Thames River Garden Club Minutes
February 20, 2020
Attendance Active: 27 Privileged: 0 Guests: 2 Excused: 15
President’s Report
President Elaine Lombardi called the meeting to order at 12:15 p.m. and thanked our luncheon hostesses for today Vonice Carr, Ivy Plis, Phyllis Cushing and Pat Uguccioni. Sign in sheets are on table please check yourself in, will not pass around sheets any longer so not to disrupt our meeting or speakers. Motion to waive reading of January minutes, Everett Munro/ Peggy Schepp motion passed. If you find errors in the minutes when emailed to you contact Pam Atkins for correction.
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- Elaine asked members to introduce their guests. Joan Treadow guest is Nancy McDonald, recently retired nurse, Maria Zalelowski’s guest, Cathy Carboni, hopes for her to become new member.
- Elaine announced the 91st Annual Meeting and Luncheon held on April 15, 2020 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville. Program speaker is Larry Weaner. The cost is $38 pp. Please notify Elaine is you would like to attend and give her choice of meal. Five people signed up so far.
- Also education programs offered through the FGCT, our next one is Landscape Design School, Elaine and the Atkins’ have signed up in March. This is held at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in NH.
- All Committee chairs should report to Elaine regarding progress on committee and if they would like to be added to agenda for meeting. Each chair has to complete a form regarding their committee which must be turned into Elaine and submitted to Federated by April 1. Please submit promptly so it is not last minute.
- There is a sign-up sheet for the host/hostesses to commit for a luncheon for the 2020/21 season. If you sign up for December or June the hostesses are responsible for where the luncheon takes place and arrange for food.
Vice-President – Membership- Active 53, Privileged 12, Total 66
- Vonice expressed how wonderful this year’s Hartford Flower Show is.
There were spectacular designs.
- April 2nd there is an Orchid show at the New York Botanical Gardens, going by train from Old Saybrook, to New Haven and then to Gardens. Train ride is $50 entrance to gardens is about $30; discounts may apply for seniors or AAA members. Can take train ride around gardens, weather permitting. She will put this together and send out in email. Email Vonice is you are interested in going. She will not be at our March meeting, so you must notify her.
- There are four schools available to us. See attachment from Vonice.
- Dorothy McCutcheon has been voted into privileged status.
- Our Flower show has been cancelled. Only about 38% of members were interested.
- Please remember to notify Vonice if you are unable to come to meetings
Treasurer’s Report. Joan Treadow
- Paid dues to Federated, $6 pp.
Corresponding Report – Laurie Markowitz
No report submitted.
Committee Reports
Audio/Visual- Rod Atkins and Richard Bucklin
All running smoothly
Program – Sue Bellefleur
Pam Atkins reported that we will start our Program committee meetings in March. Asked membership for suggestions or ideas regarding our speakers.
Historian- Brenda Kramer-Will be hosting our March meeting at her home 336 Great Neck Rd, Waterford. She is storing all of our memorabilia and she is going to bring this out to review and look over. It will be a trip down the TRGC memory lane. She hopes we have many members come to share stories.
Plant Sale –Claudia Kenyon, Marie Zalegowski
There will be a Plant Sale Meeting at Maria’s home, 286 Noank Rd, Mystic, Ct. (860-334-2419) March 12 at 10:00 a.m. Will discuss date for dig at Judy’s.
There is a sign-up sheet for having a sign on your street to advertise the plant sale.
Claudia has gone around today to be sure everyone has signed up for a spot for the plant sale. If you have not spoken with her, please contact her.
Set up will be 12:00 on Friday before the sale.
Mary Ellen Hagen could use help with info about growing plants in greenhouse.
Discussion went on about the purchase of wholesale plants. Elaine has spoken with the Treasurer of Federated of CT. she was told that as long as the club charges the member as little of .25. and that would make it legal.
Maria suggested offering 1 plant such as the allium to take orders from the members. It would be very difficult to take orders for different plants.
It was also discussed that we should not buy plants and have money go through the treasury of the club. Elaine is going to check again with the auditor and Federated’s treausurer to be sure we are in compliance. She will report the results at our next meeting.
We agreed we all want this cleared up and decided from the experts to go forward.
Garden Therapy- Prison, Peggy Schepp, Mary Ellen Hagen
This committee would like more volunteers for the Prison. Time is from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday. They go weekly, but they are looking for someone to even come once a month. You would need to apply to the State for Training. They go all year round, winter in the greenhouse, summer in the gardens. It’s very safe and they are very appreciative.
Garden Therapy – Phyllis Teeson, Pat Hancock, Sandy Kelly
There was a nice turn out- report from Pat.
Hostess – Patty Hancock
Looking for hostesses for our lunches for next year. Need four people for each month. We are supposed to find our own replacement if you are not able to come. Contact Patty with any changes.
Juniors – Suzie Young
A Girl Scout troop wants to help with Beebe House cleanup in spring.
Ways & Means- Pat Uguccioni
She has a new wine bottle bag made our of old ties for $10 and regular bags $5
Suzie Young reminded membership to check out the horticultural exhibits that were judged by Rod, Richard and Bugie.
It was also brought up again about calling off the Flower show, Claudia felt badly that Vonice had gone through this work and it was called off. It was brought up to have a flower show and plant sale alternate years. It was then brought up that we should not do our plant sale alternate years, people will go elsewhere.
Motion to adjourn was made by Patty Hancock/Mary Ann Richards
Motion was made to adjourn and seconded at 1:05 p.m.
Submitted by Pam Atkins, Recording Secretary