Join Cheri Rol CDA as she reviews the skills that are vital in creating
a balanced composition – including color, temperatures, intensities,
values and other technical skills. Cheri’s seminar, “The Next Step,”
the latest in the Home to the Heartland seminar series, offers an
excellent opportunity for all painters to fine tune their abilities …
whether they are in the Certification process, considering
Certification or simply want to create more beautiful works of art.
Apply early -- this special class is limited to 25 participants. For
more information, or to register for this exciting seminar, call Lori
Dougan at (316) 269-9300, ext. 0 or Janelle Johnson at (316) 269-9300,
ext. 104.
• A Letter from Your President
Dear Members:
It is my sincere belief that chapters are the backbone of the Society.
Approximately 75% of our members belong to one or more chapters.
Chapters help spread the word about the joys of decorative painting
through their many community service projects. They also mentor new
painters. Painters, in general, are very special, caring, and sharing
people, as evidenced by the wonderful response to those who were
affected by the hurricanes and severe storms around the country last
year.
This is the last issue of Chapter Happenings before the Nashville
Conference, and the last during my term as President, so I would like
to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you for your
support this past year. Thanks to all the chapters who are
participating in the Chapter Marketplace and to those who are working
to beautify the banquet tables. It is chapter participation in these
events that adds the extra zest and fun to our conferences. Thank you
for sharing your talents with us all.
I personally have been a member of a chapter for over 30 years and
currently belong to three chapters. Through my association with
chapters, I have established strong, lasting friendships that have been
with me in good times and bad -- and especially in those times in life
where the warmth, dependability and hug of a friend is really needed.
Participation in chapters -- and in SDP at the international level --
has given me many opportunities for personal growth and enrichment. How
else would I ever have been invited to a Christmas reception at the
White House? I hope your involvement with chapters and the Society has
been as rewarding in your life!
Ann Johnson, SDP President 2005-06
• A Message from Mary
By Mary Cobble, Chapters Coordinator
As Ann said above, this will be the last issue of Chapter Happenings
before Nashville Conference. To those of you who will be joining us in
Nashville – I look forward to meeting each and every one of you! To
those who are unable to attend – I am so sorry, and I hope that I will
get to meet you in the future! If you are a president of a chapter, and
did not receive your postcard invitation to the President’s Reception,
I have attached a copy hereto. Please be sure to RSVP to Sue Bowers if
you are able to attend, per the information on the invitation. It will
be a casual reception, so you are free to come and go as needed, due to
class schedule, etc. Come and meet your fellow presidents!
*** Chapter Presidents: click HERE for reception invitation ***
This is truly an exciting and eventful conference for chapters. We have
many chapters, from all over the world, participating in the Chapters
Marketplace on Thursday evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Please be sure
to wear pink when you attend, to show your support of breast cancer
awareness. While you are shopping, remember to pick up something
special for your secret pal or your best painting buddy! This is also
an excellent opportunity to find something unique for your chapter
raffles, etc. Credit card machines will not be available, so bring lots
of cash!
There will be ten new chapters to affiliate at the Annual Meeting this
year! Please attend the Chapters Gathering to give the new officers a
warm welcome and to share new ideas or old reliable standbys for
gaining members, fundraising, etc. It’s always fun to bring back new
ideas and to share your enthusiasm with your chapter. The Chapters
Gathering is the place to be to revitalize your chapter spirit. In
addition to a light breakfast, each attendee will receive an AWESOME
goody bag. See you there!
Here are a few quick reminders for you. We want your chapter to be
represented in the Chapter Banner Parade. Be sure to have your chapter
representative(s) bring your banner to Banquet. Also, plan to show your
spirit by dressing alike. We all love to see chapter members in
matching hats, vests and so on!
Finally, many chapters have decided to show off their talent by
decorating a banquet table and painting table favors. What a great way
to be involved in the Conference, even if your chapter members are
unable to attend. Each banquet attendee will take home a wonderful
memento of the Conference, thanks to the sharing spirit of our chapters
and members. Please include a card with your chapter name to be set on
the table with your décor, so we can identify your beautiful work.
There will be prizes for the “best dressed” tables.
Roxanne Jarvis created a special pin for the Nashville Conference. You can download the free instructions at
http://www.tolefairie.com/freepatterns.htm. Wear your pin with pride at the Nashville Conference. Thanks, Roxanne!
• Nashville Volunteers Needed
SDP depends on our generous volunteers to ensure a
successful Conference. Every year dozens of volunteers are needed to
assist teachers, set up banquet, work the sales and registration booths
and more! This year we are especially in need of election tellers –
although help is needed in every area. Volunteering is a fun way to
meet your fellow members, plus volunteers will receive a Nashville
guitar volunteer charm. Please check your schedule and volunteer a few
hours of your time. Friends and spouses who are attending with you are
welcome to volunteer, too (although election tellers must be SDP
members). Click
HERE to see what volunteer positions are available and to print the volunteer form. Questions? E-mail Ann Foster at
awfcbreeze@aol.com
• Under the Sea
By Karen Bottomley, Crystal Coast Decorative Painters
As a part of the Crystal Coast Decorative Painters’ community service
projects, members of our chapter are completing the painting of an
undersea mural on wall and ceiling tiles in the third floor Pediatrics
Treatment room at New Bern's Craven Regional Medical Center. Hospital
staff members are very pleased with the results so far, and are asking
if we are going to paint another wall.
