Begun by an invitation sent from Dar Ford Kayuha to a worldwide network of rughooking enthusiasts who congregated in the London suburb of Ruislip, from December 2nd to 4th 1994, this organization has since traveled to a different host country every three years.
The next board President was Carol Harvey-Clark of Nova Scotia who, with her fellow Canadians, coordinated the 1997 Triennial in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Collectors Cards series began with a member's work featured on a postcard issued with each quarterly newsletter.
MaryAnne Lincoln and the United States board brought TIGHR through to 2000 and a conference in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Friendship Square tradition began with this session. A theme of friendship was publicised and members brought (or sent with another delegate) an eight inch square mat which they traded, returning home with a mat from a different part of the world. Postcards were made after the event. The newsletter was named HOOKING MATTERS.
Toronto, Canada was the site of the 2003 Triennial, with President Yvonne Muntwyler and the board residing in Ontario province. The squares continued, as did the Collectors Card series.
Off to Wales and the Presidency of Bette Collins and board members. The conference was held in Tenby, Wales in October 2006. They declared 2006 The International Year of Rug Hooking and the theme for exchange mats was 'Myths and Legends'. The Collectors Card series continued. Postcards with the exchange mat collection were produced by the next board.
The 15th Anniversary conference was celebrated in Louisville, KY by the United States board, with President Susan Feller. This board resided on the east coast of the US from West Virginia, New Jersey and Vermont. The format for the Triennial became a symposium with presenters and panels on a variety of topics, no tools necessary in baggage. The motto was 'Rug Hooking... You can do it, invite a friend'. Recycling (Green) was the theme for the 8" square exchange mats and the Collectors Card series continued.
For the first time in 2009, there were two choices for Board - Japan and Australia - and a vote at conference which went into a second ballot. Selection was for the Australia with Miriam Miller as President for 2010-2012. There were a lot of "conference calls" during their term for board meetings due to the size of the continent and location of board members' homes. The exchange mats were sized as postal cards (4" x 6"). The symposium format continued with four workshop sessions led by Australians and plenty of time to make friends, based in a resort near Adelaide, SA. The theme was 'The Sky's the Limit'. The Collectors Card series continued quarterly.
A private network was created for members to include a personal profile page with the option to upload photos and create/participate in groups along with listing events. Newsletters and correspondence, including the Constitution, General Meeting minutes and Triennial presentations are available to members on this site. The public website www.TIGHR.net developed a professional profile of the organization including enrollment with online payment options.
2013-2015 nominees were accepted by accession with the board headed by Sheila Stewart, based in British Columbia, Canada. Skype was again used to communicate for board meetings. Victoria, BC was the destination for the 2015 Triennial. The motto 'Back to Nature' was used for the exchange mats, which were sized at 5" x 7". The Collectors Card series continued with each issue of the newsletter. Both websites expanded based to meet the needs of the members and TIGHR's targeted audience.
The 2016-2018 board is lead by Heather Ritchie and is based in Reeth, Yorkshire, a beautiful part of the United Kingdom.
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