DraftMinutes

DISTRICT X ANNUAL MEETING

April 13, 2011

CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 10:05 AM by Alberta Rosiak,District Director, who welcomed those in attendance and asked everyone to introduce themselves.

PRESENT: Judy Bergstrom, Co-President, Community Garden Club of Liberty; Ann Bloom, Awards Chair; Lorraine Booth, Co-President, Garden Lovers; Carol Comando, Recording Secretary; Helen DeLargy, President, Clarkstown Garden Club; Linda Fay, President, Warwick Valley Gardeners; Marian Fries, Corresponding Secretary; Andrea Hamburger, Publicity Chair and Cornwall GC President; Elaine Heinsman, Youth Chair; Ellie Loughlin, Assistant Director; Jane Madis, World Gardening Chair; Ann Muller, Finance Chair; Jeanne Nelson, Ways & Means Chair; Cynthia Redden, Conservation Chair, President, Artful Gardeners; Patricia Reineke, Bees, Birds, Butterflies and Hospitality Chair; Alberta Rosiak, District Director; Diane Schliphack, President, Community Garden Club of Pine Bush; Faye Schuerholz, Historian and Life Membership Chair; Renee Steele, Program Chair; Gretel Walker, Horticulture Chair;

GUESTS: Kathy Gorman, Co-President-elect, Ramapo Valley GC, Margaret Vatter, President-elect, Cornwall GC; Carole Linkiewicz, Artful Gardeners; Joan Dirie, Judy Tolkacz and Kathy McCormack, Community GC of Liberty; Bernadette Lake, Garden Lovers

ABSENT: Heidi Buchholz, District Treasurer; Marjorie Edwards, Garden Therapy, Healing Gardens Chair; Michele Farr, Membership Chair; Mary Jane Gisselbrecht, Judges Council and National Gardener Chair; Sally Mattausch, Internet Chair; Phyllis McPherson, Co-President; Ramapo Valley Garden Club; Cheryl Porada, Co-President, Garden Lovers’ Club; Alice Wojdat, President, Roscoe-Rockland Garden Club

THANK YOU:The Community Garden Club of Liberty wasthanked for providing the coffee and refreshments and for hosting today’s luncheon.

RECORDING SECRETARY’S REPORT: Motion by Pat Reineke, seconded by Ann Muller, to accept the minutes of the meeting of October 13, 2010 as submitted was approved.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY’S REPORT: No report. The District Director reported that newly-elected FGCNYS

President Pam Foesher was hospitalized following an accident and asked that a card be sent from the district.

A thank you was received from the Delaware Federation of Garden Clubs Memorial Garden for the Fallen for our district’s donation to their project.

A letter was received from Greg Goldstein, President of the Misner Agency, advising that he has purchased the H.J.Hockenbery Agency, formerly owned by Gary and Mary Ellen Calta.

TREASURER’S REPORT – There having been no meeting in January, 2010, Heidi Buchholz submitted 2 reports for the following periods :

10/1/10 to 12/31/10- receipts were $232.00, disbursements were $2,152.86, leaving a balance in checking of $4,476.74; in savings $9,725.48 (including $83.02 interest earned) and $5,265.04 in a CD totaling $14,990.52 in operating funds for the district. Flower Show School Scholarship CD at State Farm Bank, due 2/5/11 is $1,289.76.

1/1/11-3/31/11 – receipts were $50.00, disbursements $50.00 with the checking account balance remaining at $4,476.74, $9,730.77 in savings (including $5.29 in interest earned), CD at Orange County Trust, due 1/14/12, for $5,270.10. Total operating funds were $15,000.87. Flower Show School Scholarship CD at State Farm Bank, due 2/5/12, estimated at $1,293.03.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS –

  1. FGCNYS Raffle – The winning ticket drawn for the birdhouse hat in District X was #39.
  2. 2011-2013 Budget – was submitted by Treasurer Heidi Buchholz and reported on by Finance Chairperson Ann Muller projecting a two-year budget of $8600. Jeanne Nelson recommended that since the district has sufficient funds, the new administration should develop a project around youth or gardening and channel money into the district.

