President Jane Waugh welcomed all to The Federation's 87th Annual Meeting held at Aqua Turf on April 20th, with 250 garden club members in attendance. She read a tribute, prepared by Leslie Martino, to the late Barbara Bruce, and asked for a moment of silence to commemorate this highly talented and active Federation Judge and Board member.

ANNUAL REPORT
President Waugh gave a most informative Annual Report, recognizing the many contributions that garden club members have made to their communities.   Her theme of "GROWING TOGETHER: Tiny Acorns to Mighty Oaks" has been met with enthusiasm. Her Native Oak Tree Project, encouraging garden clubs to plant oak trees in their communities funded by The Federation, has resulted in 28 oaks planted to date with many others on order.

The GROWING TOGETHER theme includes the goal of achieving better communications with clubs. President Waugh spoke of three specific ways that she has worked to meet this objective. Firstly, two Idea Exchange Symposia were held, with 160 participants from 53 clubs.   She has also introduced a new email "Update to Club Presidents" on a regular basis to keep all clubs better informed.   And she has established a website task force to plan an improved site for The Federation. In the meantime, specific items that clubs have requested have been added to the current website such as Federation Bylaws, Board Minutes and the Budget.  

Waugh called attention to the printed Federation Annual Report handed out to each member in attendance, which described in much greater detail the successful flower shows, schools, youth contests, Blue Star Markers, as well as National, New England Region and State awards won by clubs and individuals recognizing diverse projects throughout Connecticut. This President's Annual Report may be found on our website's Login site for those who missed the meeting.

ANNUAL MEETING RECOGNITIONS
For planning and chairing the FGCCT Southwest Idea Exchange Symposium in Fairfield, Connecticut on March 30, 2016 in such a well-organized manner. This was our second event where 70 participants from 24 clubs shared ideas and enjoyed the fellowship of fellow garden club members. Thanks for assuring that we continue to GROW TOGETHER!
TO Kathy Kobishyn
In recognition of your term on our Board of Directors as Tours Chair.  Your high spirited demeanor was truly infectious. Thanks for planning wonderful trips and assuring that club members enjoyed their travels from Italy to South Carolina, from the Brandywine Valley to the Hudson Valley, and finally to the Chelsea Flower Show.
TO Mary Sullivan
For your dedicated service to our Board of Directors and to the Gardening Consultants Council for the past six years. Your leadership and creativity in planning and organizing activities for over fifty council members have been outstanding - especially the selection of the Love-ly Garden Award during the summer months from widespread areas throughout our state.
National Garden Club Recognition:
Barbara Deysson has received the NGC Five Star Certificate of Merit in acknowledgment of completion of Master Status in all four NGC Schools. Very few others in Connecticut have reached this status, so we congratulate her for this achievement.

BYLAW REVISIONS
Inge Venus, Parliamentarian, presented the Proposed Amendments to the Bylaws for a vote by the membership, which were adopted without objection. Revisions include wording suggested by National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC)  related to dues and a shortening by one month of the timeframe for clubs to pay dues to The Federation.

OFFICER AND COMMITTEE ELECTIONS and APPOINTMENTS
Nominating Chair Ronnie Schoelzel presented the Nominating Slate, which was accepted and elected. She then installed the elected Officers, Treasurer Shirley Hall and Assistant Treasurer Jane Polacco.


Newly elected Committee Chairs include:
Tours Coordinator Donna DeSimone and Environment/Conservation Chair Ellie Tessmer.
Continuing Chairs elected include Jan Hickcox as Civic Development Chair, Margaret Hopkins as Meetings Chair, and Ann Germano as Youth Activities Chair.

Presidential appointments since the last annual meeting include:
Blue Star Chair Krista Swanson Fiorini; Corresponding Secretary Stella Elbaum; CT Flower Show Chair Cathy Ritch; and Protocol Chair Becky Paul.  

New Council and School Chairs (which are selected by the Councils) were also announced, namely, Gardening Consultants Council Chair Katherine Patrick; and Judges Council Chair Trish Manfredi ,who will also chair the 2018 Flower Show Symposium. All newly elected and  appointed chairs were asked to come up and receive their new name badges from Inge Venus.

PROGRAM
Program Chair Gini Mita then introduced nationally acclaimed Naturalist Dr. Douglas Tallamy who gave a hilariously funny yet thought-provoking power point presentation, entitled "A Chickadee's Guide to Gardening."   Members in attendance lined up afterwards to have him sign his book Bringing Nature Home. 
  

LUNCHEON
Following social time and shopping, lunch was served.    
       
Meetings Chair Margaret Hopkins then conducted the raffle, which included a donation from each of the 10 vendors as well as the beautiful centerpiece on each of the dining tables.Centerpieces were created by three garden clubs, Colchester, Kensington and Manchester, and coordinated by Trish Manfredi.


In reiteration, this Annual Meeting certainly goes down as one of the more eventful affairs.

* Inge Venus
Website Chair and Parliamentarian

This fall, the North Stonington Garden Club planted a lovely native Northern Red Oak tree at the town-owned Hewitt Farm on Route 2. The tree was planted in time for a special community event, the North Stonington Harvest Festival held on September 26th, 2015. The property itself is 104 acres of forests, fields, wetlands, streams and a pond; it was North Stonington's first major purchase of open space, made in 2008. It is deeded to remain in perpetuity as parks and recreation.

The area in which we located this quercus rubra is next to a successful community garden and a meadow. The soil conditions seemed particularly right for this variety of oak and there is water on-site in the area. We did this project in collaboration with the town-appointed Hewitt Farm Committee and they have agreed to be responsible for the care and maintenance of the tree.

For the event, the club provided a sign next to the oak tree which described the tree and indicated that the funds were provided by The Federated Garden Clubs of CT as part of the native oak tree NSGC members, Nita Kincaid and Karen McGee.

* Nita B. Kincaid
NSGC Membership Chair

The Manchester Garden Club planted a White Oak Tree (Quercus alba) in Robertson Park Skate Park at 115 School St., Manchester, CT, on October 16, 2015. Lauren Pliska was the Committee Chair and Committee Members were Deb Flower, Lynda Brown, Linda Snyder, MaryAnn Sartor and Dru Shearer. Permission to plant the tree was coordinated with Manchester Town Tree Warden, Mike Tupper.

Since this is tree was planted in a town park, the Town of Manchester will water and maintain the planted tree for its long life.  In times of drought like this summer, the town tree warden assured the garden club by stating that they were watering all their plantings every 2 days.

* Gail Secchiaroli
President, Manchester Garden Club


I wish to correct the April article about the Native Oak Tree Project in Greenwich: The six trees were planted in Byram Park, not Binney Park.  The picture I submitted and which was printed correctly shows Byram Park.
 
* Jane Marsh
Green Fingers Garden Club