I love the quote by Steven R. Covey: "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."
It's hard to believe that it's already June and the first day of summer is right around the corner. Since Project Linus ranks very high on my priorities list, I try to make sure that all of our major events are on my calendar early in the year.
January - February is always reserved for National Make a Blanket Day and its preparations. For those of you who are new to our chapter - this is an event at the Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth - held on a Saturday in February - where approximately 200 of our chapter volunteers gather together to make blankets. It's a lot of fun and a great way to meet new friends with similar interests while serving the children of our community. We have door prizes and lunch and new ideas and new patterns and a whole host of blanketmaking inspiration throughout the day.
Once Make a Blanket Day is over, I focus most of my attention on our National Project Linus Institute. This is a four day event that is held in June, in Bloomington IL for our chapter coordinators from across the country. Many of our Central IL volunteers help with this event and it seems like each year it gets bigger and better.
Then, I try to take a bit of a break in July, followed by August which brings about preparations for our Fall Make a Blanket Day. On a smaller scale, this event is held during the week - usually a Thursday - at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Decatur. We have about 120 volunteers and share a day together making blankets, listening to blanketmaking demos, door prizes and sharing lunch together.
In October I assume my National responsibilities and travel with Carol to the Houston International Quilt Show and Market for just over a week of general networking for our National organization.
November is reserved for Thanksgiving which is immediately followed by our Chapter Appreciation Breakfast the first week in December. Of course, birthdays, anniversaries, church responsibilities and family vacations are intermingled between the Project Linus events for the year. In addition, I always make sure that there's some time set aside for quilting! When the new year arrives, I find that I have basically the same agenda!
So, here's our Project Linus schedule for the rest of 2009 if you'd like to schedule these events as a priority on your calendar:
September 17th: Make a Blanket Day (pre-registration requested)
December 3rd: Appreciation Breakfast ($10.00) Pre-paid reservations required
We are pleased to announce that in the summer of 2010 we will be once again, making quilts for Camp Coco. We took some time off to re-group and hope that you will help us with this wonderful cause once again. In 2008 we had a very difficult time gathering enough quilts needed for all the kids at camp - which is why decided that our blanketeers were sending us a message that they needed a break. We hope that there is a renewed interest in helping out at Camp Coco and that we can get many of you interested in making a quilt for these great kids. For those of you who are not familiar with Camp Coco, it is a camp held each year near Bloomington IL for children who either have cancer or have a sibling with cancer. Here is the link to their website: http://www.siumed.edu/foundation/campcoco.htm Camp Coco has expanded its focus for 2010 and will be needing 160 quilts (quilts only - no fleece, crocheted or knitted blankets) by mid June, 2010. We ask that the quilts be no smaller than 40" x 55" - 60" and up to 72" in length. There are older teens who attend camp and they will need the larger blankets. Camp Coco prefers quilts with a outdoor or camp theme that would be appropriate for either a boy or a girl. If you make a quilt for Camp Coco you are welcome to take it to a drop-off location any time prior to mid June 2010. It needs to be bagged separately and labeled "Camp Coco" on the outside of the bag. For those of you who work on a camp quilt, you are eligible for a "campfire charm" as well. THANK YOU for your help!
I hope that you will take some time, not only to schedule your Project Linus priorities, but to schedule some time for your family as well as some time for you.
Happy Blanketmaking!
Mary
