Atlanta Botanical Garden
Sanford brought the meeting to order and welcomed everyone to Mimosa’s 80th year! She thanked our hostesses: Dottie Fuqua, Duvall Fuqua, and Edwina Johnson. She also thanked Mrs. Fuqua for the amazing contributions her family has made to the Botanical Garden through the years.
Sanford thanked Edwina Johnson for serving as President last year. A donation to Skyland Trail has been made in her honor.
Sanford reminded everyone to sign the attendance sheet; all Actives must attend 5 meetings per year.
Rawson Grobety, as New Member Liaison, introduced our new members: HallieCrawford, Sallie Smith and Nicole Warren. Sanford thanked Liz Crew for hosting a delightful new members’ coffee.
Sanford recognized Mimosa’s long-term member, Louise Allen, who passed away in June. Mrs. Allen had been a member of Mimosa since 1937. She also mentioned that several members have changed their status this year: Jennifer Calhoun, Emily Ferguson and Rawson Grobety are Actives; Hazel Hilsman and Elizabeth Morgan are Associates; Claire Benedict and Dicksie King are Sustainers; and Jean Wilson is now an Honorary Member, representing membership in Mimosa for 50 years!
Mildred Spalding has created the hostess chart for 2009 – 2010. If you are due to host a meeting, please sign up early so you can pick the month you prefer.
Official Business
The May minutes were reviewed, voted on, and approved.
Committee Reports
Yearbook (Lindsey Sones) – Lindsey reminded everyone to pick up the new yearbook and check your name off the list. Sanford thanked Lindsey, Claire Marie Huff, and Shelby Drinkard for all their hard work over the summer getting the yearbook completed.
Teasurer’s Report (Sissy Davis) – Sissy reported the account balances as follows: checking: $1,756.82; savings: $5,324.83; partyaccount: $47,206.70 and she noted that $33,000 is available for additional donations to the community. Our two year commitments include: $3,800 for Speech School, $6,000 for Quarry Garden, and $2,000 for Flower Show sponsorship. Sissy reminded everyone that dues are now due. Please send your check to Elizabeth Morgan.
Speech School Report (Emily Jordan) – The garden looks great; Emily passed around a sign-up sheet for some upcoming garden work days.
Quarry Garden Report (Jinny Keough) – The garden looks great. If you are interested in volunteering in the Quarry Garden, please let her know.
Flower Show Report (Sophie Mason) – Sophie announced the flower show will be held January 28-February 1, and the best news is the show has been moved to the Cobb Galleria Center, which has free parking. Our new members, with help from last year’s new members, will be designing a group project – a wire mannequin with the theme of “Fashion Passion –Strut Your Stuff!” The Flower Show committee (Sophie, Lois Yates, and Mary Huntz) will be offering bulbs to Mimosa members who would like to enter forced bulbs in the competition. Bulbs, pots, and instructions will be distributed at the October meeting. More information to follow. There was a motion to donate $1,000 to the Flower Show, which was approved.
Party Report (Sanford) – We have $33,000 in party proceeds available this year. The board has agreed to accept proposals from the Speech School and Quarry Garden, and they will receive first consideration. All other proposals from members are due before the end of the year. Please keep in mind that these requests need to be within the scope of Mimosa’s mission to promote civic improvements in our city.
Announcements
Mimosa was founded in July 1928, “when a group of friends met in the interest of horticulture, the objective being to promote a love for the cultivation and beautification of personal gardens and civic improvements of our city.” Sanford read the names of our founding members, and asked those who are related to a founding member to stand. The board is currently discussing plans for an event to celebrate Mimosa’s 80th year; if you are interested in helping organize the event, please contact Sanford.
Mimosa has made the following memorial contributions: to the History Center in memory of Mrs. Allen; to the Speech School in memory of Margaret Tarver; and to the Botanical Garden in memory of Penny Nunnally’s mother.
Program
With no further business, Marcy McTier introduced our speaker, Richard Kiefer, President of the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association. Richard gave a very informative talk on the importance of honey bees to our ecological system.
Respectfully submitted,
Margaret Warren
Kendrick Williams
Recording Secretaries