The American Sewing Guild, Inc.’s

Neighborhood Group Leader’sGuide

An ASG Leadership Library Publication

By Lani Miller

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American Sewing Guild, Inc. 2002, 2003

All rights reserved. This booklet may be reproduced ortransmitted only for the use of members and chapters ofthe American Sewing Guild. No use or distribution ofthis material to outside parties may be made without theexpress written consent of the Executive Director of theAmerican Sewing Guild, Inc., and the author.

This publication is intended for American Sewing GuildNeighborhood Group Leaders. In any situation in whichadvice given in this Guide contradicts policies in theASG Policy and Procedures Manual, the latest edition oramendment to the ASG Policy and Procedures Manualwill prevail.

A leader is encouraged to speak with her chapter’sNeighborhood Group Coordinator, the president andother members of her chapter’s Chapter Advisory Board,with her fellow neighborhood group leaders, or with theauthor for additional help or clarification.

My heartfelt thanks to Celeste Beck and AlieceBristol of my chapter for being models ofexceptional leaders. LM

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Table of ContentsASG Neighborhood Groups -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

What Is a Neighborhood Group? ----------------------------------------------------------- 1When Does a Group Meet? ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1What Happens at a Neighborhood Group Meeting? ----------------------------------- 2What Does a Group Leader Do? ----------------------------------------------------------- 2Who’s a Member, Anyway? ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2

The Neighborhood Group Meeting ----------------------------------------------------------- 4Someday I’m Going to Get Organized----------------------------------------------------- 4The Structure of the Meeting ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5

$$$$$$$------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10Program Planning ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11

What’s the Program-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11Community Service Projects--------------------------------------------------------------- 11Field Trips -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12Hands on Programs-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12Challenges ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13

Working With The Rest Of The Chapter -------------------------------------------------- 14Special Situations------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15

Difficult Situations at Meetings ------------------------------------------------------------ 15When It’s Time to Pass the Baton -------------------------------------------------------- 16When Nobody Comes to the Meetings-------------------------------------------------- 16

By the Numbers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17Very Small Groups --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17Extra Large Groups -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17Splitting the Group --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

Have Fun, Good Luck ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18Appendix A – Program Ideas ---------------------------------------------------------------- 19Appendix B – Program Agenda ------------------------------------------------------------- 22Appendix C – Ice Breakers ------------------------------------------------------------------- 23Index ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24

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So, you’re a neighborhood group leader! Were you drafted into the position?Did you volunteer and now wonder why you did it? Maybe you have just takenover or perhaps you’ve been the leader for years. Your group may be small andintimate or large and rowdy. And maybe there isn’t even a group yet; you wantto start one.

New or experienced, with a big group or small, you are the glue that holds theAmerican Sewing Guild together. Most of our members will make their sewingfriends and learn the most within “their” neighborhood group, so your leadershipwill be what and how they see the American Sewing Guild to be.

This booklet is aimed at helping you lead as best you can and at sharing some ofthe experience of a few (dare we say it?) “old timers.” We are going to assumethat you are the new leader of a group that has about a dozen members and hasbeen meeting for several years. Hang on -- if you are in a different situation, wewill get around to you too.

ASG Neighborhood Groups

What Is a Neighborhood Group?A neighborhood group is a part of a chapter of the American Sewing Guild. It isorganized by members of a chapter to get together and discuss sewing topicsthat interest them. Often the group gets started because its “founders” live neareach other in the same neighborhood or small town within the area served by thechapter. Sometimes neighborhood groups are formed because the participantsare interested in a particular area of sewing, like machine embroidery, and drawfrom the whole chapter instead of just one locale.

When Does a Group Meet?Usually a neighborhood group meets monthly at a regular day and time, forexample, at 7:00 of the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Most often meetings are 2hours long, although many may schedule a whole morning or afternoon for aspecial program, like community sewing day. Some groups will not schedulemeetings for one or more summer months, either because of attendees’vacations or because their regular meeting place is not available.

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What Happens at a Neighborhood Group Meeting?A meeting will consist of a short “business and announcements” segment, aprogram (presented most often by someone from the group), and the “show andtell” portion, during which all members are encouraged to show their sewingprojects. And many neighborhood groups depend on the “refreshments” part ofthe meeting to keep their creative juices flowing.

A neighborhood group meeting should be informal, fun, inclusive, and a learningexperience for the participants. And it is the group leader who can make thishappen.

What Does a Group Leader Do?The neighborhood group leader is the group’s guide. She serves as the contactperson for the group, fields phone calls from interested members and non-members, and guides the pace and content of the meetings. She communicatesthe group’s activities and concerns to the chapter’s advisory board andcommunicates news from the board to the group.

But for all of this, the neighborhood group belongs to the members of the groupand not to the leader. She does not rule the group; she doesn’t present all theprograms; she doesn’t make all decisions for the group without involving them.

How about sharing the job? Sure. Lots of groups have co-leaders or even tri-leaders. This works especially if the group leaders work outside the home orhave special family commitments. One person might like to handle the runningof the meeting, while another acts as the contact person and keeps thenewsletter editor up-to-date. With the information in this booklet, maybe you candecide how you want to split the jobs if you have someone you want to co-leadwith.

And just to confuse the issue a little more, we know of a few groups who have nodesignated leader -- the jobs are split among the group.

Who’s a Member, Anyway?Any ASG member is welcome to come to any neighborhood group. In fact, welike to tell people that once you join, you can go to as many sewing meetings asyou can fit into your schedule. If someone lives in Oakville, she doesn’t “belong”to Oakville neighborhood group and it isn’t treason if she attends the Mapletongroup. Your group will have a bunch of regulars, who rarely miss a meetingexcept when they are on vacation. And then you may have a bunch of “floaters,”people who come often enough to look familiar but not often enough to really beknown. They float in and out depending on what else is happening in their lives.When they do come back to the group, as leader you may want to make an extraeffort to introduce them around and find out something about them. If they don’tfind a “sewing soul mate” or interesting programs, they will may also float out ofthe Guild.

And then there are the “newbies,” usually new members of your chapter. Someneighborhood groups assign a “buddy” or have a new member mentor to phone,car pool, introduce around, and generally help making the new person feel at

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home. The time period might be three months, but some people need a littlelonger to feel as if they belong. Make sure the “buddy” knows the basicinformation about your chapter and the group, as well as meeting information.

Non-Guild members are welcome at all meetings. However, after attendingtwo group meetings, guests must join the American Sewing Guild tocontinue to participate in any group’s activities.

