friends of the Fair: the flock

Our membership is called "The Flock", and we are the best of the best - we are "Merino"! Because we are still a new event, we have decided that all new members for the first 5 years of our membership program (which began in 2008) will be given the designation "Charter Member". Because we are very grateful for those who have been with us since the beginning, we will give them the special designation "Founding Charter Member" and honor them with (**) in the list below.

about merino

Wool from the Merino sheep is the most prized wool in the world. The Phoenicians introduced sheep into Asia Minor and North Africa. They reached Spain in the 12th century. Spain began breeding sheep for wool quality and softness - resulting in the Merino sometime in the 14th century. Fine wool became a source of income for the Castile in the late Middle Ages. Exportation of a Merino sheep was a crime punishable by death until 1723 when the first flock was exported to Sweden. Later, a large flock was given to Saxony in 1765. A small flock of Merino sheep was the prize possession of Thomas Jefferson. Merino prices vary according to the fineness of the wool.

our members deserve recognition! We thank you all!

guild charter members:

Cultured Purls Knitting Guild ** , Green, Cary, IL
Foxy Ladies Rug Hooking Guild ** , Nurturing, Naperville, IL
Hollow Tree Spinners **, Nurturing, Marengo, IL
Naturally Sassy Knitting Guild, Green, Barrington, IL
Village Quilters of Lake Bluff/Lake Forest, Nurturing, Deerfield, IL
Windy City Knitting Guild **, Nurturing, Chicago, IL
Woodstock Weaver's Guild **, Nurturing, Woodstock, IL

** denotes Founding Charter Member

business charter members:

Creative Design Studio, Elmhurst, IL
The Fold, Marengo**, IL
J4 Alpaca Farm Store, Woodstock, IL
Mushroom Knits, Lake Forest, IL

** denotes Founding Charter Member

individual charter members:

