Your Conference of Northern California Handweavers, Inc. Membership
or
What Do We Get For Our $5?
The primary purpose of CNCH is “to provide education to the general public in the craft of weaving and to further and stimulate public interest in and appreciation of the work and art of handweaving.” That said, what do we do?
We plan an annual conference for our members. Our conferences are open to the general public. Our 2017 conference will be a free event for all members! We provide the seed money to produce these conferences. Currently, that is $35,000.00 . We guarantee the ability to pay all of our bills at the end of these conferences. We support the efforts of twenty seven guilds in their meetings, workshops, and public outreach. We provide an online forum for the guilds to share their projects and upcoming activities through CNCHnet. We provide annual grants for our conferences ($1,500.00) and a biannual grant for our national organization, Handweavers Guild of America ($1,000.00) . We now house the conference equipment and supplies. We file all of the required forms for the IRS! We provide an insurance policy that covers our annual conference as well as guild meetings and events.
All of this is overseen by a fabulous group of volunteers know as your Advisory Council. There are 2 representatives from each of the five areas in our conference. We have three positions on the board that are awarded a stipend; our CNCHnet editor, our web master, and our Administrative Assistant. They travel from distances near and far to attend meetings that keep this organization viable. From Humboldt to Santa Barbara, they travel to carry your ideas to a central location for discussion and implementation. They draft surveys to insure that your voice is heard. They guide the creative genius of your conference chairs to insure the success of our annual event. AND talk about transparency…our meetings are always open to the membership, our minutes are always posted, and our budget is always presented to your liaisons twice annually! Don’t you wish Washington operated this way? Why do they do this? …Because, they love fiber arts.
$5 per member, it is a bargain. You belong to an incredible group of creative individuals. Folks who love this craft. They teach adults. They teach children. They provide demonstrations at county fairs, state fairs, and living history events. They welcome newcomers to the craft. They share willingly. AND you have access to all of these services and folks through the Conference of Northern California Handweavers.
It has been my privilege to serve on your advisory council since 2006. I began as an alternate, after chairing the galleries for that year. I moved to a full fledged advisor after serving as your conference co-chair in 2011. I now serve as your Advisory Chair. What a gift it has been to give back to an organization that has provided me with 30 years of wonderful experiences and friendships.
All of this for Five Bucks!
Kathleen McPherson
CNCH Chair
Area 2 advisor
Del Oro Spinners and Weavers Guild