At the January meeting, we asked people to fill out a survey. At the February meeting, Janus presented a summary of the results. This is her report:
OBS SURVEY RESULTS – 2018
We ran the survey to find out what you wanted from the Ottawa Bead Society and what services members actually used so that we can use our resources most effectively. We are a much smaller executive than the OBS has had recently and our financial resources are more limited so we have to prioritize what we invest our time and money in.
We found that the majority of people who responded did use the OBS website on a monthly or occasional basis. Most people used it to get meeting information and instructions for the make-and-takes. Most people didn’t visit our Facebook page and almost everyone did not watch our Youtube videos, with many people saying they were unaware of their existence.
A little more than half use the library, mostly on an occasional basis. Books are the most frequently borrowed items, closely followed by magazines with DVDs coming in a distant third. We need volunteers to keep this service running.
Just about everyone replied that they’d still be interested in doing a make-and-take even if they had to supply most of the materials for it (a detailed list would be provided). Most responded they would be interested in doing the dragonfly make-and-take that Ruth O’Neill could teach – although some didn’t know what that was.
On technique days, just about everyone preferred to have a choice of projects to pick from. A few people requested beginner-level techniques be made available.
Our members know a wide range of stitches and techniques. The most often reported are: peyote, herringbone, kumihimo, chain maille and right angle weave. But we have people who know: spiral, celini, triangle peyote/ herringbone, wire wrapping, African helix, wire crochet, soutache, needle tatting, square stitch, cross stitch with beads, stringing, knotting, crochet, bead knitting, weaving, ladder stitch, brick stitch, dream catchers, bead embroidery and bezelling. So, you can see that our pool of knowledge, within our own group, is quite deep. Perhaps some of you will be willing to share your knowledge. There’s quite an overlap, on the list of techniques and stitches known, with those that people want to learn.
The majority, who responded, reported having participated in a bead challenge but most were not interested in doing one again. Some were not sure what a bead challenge was. Of those polled, most preferred the challenge to be done on an individual basis as opposed to a group project
We are considering the many ideas given for presentations. One request was for a presentation on colour design theory which will be given in March by Johanna Garwood. Like presentation ideas, there were many suggestions and comments. The most common suggestion was for the return of Show and Tell which we restarted in the February meeting along with sharing ideas and help in problem solving.