Meeting Minutes: March 28, 2017

ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER

March 28, 2017

HOSTESSES: Nancy Glenn, Betty Glenn, Lyn Glenn and Jean Glenn

WELCOME / CALL TO ORDER:  Margaret Warren thanked our hostesses and welcomed everyone.

ANNOUNCEMENTS / MEMBER UPDATES:  Margaret Warren

As we reported via email, our sweet Julie Harlan is undergoing cancer treatment at MD Anderson; please keep Julie and her family in your prayers as they travel through this difficult journey.

We need to take the Treasurer duties off Julie’s plate, so she can focus 100% of her energy on getting better.  I am looking for a volunteer to take over Treasurer duties until further notice.

Lindsey Sones reminded everyone of the rescheduled Urban Bike Tour with Mildred, Lindsey Sones and Sarah Kennedy. Meet at April 3 at 10:30am at Piedmont Driving Club and then head out on bikes at to tour the Belt Line.  Email Mildred if interested.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  Margaret Warren

Today, we will be approving the minutes from the February meeting, which have been posted on the website. There was a motion to approve the minutes, and a second; all voted in favor and the minutes stand approved as submitted.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Vice President (Hostess Chart) – Jinny Keough – The hostess chart for 2017-2018 is filled.

Membership & Dues – Lindsey Sones – dues are 100% paid.

Treasurer – Julie Harlan [no report] – the search for a new treasurer has commenced.

Speech School – Karen Brown, Caroline Davis [Margaret Warren reported] – there will be a Speech School Garden workday on Tuesday, April 11 at 10:00am.  She circulated a sign-up sheet.

Quarry Garden – Parker Tekin, Louise Moore – many rare and unusual plants and they also have the largest collection of GA native plants in the state and they offered a huge thanks to Mimosa for our support.

Flower Show (also known as Amaryllis Project) – Leslie Morgan, Sharena Hall [no report]

State Garden Club Liaison – Mary Huntz reported the following:

The Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Garden Associates, is looking for volunteers for the upcoming 2017 Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour.  This self-guided walking tour showcases spectacular private gardens representing the finest in garden design and is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 13 & 14 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Volunteers work with their designated Day Captain to help answer questions, sell tickets, count visitors, and also assist visitors in finding their way around the assigned garden. Below is a list of shift times available:

Saturday, May 13th:
9:30 am – 1:30 pm
1:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Sunday, May 14th:
9:30 am – 1:30 pm
1:30 pm – 5:30 pm

As a special thank you for volunteering, you will receive one complimentary ticket, valued up to $35, for the Tour.  It is always fun to volunteer with a friend or family member so that both of you will have your free tickets and can visit the other gardens together! The Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour is an annual fundraising event that helps provide vital support for the development and care of the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s plant collections. In addition, the Tour provides critical funds for our engaging educational programs and critical conservation work. If you would like to volunteer, please email me at suzeckert@comcast.net with the following:

  • Name
  • Shift Day(s)/Time(s) you would be available to work
  • Mailing address
  • Cell number

Because it takes over 150 volunteers to help during the Tour weekend, please help us recruit volunteers & forward this email to anyone you know who may be interested in volunteering for this very enjoyable and important event for the Garden.

Be sure to vote for Atlanta Botanical on the Fulton Federation of Garden Clubs

NEW BUSINESS:  Margaret Warren

New Members – we will have room to accept three new members this year, and we have four proposed members:  Blain Ashmore Allen, Katie Stembler Bockstedt, Kyle Wilcox Garges and Jennifer Frazier Hill. The proposal forms have all been added to the website, so I encourage you to log on and review the candidates before the voting begins on April 1st.  You must be logged into the website in order to access the ballot page.  If you have any difficulties logging in, please contact our website chair, Margaret Glenn.

You will receive an email notification on April 1st letting you know that the ballot page is open, and you may vote (only once!) any time during the first two weeks of April.  The new members will be announced at our April meeting.

We will also vote on the slate of officers for 2017-2018 during the April meeting.

PROGRAM:  Sallie Smith introduced our speaker, Lisa Thompson, President of the American Chestnut Foundation, who discussed “The Chestnut Tree, Race to Save the Species.”

  1. Legendary Species
  2. Nicknamed “Redwoods of the East”
  3. Notorious for wildlife, large canvas and protection, and historical/social
  4. Devastating blight
  5. 1 in 4 trees would have been a Chestnut
  6. White blooms in July – summer Christmas
  7. Replanting efforts to original splendor
  8. Solution is hybernizing them with Chinese and Japanese chestnuts
  9. Jimmy Carter is honorary director

ADJOURN:  Margaret Warren

That concludes our meeting.  Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at the Swan House.  The meeting is adjourned.

Respectively Submitted,

Elizabeth Hogan