After a summer hiatus, the GLAD Garden Club has resumed its fiscal year at the beautiful Sudie A. Fulford Learning Center located at the main entrance of East Georgia State College. On Monday, September 9, members were warmly welcomed by Coordinating staff with smiles and coffee. The meeting was called to order by President, JoAnn Trammell and Inspirational message of regarding love of others given by Sylvia Durden with a side remembrance of the events of "9/11" as hate inspired the horrible events of that day and changed our lives forever. We are a grateful Nation. The meeting consisted of primarily reorganization of responsibilities as there has been a change in membership. The "Entrances to the City" project responsibilities were redistributed among members. Treasurer, Audrey West, voiced a need to increase dues to meet monetary obligations so it was approved by members to increase dues. Various forms of fundraiser's were discussed, and members decided to delay actual decision until a future meeting to think about various options. Members also voted to not participate in Pinetree Festival Parade and to perhaps sponsor an event. Although it is quite early, members were apprised of the fact that 2028 would be the 100th Anniversary of the Garden Club of Georgia and the preparations were already underway by the state but that there was a member contest with a monetary prize to come up with a theme.
Members were reminded to notify Representatives to support HB#71 otherwise known as the Okefenokee Bill to basically prevent development and drilling of the swamp. Lastly, members voted on programs and fieldtrips they would like to participate in, during the upcoming year.
Even though no scheduled meetings are held in the summer months, that does not mean that the club members haven't been active. On July 25, 2024, President JoAnn Trammell gave a presentation to the Historical Society as to what our garden club does and its current coordination of activities with the Veterans at the Library. It is such an honor to be working in some small way with all the valuable work that the veterans do so that we will never forget our greatest generation and beyond. Members also attended the Welcome Homecoming event on August 12, in Swainsboro, of yet another victim of foreign conflicts.
The Annual Board Meeting of the Oleander District was held in Richmond Hill on August 15, and a grand time of meeting, greeting and eating was had by all. Members were also reminded of the Oleander General District Annual Meeting to be held Wednesday, October 16, at the Landings in Savannah. What a beautiful setting to spend money, have fun, memorialize members who have passed this year and to enjoy a presentation by Jonathan Barrett, Director of Development for the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at UGA. He will share his love of cooking and Southern style entertaining and how for generations farm-to-table was a mainstay in his family's daily lives.
The Glad Garden Club is growing and doing some exciting new things in the upcoming year, and we would love to invite anybody to join in our fun. We also love for folks to come up with new ideas. We have fun but we also do serious work to help beautify, conserve, and educate our community. So, if you like to play in the dirt, and even if you don't but have some terrific ideas or love to organize, we have all kinds of projects going on and welcome all those interested to at least come meet with us and see what we are all about! We usually meet at the Sudie A. Fulford Learning Center at 10 a.m. on the second Monday of each month, September through May, unless otherwise notified. Y'all come on down!!
The Glad Garden Club is a member of the National Garden Clubs Inc., the Deep South Region, The Garden Club of Georgia Inc., of the Oleander District.
