Minutes District X Meeting Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Minutes District X Meeting Wednesday, October 10, 2012

PRESENT: Judy Bergstrom, Co-President, Community GC of Liberty; Ann Bloom, Awards Chair; Lorraine Booth, Historian; Heidi Buchholz, Treasurer; Carol Comando, Recording Secretary; Michele Farr, Membership Chair; Marian Fries, Co-President, Community GC of Liberty; Mary Jane Gisselbrecht, Judges Council and National Gardener Chair; Andrea Hamburger, Publicity Chair; Elaine Heinsman, Youth Chair; Ginny Hughes, President, Community GC of Pine Bush; Camille LiPuma, President, Clarkstown GC; Ellie Loughlin, Co-Director; Jane Madis, Assistant Director; Sally Mattausch, Internet Chair; Ann Muller, Finance Chair; Jeanne T. Nelson, Bylaws & Parliamentarian; Mary Pohlman, Garden Therapy Chair; Cheryl Porada, Co-President, Garden Lovers’ GC;Patricia Reineke, Hospitality & Protocol Chair; Alberta Rosiak, Life Membership; Diane Schliphack, Co-Director; Faye Schuerholz, Corresponding Secretary; Margaret Vatter, President, Cornwall GC; Gretel Walker, Horticulture Chair ABSENT: Barbara Bonforte, President, Roscoe-Rockland GC;Dodie Bracken, Co-President, Ramapo Valley GC; Kathy Gorman, Co-President, Ramapo Valley GC;Melanie Lanc, Co-President, Garden Lovers’ GC; Cynthia Redden, President, Artful Gardeners GC GUESTS: Linda Babcock, Warwick Valley GC; Josie Pierce, Garden Lovers

CALL TO ORDER – at 10:05 AM by Co-Director Ellie Loughlin, who welcomed everyone and thanked Garden Lovers Club for organizing the breakfast and luncheonfor today’s meeting. Guests Linda Babcock and Josie Pierce were welcomed by Ellie.

RECORDING SECRETARY’S REPORT – Carol Comando reported that copies of the minutes ofthe July meeting were emailed to board members and snail-mailed to 3. Motion by Alberta Rosiak and seconded by Cheryl Porada to accept the minutes as submitted was approved.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY’S REPORT – Faye Schuerholz reported that a thank-you note was sent to Cynthia Redden extending our thanks for the refreshments served at the July Board meeting. There was no other correspondence during the quarter.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Opening balance 6/30/12 in the checking account was $3,825.23.Receipts for the quarter 7/01/12-9/30/12 were $5,410.00 and disbursements were $857.96, leaving a balance of $8,377.27in checking, $5,374.67in savings, a CD due 1/14/13 for $5,312.58, for operating funds totaling $19,064.52. The Flower Show School Scholarship CD due 2/5/13has $1,306.48. Report submitted by Heidi Buchholz. Motion by Pat Reineke seconded by Ann Muller that the report be filed for audit was approved.

***The Agenda order was changed to hear Committee Reports before Club Presidents’ Reports***

COMMITTEE REPORTS;

