District IX News
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IX has gotten off to a good start and we have great plans for our
district this year. President Cinny O’Donnell’s theme is “Focus
on Florida” and the theme
for District IX is “Focus on Teamwork”. With the plan of focusing
on
teamwork we will be able to accomplish the goals of our President as
outlined in “Focus on Florida”. |
Berne Davis and Cinny O'Donnell, FFGC President
Board Dinner with FFGC President Cinny O'Donnell, June Kroeschell, Naples Garden Club President and Lois Allen, Past President
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Berne Davis was presented with a Pillar of Pride from FFGC District IX
at their Fall District IX Meeting. Cinny O'Donnell, President of
FFGC was on hand to present this award to Berne.
On the night before the meeting, The Naples Garden Club provided our
Board Members with a wonderful dinner at the Naples Botanical
Gardens where they are headquartered. The FFGC Officers where
able to tour the botanical gardens and join us for dinner. The
next day was our meeting and what a glorious day we had. We were
at the Naples Yacht and Sailing Club. What a photographic
location that was. President O'Donnell and her Vice Presidents
had a very insightful presentation full of fun and knowledge.
Suzy Valentine the FFGC State Chairman for Community Gardens had a
program about this new NGC program.
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Maxine, Kathleen & Cissy
Barbara Sampson, Meeting Chairman
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We had a great District IX Spring Meeting at Lone Palm Golf Club in
Lakeland with 107 members present and look forward to our Fall Meeting
in Naples on October 16th. We enjoyed our District Board Meeting,
which was held at the home of Elizabeth Herbert and dinner was provided
by the Garden Club of Lakeland, Inc. We are very proud of our
Mothernature, Audry Swindell, of the Bartow Garden Club, being
presented with BLANCHE CAPEL COVINGTON LEADERSHIP AWARD at FFGC
Convention in Orlando that we just had to brag about it again at the
District IX Meeting. Punta Gorda Garden Club won awards for their
Newsletters and City Public Planting. We are very proud of Punta Gorda
Garden Club. I had the pleasure of presenting to Rita Hilton, our Past
District IX Director and who also wears many hats for FFGC, a Pillar of
Pride Pin and FFGC Life Memberships were presented to Lucy Wheeler of
the Garden Club of Sebring and Ann Monroe Hecker of the Bouquet Garden
Club at our District IX Spring Meeting. |
Annette Stanbery Deep South Region Director,
Joan Ochs, Rita Hilton and Audrey Swindal
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Rita Hilton, Immediate Past Director & Maxine Herbert, Director
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Gene Spargos, Lakeland Garden Club and Kim Walker Lakeland Caner Center
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The Garden Club of Lakeland, Inc. planted a Butterfly Garden on the
grounds of the Lakeland Regional Cancer Center on April 28th and the
Butterfly Garden Dedication and Butterfly Release was on June 3, 2007,
which was also National Cancer Survivors Day and National Garden Week.
This ceremony was free and open to the community and was attended by a
very large crown and covered by the Lakeland Ledger Newspaper. The
butterflies were released by Gene Spargos, 2nd Vice President of The
Garden Club of Lakeland, Inc. (who was Chairman of this project) and
Lakeland Regional Cancer Center Administrator Kim Walker. As Past
President of The Garden Club of Lakeland, Inc., and now District IX
Director and – “A Cancer Survivor” – this Butterfly Garden holds a
special place in my heart and this Director was very proud to be a part of it. |
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The Punta Gorda Garden Club took a tropical vase arrangement, along
with club information to the Punta Gorda Library and presented it to
the librarian Roxane Bennett. Pictured is the designer Bonnie Rehling |
Bonnie Rehling, Punta Gorda
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Theo Karvours, Garden of the World
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The
National Convention in Boston saw several District IX Members among
them was Theo Kavouras, Theo is District IX"s Ways and Means
Chairman. Our own Gloria Freitas-Steidininger was a big
contributor in the various designs and in the displays throughout the
hotel.
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The Garden Club of Lakeland, Inc., and Punta Gorda are on the bandwagon
when it comes to landscaping Habitat Homes. The Garden Club of
Lakeland, Inc. has been landscaping Habitat Homes since 1995 and in
March landscaped two homes and again in May landscaped two homes (to
date 49 homes). If there are no trees on the property, a tree is
planted, and the Lakeland Garden Club Circle that did the landscaping
donates a hose and spray nozzle along with fertilizer to the new
owner.
Punta Gorda Garden Club landscaped the home of Cathy Martinez and her daughters on June 17th. They
planted a little Gem Magnolia Tree and presented a shovel to the
homeowner at the dedication. At the dedication of this home the
grandson of Past District Director Libby Curnow, Connor, age 3, was
present and actually held and presented the shovel to the homeowner.
Now that’s the way to start training them.
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 Lakeland G C
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Cathy Martinez, Connor Curnow & Libby Curnow
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We
are very proud of our Floral Designers in District IX. There are
seven (7) in our Florida Flower Arrangement Calendar for
2008. With great pride we show below their
names. Keep up the good work District IX!!!
FEBRUARY:
Lois Gressman, Ft. Myers Beach - Cowboys and the Lariat
Rita Hilton, Bartow – Fascination
Eda Marchman, Bartow – Buttons & Bows
MAY
Ena McGrattan, Ft. Myers – Blast Off
JUNE
Patty Falk, Winter Haven – Gentleman’s Fancy
AUGUST
Bev Ray, Ft. Myers – Memories
DECEMBER
Winnie Stone, Ft. Myers – Joy to the World
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