Motion by Pat Reineke/Jane Madis to adopt the budget as presented was approved.

Motion by Jeanne Nelson/Renee Steele to adjourn the regular meeting and convene the annual meeting at

10:40 AM was approved.

READING OF MINUTES OF APRIL 14, 2010 –

Motion by Pat Reineke/Linda Fay to dispense with the reading of the minutes was approved.

DISTRICT DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT – Alberta Rosiak submitted the report that was made at the NYS Annual Meeting in Saratoga Springs, in which she reports that the District X January meeting was cancelled due to snow and the election of the unopposed slate for the District X Executive Board was conducted by mail.

TREASURER’S ANNUAL REPORT: Heidi Buchholz reported that for the period 4/1/10 through 3/31/11, interest earned was $21.79, receipts were $2,465.00 and disbursements were $3,132.90, and that at year end there was $4,476.74 in checking, $5,254.03 in savings and $5,270.10 in a CD for a total of $15,000.87.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY’S ANNUAL REPORT - No report.

COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORTS:

  1. Arboriculture: No report.
  2. Awards: The NYS Awards Manual is complete and can be viewed on the website ( and then go to Awards and Forms). All NYS awards and guidelines are listed. Forms will only be available online. Each club president was given a copy of the National Garden Club’s Award Booklet at the Fall District meeting. This can also be viewed online at the NGC site, and then go to Awards. CAR Awards are listed on and then select Awards. Now that club programs are published for the year, club presidents should look to see if their clubs are eligible for any awards. Our winning Tenth District Awards presented at the FGCNYS Annual Meeting will be given out this afternoon. Congratulations to all. Report submitted by Ann Bloom and read by Ellie Loughlin.
  3. Birds, Butterflies & Bees: During the past year, information on Butterflies, Honey Bees and Birds has been presented in quarterly reports. The January report included information about the more than 100 eagles that have been known to migrate to the Upper Delaware River near Narrowsburg each winter, only a short ride north of Port Jervis, along the river. Bald Eagles are fish eaters and migrate to areas like the Upper Delaware River so they can catch fresh fish and live in the undisturbed areas along the river. Both male and female eagles are involved in nest building and feeding their young. With a good pair of binoculars and patience, nests can be seen along the river. Nests can be nearly 6 feet in diameter, 4 feet deep and weigh hundreds of pounds. The average eagle measures about 30 inches in length and has a wingspan of 72-84 inches. Eagles usually mate for life and their lifespan is about 30 years. The Eagle Institute maintains a winter field office at the Roebling Bridge Information Center and offers year-round information and updates about eagles. They can be contacted through the website by calling 845-557-6162. Please remember to think about Birds, Butterflies and Bees during the summer months and provide a habitat that is beneficial to them. If you are interested in seeing a live picture (from a webcam) of an eagle nest, go to You will see the male and female eagles with their 3 new babies in the nest. Report by Pat Reineke.
  4. Bylaws & Parliamentarian: No report.
  5. Calendars: As of January, 2011, 16 calendars were ordered for a $16 profit to the district. Report by Heidi Buchholz was read by Ann Muller.
  6. Conservation: No report.
  7. Finance: The Finance Committee met during October 2010 and prepared a budget for 2011-2013. Since the January meeting was canceled because of weather, the budget was not adopted until April 2011. Report by Ann Muller.
  8. Flower Show: No report.
  9. Garden Therapy/Healing Gardens:No report.
  10. Historian: Twenty-eight items were collected during the past year. Most of the news articles were taken from the Times Herald Record. Others appeared in The Sullivan County Democrat, The Cornwall Local and Orange Magazine. Cornwall, Liberty, Middletown, Milford, Pine Bush, Roscoe and Warwick clubs were thanked for letting their communities know about the good things that garden clubs do through these press releases. Report by Faye Schuerholz.
  11. Hospitality: No report.
  12. Horticulture: This chairperson hopes that some of you have started garden journals as was suggested last year. Seeds of annuals need to be started this week, according to the seed packets about 6-8 weeks before our last frost date. Try to start seeds so that the plants can be set out between Memorial Day and the second week in June. This is a time saver because that way many things can be planted together, even things such as basil, which have to be planted out after the soil is a bit warmer.