If you do not regularly get your chapter’s membership roster, give your chapter’smembership chair or neighborhood group coordinator a call to verify a person’smembership status. The membership chair may have to check with ASGNational Headquarters to determine status of seasonal residents.

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The Neighborhood Group Meeting

Someday I’m Going to Get OrganizedOne of the easier ways to appear competent is to seem organized. Just havingthings under control will let you relax in front of the group. Here are a few thingswe think you need:

A roster with all members’ names, addresses, home phones, work phones,and e-mail addresses

A plastic jar to collect petty cash Several clipboards with pens attached A small box with masking tape, felt-tipped markers, an inexpensive scissors,

pins, pens, pencils, a note pad, index cards, and plastic bags A few of the most recent chapter newsletters

And here are a few things that are nice to have: A bell Name tags A small (about 18” x 24”) dry erase board plus markers and eraser and some

way to prop it up Some scrap paper

Maybe we should explain some of these items: You’ll need a current roster for the group every month, or once in a while.

There are all sorts of times when you’ll want to give someone a quick phonecall, or you may need to let everyone know about a meeting change. If it hasbeen a while since the group’s roster was updated, this will be one of yourfirst projects as group leader.

A group should have a little money of its own, so that incidentalexpenses do not come out of your pocket. This money could cover makingcopies and postage; it might also be used to provide a supply for a program.For example, if you plan on a program to illustrate stamping on velvet, youmight want to buy enough velvet so everyone in the group could go homewith a small sample. More about this in the section called “$$$$$$$$.”

Place a clipboard with a sign in sheet near the entry of each meeting, orpass one around after you call the meeting to order. A second clipboardcomes in handy to pass around when something comes up in a meeting, likesigning up for a field trip.

A box with incidentals is useful, especially if you meet in a publicbuilding. Index cards are handy and can be cut in half to use for a drawing.(We keep the plastic bags in there because some one is always coming withfree “stuff” that we just gotta take home.)

The newsletters are needed when you have a guest; you want her to gohome with the membership form. You may also need to refer to them whenyou are making announcements about ASG chapter events -- does ourannual meeting start at 9:00 or 9:30?

A bell can be used as a gentle reminder to the group to quiet down,come back from a break, or not talk while the program is going on. You’llhave to judge the size of the bell your group will need -- an old-fashionedschool bell would probably be too loud for a group of ten . . .

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If your group regularly has more than a dozen people, especially if youoften have guests, you may want to have stick on name tags.

A small dry erase board can be used in all sorts of ways during themeeting. You might want to draw a quick map to indicate where your fieldtrip will start; the presenter may need it to explain a technique.

We like to have a supply of scrap paper -- maybe you have to make asign to direct the group to a different room, maybe someone wants to takenotes on the program, or maybe a technique can be illustrated with paperand everyone can take a sample home.

The Structure of the MeetingHere are parts of the meeting: Meeting notification Meeting setup The milling around Welcome Business and announcements Meeting notification The program Refreshments Show and Tell Clean up

As usual, let’s take them one by one.

Meeting NotificationThere are a couple of schools of thought on this subject, probably by those wholike to make phone calls and those who don’t. When a neighborhood group is justgetting started, it is a great idea to have a personal phone call to possibleparticipants. Either the group leader or a phone committee can make the callsfrom the group’s roster. Remember, as a leader you deserve to get help from therest of the group. Phone calls not your thing? Get a phone committee.

If you have a phone committee doing the calling, you might want to phone themyourself to give them the information about the meeting (if, for example, peopleneed to bring scissors and come at 10:00) and also to see how well they do onthe phone. You probably want the callers to be “phone friendly.”

Some of us would rather be sewing than phoning and we are the ones who say,“these are adults; they should be able to remember that we meet on the thirdWednesday and have for eight years.” Even if this is how you and your grouprun, you may still consider how you will want to notify your regular participants ifyou have to reschedule or cancel your meeting. A combination of a phone treeand e-mail may be the easiest answer.

Some neighborhood group leaders use self-addressed stamped envelopes to getmeeting notices and supply lists to the group. In this situation, each person isresponsible for supplying the leader with her envelopes.

Meeting SetupBefore the meeting starts, you will want to check out the room, get the sign in clipboard in place, etc. If you are meeting in a store or public place, you may want to

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“check in” and chat with the owner or supervisor. (In someone’s home, there areoften sewing projects to check out before the setup can start.)

The setup of tables and chairs will depend on your program and the limitations ofthe facility, of course. If you are having a lecture/demo program, a table for thespeaker’s stuff is almost a necessity. And if you can arrange the chairs in asemi-circle around the table, that would be ideal.

Whoops, did we say “you can arrange”? We should have said, the group canarrange.

If the program consists of everyone sharing, a circular arrangement would begood for a smaller group; for this sort of program with a large group, you mayhave to have everyone come up to the front of the room to be seen and heard.

The Milling AroundYou may want to give the group about ten minutes after the designated start ofthe meeting before you “officially” start the meeting. Then they can do some ofthe socializing they’ll want to do anyway, so it won’t disrupt the program. Youcan also use this time to chat with guests and new members or make last minutearrangements with the program person. This might also be the time designatedfor people to check out books from the library box, if you have that, look over the“free to a good home” table, or buy things from each other -- all the activities youreally don’t want going on once the meeting is underway.

Of course you don’t want this time to go on too long, so ring your bell and startthe meeting.

WelcomeWe like to start out the meeting with some way of welcoming the folks, not onlyfor the obvious purpose but also to serve as a transition between the small groupsocializing during the milling around stage and the cohesive whole we want forthe rest of the meeting.

One of the best group leaders we know very often spends 3 - 5 minutes tellingabout how much the American Sewing Guild means to her, tying it intosomething that has happened to her in the last month. She speaks from herheart and is very sincere, which is why it works for her.

Another group leader is able to use her great memory and welcomes guests andpeople who have been away by name and “factoid.”

Still another uses icebreakers in her rather large group. One of her favorites is tohave each person say her name with an alliterative term having to do withsewing. For example, Sue might say, “I’m Serger Sue.” After three or fourpeople have introduced themselves, the leader stops the introductions and hasthe whole group say the names of the people who have been introduced so far:“Serger Sue,” “Basting Betty,” “Looper Lou,” “Cutting Carol.” We have seen thiswork for groups as large as 20 - 30.

Business and announcementsNow is the time you tell the group items of sewing interest. It probably helps ifyou have prepared an agenda for yourself so that you don’t forget an item (itdoesn’t have to be pretty, believe me).

