President's Letter - March 2021

Greetings, Garden Friends, 

Spring is just a few weeks away, and the earliest garden plants will be visible before long. Snowdrops, winter aconite, hellebores! Winter is long but February is thankfully short.

The Board has not been hibernating – the first weeks of the year have been busy and productive. I can report that Carol Provan and Sandy Holmes will chair an Ad Hoc committee to consider ideas for the use of what was originally called the GCA Meeting Fund, now renamed the Board Designated Fund. The GCA has changed the way national meetings are funded; costs are no longer borne solely by the host clubs. The charge to the committee specifies that “potential use of the fund would be for an extraordinary project that enhances SLGC’s community contribution and provides tangible, significant, practical, visible and enduring effect.” That’s a broad definition, but these are just the first steps. The work of the committee will begin in April, and we hope to have specific recommendations by next fall.

You will hear more about the committee’s work as it gets underway, but I want to emphasize two things.  First, although the committee is limited to ten, for practical and logistical reasons, we welcome ideas and recommendations from the general membership. Please speak up, or email Sandy and Carol with your suggestions! And second, we will of course make a final decision only after we reach consensus approval of the entire membership.  

Be sure to look for two notices in this newsletter about a bonus program planned for March 30, a virtual presentation by Isa Ranganathan, and a March 10 Happy Hour with Cynthia Druckenbrod. In ordinary years we don’t meet in March because it’s Spring Break time and so many people leave town. Not this year! And even if you do get away to a warmer place you’ll be able to Zoom in.

And also look for the GCA Founders Fund material here and in your GCA Bulletin.  Each club gets a single vote; we register the choice of the majority of members voting. I will vote for our club by April 1.

Enjoy the advent of Spring, and I hope to see you on Zoom on the 30th!

Leigh