2019 Summer BOD: Virginia Beach

September 18, 2024

The GCV board of directors held its summer retreat with spouses in Virginia Beach on July 19-21, 2019. President Jean Gilpin called the meeting to order Saturday morning.

She welcomed everyone and thanked Linda Consolvo and Missy Buckingham for organizing the weekend; Anne Baldwin, Carrie Dorsey, Wendy Walker, and Bettie Guthrie for lunch; and Catherine Madden and Janet Rosser for arranging Saturday evening’s dinner at Missy Buckingham’s beach cottage. New board members Debbie Bonnewell, Laura Francis, and Tricia Garner introduced themselves.

Centennial Steering Committee Chairman Missy Buckingham reported the Centennial club liaisons were sent packets with save-the-date cards and will meet on September 11 to hear updates. The September Journal will feature Centennial events and an ad for Centennial merchandise. Joanna Catron and Anne Cross are working on the exhibition.

Judy Perry has collected 125 funny stories and is getting printing estimates for the humorous stories booklet. An estimated 3400 booklets will cost $1 each. The discussion included the question of who should receive a complimentary copy. It was noted the Centennial magnets given to each GCV member cost $3000. The board supported complimentary copies for gala attendees only. Jean passed around a copy of 1930 – Garden Club Pilgrimage to Virginia as an example of a nice size for the booklet and suggested that drawings be added to the booklet. It was noted the finances of printing the booklet would need to go through the Finance Committee.

Karen Ellsworth is working on communications for the Centennial and is designing another save-the-date card that will include the costs to attend Centennial events. The cards will be distributed to all GCV members via the club liaisons. The save-the-date cards, information in the Membership News and Journal advertisements will serve as invitations. VIPs will receive a printed invitation. Missy reviewed the schedule and costs of events as written in her report. The total cost to attend all the Founders Day events will be $260, excluding hotel costs. Registration will begin October 1.

The GCV website has a Centennial page that links to scheduled activities and to local Restoration properties. The Executive Mansion will not be listed, as it was noted it is too complicated to obtain admission.

Carrie Dorsey communicated James River is planning activities for husbands who travel to Richmond with their wives, but these activities will be hosted during the Annual Meeting only. Jean reported she had the opportunity to hear Thomas Woltz speak in Pennsylvania and felt he was an amazing speaker. He is currently doing work at Montpelier. Missy noted the Centennial merchandise is selling. There are only four Tervis Tumblers left, and more have been ordered with lids.

Bettie Guthrie reported the time capsule is a French-style sideboard located on the third floor of the KVH as you exit the elevator. The inside of the sideboard will be fitted with stainless steel containers. On behalf of the time capsule committee, Bettie presented the following text for the plaque:

Catherine Madden reported that Judy Perry had suggested a GCV trip to Ver-sur-Mer for the dedication of the British Normandy Memorial. Catherine contacted Countess Marnie de Vanssay, who created a sample itinerary that she shared with the group. The tentative cost was listed as $6580 per person with a $2100 supplement for a single room. It has not been determined if the GCV would receive any financial benefit from the Ver-sur-Mer trip. The deadline for the trip was listed as September 30, but Catherine will explore extending the deadline. A limit of 18 people has been determined. Judy has submitted an article to the Journal about Ver-sur-Mer.  It was noted the only cost to the GCV would be the labor required to add the information to the website. The previous trip had $200 added to the price to benefit the GCV. A motion to approve a GCV trip, “Chateaux & Gardens, Food & History of Normandy” was approved.

During the discussion, it was noted that great feedback was received about the Normandy event and the GCV’s support. Vicky Alexander recommended there should be arrows displayed at the Centennial exhibit with the distance to Ver-sur-Mer. It was also suggested that a stipend be added to the cost of the trip to benefit the GCV, raising the price to $6800 per person. It was noted some dinners on the trip would be “on your own,” and Countess de Vanssay is very helpful in finding reservations. The DALs are free to share this information with their club presidents. Catherine will send the final copy of the itinerary to the board.