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There are often chapter activities or positions to be filled that need to bepublicized (even though this is in the newsletter too). Other announcementscould be of sales at our retailers, classes that are going to be offered, newsabout museum displays, and activities of other guilds. If you have any of theChapter Advisory Board among your attendees, you may want to call on them togive chapter announcements. You may have a list from your membership chairthat you could use to remind people by name that they need to be sending intheir checks to renew.

There may be news about members (“Sarah’s daughter has had her baby”), butyou may want to check with a person before announcing personal information(“Barb has had her gall bladder out”).

In addition, there may be “housekeeping” items that you need to bring up to thegroup. Examples of this are finding another place to meet and appointing acommittee to arrange car pools for the annual meeting. If there are questionsthat need to be voted on, we try to reach a consensus before the vote is taken.Otherwise, “majority rules.” You will have to decide whether feelings are runningso high that a written ballot should be taken, instead of a voice or hand vote.

We think that during the discussion of chapter and other neighborhood groupactivities the group leader has to pay attention to the words she uses. The use of“we” and “our” do much better at conveying that this neighborhood group is partof the chapter than the words “they” and “their.” It is not “their advisory board”but “our advisory board ” (and thank goodness for them). Also, the leader canencourage attendance at chapter events by her enthusiasm for them when shemakes her announcements. Sometimes it just takes arranging a car pool to getpeople to an event.

The ProgramDo you remember that we said that you deserve help? Well, putting together theyear’s programs and doing the programs are a major portion where the rest ofthe group has to help. Most every member of the group could and should beexpected to give a program (but don’t let that scare people away).

About the program itself: We tell presenters that an informal presentation of 15 -20 minutes is what we want (it will probably take double that time); for a hands-on program, plan for 60 minutes and allow 90 minutes.

The tradition in your neighborhood group may be different, in which case, webow to tradition --unless it isn’t working. It isn’t working if you can’t get anyone todo a program. It isn’t working if someone feels she has to spend money shecan’t afford to make up kits for everyone. It isn’t working if someone needs atwo-week vacation to recover from the work of preparing for a program.

In Appendix A is a list of program topics. Most of these topics could be coveredin a variety of ways, depending not only on the presenter but also on the size andinterests of your group. If you have a “beginner” doing a program, you mightwant to encourage her to describe how she found instruction on the topic, whereshe got special gadgets and supplies, what mistakes she made, and how shemight do it next time. She might just find a video on the topic, arrange to show itfor the group, and lead the discussion afterward.

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On the other hand, if the presenter is very experienced, you might want toencourage her to bring a trunk show to inspire the group, give basic overview ofthe topic, and then offer a class (perhaps for a fee) to teach the details.

As leader, you have a couple of responsibilities during this segment of themeeting. The first responsibility is to help the presenter with the pace andconduct of the program -- such things as seeing that everyone has a chance tosee the samples or examples; asking a “dumb” question if you see puzzled lookson people’s faces; or butting in to say something like “one more question forMary and then we’ll have coffee.” You may have to help by ringing your bell toget people back into “listening mode.”

The second responsibility is to “keep a program in your hip pocket” in case theprogram falls through. If this happens while during the meeting (for example, theprogram is just way too short or the presenter calls in, stranded in a snow storm),you could ask everyone to tell about how she learned to sew, her sewingmasterpiece, or describe the piece of fabric she can’t seem to cut into (just one ofthese topics).

If you have a little more notice that the planned meeting won’t happen, ask yourphone committee to call and tell everyone to bring her favorite sewing book, afavorite notion, or a gadget that has never been used. Then the program can beeach one sharing her favorite book or best loved notion. Sometimes thespontaneous programs are the best ones.

RefreshmentsIf refreshments are the thing for you and your group, again responsibility shouldbe shared by the group’s attendees. At the yearly planning meeting, plan forwhose turn it is to bring goodies. If the group meets in someone’s home and thehostess insists on making the coffee (or whatever), the group’s petty cash fundcould help defray some of her expense.

Again, this time could also be used to introduce newer members to others andencourage socializing and the other activities mentioned under The millingaround.

If the facility you use won’t allow refreshments, that’s not a problem either.Remind everyone of the calories being saved. You may need to call a breakbetween segments of the meeting to allow for stretching, bathroom visits, andmore socializing.

A few minutes before you want the group back in “meeting mode,” ring your bell.

Show and TellShow and tell − our favorite part of the meeting − when you have participation.How do you get people to bring items to show? Some neighborhood groupshave a drawing for a little prize; you get a ticket if you bring a show and tell. Ithelps to have someone who will rush right home and try today’s technique andbring it to next month’s meeting. You might have to ask your friends ahead oftime to bring what they have done. Or ask in a meeting for people to sign a“pledge” (remember those index cards in your box of supplies) to bring so manyitems during the next year to show. This makes a good activity in the Januarymeeting – everyone can write down her “sewing resolution.” Collect and put theresolutions away; read the resolutions the next January, or at mid year to givepeople a chance to work on their resolutions.

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How you moderate the show and tell segment can increase participation too. Tryto say something sincere to everybody who participates. (I remember saying“oh, I’m sure your granddaughter will remember that dress when she is all grownup” about what I thought was a very horrible pink outfit.) We want people toknow we value their participation and we know that none of us sews wonderfullyall the time. A purpose of this group is learning to do things better.

You might have to ask questions to draw someone out or to explain a particulartechnique. Or you might have to cut someone off if she gets into too much detail-- one way to do this is to demonstrate “how to show and tell” during your turn.You could say, “Oh, I’m so excited about showing you this that I am calling onmyself first.” Another way is to say, “Judy, I’m going to have to cut you off now,so that we can go on to Barb / so that we can sign you up to teach a class on that/ because we can’t really follow all of that without samples, etc.”

Clean upThe clean up begins before people have left their seats. At the end of themeeting, you have the following things to do:

• thank the presenter for the program• remind everyone about the time, date, topic, and supplies for the next regular

meeting of the group• mention again any chapter events that are coming up• remind people of things they have to do, buy, or sign up for• ask several people to help move chairs back, carry stuff out to cars, pick up

in the kitchen, etc. (there may be some who are not physically able to movechairs, but they probably could straighten the video box or gather the drinkcups);

• and now, you can say good bye.

Remember, you deserve the help, especially with the physical part of the job. Inaddition to getting your supplies back into your carrier, there may be people youhave to see to handle something you’d rather do in person than on the phone –such as thanking the hostess, store manager, or building supervisor.

At home, you will want to sort out your supplies (we know you just stuffed theminto your bag at the end of the meeting), file the attendance list and agenda, andmake out a new sign in sheet for next month. The neighborhood groupcoordinator may want a copy of the attendance sheet. The membership chairmay want to know about guests. You might have been given a membership formand a check from a brand new member; send it in (and take money for the stampout of your petty cash jar), and phone the chapter’s membership chair to let herknow.

