CALL TO ORDER: Our President, Catherine Fleetwood welcomed Mimosa members to the first meeting of the fall, 2012, extending an especially warm welcome to our four new members. They are Maggie Fischer, Amie Nix, Margaret Glenn & Sarah McElroy.

Our hostesses – Marcy McTier, Guerry Redmond, Julian Williams & Mary Ann Frazier were thanked for providing us with a yummy “first meeting” lunch.

Catherine then asked for reports from our various committee chairs:

FLOWER SHOW: Claire Marie Huff announced that the flower show has been moved to the later dates of March 15th thru March 17th, 2013 due to private school spring breaks. The Flower Show booklet has not yet been released. She also thanked Mandy Culpepper for her willingness to be a coordinator of the show.

TREASURERS REPORT: Emily Jordan reported the net profits from the 2012 spring party were $19,017.00, and that $10,000 of that will be set aside for our obligation to the Atlanta Speech School, The History Center’s Quarry Garden, and $1000.00 to the Flower Show, leaving a balance of $8,017.00. There is an additional $10,000 in the operating account. More info regarding Mimosa’s financial status will be presented at the January, 2013 business meeting. Approximately $9,000 will be distributed to the Speech School and $9,000 to the Quarry Garden. Also Kendrick Hill is collecting the $50.00 dues, which must be paid by December 1st to avoid late fees.

SPEECH SCHOOL: Terry Alston & Leslie Morgan could not be present, but previously stated that the speech school grounds are looking great, and the new plants that were installed are flourishing. The Speech School work day will be in early November and a sign-up sheet will be passed around at the October meeting.

QUARRY GARDEN: Mary Huntz & Jinny Keough reported that the steps to the Tullie Smith House have been completed. Also, there are more labels in the garden to identify the broad variety of plants indigenous to Georgia. The waterfall has been cleaned up and the Quarry Garden staff is looking forward to our participation in the October 23rd workday.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARIES: Rawson Grobety & Lori Kennedy. Our official Mimosa email address is: mimosagardenclub@hotmail.com All notices will be sent out from that address. Anything you would like shared with members should be composed as you want it sent, and it will then be emailed from that address.

HISTORIAN: Sallie Smith gave an amazing account of her interview with Ann Spalding and Ann’s fifty six year involvement with Mimosa, as well as her involvement, along with Louise Allen, in making the Quarry Garden what it is today. The mighty project was begun in l973, and continues to the present time. Ann also said the garden was known as the “Lois Troutman garden” at the time they were working on it.

YEARBOOKS: Nancy Tracy & Louise Mann. The yearbooks are ready for pickup at our Mimosa meetings.

MEMBERSHIP: Emily Ferguson & Mary Mac gave a wonderful lunch for our new members, in early September, at Emily’s beautiful home. The new member sponsors were also guests at the luncheon. The 2013 -2014 hostess chart was passed around so members, who are due to be hostesses, could choose a date. Also, Mary Mac created lovely fall gifts for our new members, which were small colanders filled with fall veggies.

WEBSITE: Eileen Millard. This is the “Year of the Website”, which will be completed by the end of 2012. Eileen has worked tirelessly on this project for months, and has a consultant assisting her so that it will be up and running at the January meeting!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: A gift certificate of 100.00 was sent to the Speech school in memory of longtime Mimosa member, Rosa Hatch, and Nadine Lawton’s young granddaughter, Wendy Simmons, who passed away in the spring of 2012. Wendy’s Mom, Candy Simmons, was also a longtime member of Mimosa.

The Business Meeting was ended, and WaWa Hines & Lois Yates introduced our speaker, Bradley Curry, who gave a fascinating & informative talk on our regional waterways, and the issues with our fellow states, Alabama & Florida.

Respectfully submitted,

Marianne Craft

Margie Hutchinson