Penelope Anderson, Springfield, IL
Sandy Andrews**, St. Charles, IL
Connie Antler, Barrington Hills, IL
Janet Baldwin Booster, Plainfield, IL
Kris Ballard, South Bend, IN
Jacqueline Beeken, St Charles, IL
Michelle Betor-Stietenroth, Round Lake, IL
Ellen Black, Highland Park, IL
Deborah Bosarge, Cincinnati, OH
Linda Bullen, Chicago, IL
Barbara Bundick**, Woodstock, IL
Sally Carson**, Wonder Lake, IL
Carol Cassidy-Fayer**, Crystal Lake, IL
Debra Childers, Byron, IL
Janice Clingman, Lodi, WI
Mary Ann Coen, Downers Grove, IL
Ilya Collinsworth, Trevor, WI
Anne Copeland**, Palatine, IL
Paula Copple, Arlington Heights, IL
Joanne Crofts, Willowbrook, IL
Jody Cull, Libertyville, IL
Deborah Daigle, Palatine, IL
Ruth Darelius, Maroa, IL
Phyllis Dickinson**, Buffalo Grove, IL
Sheryl Digman, Davenport, IA
Bill Dineen**, McHenry, IL
Denise Dodd, Floyds Knobs, IN
Debbie Dombrowski, Oswego, IL
Carol Drummond, Hennepin, IL
Chrystal Eckman, St Louis, MO
Alex Fayer**, Crystal Lake, IL
Luanne Gritton, Moline, IL
Chris Guilianelli, Lake Zurich, IL
Cindy Harper, Loves Park, IL
Marilyn Henningsen, Decatur, AL
Pamela Hirsch**, Algonquin, IL
Eileen Hoesly, Algonquin, IL
Andy Holmes, McHenry, IL
Polly Hoover, Chicago, IL
Helen Hopkins, North Barrington, IL
Mary Hudgins, Springfield, IL
Audrey Hutchcraft, Mundelein, IL
Victoria Jackson, Sherman, IL
Deborah Jasinski, Chicago, IL
Patricia Jeffers**, Belvidere, IL
Paula Kalkbrenner, McHenry, IL
Amanda Keen, Crystal Lake, IL
Diane Keen, Crystal Lake, IL
Cookie Kempe, Lisle, IL
Linda Kluss, Evanston, IL
Mary Kohlmeier, Lake Bluff, IL
Susan Kostner, Mundelein, IL
Pat Kreiling, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Nancy Krunig, Chicago, IL
Clai Lasher Sommers, Westmoreland, NH
Paul Law**, Round Lake Park, IL
Amy LeBeau, Grayslake, IL
Christine LeBlanc, Brainerd, MN
Arthur Lifshin**, Oak Park, IL
Patricia Lupori, Round Lake Beach, IL
Jean Lytle**, Arlington Heights, IL
Charlynda Marckese**, Algonquin, IL
Helen Mathey-Horn, Germany
Jane McAtee, Oak Park, IL
Julianne McCauley**, Chicago, IL
Marie McKay, Wauconda, IL
Heather McMillan, Wauconda, IL
Rebecca McMillan, Elgin, IL
Linda Michelau, Mundelein, IL
Terri Minkin, Theinsville, WI
Patty Mitmoen, Lake Barrington, IL
Dianne Mockler, Goodfield, IL
Mike Mockler, Goodfield, IL
Marci Morey, Salem, WI
Dolores Morrison, Northbrook, IL
Debbie Moyes**, Highland Park, IL
Toni Neil**, Marengo, IL
Leigh Nelson, Round Lake, IL
Pat Offerman, Clive, IA
Irene Oldson, Rockford, IL
Andrea Oliver, Oakbrook Terrace, IL
Karen Ortlund, Batavia, IL
Jody Oxley**, Glen Ellyn, IL
Barbara Papamarcos, IL
Melinda Parrent**, Crystal Lake, IL
Dana Paschal, Memphis, TN
Rebecca Perkins, Princeton, IL
Mandy Petersen, Chicago, IL
Margaret Rapp, Arlington Heights, IL
Andrea Rhodie**, Vernon Hills, IL
Adrienne Rieck**, Olympia Fields, IL
Mercedes Rivera, Waukegan, IL
Debra Rogers, Park Forest, IL
Leslie Ropas**, Schaumberg, IL
Rhonda Rushing**, Wonder Lake, IL
Diana Ruzicki-Sauter, Paddock Lake, WI
Sandy Ryan, Monroe, WI
Annie Salmona, Milwaukee, WI
Diana Sexton, Layfayette, IN
Christine Slabinger, Niles, IL
Brooks Smutz**, Cincinnati, OH
Mary Snyder, Libertyville, IL
Jill Sodt, Kewanee, IL
Barbara Stern, Highland Park, IL
Annette Stock, Mt. Prospect, IL
Kathleen Stockwell, East Moline, IL
Susan Swartz**, Highland Park, IL
Lynette TeVault, Lisle, IL
Margaret Thiessen, Woodstock, IL
Elizabeth Tures**, Crystal Lake, IL * In Memoriam*
Kathy Valek, Chicago, IL
Ann Varda, Madison, WI
Connie Vivado**, Johnsburg, IL
Felicia Walter, Mt. Prospect, IL
Kate Watling, Pleasant Prairie, WI
Patricia Webb, Rockford, IL
Carolyn Jean Westling, Glendale, WI
Erin Whalen, Lake Geneva, WI
Ann L Wheatley-Seamon, Winthrop Harbor, IL
Adrienne Williams, Westmont, IL
Helen Wilson, Long Grove, IL
Kathleen Woolsey-Lingvist, North Chicago, IL
Elizabeth Zafiris, Hawthorne Woods, IL
Donna Zaidenberg, Long Grove, IL
Elizabeth Zapf, South Bend, IN
Chris Zimmerman, Round Lake Beach, IL
** denotes Founding Charter Member

member appreciation: we wanted to show our appreciation for our Fair members, who have gone above and beyond to invest in the Fair. So we create, with the help of Fair vendors, several membership appreciation totes each year. We cannot afford to give one to every member, but each year a few receive our tote of appreciation. Everyone who joined the Fair as a member during the period from Fair to Fair have an opportunity to participate in the drawing for the totes. The 2010 recipients, with two exceptions, were at the Fair on the day they won. The members who won are: Margaret Rapp, Kathy Little, Diane Warfield, Susan Hennig, Jacqueline Beeken, and Mary Kohlmeier. Congratulations everyone!

click here to see what the Member Appreciation Totes will contain in 2011 (each one is a little different).

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" thoroughly enjoyed the show, spent enough grocery monies to go on a diet "
   comment from member