President's Letter May 2020

Dear Friends,

It is a new world. Your Executive Board and Committee Chairs just completed our first virtual board meeting. Initially, it was glitch-filled, but thanks to Elizabeth Faremouth and her technological expertise, the meeting was a success. In upcoming newsletters you will read about what we discussed. Our slate for the incoming Executive Board has been approved. They will begin their term on July 1.

Your health and safety continues to be our priority. Thus, our May and June membership meetings have been cancelled. The Board will offer alternative activities, including YouTube videos, webinars, our club Facebook horticulture page, outdoor activities, and gardening tips. I hope you will also pick up the phone and call a garden club member to just say hello. It is important we stay connected with one another.

Please participate in our new online photography contest. We are partnering with the Village Garden Club of Shaker Heights. We congratulate and celebrate their 90th anniversary by sharing our photos.

We also celebrate our 100th year of affiliation with the Garden Club of America (GCA). The Board unanimously approved a permanently restricted gift of $2500 to The Katherine M. Grosscup Scholarship in Horticulture. Shaker Lakes Garden Club was instrumental in establishing this acclaimed scholarship fund. We also approved a $2500 SLGC member project to plant daffodils at Shaker Lakes. Sarah Dimling is the chairperson for this project, and she will select the appropriate site for planting. I hope any interested member will wish to don her gardening gloves to help plant bulbs when we are allowed to convene once again. We will plant GCA daffodil bulbs as well as other narcissus bulbs to honor our affiliation with GCA.

Meanwhile, I hope you will continue to bask in the warmth of spring and enjoy nature’s blossoms.

Mary Bruce