Thank you for the great honor of representing WVGC as your 39th president. I promise to do my best to carry out all duties required. My theme for 2007-2009 is “Recipe for Success”. Just like a cook carefully measures ingredients and follows the recipe when baking, a successful Garden Club benefits from incorporating certain tools. By staying connected with other Garden Clubs through Council, District, State, Regional and National meetings and Conventions you will be inspired and informed. The wealth of knowledge gleaned from programs and speakers will enrich you and your club.
Thanks to modern technology many new tools such as websites, email and the personal computer aid us to broaden our communication and increase our effectiveness as the largest gardening organization in the world. The WVGC website is linked to the Regional and National Websites. News Flash emails are sent to keep our members informed of important occurrences. Email is a fast effective means of communication that can enrich Garden Clubs. If you use these tools your Garden Club will be enhanced.
As I traveled around the state attending District meetings I discovered an interesting fact. Several of the recently formed clubs demonstrated unusual vigor and innovation. An example is the Men’s Boxwood Club of Greenbrier District that tackled projects that required physical strength and stamina. So I’m sponsoring a first and second place Award for the Districts that form the most new Garden clubs in the next two years. New Clubs bring new talents and ideas into our Organization! But don’t neglect your own clubs, use your imagination to recruit members into existing clubs as well.
Don’t be afraid of change. Deen Day Smith Sanders said, “We must analyze where we wish to be and, if changes are needed, have the courage to make them.” They did. The new shortened name National Garden Clubs was adopted. We also can make changes to improve our Clubs. Keep it simple. Weed out unnecessary details. Advertise your accomplishments. Look for opportunities to grow. Just as a cake will fail to rise if you leave out the leavening, a Garden Club will flounder if it is allowed to stagnate. Continue to move forward lest you be left behind.
But recognizing and building on good ideas is also wise. Eleanor’s Blue Star Marker challenge inspired us all to honor our military past, present and future with numerous Blue Star Memorial Markers around the state. Last January WVGC Blue Star Chairman Suzie Hart and I met with the West Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association Board of Directors. You heard the result today from Mark Springer their treasurer. They will fund grants for a total of $15,000 to place Blue Star Memorial Markers throughout West Virginia. Adding over $4500 in Eleanor’s Blue Star Memorial Fund and you can see that my project to “Honor US Troops – Sprinkle W V with Blue Star Memorial Markers” is well funded and only needs your participation to flourish!
Start your recipe with 2765 WVGC members, add a generous handful of kindness, water with a cup of friendship, spice with purpose and service to the community, share our wealth of knowledge with others using modern technology and we will reap the reward of a successful growing state garden club together.