Give yourself a pat on the back from us. You’ve carried it off. Another fun andlearning filled ASG neighborhood group meeting is history.

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$$$$$$$We mentioned a petty cash jar, as if that were a given. It isn’t; eachneighborhood group can decide on how it wants to handle its running expenses.Expenses may not be much, but there will be some. Most groups charge eachattendee between $.25 and $1.00 per meeting. It will depend on the averagesize of the group and where it meets (we are always looking for free meetingplaces, but when the group gets large, that is not always possible). A fewchapters allocate money to each of its neighborhood groups each year, notnecessarily to cover all of their expenses but to provide tangible evidence of howmuch neighborhood groups add to the vitality of the chapter.

Your group should decide on what the money should be used for. Here aresome examples:

• copies of presenter’s handouts• get well and other cards and postage• refreshments• phone calls, especially of the leader and phone committee• postage to mail out special meeting notices, items to the newsletter editor, or

new memberships to National Headquarters• name tags• fabric and other supplies for hands on programs or community service

projects• a bell (you knew we would mention that again)• room rental or gift for the facility operators• mileage for speakers who are not regulars at your neighborhood group

• As leader, you are the custodian of this money, and if your group has been inexistence for a while, there may be quite a kitty. The neighborhood groupis not allowed to open its own bank account or to collect a kitty over$30, so the group might decide to:

send the money to the chapter for save keeping, with the understandingthat your group will draw on it as needed

forego collecting money for a while invite a speaker to whom you would pay an honorarium buy the main dish at a neighborhood group potluck provide part of the funds needed for a field trip furnish the fabric and findings for a special class buy some videos or books for the chapter library make a donation to your chapter

The group probably does not want to buy things. Things need to be stored,maintained, and remembered. And then who gets them if the group disbands?

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Program PlanningIt is a great idea to plan your programs a year or 14 months in advance. It cutsdown on stress for you. You can prepare and copy a program agenda for theyear – it might show the dates for the meetings, who is responsible for theprogram and refreshments, and what people have to bring in the way of suppliesfor hands-on programs. And you can send it to the newsletter editor so she hasthe proper information for each issue. An example of a program agenda is inAppendix B.

What’s the ProgramWouldn’t you know it, there’s one neighborhood group we know of that looksforward to their yearly planning meeting. Their leader makes it so much fun thatthe group get sillier and sillier and the ideas come fast and furiously. How doesshe do it?

First of all, she keeps a running list of topic ideas that happen over the course ofthe programs during the previous months. Particularly during show and tell time,program ideas are just hanging in the air. Lauren shows a kid’s tee shirt that shestamped to cover the food stains, and all of a sudden, “Stamping” is on the listwith Lauren’s name in parenthesis beside it. It may end up that Lauren isn’t theone who will do the program -- and that’s important, because you don’t wantpeople to get afraid of opening their mouths for fear of having to do a program.

This same group leader gets other ideas by reading the newsletters from otherchapters all over the United States. She gets the newsletters from her chapter’snewsletter editor. Sometimes the newsletters are several years old (they’vepassed through the hands of most of the Chapter Advisory Board), but manyideas can still be used.

She or the group also decides on a theme for the year that they are planning, orsometimes it is only a theme for each meeting. One year it was “Dolls andThings in Miniature,” another was “Designing Women.” The group ties theirrefreshments into their meeting theme sometimes; once it was hot dogs to goalong with a program on picnic baskets.

You as group leader have to throw out enough ideas to get the group excited andkeep quiet enough for them to either burst forth with their own ideas or feel souncomfortable with the silence that they say something (hey, we are not aboveusing guilt as a motivator). At the stage where the group is just brainstorming,don’t let anyone squash ideas or elaborate on them too much. One idea may notbe doable but it may spur someone else to thing of a great idea.

Community Service ProjectsMany groups like to commit to major community service efforts. They do sew-insfor one or more monthly meetings or call special meetings to do so. Besidesfilling a need, this sewing can be practice for those who need it. It is alsoespecially satisfying for those who have sewed all they can for themselves andtheir family.

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The group may want to appoint a community service committee to make thecontacts with agencies in need, make prototypes, and draw patterns. Thecommittee should check with the Chapter Advisory Board to see if there arecommunity service projects that the whole chapter is doing. Members of thegroup may want to donate the materials or spend some of the group’s petty cashon the effort. Even if a meeting can’t be spent sewing, perhaps it could be spentcutting out projects and assembling kits.

Field TripsAnother group leader has made a specialty of leading field trips. We think wehave discovered some of her secrets:

• she knows the way and has maps and a cell phone• she knows where we will eat lunch• the group always meets at the same place (in the parking lot of a large strip

mall near an interstate exit)• she calls the stores to tell them we are coming• she gives “we’re going to get going in 10 minutes” warnings at each stop• she is enthusiastic, doesn’t get rattled, and is willing to tell someone to shape

up

Besides fabric shopping trips, a neighborhood group can go to a museum, to thecostume department of a theater, a small manufacturing plant, a craft show, oreven snoop shopping some upscale shops (in this case, maybe the group shoulddivide into two’s and three’s). Could your group arrange some sort of “tour ofsewing rooms” field trip?

Hands on ProgramsWhen you have a hands on program scheduled, you probably need to be extracareful to remind people what they need to bring, either at the meeting before orduring reminder phone calls or e-mails. If possible, the program presenter shouldhave a supply list available the meeting before. And if you can, bring a few extrawhatevers, yourself. In particular, scissors, pins, extension cords, and wastebags seem to be needed. It helps if the presenter can have samples at various stages of completion topass around. With a small group, allow participants to gather around, a few at atime, to get a closer look. And good lighting on the demonstrator helps a lot. If your group is too large or your space too small or sewing machines are tooheavy, here are some program ideas that can still be done “hands on:” pressing techniques (everybody brings an iron) ribbon embroidery red work embroidery origami / origami flowers for embellishment appliqué covering a box, a frame, or shoes with fabric ribbon weaving knitting / knitting a beaded purse crocheting

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sewing labels into community service projects (you could even have aprogram going on while people are doing this)

ChallengesA challenge is another fun program, especially when there is a lot of participation.The challenge is to ask the attendees to come up with their own interpretation ofthe challenge project, for example, everyone sewing a shirt from the samepattern, or everyone sewing “something that holds something.” In this lattercase, attendees might bring in tote bags, a sling to carry a baby, and a bra.

