Rocky Mountain Region History

1980 At the Embroiderers' Guild of America, Inc. National Seminar, Barbara Brandt held a meeting to organize the Guild into regions.   Nancy Miller of Lakewood, Colorado, was appointed Chairman of the newly formed Rocky Mountain Region. Nancy's first job was to organize the region; this she did by contacting the chapters.

1981   Nine chapters from Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and Wyoming sent representatives to a meeting in Nancy's home, and the region was formalized. Soon the geographic reaches of the region grew as chapters from Montana, Utah and El Paso, Texas, joined the region.  The Rocky Mountain Region now ran from the Canadian border to the Mexican border and would eventually include 19 chapters in seven states.

1983    The Rocky Mountain Chapter in Fort Collins, Colorado, hosted the first region seminar on the campus of Colorado State University. Three chapters in New Mexico (Manos Encantadas de Santa Fe, Pajarito in Los Alamos, and Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque) formed the Tri-City group.  Members of the three chapters met in Santa Fe to get better acquainted, to share ideas, and to work together to solve problems.   They planned an annual meeting with each city hosting on a rotating schedule.

1984    Kay McQuiddy of the Rocky Mountain Chapter was elected to follow Nancy as Region Chairman.  During her term, the title was changed from Region Chairman to Region Director. The new region worked to achieve its organizational goals.  The first policies were written, as well as the first list of region teachers. The Tri-City group became the Qua-City group when El Paso Chapter joined, and the second meeting was held in Los Alamos.  Successive meetings were held in Albuquerque, El Paso, Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Albuquerque.

1985    The second region seminar was held at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque hosted by Sandia Mountains Chapter.

1986    Carole Rinard of Pajarito Chapter is Los Alamos, New Mexico, became the next Region Director.  Region meetings were held in Los Alamos and Grand Junction, Colorado. An Assistant Director/Director-Elect and a Secretary were added to the region officers. Pikes Peak Chapter, Colorado Springs, Colorado, invited the Colorado chapters to a "Colorado Day" meeting.

1987    Colorado Chapter, Denver, hosted the region meeting, a day-long session of workshops taught by the region teachers, and a reception for the opening of a month-long exhibit of works by region members. During Carole's term as RD, region bylaws were written and approved; the region took on the air of a well-functioning organization, and the rest of EGA became aware of the talented, hard working people who populate the Rocky Mountain Region.

1988 - 89    Jacque Winton, Manos Encantadas de Santa Fe chapter, Santa Fe, New Mexico, became director.   A region executive board was expanded to include the four elected officers, plus standing committee chairmen (bylaws, education, ways and means, nominating and newsletter).  The region newsletter was named "Border to Border", and the editor, Nina Soltwedel of Colorado Chapter, received well-deserved praise of her work which resulted in the newsletter becoming a national leader from its inception. A new region achievement award was created and named the "Clare Award" for the patron saint of embroiderers, St. Clare of Assisi.  The first recipient was Carole Rinard. Rocky Mountain Region was the first region to implement region-wide Group Correspondence Course groups.   The success of this endeavor has led other regions to use the idea. In 1989, Rocky Mountain Chapter hosted a two-day seminar in Fort Collins, Colorado, to reinstate region seminars.  At the region meeting preceding the seminar, an advanced stitchers group, "Prospectors", was formed, adding another dimension to the opportunities proved by the region.

1990 - 91    Barbara Loftus, Colorado Chapter, served as director.  Successful two-day seminars were held in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in '90 and in Grand Junction, Colorado, in '91.

1992 - 93    Barbara Scott, Sandia Mountains Chapter, Albuquerque, New Mexico, served as Region Director.   An Outreach Chairman was added to the executive committee.  Region seminars were held in Boise, Idaho, in '92, and in Angel Fire, New Mexico, in '93.

1994 - 95    Bette Sargent of Foothills Chapter served as Region Director.  Directors' Club and Historian were added to the executive committee.  A region seminar was held in Casper, Wyoming, in '94.  There was no region seminar in '95 because the region hosted the EGA National Seminar in Denver.  The spring board meetings were held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in '94 and Albuquerque, New Mexico in '95.

 1996 - 97Armida Taylor of Western Idaho Chapter served as Region Director. Three was no region seminar in 1996. The Spring board meetings were held in Fort Collins, Colorado in 1996 and in Boise, Idaho in 1997. The 1997 region seminar, the most successful in RMR history, was held in Ogden, Utah, hosted by Ogden Needlework Guild. During this term the Region Bylaws and Policies and Procedures were revised and approved and each chapter of the region received $1000 for education purposes as a result of our successful 1995 region sponsored National Seminar in Denver. Our region led the nation with 18 members donating a Christmas Stocking to the White House project. Our region fund raiser, the RMR Band Sampler Book was completed. Three new chapters joined the region, Four Corners, Knotty Needlers and Silver Valley Stitchers. The RMR Jody Gergen's Memorial Scholarship Fund was formally established and Susan Tidwell, Sandia Mountains Chapter, was presented the EGA National Educator's Award of Excellence. In September, 1997, Armida was elected as the National Direcotr of Bylaws and Judy Richards completed the term as Region Director.

1998 - 99Judy Richards of the Ogden Needlework Guild served as the Region Director. The Spring Board meetings were held in Grand Junction, Colorado in 1998 and Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1999. The 1998 region seminar was held in El Paso, TX. It was the first time region seminar information could be accessed on the Internet. The 1999 region seminar was held in Colorado Springs, CO. During this term our Region Treasurer, Ann Pinfield, proposed a different method for disbursement of the National Membership and Recruitment funds that has been used successfully. Carolyn Webb of the Wasatch Chapter was the Rocky Mountain recipient of the Educators Award of Excellence. Becky Autry made our Region Website a reality. The Region approved monies for the assistant Region Director enabling her to travel within the region to promote regional interest. At the National level Judy was the secretary to the Regions Committee meetings, and served on the Finance committee. In October 1999 she was elected to the National Nominating committee.