Handbook

The Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild was organized in 1982 and currently has approximately 60 members from the surrounding area.  The purpose of the Guild is to provide a creative and supportive fiber arts community and an environment where persons interested in weaving, spinning, knitting and other fiber arts may gather, share, teach, and promote the knowledge and practice of fiber arts in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area.  Members of the Guild participate at various local fairs and take part in demonstrations at local schools and other venues.

Email: fswguild@gmail.com
Web Site:  http://fswguild.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fredericksburg-Spinners-and-Weavers-Guild/
Ravelry: http://ravelry.com/groups/fredericksburg-spinners-and-weavers-guild-fswg/

FSWG Board, 2016

President* 	 	 	 	Judy Klehm                        540-786-1917	
 	 	 	 	 	jwklehm@gmail.com 	
Vice President* 	 	 	 Aileen Campbell                540-786-9572	
 	 	 	 	 	 specedt1@gmail.com	
Secretary* 	 	 	 	Nancy Lilly                         540-846-3961	
 	 	 	 	 	lillycpn@gmail.com	
Treasurer* 	 	 	 	Mary Hardy                        540-272-6274	
 	 	 	 	 	Mary22720@yahoo.com 	
Communications 	 	 	Lesley Reynolds                 540-309-9236	
 	 	 	 	 	Pixie91075@gmail.com	
Education and Outreach 	 	Keren Pritchett                    540-372-9978	
 	 	 	 	 	kjpritchett11@gmail.com 	
Librarian 	 	 	 	Denise Kash                        540-582-6541
denisekash@gmail.com 	
Workshops 	 	 	 	Margaret Campbell             540-786-9572	
 	 	 	 	 	mrs_monk@comcast.net	
Membership   	 	 	Barbara Ritter                      540-371-3141	
 	 	 	 	 	blhritter@gmail.com	
Special Events  	 	 		
 	 	 	 	 		
Guild Sales 	 	 	 	Anne Nourse                        540-582-5430	
 	 	 	 	 	rgnourse@comcast.net 	
Hospitality		 Mary Snellings                     540-589-0173
                                         mary.snellings@aecom.com
At Large		  Florence Ridderhof              540-371-3571
				  fridderhof@verizon.net

*Elected Positions -  Others appointed by the President 

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STUDIO

	The Guild maintains a studio at LibertyTown Arts Workshop at 916 Liberty St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401, which is a resource for all members.    The studio hours coincide with the hours of LibertyTown and are posted at www.libertytownarts.com.  As of the date of this document they are:

	Monday thru Saturday		10 am - 8 pm
	Sunday			10 am - 6 pm

MEETINGS

	Guild meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month at the studio in LibertyTown.  Members are asked to sign up to provide refreshments once a year.  Show and tell is a part of each meeting and members are encouraged to bring their finished items to share.  Any changes to the meeting schedule will be noted in the newsletter and posted through the Guild Web Site, fswguild.org

FIRST FRIDAY

	LibertyTown Arts Workshop participates in the First Friday Gallery Openings which occur on the first Friday of each month.  Guild members are encouraged to be in the guild studio to work on their current fiberarts projects during this time and discuss their work with visitors.  

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RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ALL FSWG MEMBERS 
IN THE STUDIO

CUBBIES
	There are cubbies located along the back wall of the studio which contain a variety of materials for use by Guild members.  This includes cones of various fiber, yarn, dye materials and many other items.  These items are there for any member to use.  Consumable items do not need to be replaced.  All other items should be returned when you finish using them.  There is a trunk located under the work table which contains drop spindles and other materials available for demonstrations.  You will find boxes for each member of the Guild Board members, as well as members renting space in the studio.  There is also a box with extra newsletters, contact cards, and membership forms available to give to anyone interested in learning more about the Guild and/or joining.  

YARN SAMPLES
	Yarn samples from Halcyon, and Webs, are kept in the cubbies, below the warping board.  These may be useful to members to peruse before ordering fiber for a project.  These samples should remain in the studio for the convenience of all members.
	Yarn samples and a price list from Henry’s Attic Yarns are located in a box stored in the built in cubbies above the warping board.  Henry’s Attic is known for natural colored yarns in many textures and weights.  Orders for Henry’s Attic yarns are placed as a group periodically throughout the year.  Announcements will be made at meetings, through the web site and/or in the newsletter when an order is being organized.  If you would like to place a group order, bring it up at a meeting or on the web site to see if others are interested. 