This program probably works best when announced several months in advance(it takes a couple of months to think of what to do and the night before themeeting to make it – oh, am I talking about myself again?) Some challengeideas are listed in Appendix A.

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Working With The Rest Of The ChapterMost chapters with more than a few neighborhood groups have a person on theirChapter Advisory Board (CAB) who serves as the neighborhood groupcoordinator (or liaison). She is there to help you out, providing information fromthe CAB, reporting back to the CAB, and offering advice, should you want it. Shespeaks for the neighborhood groups at chapter board meetings (of course youcan attend the board meetings yourself). In addition, she will probably plan aNeighborhood Group Leaders Meeting once or twice a year. This meeting is atime to get the group leaders together to share program ideas and refineleadership techniques. You will probably want to keep her abreast of changes inthe group.

The newsletter editor is another CAB person you will have to talk to (or e-mail)often. She needs to know your program information. That’s why it is a good ideato plan for a full year or even fourteen months; it saves phone calls on both sides.You’ll want to keep her in mind also whenever you change something -- aprogram topic, your meeting time, date, or place, and the group’s leaders. Inaddition, some newsletters publish “minutes” of group meetings, and if yoursdoes, this has to be provided by the newsletter deadlines too. This would be agood job for another member of your group. And if your chapter has a web siteand a web master, this same information probably needs to be given to her too.

You and the membership chair are a team; sometimes she knows of a newmember first, and sometimes you do. It would be nice if the membership chaircalls new members and directs them to one of the chapter’s neighborhoodgroups, or she could let the various group leaders know of new members living intheir communities. Then you could call and invite the new member to a meeting.When you “snare” a guest at your group and convert her to a Guild member, letthe membership chair know. She may want to follow up with a new member’spacket.

The retail liaison for the chapter may ask for your group’s help to provideinformation to the retailers in your community. Many times this will consist ofdelivering new issues of the newsletter to the retailer and making sure our flyersor posters in their stores are in good condition. The liaison may know aboutclasses and sales chapter-wide, so she is a good person to know.

Some chapters like to have each neighborhood group be responsible for someaspect of putting on a special event -- maybe making centerpieces for aluncheon, contacting retailers to come to an expo, or scouting out hotels,churches, and community centers in which to hold an event. In this case, youwould get a committee from the group to work with the special events chair toaccomplish this. If you think the task is beyond the ability or manpower of thegroup, you may have to talk with the neighborhood group coordinator to ask herto intervene.

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Special SituationsOh,oh. Something’s happened and you have to handle it. Now let’s see if wecan handle writing this section.

Difficult Situations at MeetingsThe first major problem is when something objectionable is said at a groupmeeting that you have to handle on the spot. You might say, “Clarise, we arehere to have fun/enjoy each other’s company/learn more about sewing, and lewdremarks/lots of complaints/attacks on another person/talk about religion andpolitics/too many questions about topics we have already covered will not betolerated”(or “prevent that” or “make people uncomfortable”).

These are all examples of using this formula:• Clarise, we are here to learn more about sewing and too many questions on

what’s already been covered prevent that.• Clarise, we are here to have fun, and lots of complaints prevent that.• Clarise, we are here to enjoy each other’s company and talk about religion

makes people uncomfortable.• Clarise, we are here to learn more about sewing and side conversations

keep us from hearing our speaker.

(My apologies to all Clarises and thanks for letting me use your name.)

You may or may not want to use a person’s name depending on the situation.The first part of the statement says what the purpose of the group is and thesecond part of the sentence says what is preventing that from happening.

Another difficult situation is that of cliques within the group. If your group is fairlysmall, perhaps one approach is to use the socializing or break portions of themeeting to get everyone up and moving around. Perhaps some activities whereeverybody counts off -- “one,” “two,” “one,” “two” -- and then divides up into the“one gals” and the “two gals” will separate people and get them to talking toothers. Perhaps identifying the leader of the pack and asking her help to bringso-and-so into the group might be an approach. This is a problem that will taketime to resolve.

What if someone talks too much or is bo-o-o-o-ring? Here again, when she isgoing on and on, you have to break in and say “thanks, Rae, I think we have theidea now” or “yes, Rae, I remember now that you told us that before” or even“Rae, we have to move on now.” If it happens at every meeting, you may have totalk with her away from the meeting to clue her in (and if she doesn’t “get” it,maybe the group will tolerate her anyhow). If you are afraid that you yourself arethe one who is boring, you may have to ask a friend in the group what she thinksand be prepared to swallow hard.

If you have inherited the group from someone who still comes to the group andyou want to change the way things have been done, you can. Maybe you’ll wantto talk with your neighborhood group coordinator or the chapter president first. Ifyour ideas aren’t out of line, go ahead: tell the group what you want to do; oftenthe reason you want to change is that doing it the “old” way just isn’t comfortablefor you. That is not a reflection on the previous leader. But be prepared for

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everyone offering advice (sewers are like that). Sometimes just jumping in andmaking the change is all that is needed, no explanation needed; the group maynever even notice.

When It’s Time to Pass the BatonSome groups change their leaders every year. We think this works in a smallstable group; then everybody shares in the leadership and there is enoughvariety so that things don’t get stale. And at the other extreme there are groupsthat will soon have to buy silver watches for their leaders, they have been in thejob so long. If your chapter has had a tradition of waiting to replace groupleaders only after someone burns out, you may want to discuss this with theneighborhood group coordinator. Groups should name new leaders before its“old” leaders wear out.

When you know that the job is getting stale, that your “performance” is goingdownhill, or when a situation in your “other” life changes, it’s time to look aroundthe group for a successor. Ideally, this person enjoys the amount of speakingbefore a group this job entails and is at a place in her life where she can spendsome time doing leading the group. Sometimes she can be convinced tobecome a co-leader with you with an eye toward taking over sometime in thefuture. Speak to several potential candidates to see if they are interested intaking over.

Sometimes you know a date when you going to quit (you’re moving?!?!?!) andyou can inform the group. If none of the people you have talked with have showninterest, you may just have to throw it out to the group. You may want to havethe neighborhood group coordinator present at this meeting. You or thecoordinator need to present alternatives, including that the group may dissolvewithout a leader. Remember to talk about the possibilities of sharingresponsibilities and turning over responsibilities in a fairly short time. Then waitin silence for the group to come up with a solution.

When Nobody Comes to the MeetingsHave you ever had a dream in which nobody comes to your party? Well, once ina while it happens. If your group is getting very small, discuss it. Are theprograms dull? Are the members no longer driving? Is the place you meetdingy, too far away, too expensive, or unsafe? Are you, as leader talking toomuch, doing all the programs yourself, or otherwise driving people away? If youand your group answers “yes” to one of these questions, then you’re half way tofixing the problem.

