This past weekend we were talking about a problem at our local guild meeting. Like most ANG chapters, and like many other organizations, we are almost completely on the older side of Baby Boomers. My friend Debbie and I are, I think, the youngest members. We are both 58.
Like many guild chapters we are struggling to keep our membership numbers high enough to sustain ourselves. And like many chapters we struggle to find people to fill our board positions.
A couple of us commented that all the organizations she’s in have that problem. Another member asked why younger people didn’t take to needlepoint. One theory brought up is that, by and large, needlepoint isn’t very welcoming to folks who aren’t like us.
Yes there are men in many chapters, but what if someone with many tattoos, or oddly colored hair, or a pierced eyebrow showed up at a guild meeting — would you treat her the same way you treat the grey-haired lady who popped into the meeting room? Would your local shop?
Certainly from what I see in many groups and shops this isn’t true.
So what happens? The young person wanting to do needlepoint feels isolated. She already stands apart from others her age because her chosen craft isn’t hip. It’s hard to find materials and even harder to find shops that welcome her.
If she pursued knitting or crochet or quilting she would find many happy homes on-line, but with needlepoint it isn’t so common.
One woman in our group mentioned that atSeminar she is seeing more younger stitchers and they are welcomed by teachers with great joy. But what chapter do they belong to? CyberPointers — an on-line and non-judgemental chapter.
So here’s an open-ended question? What do we do to attract new stitchers?
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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