Present: Adler, Amato, Beary, Benavides Gallagher, Benzak, Brody, M. Collins, Coombs, Copus, DeGraw, Delaney, Dillon, Donahue, Duncan, English, Franck, Galgano, Gonzalez-Molina, Hansen, Hicks, Julian, Lambert, Leonard, Macleod, Majeski, Mark, Marren, Murphy, Murray, Nace, O’Hare, O’Keefe, Parker, Patafio, Shea, Stora, Striffler, Taplett (38)

President's Welcome: Rosario welcomed everyone to our first meeting of the autumn, thanking Doree for hosting us in her garden, and thanked Valerie for coordinating hospitality and all those who helped organize and contributed food and flowers for the event: Valerie, Anna, Beth, Cheryl, Chris Duncan, Chris Murray, Connie, Holly, Joan, Mary Julian, Marilyn, Peggy, Rosario, Sheri and Victoria

Rosario thanked the Executive Committee and Board members for their help in planning the year’s activities. She emphasized that communication between all members is key to the Club’s success in identifying and achieving its goals, asking members for feedback on what types of communication work best for them and what interests are most important to them. She urged members to take advantage of all the resources that membership in the GCA makes available.

Rosario related her experiences as a Club member since 2019 with her special interest in conservation and photography and her desire to support local sustainability and conservation initiatives.

Members unanimously approved the June 5, 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes.

Announcements: Rosario expects that the 2024-25 Directories will be available for distribution later in September. She had copies of last year’s Directories available for new members.

The LGCR 2024 $2,500 scholarship was presented in April to Rye High School senior Felicia Ambrogi.

Kent Russell will do a pop-up sale of fall plants on September 20 from 10am to 12am at Marilyn’s house.

Cheryl Adler is seeking a Co-Chair for the Club’s Spring Daffodil Show on April 10 and asked others to sign up to join the committee for the Show.

Today is the deadline for photo submissions to the GCA e-news issue with Zone III fall photos.

The Club has rented a larger storage unit at Westys and will need volunteers to move items from the old unit to the new one after our Flower Show. An email will be sent out asking for volunteers to help with the move.

Rosario presented a Service Award for 60 years membership to Debby Hansen.

Rosario announced that we are in the final stretch for the flower show at month-end and people can still sign up for various volunteer positions. 67 people have signed up for the September 25 Bluebird Preview Cocktail Party and 75 for the September 26 Stephanie Hoover Luncheon.

Flower Show: Chairs Jean Taplett and Chris Duncan modeled the aprons for volunteers at the Show, which members can purchase for $35. Magnetic name tags will be distributed at the Show.

Members are asked to wear black pants and shirts under the aprons at the Show. Rosario announced Chris and Jean encouraged all members to sign up for both the events. They had printed invitations available for members to send to friends and will send out an email flyer this week that can be sent to friends.

A clipboard was passed around for volunteers to work at the Show. Many are needed! Toni Archibald is organizing the educational exhibit, which will include a walk-in model Blue Bird box with a nest inside and interactive exhibits about bluebirds. The educational exhibit will travel to several libraries and schools after the Show.

Josie Beary and Mary Collins have arranged for a variety of botanical related vendors at the Show and encouraged members and their guests to shop.

Horticulture: Chair Mary Julian discussed plans for the year. She held a soft cuttings propagation workshop for deer resistant native plants during the summer and plans to have a winter sow after the holidays, planting seeds in milk jugs and leaving them outdoors over the winter to germinate in the spring. She would like to have a program on houseplants. She encouraged members to sign up for the Club’s WhatsApp group.

Visiting Gardens: Victoria Dillon is Chair of the Visiting Gardens and Communications committees. She asked for members to join her, particularly in planning garden visits. She discussed the possibility of an international trip next year.

Programs: Chair Anna Parker announced an evening meeting planned for October 8 at the Rye Free Reading Room with Trish O’Sullivan demonstrating underwater floral design.

Photography: Speaking for Chair Pam McGuire who could not be at the meeting, Rosario asked members to take many photos at the Flower Show.

Conservation/NAL: Provisional Tracy Stora will co-chair this committee with Pam. Tracy discussed local initiatives and educational programs that Rye Sustainability is involved with, the Healthy Yards Program and the Pollinator Pathway Project.

Community Stewardship: Chair Jean Taplett reported that work at all the Club’s local garden sites is going well.

The meeting ended at 12:30 p.m., followed by a presentation by Julie Sakellariadis on preparing horticultural entries for a flower show. After the presentation members enjoyed a buffet lunch.

Karen Coombs, Recording Secretary

Next Meeting: Tuesday October 8, 2024, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Underwater Floral Design presented by Trish O’Sullivan at the Rye Free Reading Room.

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