Maybe there are no longer ASG members living in your locale. Then it might bethe time to do a lot of local advertising or make phone calls to ASG membersliving in surrounding towns. Maybe an announcement in the newsletter (and anextra special program) will get more attendees. Discuss it too with yourneighborhood coordinator and the chapter president.

Or maybe it is just time to say good bye to the group. Do it in an orderly manner,letting the Chapter Advisory Board know through the neighborhood groupcoordinator. Put an item in the newsletter, and turn over any supplies and pettycash to the chapter.

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By the NumbersHow many people are in a neighborhood group? As many as you want.

Usually we say it takes four people to start a group. A group of four to eight orten is able to do a lot of hands on projects, take field trips when the inspirationhits, and generally do things together. Because they don’t need the space alarger group requires, they can often meet in each other’s homes. Generally asmall group will run very informally.

Very Small GroupsIf yours is a very small group of only four to six, take care about a couple ofthings. The first is that the group has to be inclusive, to remain open towelcoming new people into the group. It’s hard to give up the intimate feelingand spontaneous actions of a small neighborhood group, but there are wonderfulpeople just waiting to join you.

The second thing to watch is letting boredom creep into your programs andactivities. If the “gang” has been together for several years, each person mayhave presented ten variations on the same program. You may have to changeleaders more often; you may have to work to bring in speakers or programs fromother parts of the chapter; you may have to plan your programs around a newtheme or type of sewing different from what your group normally does. Youradvantage is that you can talk about a potential problem with the group andcome up with solutions to make sure that your group remains fun and a learningexperience for everyone.

Extra Large GroupsAt the other extreme are very large neighborhood groups, groups that have morethan 50 or 60 members on their rosters. The disadvantages of the small groupsare the advantages of large groups – lots of variety in the interests of theirmembers and the ability to include new people. Two particular disadvantages ofa large group are finding a place to meet (and of course we want it to be free)and the extra requirement on the group leader to create an informal, friendlyatmosphere in meetings, without letting the group get out of control. (Just picturethis – forty Sewing Guild members out of control with their tape measures andduct tape doubles.)

Each community will have its own customs on allowing non-profit groups to meetin its facilities. Churches, community centers, fire houses, banks, hospitals,libraries, schools, condo rec rooms, and retirement centers may have room foryou, although there may be a charge. Here’s where the petty cash fund couldhelp out, especially if it has been building up for a while. Some groups ask for aspecial assessment from each group regular ($5 - $10) every six or twelvemonths to pay for the meeting space.

To maintain a friendly atmosphere, the group leader needs to keep the meetinggoing on schedule, while making as sure as she can that attendees feel includedand recognized. We mentioned icebreakers previously. A list of othericebreakers is included in Appendix C. Especially with a large group, potlucks or

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informal get togethers allow for more socializing. Nametags (make sure they canbe read without reading glasses) are helpful to remind people who’s who. Andthe group leader should try to use names when calling on people for questions,announcements, and show and tell (and name tags that can be read across theroom can help with “senior moments,” believe me).

Splitting the GroupWhen a group gets very large, it may be beneficial to form another neighborhoodgroup, which meets on another day of the week and at another time. Yourneighborhood group coordinator, as well as the Neighborhood GroupCoordinator’s Guide booklet, can give you pointers. Be warned, however, youhave just made two opportunities for people to talk and learn about sewing; manypeople will go to both meetings.

Have Fun, Good LuckWell, what haven’t we told you? We haven’t told you about the rewards of beinga group leader. Sewing people are the best. And you will get to know membersof your group well. You will help them to have a great experience with theAmerican Sewing Guild. That can be a lot of satisfaction. You will get practicein speaking before a group – and it’s a friendly group, too. You can practice yourpresenting skills, if you choose to give a program, or your ad-libbing (when theprogram doesn’t show up). Best of all, you can have fun. Remember, “this isn’tbrain surgery.”

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Appendix A – Program Ideas

Many of these topics can be presented in several ways, depending on the size ofyour group and the presenter – lecture/demo, hands-on, video showing, or achallenge – so use this list to spark the creativity of you and your group.

Guest SpeakersDry cleanerFabric shop ownerSewing machine repair personProfessional fabric artistAlteration specialistProfessional custom clothierCostume makerColor/Image consultantQuilt judgeComputer personMuseum textile restoration specialistCloset organizer/kitchen plannerInterior decoratorFashion designerChiropractic physician or physical therapistCollege or high school fashion teacherFashion buyer for department store

SharingMy favorite sewing gadgetMy newest sewing notionMy favorite sewing bookHow I learned to sewMy most ambitious sewing projectMy favorite fabric in my stashThe ugliest fabric in my stashThe oldest fabric in my stash, etc.Quick gift ideasMy favorite web siteWhat I want for my birthdayMy favorite fabric storeMy experience with mail order sources

ChallengesCover somethingSew an accessoryMake a camp shirtMake a sweat shirt jacketMake a tote bagMake a pillowMake something for your houseMake a vestEveryone start with a fabric sampleEveryone sew something from the samefabricFinishing one of your own UFOs

Finishing someone else’s UFOBrown Bag challengeSewing hintsSomething new from something oldMake something from an independentpattern companyMake a hatDecorate a tee shirtGive new life to a thrift store purchaseMake a quilt blockMake a doll or stuffed animalDress a doll or teddy for a projectField TripsAll our participating retailersFabric stores in a nearby townMuseum (for design ideas)Museum to view textile exhibitSmall local manufacturerCraft and street fairsDry cleaning plantTheater costume departmentCommercial embroidery plantSewing room tourThrift shopsPillow stuffing factory/ upholstery shopHome decor fabric storesUp scale dress shops and departmentstores

Hands On ProgramsBibs (adult mini aprons) for nursing homesWalker and wheelchair bagsCancer capsMastectomy pillowsHeart pillowsTote bags for Cancer SocietyDuffel bags for foster care kidsBaby and preemie quilts, layettes, etc forhospitalsBaby burial garmentsMending for nursing/retirement homesClothing modification for handicappedchildrenStuffed animals for sheriff and policedepartmentsShow-me dolls for hospital pediatric wardsQuilts for ABC Quilts or Linus Project

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Kids clothes for migrant workers, foreignorphanages, homeless familiesStamping on fabricStenciling on fabricEmbossing fabricNotebook coversPicture frame coversGardening angelEmbellishment samplesBook coversFimo buttonsCrocheted and wound buttonsTassels and cordingSimple silk ribbon pictureOther types of embroideryStamping and stenciling samplesMicrowave mittsCutting out community service project/making up kitsVarious pincushionsLet’s try to knitLet’s try to crochetLet’s try to tatSew your own thingCommunity service sewingLet’s fit each otherMaking a duct tape doubleLet’s do our mendingPutting each other’s quilts together

