Rules and Regulations

Revised May 26th, 2024.

Part 1 – Definitions and Interpretation

Definitions

1.1      Wherever written or mailed is indicated, either hard-copy via the postal service or electronic mail via the member’s preferred email address is to be understood.

Part 2 – Members

2.1      There shall be four (4) categories of membership.

Map of Greater Victoria – 2024
  • Regular Membership
    Regular members shall have all rights and privileges including the right to vote.
  • Associate Membership
    This category shall be open only to all residents living outside the Greater Victoria area as shown on the map.
    An annual Associate Membership comes with the following benefits:
    Participation in all guild activities including all meetings, but without the privilege of voting
    A monthly email newsletter highlighting guild activities and access to past newsletters in the Newsletter Archive.
    Access to the guild library, but Associate members may not borrow library resources.
    Participation in guild-sponsored workshops upon payment of the regular workshop fees and provided they do not displace an active member.
  • Post Secondary Student Member
    An annual Post Secondary Student Member comes with the following benefits:
    Participation in all guild activities including all meetings.
    The right to vote at all guild meetings.
    A monthly email newsletter highlighting guild activities and access to past newsletters in the Newsletter Archive.
    Borrowing privileges for all books, periodicals, and reference material in the guild Library.
    Participation in guild-sponsored workshops upon payment of the regular workshop fees.
  • Honorary Life Member
    Honorary Life Membership shall have all the privileges of the Regular Member with exemption from payment of annual dues.

Honourary Life Members

2.2      Any Active Member or Honorary Life Member may recommend a guild member be appointed an Honourary Life Member.

2.3      Honourary life membership is awarded for “Outstanding service to the guild over a period of years.”

2.4      There shall be no Honourary Executive positions.

Part 3 – Dues

Rates of Dues

3.1      Active Members are required to pay annual membership dues of $40.00.

3.2      Dues for Associate Members and Student Members shall be $20.00.

Renewal of Dues

3.3      Annual Membership dues shall be payable by September 30th each year.

Part 4 – Meetings

Time and place of general meetings

4.1      A General Meeting or Program shall be held in the evening, once a month, except for the months of December, July and August.

4.2      A Drop-In meeting shall be held in the evening, once a month, every month except December.

Time and place of Annual General Meetings

4.3      An Annual General Meeting for the tabling of Annual Reports and the election of the Executive and Standing Committee Chairs shall be held immediately following the June General Meeting each year. Written notice of such a meeting shall be sent to all members not less than two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.

Transition Meeting

4.4      A transition meeting of the old and new Executive and Standing Committee Chairs shall be held no later than the July 31st. At this time, audited records, procedure manuals and other information shall be turned over to the new Executive and Standing Committee Chairs.

Nominations

4.5      The Executive shall jointly act as a Nominations Committee who shall:

  • advertise a call for nominations beginning in January;
  • contact all nominees and arrange a slate of candidates for Executive positions and Chairs of Standing Committees.
  • publish the slate of candidates in the May newsletter.

4.6      The Past President shall conduct the election of officers at the Annual General Meeting

Part 5 – Directors

Persons who are Directors

5.1      In addition to the five Directors stipulated in Bylaw 4.1 (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Chair) the following shall also be Directors: Immediate Past President, Newsletter Editor, Program Chair, and Workshops Chair.

Terms of Directors

5.2      Directors shall be elected for a one-year term and may hold the same office for no more than two consecutive years.

Duties of Directors

The duties of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Chair are specified in the Society Bylaws 7.2 to 7.6.

5.3      All Directors shall maintain up-to-date manuals which shall be passed on to their successors. The manuals will include a job description, procedures, suggestions, copies of annual reports, and a copy of the current Bylaws, and Rules and Regulations.

5.4      Each Director shall be responsible for preparing a report of the year’s activities to be submitted in writing at the Annual General Meeting.

The Newsletter Editor

5.5      The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for compiling, producing and distributing the Guild newsletter to all members, and to other guilds on an exchange basis if requested.

The Program Chair

5.6      The Program Chair shall be responsible for the following.

  • Organise a program or speaker for each monthly meeting except May in alternate years, December and June.
  • Contact potential speakers and establish fees/honoraria and travel expenses.
  • Arrange accommodation for visiting speakers.
  • At each guild meeting, arrange for equipment set-up, speaker introductions and thanks, and co-ordinate Show and Tell.
  • Organise the annual Ruth Anstey Memorial Lecture normally held in March of each year.