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LIBRARY

	Numerous books, magazines, and videos related to weaving, spinning, knitting, crochet, dyeing, and other fiber related subjects are available for reference and inspiration.  They are arranged by subject in the guild studio.

Book Check-out/Check-in Procedures:
1.	In each book, there is a pocket which contains a card listing the book/author.
2.	Use this card to fill in your name and the check-out date.
3.	Once the card is filled out, please put it in the small box located top of the center bookcase. (The box is labeled.)
4.	Books may be checked out for 30 days.

When the book is returned, please place it in the marked “Book Return” box in bottom shelf of the center bookcase.

Magazines are also available in the studio and include Shuttle Spindle and Dyepot, Spin Off, and Handwoven.  Current and back issues of the magazines are available in the magazine files located on the table and in the cabinet under the bookshelves.  Magazines can be checked out for a maximum of two weeks.  If you are unable to return the magazines within this time, you are encouraged to browse the magazines in the studio, since these are subscriptions to share among the members.  

Magazine Check-out/Check-in Procedures:
1.	There is a sign-out sheet in the Librarian’s “Cubby”.  Enter your name, date borrowed and the name and date (issue) of the magazine.
2.	Enter date returned when you return the magazine and put the magazine in the Book Return box.

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BULLETIN BOARDS

There are two bulletin boards in the studio to provide a means to share information and ideas.  The bulletin board above the center bookcase is used to announce guild workshops and upcoming guild events.  As space permits it may also be used to announce upcoming LibertyTown events and other fiber related events which would be of interest to members.

The second bulletin board is located on the side wall near the window to the hallway.  This board may be used for all other forms of information, such as sales advertisements.  Please date any item you post so the information can be kept current.

POLICIES FOR STUDIO SPACE RENTAL

1.	Individuals interested in renting studio space must be a member of FSWG.
2.	Application should be made to the Guild Treasurer for information pertaining to space available and cost per month.
3.	Each person is responsible for moving equipment in, keeping their area neat, and having an on-going project on loom or wheel.
4.	Each person renting space is requested to be at the Studio during LibertyTown public hours on a regular basis.

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STUDIO EQUIPMENT
FSWG  INVENTORY OF EQUIPMENT FOR RENT

	The following equipment is owned by the Guild and is available for rent.  Some of the items are in the studio.  Others are stored in members’ homes because of a lack of storage space in the studio.  Members who wish to rent any of these items may contact the Treasurer to make arrangements.    

•	Tablelooms				   $15 per month
o	8 harness	 1
o	4 harness	 2
•	Floor Looms			 	   $20 per month
o	Baby Wolf (4)  1
o	Dorset  (4)        1
•	Rigid Heddle Loom     1                        $15 per month
•	Glimarka Lap Tapestry
 Loom	   	 1       		  $10 per month
•	Inkle Looms	      	 3		    $5 per month
•	Triangular Loom	 1		  $10 per month
•	Spinning Wheel	 2		  $15 per month
•	Warping Board	 1		    $5 per month

In addition to the rental equipment, the Guild owns equipment available for use by members in the studio.  These include: warping boards, a warping mill, bobbin winders, an umbrella swift, a Handy Andy Andean plying tool, a drum carder, and a scale.  This equipment is shared among all members while working in the studio, so please keep it in a condition ready for the next member to use.  Please do not leave your materials on the equipment unattended as others may be waiting to use it.  Please make sure to clean the drum carder thoroughly after you use it to avoid having your fibers blend with those of the next user.  Also, the drive band of the drum carder must be removed after each use.

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POLICIES GOVERNING SALES
Revised  January 2015

1.	Individuals interested in selling items in the Guild Sales Shop must be a member of FSWG.
2.	Members must notify the Sales Chairperson of their interest in selling.
3.	 Items to be sold are to be fiber related, i.e., handspun yarns, knitted, woven, hand-dyed items, fiber, or handcrafted “tools of the trade”.  Beadwork items must also include some aspect of the above.
4.	Items to be sold should be submitted to the screening committee for review. Each genre included for sale should be submitted for review.
5.	Individuals selling items will pay a one-time application fee. Persons renting Studio space, who wish to sell, will not have to pay this fee as it is included in the studio rental fee. A copy of the sales application is included as an addendum to this document.
6.	All accepted items must be individually labeled with the seller’s name, item description (i.e. shawl, scarf, place mat, etc.), fiber content, care instructions and inventory number.  Stickers for inventory number and price are available at the studio.  Each seller is responsible for all of the above plus listing items in the Guild Sales notebook.
7.	All sales will go through LibertyTown, with the exception that Guild members may sell directly to each other..
8.	Each person selling is responsible for checking the sales cubby for his or her receipts and payments and for keeping their inventory up-to-date.
9.	Items for sale are to be rotated (every three months, if possible) and sellers are encouraged to rotate seasonal items as appropriate.   