Lecture/ Demo IdeasSewing machine feetSewing machine maintenanceSerger maintenanceMaintenance of scissors, rotary cutters,cutting matsCaring for fabric (before and after sewing it)Organizing your sewing roomAll about folding fabricGetting more out of your sergerUsing your serger chain stitchBobbin workFitting your older figureRotating dartsAltering your patternsDesigning from a basic patternMaking a pattern from ready to wearHow to make a sloperHow to use your sloper with commercialpatternsFitting pantsGarment ease / design easeAltering ready to wearWardrobe planningWhat fabric is this?Matching fabric to pattern to body

Sewing with men’s tiesMaking a vest out of screening or tulleHow to sew with fleeceHow to sew with velvetHow to sew with leather and vinylHow to sew with sheer fabrics, etc.Making faux chenilleIndustrial shortcuts and techniquesSewing collarsSewing cuffsSewing plackets – center front and sleeveMaking a great buttonholeMaking buttonsSewing on a buttonUnique closuresAll about hemsAll about waistbandsAll about elasticSetting in sleevesZippers – visible, invisible, jacket, etc.Making mitered cornersGreat bound edgesNo fear welt pocketsMaking and using pipingSewing dartsAll about interfacesAll about pressingBagging (putting in) a liningTailoring tipsTailored jacketsUnstructured jacketsMaking a jacket from a sweat shirtMaking a jacket from jeansInside pockets for vests and jacketsWays to make a lined vestVest for sewersBias skirt and other things biasMaking a swim suitMaking active wearMillion dollar dressSewing my daughter’s wedding dressSewing prom dresses and formal wearOne seam pantsPutting pockets in the one seam pantsHow to make belts and other accessoriesHats – how to make and wearPurses, purses, and more bagsExpanding toteTips for travelersTravel garmentsHidden pocketsSewing for babySewing for the nurserySewing for childrenSewing for boysSewing for people with special needs

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Heirloom sewing techniquesChoosing lacesHow to sew with laceSewing lingerieHow to fit a braHow to packHow to choose an embroidery machineAll about copyright protectionEmbroidery ideasEmbroidery placementEmbroidery threads and stabilizersUsing your embroidery softwareIntro to digitizingAll about downloading embroidery designsComputers in the sewing roomHow to applique by handHow to applique by machineFree motion embroideryCut work with and without Fiber EtchMaking confetti fabricFabric embellishment by foldingFabric embellishment by wrinkling, etc.Pin and other tucksSashiko embroidery by hand / machineSilk ribbon embroidery by hand or machineRed workTattingKnittingCrochetingBeading techniquesPainting silk / other fabricsStamping fabricStenciling fabricUsing dye discharge to embellish fabricQuilted landscape wall hangingSnippet techniquesStack and Whack quiltingStained glass quilting techniquesPaper piecing

String quilting techniquesPutting together color wash quiltsCrazy quiltingReverse molaHints for machine quiltingPatch work and quilted clothingSewing home décor and accessoriesChristmas tree skirtsSewn Christmas tree ornamentsWreaths to sewWoven denim place matsGift bags, rice bags, pillowcasesSewing holiday itemsMaking teddy bears / stuffed animalsProgressive doll making/dressingMaking dollsDoll clothesDoll clothes fashion showToy making timeWhat I learned at the ASG ConferenceWhat I learned at PuyallupWhat I learned at the ExpoWhat I learned at drapery schoolUsing tube turners and projectsUsing my sewing gadgetsViewing videos from our ASG / privatelibrariesStretching your creativityMaking your duct tape doubleDrawing with your other handSewing room exercisingSewing room and rotary cutting safetyProtecting your investmentFinding your colors workshopComputer pattern softwareHow to use your computer to help yoursewingMail order sources for hard to find notions

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Appendix B – Program Agenda

Here’s a list of the programs that one of our neighborhood groups planned. It is given toeveryone at the beginning of the year. This group does not use phone calls to remind people ofits meetings.

BOCA EVENING NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPof the FORT LAUDERDALE CHAPTER

of the AMERICAN SEWING GUILD2002 PROGRAMS

DATE PROGRAM PRESENTER(S) WHAT TO BRING OR DOJanuary 8, 200 Home Dec – window

valencesAliece Bristol

February 12,2002

Heirloom sewingtechniques;Sweat shirt jacketchallenge

Valerie HalversonEverybody

The sweat shirt you haveturned into a jacket

March 12,2002

Choosing your bestcollars and necklines

Jean Cady, Imageconsultant

April 9, 2002 Making buttons Bobbie Spiegel andKay Hurley

Supplies on list given inFebruary

May 14, 2002 Free motion embroidery Valerie HalversonJune 11, 2002 Machine maintenance (Aliece Bristol to

get the speaker.)Your questions andproblem samples

July 9, 2002 Sewing for your pets Deb BennettAugust 13,2002

Replay of NationalConference inPhiladelphia

ConferenceAttendees

Notes and things youbought at Conference

September 10,2002

Using your sloper toadjust commercialpatterns

Lani Miller Paper scissors; yoursloper, if you have one

October 8,2002

The Bag Lady Evy Levy The purses you havemade

November 12,2002

Planning for next yearandFabric Swap

Everybody Fabric to swap ,withlabels, please

December 10,2002

Pot Luck Party Everybody Dish to serve 6—8Serving utensilsLocation to be determined

January 14,2003

Matching fabric to apattern to your body

Lani Miller Fabric for a garment

The Boca Evening Neighborhood Group meets at 7:00 pm at the Boca Raton Community MiddleSchool (at the northwest corner of NW 12th Avenue and NW 8th street) on the second Tuesdayof each month.

Leaders: Lani Miller 561-488-2026 lanisews@juno.comPat Di Maggio 561-487-6834

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Appendix C – Ice Breakers

You might want to use an icebreaker if your group is rather large and a numberof people don’t know each other. Icebreakers can also be energizing for a groupthat’s gotten sleepy.

In place icebreakers (the group remains seated):• The leader calls on people in order and has each give her first name and an

alliterative sewing term, such as “Bobbin Betty.” After a few people haveintroduced themselves, the leader goes back and the group recalls thenames in order.

• Use the same method and ask each person to introduce herself and theplace she was born. “I’m Betty from Akron.” Ask the group to recall thenames and birthplaces.