The Workshops Chair

5.7      The Workshops Chair shall be responsible for the following.

  • Plan and arrange workshops for interested members;
  • Announce proposed workshops at meetings and in the newsletter.
  • Register participants and collect fees.
  • Rent and set-up premises to accommodate each workshop; and
  • Submit all monies collected to the Treasurer on a regular basis, together with a detailed report on the income and expenses of each workshop.

Part 6 – Standing Committees

Appointment of Standing Committee Chairs

6.1      The Standing Committees are:

  • Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds (ANWG) representative
  • Historian/Permanent Collection
  • Equipment Manager
  • Hospitality Coordinator
  • Librarian
  • Outreach Chair
  • Scholarship Chair
  • Standards Chair
  • Webmaster

6.2      Standing Committee Chairs shall be elected for a one-year term and may hold the same office for no more than two consecutive years.

Duties of the Standing Committees

6.3      All Standing Committee Chairs shall maintain up-to-date manuals which will be passed on to their successors. The manuals will include a job description, procedures, suggestions, copies of annual reports, and a copy of the current Bylaws, and Rules and Regulations.

6.4      Each Standing Committee Chair shall be responsible for preparing a report of the year’s activities to be submitted in writing at the Annual General Meeting.

Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds Representative

6.5      The ANWG representative is responsible for the following.

  • Share newsletters and other announcements sent out by the ANWG Board.
  • Keep members apprised of plans for ANWG conferences.

The Historian

6.6      The Archivist is responsible for the following.

  • Collect information on the history of the Guild, its members, activities and other pertinent information.
  • Arrange for the conservation and/or restoration of all archival material.
  • Maintain the Permanent Collection and acquire from Guild members articles deemed suitable for addition to the collection.

The Equipment Manager

6.8      The Equipment Manager is responsible for the following.

  • Keep an itemized record of the Guild equipment and its present location.
  • Record the name and contact information for each person renting equipment from the Guild.
  • Collect rental fees for equipment rented from the Guild and submit all monies collected to the Treasurer on a regular basis together with a detailed report.

The Hospitality Coordinator

6.9      The Hospitality Coordinator is responsible for the following.

  • Arrange for refreshments to be served at general meetings and special functions sponsored by the Guild.
  • Maintain an inventory of all supplies and equipment pertaining to the food service.

The Librarian

6.10    The Librarian is responsible for the following.

  • Purchase resources for the library, including periodicals, in consultation with the membership and the Executive
  • Keep a current inventory of library resources with replacement values, maintain an index of library materials by subject and author and keep an inventory of all library holdings. A duplicate copy of the library inventory shall be kept off the premises.
  • Inform the members of new publications, acquisitions, gifts, and any missing items.

6.11    Designated books, as listed in the librarian’s manual, shall be loaned at the discretion of the librarian.

6.12    Library resources may be given or sold to members or disposed of at the discretion of the Executive in consultation with the Librarian.

The Outreach Chair

6.13    The Outreach Chair is responsible for the following.

  • Foster a strong relationship between the Guild and the local community.
  • Be the contact person for community members who wish to invite the guild to participate in community events.
  • Assist the leaders of existing outreach activities with arranging for volunteers, and obtaining supplies and equipment.
  • Co-ordinate the organization of additional outreach-related activities, including but not limited to arranging for booth space at community events to demonstrate weaving and spinning, visiting local elementary schools, and other educational activities.
  • Work in conjunction with the Standards Committee when an event includes display or sale of Guild member products.
  • Maintain an inventory of rack cards and display banners, supplies, and equipment.

The Scholarship Committee

6.14    The Scholarship Committee shall be composed of a chair and 4 members. Members should represent a cross-section of interests in many types of fibre arts.

6.15    The Scholarship Committee is responsible for the following.

  • Remind members of the Scholarship Fund and its guidelines and obligations.
  • Examine all Scholarship applications and interview each applicant.
  • Recommend to the Executive the number of grants to be made, the amounts of the grants, and the times of disbursements.

The Standards Committee

6.16    The Standards Committee shall be composed of a chair and 4 members. Members should represent a cross-section of interests in many types of fibre arts.

6.17    The Standards Chair is responsible for the following.

  • Encourage a high standard of craftsmanship in the making and finishing of handwork.
  • Award Guild Standard labels to all work accepted for sale and/or exhibition and return all unacceptable items to their owners or designates with an explanation.
  • Work together with the Outreach Chair to co-ordinate sales and/or exhibitions.