At its May meeting, the board of directors tabled a motion from Restoration Committee Chairman Anne Baldwin when a discussion of the motion led to questions of how much money should be sent, the need for consistency, should this be done and what will others do in the future.

Tabled Motion: I move that the amount of $500 – $1000, determined by the GCV board, be sent from the Restoration funds as a “special gift and contribution” to those institutions who meet our GCV mission and are honoring a GCV Honorary Member.

Parliamentarian Linda Consolvo had been asked to address the questions and bring recommendations to this meeting.

Linda then presented “Recommendation for Policy and Procedure.” Discussion followed and a final recommendation was read and approved.

Recommendation for Policy and Procedure: All funding requests outside of the budget will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the president, the executive committee and the Finance Committee Chairman to determine whether the request should be funded. The president, along with the cxecutive committee and the Finance Committee Chairman, will determine what amount is appropriate before taking the request to the Finance Committee and then the board of directors for further review and action.

Linda then presented a recommendation for a change to the bylaws, as recommended by the Strategic Planning Committee, to protect the HGW funds that are to be spent for Restoration properties. Historically, money was taken from the HGW funds for the State Parks project and to initially fund the endowment. After discussion, the following proposal to change the bylaws was approved:

Any request made of the Restoration Committee, outside of its current stated policy for the expenditure of proceeds from Historic Garden Week (“oversee restoration and/or preservation of historic gardens and landscapes of the commonwealth and fund research programs”) will be submitted to the president, executive committee, Finance Committee Chairman, and Restoration Committee Chairman for review. If the board of directors approves funding outside of the stated mission, an advanced notice of the decision will be sent to the club presidents and a vote will be taken at either the Board of Governors Meeting or the Annual Meeting.

Linda will take this back to the Strategic Planning Committee, and they will work on the proposed bylaw wording. It will be brought to the board at the next meeting.

Following a break, Restoration Committee Chairman Anne Baldwin distributed the committee’s financial information and reported on the following properties:

Point of Honor – This project has been completed, and the dedication is planned for September 19. Invitations will be sent to board members.

Stratford Hall – The ladies of Stratford Hall are grateful for the work the GCV has completed. The dedication is planned in approximately one year.

Poe Museum – No further work will be completed until the other major projects are finished.

Poplar Forest – This project is close to completion. The carriage circle has been preserved, and a cutout section will allow visitors to view the original surface.

William & Mary – The contractor for Poplar Forest will be performing the work at this site. Anne reviewed the background of this project. This is a joint project with the College of William & Mary. The college has been working on their responsibilities to the project, and they are close to completion. The bids on this project came in higher than expected. Following much discussion, a motion to approve additional expenditures on the project was approved.

Anne reported the GCV Restoration Fellows are both working on a master’;s degree in landscape design. The GCV has a history of offering Fellowships for the past 23 years. The Mount Airy presentation will be held on August 6, and the Farmington presentation will be held on August 28. The board will receive invitations to both events. Tricia Garner noted that one of the HGW tour chairs is a past Fellow. Anne noted the Fellowships are run through Rieley & Associates.

Treasurer Vicky Alexander distributed financial reports, reported on investment accounts, and outlined plans for the upcoming audit. She reviewed cash flow and noted unexpected income.

She reported the KVH Carriage House’s seven-year lease is ending in September. The tenant has requested repairs that include drainage issues for which the Restoration Committee is responsible. The estimate for the repairs is $26,000. Vicky recommended that 5% of the 2019 Endowment draw be used to cover the cost.

Jean, Lynn McCashin, Tricia McDaniel, and Vicky will meet and discuss the income of the KVH Carriage House and determine if the income received from the rent payments will continue to be considered as income or should be budgeted for future repairs. It was suggested the Carriage House should be evaluated for future repair issues. Jean and Anne Baldwin reminded the board that the Restoration Committee is responsible for the exterior maintenance of the KVH but not the Carriage House.