Awards – Ann Bloom reported that the awards to District X given at the NY State Annual Meeting will be presented at this afternoon’s luncheon. In September, our district will be sending four applications for various awards and hopefully we will win a few. If clubs are planning any new projects, they should think of applying for awards and take pictures before and after the project is completed. Most awards need only 3 front pages. Ann distributed two new sheets; one is the new NY State application form and is very easy to follow. This new form is to replace the old application form in the green Awards Book given to club presidents at the last district luncheon in April. The second sheet is a one-page application form that National Garden Clubs is recognizing clubs for “Plantings in Public and Special Places.” Birds, Butterflies & Bees – No report. Bylaws and Parlimentarian – No report. Calendars – Heidi Buchholz reported orally that 33 of the 2013 Vision of Beauty calendars were ordered and will be distributed today. When all proceeds are collected, the district will realize a profit of $9.39. Finance – Ann Muller reported that the committee will be meeting shortly to develop a budget for 2013-2015. Garden Therapy – Mary Pohlman reported orally that she had not received any information from club presidents. Mary asked that if any club is interested in starting a Garden Therapy Program, that they contact her. Mary also reported that Page 1 of 7 the centerpieces on the luncheon tables today were done by the residents of Mt. Alverno. Mary shared some ideas for clubs to use. Historian – Lorraine Booth displayed a book from 2003-2005 when Patricia Reineke was District Director and Diane Schliphack was Historian. Horticulture–No report. Hospitality & Protocol – Patricia Reineke thanked everyone who helped to make today’s luncheon possible, noting that a lot of time and effort was spent to make it possible. Internet –Sally Mattausch reported that the July District minutes were added to the website. Judges Council –No report. Life Membership –No report. Membership – Report prepared by Michele Farr. Membership for the district is as follows: Artful Gardeners – 20 Active; Clarkstown – 33 Active, 2 Associate; Community GC of Liberty – 35 Active, 5 Associate, 3 Honorary; Community GC of Pine Bush, 25 Active; Cornwall – 51 Active, 10 Associate, 2 Honorary; Garden Lovers – 66 Active, 6 Associate, 12 Honorary; Ramapo Valley – 32 Active, 3 Honorary; Roscoe-Rockland – 19 Active, 9 Associate; Warwick Valley -0 61 Active, 2 Associate, 3 Honorary, for a total district membership of 342 Active, 34 Associate and 25 Honorary. National Gardener –No report. National Garden Week (June 3) –No report. Program Consultant – Judy Bergstrom distributed an additional page to club presidents, to be added to the District X Speakers List. Publicity – No report. Ways and Means – Ellie Loughlin reported that hopefully after today’s event, there would be means to share. World Gardening –Marian Fries reported that there was very little to report for the year-to-date, and that she had received one donation in January, 2012 of $75.00. Marian also reported that the CD is still available. Ellie Loughlin advised that she also has a copy of the CD for district clubs to borrow. Yearbooks – Ellie Loughlin reported that awards for clubs in District X would be announced this afternoon at the luncheon. Youth – No report.

CLUB PRESIDENTS’ QUARTERLY REPORTS:

