Present: Adler, Amato, Beary, Benavides, Benzak, Coombs, Dillon, Donahue, Eyler, Goldie, Green, Hannigan, Hansen, Hardis, Hauptman, Julian, Leonard, Macleod, Mark, McClure, McGough, Murray, O’Hare, Parker, Porto, Rohde, Stewart, Straub, Taplett, Valla (29)
New Provisional: Beth Marren
Zoom: McGuire Guests: Kendra Dowling, a prospective member, and Dottie Nutant, a former LGCR member
Welcome: Amy welcomed everyone to our in-person annual meeting in the lovely setting at AYC, and introduced former active member Mary Sydney Green, now a LGCR secondary member from Mississippi, and guests Kendra Dowling and Dottie Nutant. Members voted to approve the minutes from the March 9, 2021 membership meeting.
Treasurer’s report: (Donahue) Marilyn asked that everyone give her their expense reimbursement requests by the end of our fiscal year, June 30. She reported that as of June 14, there was $61,700 in the checking account and $53,000 in the savings account. Members had received copies of the proposed 2021-2022 budget by email. Dolores Eyler moved to approve the budget and Cheryl Adler seconded. Members approved.
Committee Reports: Full committee reports will be available in our digital archive, accessible through the LGCR website under “Committee Reports.”
Archives/History: (Hardis) Amy had prepared a board with photos and other items from the Club’s archives honoring the Club’s 90th Anniversary this year. She gave a short history of the LGCR and shared fascinating items, newspaper articles and letters, from our archives highlighting the many important civic projects Club members have led and supported over the past 90 years.
Bulletin/Communications: (Dillon) Victoria reported on her work during the pandemic communicating with members and the larger community about Club activities. She helped compose at least 5 articles on the Club for the Rye Record, prepared quarterly Club newsletters, and promoted our Facebook and Instagram presences. She thanked Amy for her help.
Conservation/NAL: (Dorin) Andrea Stewart (the NAL Zone Rep.) reported that the first ever Zoom NAL Conference was well attended.
Floral Design/Flower Shows: (Murray) Amy reported that it has been a quiet year for floral design. We had a floral design presentation by Alice’s Table at the February membership meeting.
Daffodil Show results: (Amato/Beary) All of the winners in each class are listed on the LGCR website. Marianna and Josie announced the three special winners: George and Robin Russell Award-Cheryl Adler, Nancy Georgi Farrall Award-Marilyn Donahue, and Anne Berntsen Award-Marilyn Donahue.
Fundraising: (Duncan/Gonzalez-Molina) Reporting for Chris D., Andrea announced that the SpringGarden “friend and fundraiser” earned about $11,500. She gave pins with the LGCR logo to everyone.
Horticulture: (Adler) Cheryl thanked everyone who participated in this year’s plant exchange and propagation workshop with the theme “hedges at the edge of marshes”. We have three entries in the Zone III virtual PX, Anna Parker, Mary Julian and Joan Marks. She invited everyone to take home one of the Tweedia plants that Kent Russell gave Marilyn. Members can take pictures of their plants to share at the September meeting. Cheryl reported on the educational daffodil project that she and Chris D. coordinated this year with Toni Archibald, a LGCR member and head of community outreach at Holy Child. Students learned about planting and caring for daffodils, and teachers incorporated materials about nature and gardens in many different subject areas this year.
Hospitality: (Amato/Beary) Marianna and Josie prepared refreshments for the in-person September and June meetings, and helped Cheryl bake cookies for the December tea.
Membership: (Taplett/Leonard) Jean and Doree introduced the new active members who have completed their provisional year, Barbara Hauptman, Kate McGough, Joan Mark, and Anja Porto, and introduced next year’s new provisionals, Beth Marren and Marianne Shea. Jean and Doree had prepared slides highlighting membership activities for the year. The pandemic-bound provisionals received plants, bulbs, and seeds with care instructions, and were able to participate fully in all of the virtual and in-person Club activities this year. Some participated in the GCA Annual Meeting challenge to grow an amaryllis variety, as well as in the Rye Daffodil Day, Spring Garden, civic, and the Photography Show. Provisional Kate McGough had the idea of distributing daffodil bulbs to Rye school families with information about planting, and this project grew into the Rye Daffodil Day. Club volunteers delivered bags of five bulbs to 100 Rye families for planting in their gardens and, on April 17, children brought their cut flowers to Rye Town Park for display. The day included a “seek and find” with children looking for pinwheel daffodils in Rye merchants’ windows and cookies and certificates at the Square House.
