Mission Statement
The mission of the guild is three-fold: 1) to assist members in the pursuit of spinning, weaving and fiber art through education, discussion and programs; 2) to share their crafts through demonstrations in our community; and 3) to promote friendship and understanding among its members.
Guild Bylaws
Article I – Name
The name of the Guild shall be the Lorain County Spinners and Weavers Guild. ( Also known as LOCO Spinners and Weavers.)
Article II – Officers and Duties
Section I – The elected officers of the Guild shall be President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Volunteer and appointed positions shall be Demonstrations, Guild Equipment, Historian, Librarian, Membership, Newsletter Editor, Programs, Public Relations, Refreshments, Samples, Sunshine and Workshops.
All positions, whether elected, or appointed shall hold two-year terms beginning in January. All positions shall be filled by current members. Other than Treasurer, officers shall not be elected for more than three consecutive terms in the same position. Appointed positions may serve consecutive terms with the general consent of the membership. Nominations will be held every other year.
A nominating committee of at least two Guild members shall be appointed in August. The slate of officers will be presented at the regular October meeting.
Elections shall be held at the regular November meeting. If there is more than one candidate for a position, there will be a vote by ballot.
The Board will consist of Officers and Appointed committee chairs. The Board meetings will be held as necessary. All members are welcome to attend. Board members may authorize expenditures of up to $50 that are within the budget for necessary purchases. All spending over $50 must be approved by the membership. Routine expenses such as newsletters, programs, library, samples, hospitality, and sunshine do not need prior authorization and will be authorized by the approval of the membership at the yearly budget meeting in January.
Section II – The President shall preside at all Guild meetings, exercising general supervision over the Guild and performing generally all duties incidental to the office and such other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
The Vice President shall perform all duties of the President during that officer’s inability to act and shall have such other power as necessary. The Vice President will oversee the bylaws, proper etiquette at meetings and the nominating committee.
The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings and shall forward those minutes to the President and Newsletter Editor for publication.
The Treasurer shall collect all dues and other monies and pay all bills, keep an itemized account of all receipts and expenditures, present a report at each meeting, and create a yearly budget presented to the membership in January.
Appointed Positions:
The Demonstrations chair shall coordinate all community demonstrations and keep track of the names of members who demonstrate to be used for scholarship drawings.
The Guild Equipment chair shall house and maintain an inventory of Guild assets such as looms, spinning wheels, and other equipment and accessories.
The Historian shall keep a complete record and history of Guild activities.
The Librarian shall look after the Guild library, currently housed in the back of the Ginko Gallery and Studios, 19 S. Main St., Oberlin, OH. The Librarian shall keep track of all subscriptions and renew them when they are due.
The Membership chair shall collect all membership payments and give them to the Treasurer. The chair will update the directory and distribute it to the membership.
The Newsletter Editor shall construct and edit a monthly newsletter of coming events, general information, and member news.
The Program Committee chair shall organize monthly programs for Guild meetings.
The Public Relations chair shall provide media with notices of meetings and special events.
The Refreshments chair shall coordinate and remind volunteers to provide refreshments for the monthly meetings.
The Samples chair shall solicit requests and collect and prepare samples for the membership.
The Sunshine chair shall send congratulatory, sympathy, birthday, thank you or other appropriate correspondences to members and workshop or program guests.
The Workshops chair shall organize and coordinate workshops, including collection of fees from the participants.
Article III – Membership
Section I – Membership in the Guild shall be open to all persons interested in the Mission Statement of the guild. Each currently paid membership shall be entitled to one vote and to stand for an officer’s position. A Household membership may include more than one person, but is entitled to one only one vote.
Section II – the annual dues (July 1 – June 30), payable in advance, shall be fixed by the membership. Dues shall be in the form of a donation to the Guild and all members making a donation shall receive a copy of the monthly newsletter, current directory, borrow equipment and library items, and have first opportunity for participation in Guild classes/workshops. Individual/Household Annual dues are $20.
Article IV – Meetings
The monthly meeting of the Guild shall be held on the second Tuesday of the month. Notice shall be published in the Guild newsletter and website. Membership is not a prerequisite to attend monthly meetings.
Article V – Bylaws
The bylaws may be amended at any meeting, provided that written notice is given to each member of the Guild in the newsletter, at least two months prior to such meeting.
Guild bylaws revised August, 2021
Addenda
Service Project:
The LOCO Service Project is one of the means by which the guild raises money to support causes related to the mission of the guild. The LOCO Service Project Committee, will recommend items to be made for membership decision. This committee will monitor supplies (especially fiber), patterns, and distribution as well as distribution of tickets, stubs and fabrications. It will be this committee’s responsibility to collect money and tickets and turn them over to the Treasurer. The guild will make available a display and tickets for use at demonstrations and other outreach venues. After the December raffle drawing, a vote from the membership will determine how the Service Project donations will be allocated and convey that information to the Treasurer to send to approved organizations(s).
Revised June, 2013; Name revised July, 2015; Revised August, 2021
Scholarships:
The LOCO Spinners and Weavers Guild offers two scholarships per year to members for the further development of their fiber skills. The scholarships will be up to $150 per person, depending on the finances of the guild. Some examples for the use of scholarship monies are: workshops, classes, books, supplies or other materials.
In order to qualify for a scholarship, members must have paid their dues and participate in demonstrations during the current year. For each demonstration members attend, their names will be added to the scholarship drawing that will be held at the December meeting. This is one way for the guild to thank or reward those members who help fulfill LOCO’s mission of sharing with the community.
The winners must make a brief guild presentation on how they spent the money sometime in the following year or by the next December meeting at the latest. The presentation will help to further all guild members’ fiber knowledge. Winners will become eligible to receive a scholarship again after 3 years. If a member’s name is drawn who is not eligible for scholarship, the member will receive a free LOCO membership the following year.
December, 2020; Revised August, 2021