1. Artful Gardeners – No report. 2.Clarkstown Garden Club – 33 Active, 3 Associate members – Report by Camille LiPuma. This summer the club continued the maintenance program of plantings at the United Hospice of Rockland in New City. Clarkstown Garden Club now has a website, created by member, Ursula Woolley. The address is ClarkstownGardenClub.org. There is a section for new and prospective members to obtain information. It is connected to the NY State site, and soon will be connected to the gardenclubs.org site. Member’s summer reunion held in July took place at the home of Harriet Cornell, a very gracious hostess. The August meeting was a demonstration on Winter Container Gardens given by Vivienne Dickman of the Co-operative Extension. It was interesting with many helpful hints and the results were quite beautiful. There was also a meeting at the home of Ellie Loughlin for painting and preparing the favors for the October 10th Fashion Show. September is the annual Herb Dinner held at Camille LiPuma’s home. Wonderful food and drinks were provided by each member. The Perennial Bloom Award was presented to Muriel Woolley for her accomplishments and longtime membership. The October meeting is a hand-on workshop - “Help Save the Eastern Bluebirds”. All members are assembling a nesting box, and they will be placed in their backyards or the location of their choice. October is our members’ plant exchange. 3.– Community Garden Club of Liberty - 36 Active, 5 Associate, 3 Honorary members – Report by Judy Bergstrom. July, 2012 – The monthly weeding at Woodland Wildlings was productive and the club was pleased to see the spring applications of Preen and Round-Up kept the steps weed free. The July meeting was a dried flower workshop. Pat Yelle of Roscoe-Rockland Garden Club supplied flowers and paper so every member could create a picture. Pat is listed in District X Speakers List and is highly recommended. The club’s new Garden Therapy project continued at the Adult Day Care Center (CRMC) where the residents now enjoy tomatoes as well as annuals and perennials. August, 2012–The scorching heat and drought caused many gardens to suffer. That plus the fact that the club had no liability insurance caused the cancellation of the Members’ Gardens Tour. However, by the end of August, the club was Page 2 of 7 the proud owner of a Commercial Liability Policy, and can now forge ahead with more public plans. The club sent one boy to DEC camp. Their August meeting was held at the hospital where members could assess their progress at Woodland Wildlings Gardens. To celebrate their hard work, the hospital made a beautiful cake for the club members. September, 2012 – The annual plant swap at a member’s home was a grand success even though the rain forced all the plants into the garage. Two guests enjoyed rummaging through the plants as much as the members. Great progress was made at the Woodland Wildlings Gardens pruning and re-defining the individual gardens. The Garden Therapy Committee put the small gardens to bed at the Adult Day Care Center and put in bulbs for next spring’s pleasure. 4. Community Garden Club of Pine Bush– 27 members including 2 men. Report by Ginny Hughes. The club has discovered that it’s always enjoyable to meet at a member’s home so that’s just what they did this past July. Judy Day was a fabulous hostess and while there was a thunderstorm approaching, nothing ruffled her feathers and members managed to tour her lovely gardens and then proceed to make a mess of her house as another member, Fran Empie, taught them the art of candlestick floral arranging. Amazing what can be done with a plastic holder, oasis and inexpensive supermarket flowers. A business meeting was squeezed in, and the club quickly and unanimously voted to sponsor another member, Nancy Miller, in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. In August, the club again met at a member’s home. Tami Lutz happens to have two kitchens, so member Toni Gagan, a retired Home Ec teacher, split the club into groups and led them as they prepared several recipes using herbs from her garden. Toni gave them a passing grade because they didn’t drop too much on the floor, so afterwards they ate and drank herbal iced tea. There was also wine and they had more laughs than they did in 7th grade. In September, members were entertained and educated by Bill Hennekens who spoke on all things garlic. He convinced members that it was easy to grow and brought bags of bulbs for members to take home. September was also time to nail down everything having to do with the luncheon and fashion show today, and the club has a good turn-out. A new member was welcomed to the ranks, bringing membership to 27 strong. The club continues each month to plant and maintain gardens at the government center, library and also at an area park. Soon, preparations for next year will begin. 5. Cornwall Garden Club –50 Active, 10 Associate, 2 Honorary members – Report prepared by club President Margaret Vatter. In this quarter, the club welcomed four new members. The July meeting was at the Orange County Arboretum where Peter Patel led members on a walking tour on one of the hottest days of the year. They enjoyed seeing the additions from a tour several years ago. In August, a volunteer at the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum in Cornwall told members of the wonders of wildflowers despite a very hot day and a downed air conditioner. September’s program leader, Sharon Roll of the Cornwall Cooperative Extension, showed photos and actual examples of salvaged pieces for garden art. Included in these meetings were horticulture exhibits, horticulture talks, and flower arranging exhibits. On October 11th, everyone is invited to the club’s District X-sponsored-event, “Serenity in the Garden.” Jan Johnsen will present a PowerPoint presentation of how ancient traditions and historic practices can be used to create a garden that “Stills the world.” The program begins at 1:00 PM at St. John’s church in Cornwall, 58 Clinton Street. 