Art and Craft Society elects new office bearers

Narrabri Art and Craft Society held its annual general meeting on Monday, August 11 and elected its new committee members for the coming year.

President Helen de Fredrick, vice president Olwyn Campey, minute meeting Olwyn Campey, secretary position not filled, treasurer and public officer Robin Stieger, assistant treasurer Lyn Firth, gallery and publicity officer Janice Smith, shop co-ordinator Ellen Solomon (Ellen advised that she will only be taking this position for 12 months and she hoped that she would be able to train someone to take over the position from her), assistant shop co-ordinator position not filled, pottery co-ordinator Pat Hlad, art co-ordinator Robin Stieger, internal reviewer Noeline Kiss.

President Judy Michell supplied the following report:

“I’m sorry that I’m unable to attend this AGM due to a scheduling clash with a show meeting in Sydney.

This will be my final president’s report as I am stepping down from the role this year.

With my commitments to the Show Society and the Show Group, I simply have too much going on outside the society to give this position the attention it deserves.

This past year has been relatively quiet, but we’ve had some wonderful highlights.

CREATE weeks: Our biggest contribution was once again to the CREATE weeks. We proudly hosted our own exhibition, and the Betty Berriman trophy was awarded to Craig Salmon – well done, Craig. Your work ethic and creativity are truly inspiring.

The day itself went beautifully, with verandah activities including free-form crochet, knitting, spinning and more.

Mother’s Day silver service morning tea – this was another enjoyable event, though attendance numbers were lower than previous years.

With several members away, we also had fewer helpers, but those who were there made it a success.

Saturday Verandah mornings – these continue to run, though sales have been a little slow at times – except for Ellen’s cooking, which remains a big hit.

We even have a loyal regular who comes early each time just to secure his morning tea. Janice has also done a wonderful job showcasing her free-form knitting, crochet and felting during these mornings.

We were saddened this year by the loss of our life member Marg Fernance, our main shop stock supplier and a pillar of the society.

Marg shared her skills generously, teaching crochet, knitting, patchwork, and countless other crafts. Her knowledge and warm presence will be deeply missed.

Our Thursday Creative Friends group remains strong and we look forward to their upcoming gallery exhibition.

We’ve also introduced a new monthly cleaner for the premises, helping us keep everything fresh and welcoming.

Pottery mornings on Mondays have slowed down lately, despite a couple of new faces joining us. With such a great pottery shed available, it’s something we’d love to see grow again – perhaps shifting to a weekend session might encourage more participation.

Our Tuesday and Friday crafters groups are thriving, with four to six members regularly attending.

These sessions are now only about crafting but also great for friendship and lively discussions (we’ve solved many of the world’s problems during these mornings).

We’ve even started an informal book exchange, which has been a lovely addition.

I want to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed their time, energy, and skills to keeping our society running.

From event helpers to regular crafters and exhibition participants, you all play a part in making this community special.

It’s been a privilege to serve as president, and while I’m stepping down, I’ll continue supporting the society where I can. I wish the incoming committee every success for the year ahead.”