We have guest speakers that to us are very active in our hobby such as marine biologist. We do now collect dues, but not in the beginning, we formed a committee and made bylaws and filed with our state for non-profit status. Since we have had a website made and is maintained by members. Our members dues are only 15.00 per year, more than enough to cover the expenses of our club. We use to meet in each other home and it was BYOC (bring your own coral ) Each member would be something to the meeting, chips, soda, bread, hotdogs, etc. of course this was discussed before each meeting, sometimes we would bring extra chairs. It was all great fun. The only extras as far as money was if we did a group buy as the club. Money would be donated to a pot and then huge corals that we couldn't afford would be ordered and we would fragment them into pieces and each person would get a piece of the animal. I am no longer involved with the club as my tank broke and it was too expensive to start over again. But Phillis is doing a beautiful job of keeping it going, and the saltwater world still knows me as the founder of the club. Sorry I get carried away when it comes to fuzzy sticks grown under the ocean. We have a motto in NJRC... saving the world's oceans one living room at a time.

 

 

Sorry for the long post.

[JoBug]

Passing on the Talent Guild

Mine would be for ANY art form, a guild that encourages people to pass on thier talent to others, and through the memberships, have a database of people who are willing to help, give advice, and pointers, and share their experiences.

Membership is $50.00 every two years, and is WELL worth it because of the knowledege data base. With your membership fee you will recieve a membership card, and a button, a bookmark, and a bumpersticker.

Our focus is to CONTINUE the traditions of crafting, wheather it be crocheting, knitting, scrapbooking, tating, painting, you name it. The membership is for two years, as we dont want members comming just to gather free info and leave. We want serious members only, who are willing to share their experiences, and pass on advice to others. We will have an online comnmuntiy for paid members to join and share away on many differnt idea boards. Our group will also encourage members to start LOCAL meetings to gather more interest and idea's.

thas my idea off the top of my head, great post Amy!!

[JoBug]

Kidget, I see we are thinking alike!! Sorry I didnt read your idea first..lol

HUGS

JoAnn

[kidge]

Well Two is a good start to the membership!!

 

Kidget, I see we are thinking alike!! Sorry I didnt read your idea first..lol

HUGS

JoAnn

[Krakovianka]

I've been thinking about this--trying to decide what a national guild could offer. Since the purpose of a guild seems to be to promote and preserve a craft, I was thinking that some projects--innovative or traditional could be sponsored/funded through the guild. In many more obscure crafts, books are rare, so having a book of techniques or ideas published would be very welcome. Even a quarterly magazine. (I actually have tatting in mind as I think about this--it's rarer than crochet, and a guild like that could really give it a boost.)

 

In the name of a guild, I think it would be easier to approach craft fairs, historical sites, museums, and so on, about setting up a display or demonstration.

 

I think a guild could also sponsor contests--at different levels. By sponsoring contests at the highest levels, or giving recognition to innovators, you encourage your craft to advance and evolve. By sponsoring contest in schools or at beginner levels, you encourage new people to take up the craft and at least give it a try. Contest winners could be featured in the newsletter/magazine.

 

I think a guild could organize charity drives--even if the craft does not involve making charity items (such as beading or tatting), a charity project could still be modeled on a race or event where sponsors are recruited.

 

Local groups have so much more to offer individuals than national groups, that my preference would always be to belong to a local group if possible. The internet offers access to patterns, tutorials, and provides a "virtual" way for crafts to be passed on naturally, in community, as they always have been historically. Rather than try to duplicate what is already available, I think a national guild should focus on doing what can't easily be done otherwise--including encouraging the establishment of local groups and chapters which reach out to those who aren't using the internet. And for now, there are still people out there like that.

 

As far as cost...I don't know. I think anything like $75-100 per year is pretty extreme. $50 seems more reasonable, especially if it includes a publication or other printed material (newsletter/magazine/calendar). I think the idea of paying dues to a local group, and having the local group send a portion of it to the national guild is better.

 

I wouldn't be very keen to join a group/guild where it seemed the primary purpose was to make a profit for somebody. If money becomes the object instead of the craft, it detracts from the focus of the guild. A guild would need funds to operate (and I know that might include salaries for some people--the way a non-profit works), but I don't think it should be a for-profit enterprise in and of itself. The guilds were originally formed to protect and promote the enterprise of the the members, and that's the only kind I'd want to belong to.