Meeting of the Weeders

December 6, 2016

St. David's Church, Wayne

 

Over thirty Weeders, including Spence Ervin and Miss Elena Bullitt, got together at the Parish House of St. David’s Church on Valley Forge Road in Wayne for our annual fundraising sale and holiday table top arrangement workshop.
 
After conversation and good times at the coffee and sweets laden table supplied by hostesses Jane Kline and Lesly Undercoffler, we enjoyed sneak peaks at the sale items being staged by chair Daryl Hanlon and her helpers Wendy Calhoun, Karen Doyle and Biddie Edwards.
 
President Jackie Burke called the meeting to order just after 10 am with the seasonal tinkling of a bell.
It turned out Jackie ushered in the speediest business meeting in living memory.  And that’s saying something.
 
She began by thanking Carole Haas Gravagno for her acknowledgement of sympathy expressed after the death of her husband Lee.  She then announced election of a new Weeder – Jeanne May, proposed by Polly Garnett .  We look forward to welcoming her.
 
As an agenda item, Jackie requested approval of the minutes of the October meeting.  Ellie Penniman moved that the minutes be accepted as distributed.  The motion passed.
 
Jackie then called upon committee members, some of whom had reports.
 
PCGCA – Sonya Driscoll sought support for the Fertilizer Fund
 
Zone V  meeting – past president Marilyn Sprague submitted a written report , attached to the minutes, and urged Weeders to pay attention to pleas from the Archives of American Gardens to identify gardens on the Main Line that are labeled “unidentified.”  Several Weeders not only responded to the request for flower show entries but were also in the winner’s circle with awards for their entries.  Among the Weeders achieving excellence are:  Beth Bartle, Taddy Dawson, Alice Doering, and Lorraine Wallace who received the Catherine Beatty Medal for her succulent trough.  Congratulations all around.
Saving the best for last is announcement of the Zone V Conservation Award – given to our own Lloyd Brown.  More congratulations.
 
Speaking of awards, Jackie announced the recipient of the 2016 Catherine Biddle Memorial Award was present today.  The award is generally given at the annual meeting in June but this year’s recipient was unable to attend, hence the delayed presentation.  The Biddle Award was first made in 1978 and the last recipient, in 2014, was Regina Wagner.  There was much anticipation and when Reggie Thomas’ name was announced, all deemed the award most fitting and well deserved.
 
In the Community Affairs sector, Lynn Gibbons announced that thirteen Weeders participated in the project to decorate Strawberry Mansion in Fairmount Park.  The Weeders arranged, glued and other wise assembled Swedish themed decorations for our designated area.  Word has it lunch was served.
 
A similar group got together in October to make arrangements for the Ronald McDonald House in West Philadelphia. 
 
Alice Doering reported for Strafford Station, that she’s negotiating with Septa who, in a somewhat cavalier manner, limbed up all the magnolia trees carefully planted and grown from seed by Alice.  She’s doing the best she can to make SEPTA understand growth patterns of various trees – Good Luck Alice.
 
Nancy Evans took the floor for Conservation to urge us to be aware of the perils of electronic billboards.  She’s spoken of this before and it is disarming that our very weak Pennsylvania law makes local municipalities the gatekeepers of billboard placement.  The billboards are driving distractions and energy hogs.  “A bill has been introduced to the state senate by Sen Andy Dinnigan (D Chester) proposing that billboard companies would be required to meet with reps from both PennDOT and the proposed site’s municipality.  Before the billboard could be approved, the town would have to hold an open hearing.  This bill would amend the Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971, which senators say is technologically outdated.”  If this matters to you, please write to your local state reps in support of this bill.
 
Polly Garnett reported for Garden History and Design that there’s a project in the works.
 
Linda Anderson submitted an article for publication in the GCA Bulletin on the fall workshop at Lorraine Wallace’s.  The last article she sent in was published so she has high hopes for this one.
 
Alice Doering is promoting a Seed Exchange within the club.
 
Melissa Bullitt urged club photographers to get busy and be on the lookout for a winter Photography
workshop.
 
Karen Doyle will be scheduling a meeting of the Program Committee in January.
 
Under New Business, a clipboard with sign-up for a flower arranging workshop conducted by Mary Jo Strawbridge was passed around.
 
While listening to announcements, the Weeders had been working away on the tabletop arrangements to be distributed to patients at Bryn Mawr Rehab.  Polly Garnett thanked the members for supplying an impressive variety of greens.
 
The meeting adjourned at 10:27am and the Weeders flocked to the sale tables.
 
                                                                                                                             

Maria M. Thompson, Secretary