Vicky reported that increasing expenses require higher draws from the endowment and will seek professional advice in estimating a five-year financial plan.

Finance Committee Chairman Tricia McDaniel reported on the Restoration Committee investment account performance and, while not “glowing,” GCV invests in this account for the long run and the account needs to remain liquid. She also described a new insurance policy to cover KVH contents.

Historic Garden Week Committee Chairman Tricia Garner reported strong attendance during the 2019 HGW tours and provided financial information. She then presented a request from the Danville, Chatham, and Gabriella combined tour to move their tour from Friday to Thursday. The request was approved with all in agreement that the change better aligns with Martinsville’s Wednesday tour.

Tricia shared the HGW 2020 poster featuring a dogwood. The Kent-Valentine House will be featured on the cover of the Guidebook.

Conservation and Beautification Committee Chairman Carrie Dorsey announced she is trying to increase the membership of the committee. One goal of the committee is to increase engagement with local clubs. The 2020 Conservation Forum will focus on two issues: tree planting to combat global warming and Refuse to Use.

An additional committee goal is to increase collaboration with other organizations. Carrie has met with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to discuss its focus on education and its “Plant Natives” initiative.

Jean shared her “Zero Waste Bag” kit, which helps eliminate the use of plastics in an individual’s daily life. Nets can be purchased to replace the plastic bags used in grocery stores for fruits and vegetables. Carrie referenced an organization called 4oceans.org that makes bracelets out of plastic waste found in the ocean. The organization makes money from selling the bracelets to further their efforts.

Development Committee Chairman Sue Rosser reported 100% board participation in the Annual Fund for the 2018-2019 fiscal year – essential when applying for grants. Donations to the Annual Fund were just shy of the $125,000 goal. A total of 81% of member clubs have given to GCV funds. Only 19% of individual GCV member gifts were received, but the amount of the gifts has risen.

Sue announced that The Ashland Garden Club has gifted $3000 for a Centennial sponsorship. The Roller-Bottimore Foundation grant was awarded to the GCV in the amount of $25,000, and the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation grant was awarded to the GCV in the amount of $15,000. A total of $118,000 has been raised in Centennial sponsorships to date.

Horticulture Committee Chairman Wendy Walker reported Grelen Nursery was a great partner for Horticulture Field Day. Lilies in Bloom in June was a great success. The committee is starting to plan 2020 Horticulture Field Day, tentatively scheduled to be hosted in Norfolk.

Artistic Design Committee Chairman Tory Willis reported 2019 Lilies in Bloom was the first time an artistic division was included, and all twelve entries were filled. The Centennial flower show arrangement themes were listed in the written report. Missy and Tory will meet concerning how clubs will register for the arrangements. The clubs will be allowed to pick their arrangement theme. Tory said there would be a need for a lot of volunteers.

Jean reported for Strategic Planning. The Pollinator Protection Initiative, included in the Board packet, gives clubs suggestions on activities promoting protection. Committee member Heidi James developed the initiative and has asked for bBoard support. Lynchburg has been designated as a Bee City. Jean stated this is an opportunity to collaborate with Mrs. Northam as she is interested in pollinator paths. The board endorsed this initiative.

The Directors at Large presented “What is the Role of Directors at Large?” and requested they receive the Centennial information that will be given to the liaisons during their September meeting. DALs are important in identifying future leaders of the GCV, and they encouraged the continuation of Presidents Day. Ninety-nine percent of first- and second-year presidents attended the event, and second-year club presidents had a lot of information to share with the first-year presidents. The board endorsed hosting a 2020 Presidents Day event and feels it needs to be a line item in the GCV budget. The event will be reviewed by the Finance Committee to determine a budget.

Following announcements the meeting was adjourned.