Everyone is anxious to get out into the garden, but one word of caution before digging in compost and other amendments and working the soil too soon. If the ground is wet, take a handful of soil and squeeze it in your hands. If it clumps together, please wait. It must crumble to be workable. The entire nature of the soil changes if it is tilled too soon and can be left unworkable for an entire season.

It pays to check the pH of your soil occasionally and to know the requirements for any plants you’re going to install. For example, azaleas, rhododendron and blueberries require an acid soil and something like lavender needs a pH of about 8 to thrive and survive the winter.

If you do not already have a compost bin, it’s time to start one. Spring weeds will be coming up soon and it will be an opportunity to start composting before the annual weeds set seed. There is no such thing as a garden mistake, look at it as only an opportunity for composting.

April is the time to apply bone meal to crocuses as flowers fade and to Asiatic lilies when they are several inches tall. Plant lily of the valley this month. Snapdragons, violas and dianthus can be planted as well as cool weather crops such as peas, lettuce, radishes, onion seedlings and perennial veggies, such as horseradish, asparagus and artichokes.

Every year try new plants. Some of the green and chartreuse plants, as well as some of the new fuchsia plants that dry well, are fascinating. Sylphid celosia and the green amaranthus viridis have been interesting additions to the garden. Hulk aster and green lace flower have also combined well with such plants as Burpee’s white wedding zinnia. Cramer’s Amazon wheat celosia which grows to about 5 ft. and the new gomphrena, fireworks are also very interesting and both dry well. Green lace flower dries beautifully in silica gel and could be an interesting addition for an out-of-season flower show. For those planning to enter fall flower shows, try planting lavender, ammobium, tall red velvet cockscomb, monarda citrodora, gomphrenas, statice and equisetum. These all will dry well by hanging in bundles in a well ventilated area. Report by Gretel Walker.

  1. Internet: District website is available through the FGCNYS. The site is located at Our District X site is available from a link on it homepage. FGCNYS pays for this site. If any District X club has a website, please submit the URL address to this chairperson so that it can become an active link on our “District X Clubs” page. At present only Cornwall and Warwick have active links on this page.

There is also a “District X Album” page. Any club can submit pictures to be included on this page. “Action” pictures of club members working on some garden club activity are needed, at least one picture per club. This chairperson wishes to have pictures of our new officers emailed to her at . Report by Sally Mattausch was read by Andrea Hamburger.

  1. Judges Council: No report.
  2. Life Membership: Faye Schuerholz reported that there were no applications for Life Membership during the past year.
  3. Membership: No report.
  4. National Gardener: No report.
  5. National Garden Week: No report.
  6. Program Consultant: No report.
  7. Publicity: Andrea Hamburger reported that no input from clubs was sent to the publicity chair for forwarding to the News. Information about our fall luncheon was sent to the News, but it was not published. Information about our fall luncheon was published in local area media.
  8. World Gardening: Jane Madis reported that the official vote for Southern Sudan independence was 98.83%, a landslide. Now, with a new government, it is more important than ever that we continue our support during this transition stage.

Water for Sudan has a new H2o Challenge. The short video is very moving, elaborating how 5760 children die, A DAY, from waterborne diseases. This number sounds impossible, but it is unfortunately true. The challenge is to drink only water for 2 weeks; by giving up beverages at home, vending machines, restaurants and premium coffee. Record the cost of what you spend each week on drinks other than water. Start the challenge and at the end of 2 weeks, donate the money you have saved to Water for Sudan.

There are videos and books appropriate for school age children available. If anyone is interested in this, go to information on how to order. Please send your personal or club donations to this chairperson made payable to FGCNYS, Inc. with your name/club in the check memo line.