The Webmaster

6.18    The Webmaster shall maintain and update the Guild website.

Part 7 – Financial Procedures

Fiscal Year

7.1      The fiscal year of the Society shall terminate on the 31st day of May.

Non-budget Purchases

7.2      Purchases which are in excess of $400.00 and which are not included as part of the Guild’s annual budget must be presented for approval by the membership at a general meeting.

Advertising

7.3      Commercial advertising shall be accepted in the newsletter with payment of fees at a rate to be determined by the Executive.

7.4      Fibre arts equipment and materials for sale or to be given away may be listed on the website. There is no charge for these advertisements.

Fees And Honorarium

7.5      A fee or honorarium will normally be paid to every guest speaker.

Map of Greater Victoria – 2024

Equipment Loans

7.6      Equipment rented by guild members shall require payment of a rental fee for use up to (3) three months. Equipment shall not be loaned to non-guild members.

7.7     Equipment shall not be rented to members living outside the Greater Victoria area as defined by the map.

7.8     Associate Members may rent guild equipment for use in guild-sponsored, in-person workshops ONLY.

Workshops

7.9      As the mandate of the Guild is to provide education for its members, the Guild may contribute monies to ensure that a workshop can take place. The amount paid out is at the discretion of the Executive.

7.10    All workshop fees, unless otherwise stipulated, are payable in advance. Fees shall be refunded if a workshop is cancelled. Any other refunds shall be given at the discretion of the Executive and as advised by the Workshop Chair.

Library

7.11    Monies from the sale of surplus library materials shall be spent on new purchases for the library at the discretion of the librarian.

Part 8 – Management of Funds

Signing Authority

8.1      All cheques for payment of money by the Guild shall be signed by two (2) of: President, Vice-President or Treasurer. Any change of signing officers shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer.

Ruth Anstey Memorial Fund

8.2      Annual interest from this fund shall be used to help pay for the program for the Ruth Anstey Memorial Lecture at the March General Meeting. Costs may be augmented by the program budget. Any annual interest not used for the Memorial Lecture shall be added to the principal on renewal of the same.

8.3      Any additional memorial donations shall be added to the principle at the time of renewal.

8.4      The Ruth Anstey Memorial Fund is separate from and not included in the Assets of the Annual Financial Report of the Guild.

Hazel Cairns Fund

8.5      Monies in this account are to be used to fund special projects and events.

Part 9 – Scholarship Fund

Purpose of the Scholarship Fund

9.1      The Scholarship Fund will be used to assist members of the Guild in furthering their fibre-arts education by contributing funds towards payment for a workshop or class. These awards are normally granted for instruction in weaving, spinning, felting, dyeing, and basketry.

Awarding of Funds

9.2      Financial need is not a consideration.

9.3      The total funds available for scholarships each year shall be determined by the executive in the Guild budget. The budgeted amount may be split and awarded to more than one applicant at the discretion of the Executive as recommended by the Scholarship Committee.

Guidelines for Applications

9.4      The applicant shall be an Active, Student or Honorary Life member in the Guild. The applicant shall have a serious commitment to fibre arts and may have any level of textile expertise. The official application form shall be filled out and forwarded to the chair of the Scholarships committee.

Timing of Applications

9.5      Applications may be made at any time of year. Scholarship grants may be awarded before or after completion of the workshop. The successful applicant’s name and course being taken shall be announced in the Newsletter and at the General Meeting.

Obligations of Recipients

9.6      The expectation of the committee is that the grant recipient will share the workshop experience with the Guild by means of a “show and tell” presentation, a donation of a sample book or reference book to the Guild library, a slide show and lecture, an appropriate workshop, or mentoring to other Guild members. The type of service is to be determined jointly by the committee and the applicant before the grant is awarded and is somewhat dependant on the amount of the grant.

9.7      A permanent record shall be kept of all successful applicants.

Part 10 – Miscellaneous

Guild Colours

10.1    The colours of the Guild shall be Violet, Heliotrope, White, Silver and Green (VHWSG)

Part 11 – Amendments

11.1    These Rules and Regulations may be amended by a majority vote of the membership present at any General Meeting, provided notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to each member at least 7 days prior to the meeting. One copy of the current Rules and Regulations shall be available in the Library for reference.