New England Region - The Embroiderers' Guild of America, Inc.

Due to confusion in the transition from a five-year to a ten-year bylaws update, it appeared that chapters due for updates in 2008 were the first of the ten-year cycle.  National informed us that chapters due in 2009 are the last of the five-year cycle.  As a result, Hope of Rhode Island Chapter, Northern New England Chapter, and Pioneer Valley Chapter were all required to complete updates this year.  The bylaws review chairman informed us that if the only changes are those mandated by EGA National, then no chapter vote is required.
Northern New England passed the first review by the Region/Chapter Bylaws Reviewer, has had the chapter vote to approve the bylaws, and has sent signed copies to the reviewer.

Pioneer Valley Chapter reviewed the mandated changes and saw no significant impact on the chapter.  They developed an updated version compliant with the new master and that version was checked by the Region/Chapter Bylaws Reviewer. They have some minor changes to make, and they should be able to finish prior to the end-of-year deadline.
Attempts to communicate with Hope of Rhode Chapter have been unsuccessful.
Once these three chapters are up to date, New England Region and every chapter within it will not be required to perform a bylaws update until 2013.

Corresponding Secretary

Sympathy cards were sent to the family of a CRVC member upon her death and to a MVC member expressing sympathy upon the death of a family member

A thank you card was received from the family of the CRVC member.

--Violet M. Anderson

• 1st quarter membership – full year plus ¼ year’s dues
• 2nd quarter – no change
• 3rd quarter -3/4 year’s dues
• 4th quarter - ½ year’s dues
• Then in 2010 and subsequent years, all members will owe one full year’s amount to be paid through the chapter by May 31.

• Joining January 1 through April 30 – 1/3 of annual dues
• Joining May 1 through August 31 – full dues
• Joining September 1 through December 31 -2/3 of annual dues
• In the subsequent year, these new members pay on their chapter’s annual schedule, with the chapter’s EGA dues paid by May 31.

Newsletter

The newsletter had three issues since November 2008, each following a Board meeting. It now reaches a total of 93 people, mostly by e-mail.

The breakdown is: 36 NER and chapter officers; 33 National officers and Region editors; 12 e-subscribers; 5 paper subscribers; 6 paper copies to NER and chapter officers. Printing the paper copies and mailing them in envelopes to ensure unshredded delivery amounts to under $35 per issue, keeping the newsletter well within budget even if there were four issues in the year.

The editor continues to request timely submission of chapter calendar updates, class offerings, and other reports. Due date is the date of the NER Board meeting. Pictures are welcome as space allows.

The Autumn 2009 issue will be my last, as I turn the editorship over to Sue Andrews. It has been an interesting and enjoyable three-year run.

--Kathryn J. Lord

Pining to Stitch, April 15-17,  2011
Committees are working hard on various aspects of Seminar 2011. Twenty-three teachers have submitted class proposals.  The Faculty Chairs have arranged a meeting of members of the Seminar Committee for November 10 to review the proposals and determine which classes will be offered.  Proposals will be returned and contracts mailed out by December 1, 2009.
To entice our members, a four-part project is being designed and charted by Denise Pratt.  Directions for one part of the project will be given in the three NER Newsletters preceding Seminar 2011.  Part four will be a SURPRISE and given only to those members attending the Seminar.
Our name tags have been designed and are already partially stitched thanks to Suzanne Bruno and her competent band of stitchers.


--Barbara Hepburn