September Meeting Minutes

September 2024 Minutes
1. WELCOME AND CALL TO ORDER

Kendrick Williams welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order at 10:45am. She welcomed us to Mimosa’s 96th year and thanked everyone for the opportunity to be President. She thanked the hostesses for planning a wonderful meeting. She thanked Parker Tekin for serving as last year’s President. She presented Parker a lovely gift from the Garden Club. Kendrick welcomed our three new members, Bev Briggs, Laura Troup, Ashley Whitehurst. She thanked Wawa Hines and Rae Knox for hosting a wonderful new member luncheon at Wawa’s home in August. She thanked Louise Moore for the pretty new member nametags and Guerry Redmond for taking photos of the new members.

2. READING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Kendrick reported that the meeting minutes have been uploaded to the website. Jinny Keough motioned that the minutes be approved, and Mary Huntz seconded. Minutes were approved.

3. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND MEMBER UPDATES

Kendrick announced the sad news of Aimee Nix’s Father in Law’s passing. Lewis Nix passed away in August. In his memory, Mimosa is donating to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Kendrick reported that Bettye Maddox’s husband and Sissy Davis’s father, John Roberts Maddox passed away in August. In his memory, Mimosa will be donating to the The Historic Oakland Foundation.

Lastly, Kendrick reported that our own Jane Sterne passed away in June. She was a member of Mimosa for 35 years. Mimosa donated to Circle Camps in memory of Jane.

Kendrick recognized Tricia Allen and Esther Garges as Honorary Members, having now been members for 50 years.

4. OFFICER REPORTS 

Vice President: Louise Moore

Louise shared the hostess chart and requested that those who are due to host during the 2025-26 year please sign up. She will also follow up. Kendrick clarified that members are required to host a meeting every three years, and new members are required to host a meeting every two years.

2nd VP Speech School: Alden Potts

Alden shared an update from The Speech School. The garden is flourishing, and she will be scheduling a workday.

3rd VP quarry garden: Brittany Hill

Brittany Hill could not be present, but there is no report – Kendrick reminded everyone to come to the meeting in October.

Treasurer: Margaret Warren

Margaret could not be present. Kendrick provided the balances of our accounts.

  • Operating Account: $11,288
  • Savings Account: $7,879
  • Party Account: $17,298
  • Total Cash Balance: $36,465

Kendrick reported that our financial commitments are $2,000 annually to the Speech School, and $3,000 annually to the History Center Quarry Garden.

During a party year, the proceeds from the party are divided as follows: 60% to The History Center Quarry Garden, and 40% to the Mimosa Garden at The Atlanta Speech School.

Specifically, the funds from The May Spring Party were approximately $10,000, so we will contribute $6,000 to the AHC Quarry Garden and $4,000 to the Mimosa Garden at Speech.

Kendrick thanked the party chairs, Amanda Tucker and Liles Thompson for their hard work planning a wonderful party!

5. COMMITTEE REPORTS

Kendrick announced the Standing Committee Chairs for the 2024-25 year as follows:
  • Rec Secretaries are the new Members form last year-Abby Echols, Allison Felton, Shannan Hill, Kellie Spalding and Alice Phillips
  • Programs (Mims Hill and Jennifer Raulet)
  • Membership & Dues (Liles Thompson and Amanda Orr)
  • Historian/Scrapbook (Jinny Keough)
  • Corresponding Secretary (Genie Gray and Amy Underwood)
  • New Member Mentors & Luncheon (Rae Knox and Wawa Hines)
  • Parliamentarian (Sarah McElroy)
  • Website (Jennifer Hill)
  • State Garden Club Liaison (Esther Garges)
Membership & Dues:

Liles asked that each member please pay their dues. She’s collecting today and requested that if you send a check, to let her know. Mary Mac reminded everyone to pay.

Correspondence & Website:

Jennifer Hill provided a website report about internet security. Jennifer mentioned you might be having trouble getting into the site. There is a lot of content and a lot of older things on the server. She will be working with Jinny to archive.

Historian:

Jinny is keeping old records. She has notebook from past presidents but the last one she has is from 2011. She’s looking for pictures from the party for the scrapbook. She requested flower show ribbons or other memorabilia. When turning them in to her, please include names and years. Jinny is willing to take anything for scrapbook and archives. Jennifer Hill clarified that we did have a photography at the party and that Jinny can download photos from the website.

6. NEW BUSINESS

Mary Mac Southerland reported that we will continue with the amaryllis project this year. She will be placing orders of the Sunshine Nymph variety. She passed around a sign up sheet and requested sign ups on quantity and participation. It takes 7-10 days to receive the bulbs, so she will place orders at the end of October. She will bring a sign up at the October meeting as well. The more we order, the less they are. We’d like to distribute them in November.Cathedral Giving by Design is on Jan. 24 and 25, and the beneficiary is Wellspring Living. Kendrick asked us to please keep these dates in mind if anyone would like to help design a flower arrangement.  Last year we donated two arrangements.

It was reported that the Oakland Cemetery Holiday Mausoleum Decorating will happen on Thursday, Dec 5. The tour is Dec. 7 and 8.  A sign-up sheet will be passed around in October.

Kendrick reported that a new activity will include a joint meeting with the Peachtree Garden Club to have a meet/mingle for our March 25 meeting which will include speaker, Lady Henrietta Spencer Churchill

Kendrick reported that Mimosa has space for 3 New Members this year. We will begin accepting proposals in January. Voting will begin April 1st

7. ADJUOURNMENT

 Meeting adjourned at 11:15am.

 8. PROGRAM
  • Mims Hill introduced Zac Harrison, Founder of Fresh Harvest, an online farmer’s market that delivers groceries to customer’s doors. Mims has been a customer for two years and touted the high-quality meats, dairy and vegetables.
  • Zac Harrison, founder of Fresh Harvest, shared a wonderful program. He started Fresh Harvest in 2012 and was inspired while on a motorcycle trip visiting an organic farm.
  • Zac explained their business model to buy food from small farms that they then deliver to customers using small vans. They use small family farms.
  • He shared information about his team. They are based in Clarkston which is a refugee resettlement city. 70% of their team are refuges.
  • Zac invited the garden club for a workday in the fresh harvest garden.
  • Zac shared a video of an aerial footage of several fresh harvest farms. Some are 2 acres, some of 25 acres, but they are small. He shared some examples of some of the farms they work with.
  • 50% of food from Fresh Harvest goes back to the grower compared to 14% of grocery store revenue going back to the grower.
  • Zac shared the Fresh Harvest business model of being a subscription model so it helps farmers project their business. Subscriptions are something they can count on and enables farmers to plan revenues and crop planning and budget predictability.
  • Fresh Harvest gives away 10% of profits.
  • Zac shared the map of where they deliver. They have a commitment to place and staying local.
  • Zac stayed after his presentation to offer members the opportunity to subscribe.
9. MISCELLANEOUS: 
  • Meeting Location: Atlanta Botanical Gardens
  • Recording Secretary: Shannan Hill
  • Hostesses: Jessica Brown, Mary Ayres Griggs, Jennifer Raulet, Susan Virgin