• Ask each person to recall the name of her first doll, teacher, boyfriend, etc.• For this icebreaker, the group would not be asked to recall the names and

items. Ask each person how many years she has been sewing. Havesomeone writing down and adding the numbers. (a calculator will be needed)and announce the grand total.

• Ask each person to name her favorite food, place to go on vacation, kind ofbook, flavor of ice-cream, etc. Make the category not too personal.

• Ask each person to name a store where she would most like to spend a $100gift certificate.

• Ask each person to share which step in sewing that she dislikes the most,e.g. sewing gathers, putting in a hem. Or ask what step she likes the most.

Active icebreakers (the group has to move):• Ask people to line up in birthday (month and day only, please) order, with

January 1 birthdays on the left and December 31 birthdays on the right.• Ask people to line up by the number of sewing machines they have, one

machine on the left to the most machines on the right. Give a nominal prizewith a great deal of ceremony to the people who have only one machine, likea stick of gum or a picture of a sewing machine.

• Have a short scavenger hunt, in which people are trying to answer two orthree questions, such as “Find two people who have the same middle name”or “Find two people who were born east of the Mississippi” by asking eachother the questions.

• Pin or tape the name of a famous person or a sewing term or a kind ofdessert, etc. to each person’s back. People have to find out who or what it isby asking each other questions which can only be answered by “yes” or “no.”Set a time limit.

• Ahead of time prepare by organizing pairs of buttons. Put as many buttonsin a bag as there are people present. Each draws a button out of the bag andthen finds her button mate. As each finds the other part of the pair, collectthe buttons and tell them to sit together during the meeting. At appropriatetimes, ask everyone to get acquainted and tell them that you’ll be asking aquestion at the end of the meeting that the other person knows the answerto. Before you end the meeting, ask the question “What color was yourbutton?”

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Index

ASG member--------------------------------- 2, 14ASG National Headquarters------------------10attacks ---------------------------------------------15attendance list----- 9. See also sign in sheetsbell ----------------------------------------4, 6, 8, 10black board --------------- See dry erase boardbrainstorming-------------------------------------11business and announcements ------------- 2, 6CAB-------------- See Chapter Advisory Boardchallenges -----------------------------------13, 19changing

group leader -----------------------------------16the way things are done --------------------15

chapter activities------------------------------- 7, 9Chapter Advisory Board ----------7, 11, 14, 16clean up -------------------------------------------- 9cliques ---------------------------------------------15co-leaders------------------------------------- 2, 16community service

committee for----------------------------------12projects -----------------------------------------11

complaints ----------------------------------------15difficult situations at meetings----------------15donation -------------------------------------------10dry erase board----------------------------------- 4events -------------------- See chapter activitiesfield trips-------------------------------------------12

what good leaders do -----------------------12where to go -------------------------------12, 19

finding new leaders -----------------------------16free "stuff" --------------------------------------- 4, 6group decisions----------------------------------- 7group leader ------- See neighborhood group

leadergroup membership roster ------------------- 4, 5guest -----------------------------------------------14hands on programs -----------------------------12

ideas for ----------------------------------------19supplies for------------------------9, 10, 11, 12

how tobreak up cliques ------------------------------15cut off a speaker-------------------------- 9, 15get people's attention---------------------- 6, 8handle unseemly remarks------------------15help to explain by asking questions---- 8, 9increase participation------------------------- 8make a change -------------------------------15make decisions in the group---------------- 7show and tell ----------------------------------- 9

icebreakers ---------------------------------------- 6ideas for programs--------------See programs

length of meetings-------------------------------- 1lewd remarks ------------------------------------ 15library ------------------------------------------- 6, 10library box ------------------------------------------ 9meeting notification ---- See also Appendix Bmeeting setup ------------------------------------- 5membership chair --------------------------- 3, 14membership roster ----------------------------3, 4milling around-------------------------------------- 6money ----------------------See petty cash fundname tags ----------------------------------4, 5, 10neighborhood group ----------------------------- 1

finances ---------------------------------------- 10large -------------------------------------------- 17length of meetings----------------------------- 1meeting times----------------------------------- 1members----------------------------------------- 2newbies ------------------------------------------ 2no participation ------------------------------- 16small -------------------------------------------- 17

neighborhood group coordinator -----3, 9, 14,16, 18

neighborhood group leader -------------------- 7asking questions ------------------------------- 9changing leader ------------------------------ 16co-leaders ---------------------------------- 2, 16duties -----------------------------2, 8, 9, 14, 17reasons for -----------------------------------1, 2rewards ---------------------------------------- 18word choice ------------------------------------- 7

neighborhood group leaders meeting ----- 14neighborhood group liaison ---------------- See

neighborhood group coordinatornew group leaders------------------------------ 16new members -------------------------------- 2, 14New Year's resolutions-------------------------- 8newbies --------------------------------------------- 2newsletter -------------------------------- 4, 14, 16newsletter editor ---------------------- 10, 11, 14participation -------------------------------------- 11

how to increase -------------------------------- 8none -------------------------------------------- 16

parts of a meeting -----------------------------2, 5petty cash fund----------------------------4, 8, 12phone committee ------------------------------5, 8physically limited members--------------------- 9presenters

boring------------------------------------------- 15talks too much-------------------------------- 15

prizes ------------------------------------------------ 8program changes ---------------------------- 5, 14

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program planning--------------------------------11program topics ------------------------------------ 7programs -------------- 7. See also Appendix A

beginner presenting -------------------------- 7challenges -------------------------------------13guest speakers---------------------------10, 19length--------------------------------------------- 7participatory------------------------------------19planning for a year ----------------------- 7, 22presenters--------------------------------------11topic ideas --------------------------------11, 19when not working------------------------------ 7when the speaker cancels -----------------19who does ---------------------------------------- 7

refreshments ------------------------------ 2, 8, 10retail liaison ---------------------------------------14rewards --------------------------------------------18sharing programs---------------------------- 8, 19show and tell ----------------------------------- 2, 8

sign in sheets ------------------------------- 4, 5, 9socializing ---------------------------------------6, 8special events chair ---------------------------- 14splitting a neighborhood group -------------- 18topics for meetings ----------------------------- 19unseemly remarks------------------------------ 15vacation --------------------------------------------- 1visitors-------------------------------- 3, 4, 5, 6, 14voting ------------------------------------------------ 7web site ------------------------------------------- 14welcome -------------------------------------------- 6what to do with membership forms and

checks------------------------------------------ 10when it is time to change leaders----------- 16when petty cash becomes large ------------ 10yearly planning meeting-----------------7, 8, 11yearly program planning ----------------- 11, 22

themes ----------------------------------------- 11