SSQA would love to come visit in your area!

Host a regular meeting or let us help support your show or event by holding a meeting in your area at the same time.

Regular meetings feature a morning of classes, lunch, business and an educational speaker. Occasionally they are held in conjunction with a local quilt show or other related event. There is often a “Stitch In” the evening before for quilters to share together informally, trade guild news, and possibly work on a charity project.

All quilters are welcome to attend SSQA meetings and other events.

Quilt shows & events can take the place of classes or the program. If your group’s members are all too involved with the event, another group nearby could be the host. This has worked well several times in central Florida.

Who can host a meeting?
Meetings have been hosted by member guilds, quilt shops, and small groups gathered together just to host a meeting!
Contact the Meeting Coordinator to find out when there is an open time for a meeting.

What does a host have to do?
Reserve a block of rooms at a motel (SSQA members will make their own reservations before the registration deadline, and the rooms are released back to the hotel, so there is no cost to your group). Find a meeting space (school? church? community center?) with enough space for the activities you plan. A simple box lunch (sandwiches, etc) is all we need. You may want to have name tags, morning coffee, door prizes or whatever your group would like to do.
An official SSQA Registrar will handle all the meeting fees and paperwork and keep the host group informed of how many people are attending.

What activities should we plan?
Two or three classes and a “Stitch-In” area for those who do not want a class is the usual arrangement. Promote your local teachers by inviting them to teach or give the program. SSQA can help schedule a speaker for the program.
If you’re having a national teacher, maybe an extra lecture program could be scheduled for the SSQA meeting. If you’re holding a show, admission would be included in the meeting fee.
It is optional but fun to have a “Stitch In” the evening before the meeting.
If there is room for a member merchant to set up shop, that is often appreciated.

Who pays for all this?
The host group is not intended to bear the costs of the meeting. SSQA charges a fee for the meeting to cover the basic needs and lunch. The program can be covered by SSQA, too. Expenses are planned with the Meeting Coordinator so the group can be reimbursed or have SSQA make direct payments.

When are the meetings?
Two or three times per year seems to be the best schedule to allow members to attend and keep the times spaced apart.
The Annual Meeting, for holding elections and other membership-voted business, is held sometime in the Fall each year.

More questions?
If you’re not sure about this, the Meeting Coordinator will be glad to help you make a plan. Groups who have hosted in the past would be glad to give advice, too.
It’s OK to ask and find out more without making a commitment.

Contact: Betsy O’Neill