Photography: (McGuire/Rohde) Darla and Pam (on Zoom) announced the awards for the Club’s virtual “Circle Game” photography contest, showing the winning photos on the large TV monitor. The names of the winners and all of the photograph entries are on the LGCR website. Darla said she plans to run an in-person iPhone photography workshop this summer.
Programs: (Julian/Williams) Mary presented a humorous “show and tell” summary of the wide variety of Zoom and in-person programs she organized this year in spite of pandemic restrictions. Some highlights were the October program in Mary’s garden, Brian Bradley’s Sky Hunters in Flight, the December virtual holiday tea and presentation by Kathryn Aalto, A Walk Through the Forest that Inspired the 100-Acre Wood, the January flower arranging workshop by Alice’s Table, and the February joint meeting with Rye Garden Club with Ken Greene from Hudson Valley Seed Company talking about The Power of Seeds.
Scholarship/Founders Fund: (Parker) Anna announced that the GCA Founders Fund Award of $30,000 will go to the Seattle Garden Club this year for the restoration of a historic Rhododendron Glen. This was the project supported by LGCR members. She reported that the LGCR has made donations totaling $5,100 to the GCA General Scholarship Fund, GCA NY Committee, and many local organizations involved in environmental protection and education.
Website: (Donahue) Marilyn has worked to expand website coverage this year and requests more photos of Club activities. She would like to have more information on Committee pages.
GCA Office Holders: Amy thanked all LGCR members who have held GCA and Zone III positions this year and announced members who will assume new roles with the GCA and Zone next year:
- Marilyn Donahue-GCA First Vice President (and second year on ad hoc Publications Advisory Committee)
- Amy Hardis-Archives & History Committee
- Chris Duncan-Civic Improvement Committee and Hospitality Committee
- Victoria Dillon-Communications,
- Zone III Rep. Chris Murray-Vice Chair Horticulture Committee
- Jean Taplett-Library Committee
Amy thanked all members of the Executive Committee and Board for their hard work this year.
Nominating: (Adler) Cheryl announced the slate of officers nominated for 2021-2023, which members then voted to approve:
- President-Jean Taplett
- 1st V.P.- Amy Hardis
- 2nd V.P -Rosario Benavides
- Treasurer- Marilyn Donahue
- Recording Secretary- Karen Coombs
- Corresponding Secretary- Josie Beary
Awards: (Stewart) Presented by Amy and Andrea on behalf of the Club:
- GCA Member Years of Service Certificates: Alex Jasper-25 years and Nancy Richards-40 years LGCR
- ABCD (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) Award: Pam McGuire and Dolores Eyler Appreciation Award: Karen Coombs Helping Hands: Chris Murray and Mary Kelly
- Kehoe Civic Appreciation: Chris Duncan, Cheryl Adler, Kate McGough, Jean Taplett, Doree Leonard
- Communications: Marilyn Donahue
- Seedling: Kate McGough
- Perennial Bloomer: Kathy Barnard and Rita Schubert Kay Donahue
- Togetherness Award: Cheryl Adler
- Shutterbug: Anja Porto
- Fearless Fundraiser: Chris Duncan, Cheryl Adler, Andrea Stewart, Valerie Gonzalez-Molina
GCA Club Awards:
- Club Appreciation: Mary Julian Club
- Communications Award: Victoria Dillon
Amy thanked Andrea for her work as Awards Chair the past two years.
Mary presented Amy with appreciation gifts for her hard work as Club President for the past two unusual and challenging years, an engraved crystal vase and a watering can.
Two LGCR members were honored at the Zone III Annual Meeting. Chris Duncan received the Zone Appreciation Award, and Pam McGuire received an Honorable Mention in the Photography Show.
A boxed lunch was available after the meeting.
Karen Coombs, Recording Secretary