6. Garden Lovers’ Club of Middletown - 67 Active, 7 Associate, 12 HonoraryMembers – Report by club Co-President Cheryl Porada. July 2012 – Monthly meeting met at the Middletown Thrall Library. Frank Almquist, a retired engineer from IBM and a lifetime active gardener and photographer of daylilies, gave a slide-show presentation on the topic of the “Introduction to Garden Photography”. His garden is in Kingston, NY and is registered with the American Hemerorcallis Society as an official Display Garden. Frank and his wife mainly grow daylilies, which are the primary source of his photographic close-up work. August 2012 – Members enjoyed a field trip to Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie, NY. The 180-acre estate overlooks the Hudson River and includes an Italianate villa designed in 1851 by architect Alexander Jackson Davis for artist and inventor Samuel F. B. Morse. With its miles of carriage roads, landscaped grounds and historic gardens, the estate was preserved as a museum and nature preserve by the Young family, whose collection of art and antiques is exhibited in the mansion’s 25 rooms. The monthly meeting was held at the Middletown Thrall Library where members were treated to a 45 minute video about peonies. The video was courtesy of Kasha Furman, owner of Cricket Hill Gardens in Thomaston, CT. Ms. Furman was unable to do her peony presentation, so sent her video instead. September 2012 – Monthly meeting was held at the Middletown Thrall Library, where Master Gardener Linda Cowell spoke to members on the topic of “Moss”. Linda, a former member of the Artful Gardeners of Port Jervis, NY, lives in Milford, PA, where she maintains a natural moss garden. On September 13th, members enjoyed a field trip to Black Page 3 of 7 Meadow Flora in Chester, NY. Black Meadow is a family-owned and operated orchid grower. They maintain three greenhouses comprising more than 12,000 square feet of ideal growing conditions for a wide variety of the most popular orchids available in the market today. On September 26th, members again set off on a field trip. This time they visited Linda Cowell’s natural garden. She gave members a guided tour through her wonderful property filled with moss. Members learned how this special place came to be and the techniques on how to grow their own moss. During this quarter, The Civic Beautification Committees maintained the gardens at Greenville Park, Thrall Park, and SUNY Orange, and also began plans to refurbish a long-forgotten war memorial garden in Middletown’s Historic Thrall Park; the Historic Preservation Committee worked their herb garden at the Hill Hold Farm Museum; the Garden Therapy Committee created crafts and fresh flower arrangements with nursing home residents. 7. Ramapo Valley Garden Club– No report. 8. Roscoe-Rockland Garden Club– 20 Active, 7 Associate members - Report prepared by club Co-President Barbara Bonforte was read by Diane Schliphack. July 2012 – Members attended a pressed flower craft seminar and then listened to a talk about poppies. Members brought arrangements of roadside, field and/or woodland flowers and greenery in a rustic container. August 2012 – Members learned how to make a gourd home for birds. Demonstrators showed how to dry gourds, drill holes and decorate them with paints. Members heard a talk on gladiola. September 2012 – Members attended a program given by Master Gardener Kate Honders from Cooperative Extension on “Gardening on the Rocks”. An extensive slide show was given. A talk was then presented on Petunias. 9. Warwick Valley Gardeners –59 Active, 3 Associate and 3 Lifetime members – Report by President Jane Madis. In July, six beautiful gardens were showcased on the Annual Countryside Garden Tour. The weather was perfect for both the pre-tour on July 13 when club members, guests, and home owners get to view the gardens in a relaxed casual atmosphere, and the following day when hostesses and the home owners greeted tour participants and showed them about the grounds of their lovely properties. As evening approached, the After Tour Party started. This is a celebration of appreciation to the members who worked so hard to make the tour successful and to the home owners who made the tour possible. Gifts for the home owners, door prizes, and fun garden prize drawing, added to the fun. The party committee did a wonderful job selecting food from the caterers and the very talented members made desserts that were raved about for weeks to follow! On July 18, some members braved the 100 degree heat and high humidity to visit the Orange County Arboretum with Peter Patel guiding them through the grounds. Lunch at Noble Coffee Roasters, with plenty of icy beverages, refreshed all. This was followed by an informative trip to Alders, where members learned how their family wholesale flower business started and how it currently functions. The August field trip was to the Samuel Morse Estate. Most people associate the name with Morse code. Interestingly, Morse was also a famous artist and the founder of the National Academy of Design. The estate is located in Locust Grove with 125 acres of gardens. In August, the program was open to the public, and featured speaker Rick Mikula. Rick has been raising butterflies and growing the perfect habitat for them for over 30 years. His knowledge coupled with his enthusiastic presentation on the life cycle of the butterfly was a delight to see as was his transformation from man to butterfly. Severe weather cancelled the September general meeting. The weather changed to spectacular for the scheduled field trip to the Highline Park in Manhattan. The seven members who were able to take the trip had a wonderful time. September finished up with a very successful Barn Sale. Members donated “Treasures to trinkets”, worked hard to set up the displays, and had a marvelous selling day where everything went for the first time ever!