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BYLAWS
FREDERICKSBURG   SPINNERS AND WEAVERS GUILD

ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of the organization shall be the Fredericksburg Spinners and Weavers Guild; abbreviated as FSWG and hereafter referred to as the Guild.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
Section 1:  The purpose of the Guild is to provide an atmosphere and a place where persons interested in weaving,  spinning, or other fiber arts may gather, learn, share, and both teach and promote the knowledge and use of fiber arts in the community.  

Section 2:  The Guild shall maintain a Studio for this purpose where members may meet, work, offer workshops, teach and/or sell fiber-related items according to policies decided by a committee of the Guild.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Any person interested in the fiber arts may become a member by paying annual dues.  Guild dues will be set annually by the Board and approved by the membership.  Dues are collected starting in September for the next calendar year.  Any member neglecting to pay dues by January 15, will be dropped from the Guild roll and will forfeit Guild benefits until rejoining the Guild.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
Section 1:  The elected officers and their roles are as follows:

President – Officiates at Guild and Board Meetings

Vice-President – Presides at Guild meetings when the President is absent.  The Vice-President will also be in charge of coordinating programs for the Guild meetings.

Secretary – Keeps records of all meetings of the Guild, distributes minutes, and handles correspondence as requested. 

Treasurer – Receives, deposits, and disburses Guild funds.  Keeps a record of income and expenses;  reports to the membership at the regular meetings. Maintains a simple Guild budget and approves all Guild expenses.

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Section 2:  The Officers will be elected for two year terms, with no limit put on re-election.  The President and Secretary will be elected on alternating years with the Vice-President and Treasurer.  Committee Chairs will be appointed by the President.  Vacancies in the elected offices that occur after the year has started will be filled by Board recommendations approved by the membership. 

Section 3:  The Guild Board is composed of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and current Committee Chairs.  The Director of LibertyTown Arts Workshop is an ex-officio member of the Board.

ARTICLE V - COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS
Committees and their Chairs may be appointed by the President, as needed to address the needs of the Guild.
	
ARTICLE VI - ELECTIONS
A Nominating Committee will be appointed by the President each year by the September meeting.  The Nominating Committee will be composed of at least two current members. Elections will be held at the November meeting.  The Nominating Committee will present the officer candidates to the Guild body and the Guild membership will vote on whether to confirm the Candidates (new or incumbent candidates) for the new term.  The two year terms of office for elected officers will run from January 1 through December 31 of the following year.

Anyone wishing to serve on the Board in any capacity elected or otherwise, is encouraged to make their interest known to the President, the Nominating Committee, and/or Board members.

ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS
The Guild normally meets the second Saturday of the month at the Guild Studio.  Any exceptions to date or location will be noted in the newsletter, communicated by email, and announced on the Guild website.

ARTICLE VIII - AMEMDMENTS
These Bylaws can be amended or revised at any regular or called meeting of the Guild by a two-thirds vote of those present; provided that the amendments or revisions have been submitted in writing, via email or hard copy,  to each member at least two weeks in advance of the announced meeting.

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Addendum 1
FREDERICKSBURG SPINNERS AND WEAVERS GUILD
LibertyTown Arts Workshop
916 Liberty Street
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
http://fswguild.org/
fswguild@gmail.com

APPLICATION FORM FOR STUDIO/EMPORIUM SALES

Name  ____________________________________________________________________________

Address  __________________________________________________________________________

City  ________________________________   State  ______________Zip Code  ________________

Phone Number with Area Code  _______________________________________________________

Email  ____________________________________________________________________________

Items to be Juried:

1.	_____________________________________________________________________
2.	_____________________________________________________________________
3.	_____________________________________________________________________
4.	_____________________________________________________________________
5.	_____________________________________________________________________
Please Check the following:
______  I have read the policy and guidelines pertaining to sales and agree to abide by them.

______  I have attached my one time non-refundable application fee of $10.00.