• New York Meet and Greet
By
Kim V. Leonard, Lake Country Decorative Painters, Flower City
Decorative Artists, Genesee Country Decorative Painters and Heart Of
Ohio Tole The Lake Country Decorative Painters’ Luncheon
Committee was having a meeting to prepare our fundraiser. We do a live
auction and basket raffle each year to raise funds for our chapter to
enable us to offer seminars -- including both local and national
teachers. As our group was having an in-depth discussion, we realized
how many neighboring chapters were scheduling seminars on the same
weekends. Many of us are members of more than one chapter and we don’t
want to pick and choose between seminars and miss opportunities to take
from teachers due to scheduling conflicts.
As we were chatting, the question was raised, “How do we know ahead of
time which teachers are teaching where and is there a possibility of
sharing in the expenses incurred for a national teacher?” The answer
was simple. Why don’t we just ask?
This was the birth of the 1st Annual Meet and Greet for New York State
Painting Chapters, hosted by the Lake Country Decorative Painters’
Chapter under the direction of Laurie Whiting in Canandaigua, NY, from
1-5 p.m. Saturday, October 22, 2005. It was held at a local American
Legion and was attended by 15 of the 17 New York State Chapters. We had
refreshments, desserts homemade by members of LCDP, door prizes and
five wonderful make-it, take-its. The entire event was free. It was a
true “meet and greet” with the sole purpose being to meet fellow
painters and share in our experiences, triumphs and tribulations. I
would like to give special thanks and kudos to the LCDP chapter for
sponsoring, hosting and implementing such a groundbreaking idea.
SDP Secretary Linda Biedermann and Shea Szachara, representing the
Decorative Arts Collection, were gracious enough to speak about their
respective organizations. Each of the chapters was then invited to
speak on behalf of their chapter, with a focus on retaining and
expanding our memberships, and hosting and filling national seminars.
Every chapter realized we face the same issues. To have the opportunity
to discuss them in this open forum was enlightening, to say the least.
It was amazing how many members appreciated the time and effort that
was put into this event, and we hope to pass on the “palette” to
another chapter to continue this annual Meet and Greet gathering.
It was during this presentation we asked those present if there would
be any interest in a New York State Chapter Seminar Calendar. The
response was overwhelming!
• Make Sure You’re Covered
By Brady Krueger, SDP insurance agent
Has your chapter considered a group medical policy that covers injuries
to members? Please bear in mind that Chapter members are not covered
for injuries on the SDP liability policy. They are covered for injuries
or damages caused to others, but not to themselves.
I had a call from a chapter member today informing me of a fellow
member who tripped at an outing and broke two bones in her wrist. She
thought perhaps the SDP policy would cover that member. I informed her
that her chapter needs the additional medical policy for accidents. The
injured lady will be able to file her claim to the owner of the
premises where the outing was held. It sounds as though a defect in the
premises caused the accident. But if it's decided there was no premises
defect, all she'll be able to collect is the medical payments limits on
the owner's policy, probably just $5,000. That will not cover two
broken bones in a wrist. The accident medical policy from SDP can
provide coverage with no deductible for a reasonable price. This policy
is available to all chapters. A one-page application is required. The
price will vary from chapter to chapter, depending on the number of
members. If your chapter is interested, please contact Mary Cobble at
(316) 269-300, ext. 107 or e-mail
mary@decorativepainters.org.
• Support Decorative Painting on TV
Martin F. Weber Co. is supporting SDP by including our literature in
all products they ship out and with an SDP tag line at the end of Sue
Scheewe’s “Scheewe Art Workshop” on PBS. This type of programming is a
great way to generate interest in decorative painting and in SDP. If
your local PBS station does not carry this program, contact them and
request that they start carrying it. A written request works best. Do
you have a show that features decorative painting? Do you know of one
that stars an SDP member? E-mail
teri@decorativepainters.org and let her know. Let’s make sure all our decorative painting stars are on the air in as many markets as possible!
• Trade Your Art
Are you preparing your artist trading cards? You’ll have a chance to
swap these mini works of art at Conference. Bring your ATCs to the
Annual Meeting and come a little early. An informal ATC swap will take
place from 8 to 9 a.m., June 7 while you collect your ballot and wait
for the meeting to begin. Collect as many as you can, because the
attendee who collects the most cards during Conference will win a gift
basket. For more information about making ATCs, see page 16 of Issue #1
of the 2006
Decorative Painter magazine. There will also be a chapter-related Artist Trading Card exchange at the Chapters Gathering!
• Chapter Snapshots
Central
Louisiana Decorative Painters welcomed Ginger Edwards who recently
taught a seminar to the chapter. Watching the demonstration are, from
left, Barbara Driessen, Judy Thevenot, Dixie Brook, Blandina
Zaunbrecher,(Ginger is seated), Christine Belgard, Ann Holt, Judy
Quartemont, Judy Trammell (seated), and Lena Connella (seated). Photo provided by Jane Beltz.
Members
of the Treasure Coast Decorative Painters shared information about
decorative painting and recruited new members Feb. 24-March 5 at their
county fair. Photo provided by Donna Gronborg.
