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A SHORT HISTORY OF MET
founder - Margaret Everett
On October 7th 1976, Margaret Everett convened a meeting at the Fairview
library hoping to attract enough people to start a club in Toronto for
miniature enthusiasts. Forty persons attended. The Miniature Enthusiasts of
Toronto was formed. At a later meeting, Margaret's daughter, Diane Wilton, gave
the first lesson in miniature making -- a book. At a later meeting, the Club
learned the method used by three of its members to copy exact scale
reproductions of early Canadian furniture found in museums.
At a meeting on March 29th, 1977, the Club decided to have its first miniature
show and sale to be held on November 6th, 1977. As Wendy Russell said, ''The
estimated cost is astronomical (well over $1,000) considering the fact that we
have almost nothing in the bank! We have committees and sub-committees, there's
publicity to consider, tickets to sell, organizing the work schedule, making
things for the Club Sales Table, etc. What if nobody comes to our show?"
Wendy and the other members needn't have worried. Approximately 4,000 people
turned up -- a lot of us couldn't even get in to the Show -- the lobby of the
Hotel Triumph was packed!
Every fall (but one) since that fateful day, M.E.T. has put on an outstanding
two day show. Since then we have attracted a more dedicated group of miniature
collectors, both local and out-of-town, who would not miss a M.E.T. Show.
The Show was held in the Hotel Triumph up until that dreadful time in 1991 when
the hotel closed and we were forced to cancel the Show that year. However, we
opened again in 1992 in larger quarters at the Skyline Airport Hotel (or
International Plaza Hotel, as it is now known). 1992 was also the first year
that M.E.T. sponsored the Juried Show which brings in beautiful displays from
all over the world. In 1996 the show was moved to the International Centre
giving us more room and free parking. The year 2001 sees the M.E.T. Show
returning home to the Triumph Hotel now owned by the Howard Johnson chain.
For a number of years M.E.T. donated a portion of the proceeds to a local
charity, raffles at the Show have also been held in aid of a charity. Most
recently, in 1999 a fully furnished and landscaped house was donated to the
Starlight Children's Foundation and was auctioned off at their annual Gala. The
winning bid was $4000. which the Foundation put toward granting wishes of
seriously ill children. In 2000 M.E.T donated a fully furnished house to Ronald
McDonald House of Toronto for the children who visited the house to play with.
The Club Projects over the years have been quite varied: a box room, a small
Christmas display room, a bay window scene, a 'creative carton', a four-sided
diorama on a circular base, a scene in a glass dome, a harvest table, dough
box, blanket box and a dish cupboard, a front porch, a store or cafe, a potting
shed, a scene in a book, a one-room cottage, a storefront, a house, a ½ inch
scale butterdish house, a gift bag scene.
M.E.T. holds meetings every month except December when we have a Holiday
Dinner. There is usually a small workshop, a speaker or a slide show after the
business part of the meeting. We also have an extra workshop evening when we
work on club projects or have someone come in to teach us to make something. At
one time, the Club held a monthly drop-in meeting at one of the local churches.
M.E.T. members have made Christmas trees for''Meals on Wheels", tote-bag
favours for the children attending the Show, centrepieces and souvenirs for our
Christmas dinner. In 1980 we made 1,050 tiny red aprons as tote-bag favours for
the N.A.M.E. National Houseparty being held in Washington. In 1998 we made
gathering favours for the Canadian N.A.M.E. Gathering held in Cornwall,
Ontario.
We still have some of our Charter Members and they have been joined by
beginners, collectors and artisans. Through Show & Tell and workshops our
members enjoy sharing a wonderful hobby.
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