Jeanne Nelson reported that in the last three years, FGCNYS has collected approximately $26,000 for World Gardening.

  1. Yearbooks: Ellie Loughlin reported orally that each club must submit 17 copies of their yearbook to the district and that books not submitted today are due by May 1st.
  2. Youth: Elaine Heinsman reported that for the period April 2010 to March 2011, students planted evergreen seedlings provided by the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District, which they then took home. Students were given a demonstration of flower arranging and then created a Mother’s Day arrangement using recycled detergent caps. This chairperson spoke to the Community Garden Club of Pine Bush about gardening activities that can be done with young children. Students created corsages made out of silk flowers and sold them to donate money to the “People for People Fund”. Students studied the water cycle.

CLUB PRESIDENTS’ ANNUAL REPORTS

  1. Artful Gardeners: Cynthia Redden reported that the club’s first quarter was filled with planning the District X Spring Board Meeting, Luncheon and Small Standard Flower Show. May was filled with planning for city beautification projects and the annual potluck luncheon at the home of a member. Over the summer, watering the flower beds became a challenge especially with the difficult drought-like conditions. Members met once again to make mortar bird baths for a fundraiser. The club also visited Orange County Arboretum and toured with a horticulturist. The quarter’s last meeting was held at Stone Crop Gardens.

Nine members attended the Fall District X Board Meeting and Luncheon. October’s program was a youth design workshop presented to the local Girl Scout troop. The scouts learned about containers, scale, rhythm, texture, mechanics and each girl applied what she learned by making a design to take home. Annual Holiday wreath making workshop held in November. Later in the month, members decorated Fort Decker and Port Jervis Public Library for the holiday season. December was the Holiday Lunch at River Rock Inn in Milford, PA. Snow and ice in January caused the Nominating Committee to present their slate via email and phone. In February, members met at a member’s home for an herbal soap demonstration and elected their officers. With great sadness, we gathered to remember long-time member and friend Jane Goldstein who passed away earlier in the month. In March, Cornell University Master Gardener Lily Norton presented a wonderful program on Attracting Birds to the Garden which included a slideshow containing pictures of the most popular birds in our area, the plants that draw and keep them in our yards, and even a few unexpected “calls”.

  1. Clarkstown Garden Club: Helen Delargy reported that the club had a table at the GAGA Arts Festival, Garnerville. The club will be taking visitors to the Creekside Nature Walk to identify some of the native trees, with the hope of interesting some new gardeners to the club. The trees have been marked and a map has been prepared. Last spring, the club planted red geraniums and impatiens at United Hospice of Rockland in New City and will plant and maintain again this year. The club also started to maintain the perennial garden at the Historical Society of Rockland, and have been approached by the New City Library for some assistance and guidance on the planting of their children’s garden. A flowering pear tree was planted for Arbor Day at Highview Elementary School and the children and staff held a dedication ceremony to which the club was invited. The club will plant a companion tree this year.

The club traveled to Stone Crop, Cold Spring, NY, and Peony’s Envy, NJ to see the gardens in bloom. In June, the club had a member/member garden tour to which members opened their gardens and traveled from home to home on a set schedule so everyone would be able to enjoy the gardens, visiting six member gardens with refreshments served throughout the day. Summer reunion was held in July at the summer home of a member who is a very gracious hostess. September was our annual Herb Dinner; everyone brought a dish to share, coordinated and hosted by two members. In October, two members spoke from experience and led a discussion about Water Gardens, care and maintenance. The club also had a fall plant exchange where they shared the abundance from their gardens. In November, Angel Lopez, a Cooperative Extension Master Gardener, demonstrated making a rain barrel from ordinary materials. December was the Annual Holiday Brunch, held at a restaurant in Pearl River, NY, and included non-perishable foods brought by members for donation to a food pantry. January was the regular planning meeting and February meeting was cancelled several times due to the weather. March was the Annual Installation of Officers dinner held at LaTerrazza, New City.