Oct. 2014
Meeting was opened at 7:03 p.m. There were 61 people signed in.
Thank you to Maura Cooper and Pauline Bradford for looking after the kitchen, and to Kirsten Asher, Jenny Elgersma and Irene Sherbrook for bringing goodies.
Lori welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for coming.
Pauline Bradford made a motion to have the September minutes accepted as read, and Mary Lou Johnston seconded the motion. Motion was passed.
The treasurer’s report was reviewed and no questions were raised.
Lori discussed the upcoming cleanup day (October 18, 2014) and asked for volunteers. We are only pulling out annuals, no trimming.
Lori told members about the beautification grant for which we applied. We need to keep records of volunteer hours for each person, member or not, who volunteers with the flowerbeds (planting and cleanup). Haldimand County would like to see proof of our volunteers at work. We also need newspaper articles, before and after pictures. She also mentioned that we need an official photographer to attend our events and make sure that we get good photos. Of course, anyone can take pictures at any time, but an official photographer is needed.
Brenda Case passed away in September (she was not a member) and requested in lieu of flowers to donate to the Dunnville Horticultural Society. So far we haven’t received anything. If we do we will let everyone know. We need to find out more about how to handle memorial donations, and make sure we are doing the right thing with them.
November’s general meeting is our AGM. At this meeting we review the past year. We will read minutes from last November’s meeting. We will have our penny sale instead of the Ways & Means. We also will have our pot luck dinner. Each member has been asked to bring something. The DHS will provide ham, apple cider and other refreshments. Members’ families are invited to attend.
Tickets for the penny sale will the $5 for an arm’s length. There are lots of prizes. The photo contest is on. There are 4 categories: winter, spring, summer and fall. Pictures should be taken in Haldimand County. Children and pets are allowed in the photo but gardens should be the focal point. Photos should be 4 x 6 inches with no matting. Write your name on the back, and the members will vote for the winners. 5 year membership pins will be awarded at this meeting as well.
Lori told the members how proud she is about the great team of directors that we have working for us. Everyone gets along very well, and works very hard. Planning has become much more organized, and our volunteers have really stepped up and made the flowerbeds absolutely beautiful this year.
Lori made a sad announcement that she will be stepping down at the end of the year due to personal reasons. Rob Maracle will be stepping down as director of fundraising as well. He will be happy to coach anyone who is interested in taking over the position.
The existing executive and directors will be staying on so we just need to fill Lori and Rob’s vacancies. Debbie Thomas will be stepping up in the role of president which leaves a gap for vice-president. Best of luck to both of you, Lori and Rob, and hopefully you’ll be able to come back on board soon.
Purchase your 2015 memberships by the February meeting to qualify to our annual early bird draw.
If you have ideas for speakers please let the executive know.
Aidan and Ethan, our 2 student helpers, were nominated for Youth Volunteer of the Year award. Congratulations to both. Although they didn’t win, we certainly appreciate the help receive from them at each meeting. They’ve become indispensable!
The District 9 Fall Forum is coming up on October 25th in St. Catharines. If anyone is interested in going please see Debbie.
After a short break we welcomed our guest speaker Lene Rasmussen of Lakeshore Willows in Wainfleet. She displayed many beautiful willow baskets and graciously donated one for a raffle. Her lecture was very interesting and informative.
She offers workshops so if anyone is interested go to her website for more information: www.lakeshorewillows.com.
The Ways & Means draws were called and the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.