2002 Spring Annual Meeting: Gabriella

February 22, 2022

The eighty-second Annual Meeting of the Garden Club of Virginia was hosted by the Gabriella Garden Club at the Stratford Inn Conference Center in Danville, chaired by Sharon Scott and Ina Ingram.

The Board met at the home of Sharon Scott for “a magnificent luncheon served under the elegant arms of the voluptuous crab apple tree” in her backyard, followed by the Board meeting. Directors presented Mina with a painted canvas of flowers that represented each of their member clubs. Worm watering indicators at each place competed with Sharon’s meringue pie crust for top billing.

Mina thanked Board members for their support during her term and encouraged continued loyalty to the Garden Club of Virginia. She added, “I think the volunteer effort that the GCV represents is remarkable. I hope it will continue in the same spirit that it is carried out today, which is why we must try to streamline these jobs as much as possible so that women will have time to incorporate them into their busy schedules. Our state programs have a full participation, which indicates they are interesting and fun. We must work to ensure that they stay current and address the problems of the 21st century.”

Ad hoc Personnel Committee Chairman Annabel Josephs reported the impending departure of GCV Executive Director Kathy Rolph and the decision to rename the position “Administrator to the Garden Club of Virginia,” to reflect more emphasis on computer skills.

Referring to the recent reorganization of investments accounts, Chairman Mary Howe Dizerega reported that current accounts included the Kent-Valentine House Endowment, the new GCV Fund, Conservation Awards Fund and Common Wealth Award Fund.

Other business discussions included the possibility of reorganizing several committees — publications, editorial board, slides and public relations; library updates; the planned garden study trip to Ireland; numerous changes to the bylaws to reflect a replacement of the word “publications” with the word Journal; and additional changes to the format of names in the Register.

The Dutch treat dinner was held at the Danville Community Market with “Gabriels” tending bar. In her tribute, Marietta Gwathmey asked, “Are there really that many ferns in the entire world??!!
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Mina called the meeting to order Wednesday morning and introduced Gabriella Garden Club President Paige Wiseman. Club historian Peyton Parker began, “Don’t think for a minute that the Gabriellas were so named because they were angelic!  The club was formed in the garden of a lady whose name was Gabriella Dula.“ She described the club’s first project — cleaning up the area surrounding the town’s haunted house – and continued with more recent community projects

Helen Murphy was called up to pay tribute to former GCV President (1994-1996) Pat Leggett who died on May 1, 2002. Pat held numerous GCV board positions before her presidency, including Restoration Committee Chairman. Her knowledge and keen interest in landscape architecture was of benefit, not only to GCV, but also to other statewide organizations. During her term she initiated the first capital campaign ever conducted by the GCV with a goal to raise $2 million for renovations of the Kent-Valentine House and for the addition of the elevator tower. She also presided over the 75th anniversary of the Garden Club of Virginia.

Meg Clement gave a stirring report regarding the September 11, 2001, attack and reminded attendees that Garden Club of Virginia members in the previous generations had paid tribute during the war years of the 1940s by sending funds to Danville-born Lady Astor of the House of Parliament for civilian relief in England; purchasing war bonds; participating in wartime projects and sending 1941 Historic Garden Week proceeds to England. Why? Meg stated, “Because woven through our mission statement is our own pledge of allegiance and our commitment to this Commonwealth, our determination not to be deaf or aloof to the adversities that affect her and her citizens.” On behalf of the GCV Board of Directors, Meg recommended that each club plant a tree in its community, to be enjoyed by the public and to serve as a symbol of recognition of the lives lost.

Horticulture Chairman Rosemary Wallinger provided a preview of 2002 Horticulture Field Day to be held on June 5-6 in Alexandria. She then announced the 2002 Horticiulture Award of Merit recipients: Elaine Burden, Fauquier and Loudoun; Laura Dansby, Spotswood; Claiborne Dickenson, Eastern Shore; Eveline Holt, Virginia Beach; Alice Martin, Petersburg; Martha Moore, Tuckahoe; and Dianne Spence, Williamsburg. Rosemary thanked attendees for their generous participation in making her committee’s two-year journey into horticultural ecology a success.

Following a brief recess, James I. Robertson, Jr., noted author and professor of history at Virginia Tech, spoke on the role of women in the Civil War. Described by Marietta Gwathmey,“We heard his riveting account of passion and intrigue as he told of the planning and executing of a fiery first kiss on or about the lips of Nell Jefferson who blushed prettily as she whispered to his wife, ‘Really, it was nothing….,’ proving, of course, that the wife is always the last to know. He warmed to his topic, ‘Southern Women in the Civil War,’ and held us spellbound by his rendering of women’s roles in the war-torn South.”

Lunch was served in the lovely homes of Gabriella’s members and included a dessert of ice cream, Nesselrode (a mixture of candied fruits, nuts and maraschino) and frozen lemonade — popular enough to warrant putting the recipe on the website!

Attendees were then offered a choice of three afternoon activities: a tour of Carol Strange’s garden, filled with the scent of old roses; a stroll along the River Walk; and a tour of Millionaire’s Row that included the Langhorne House, home of the Gibson Girl and her sister Lady Astor.

The awards banquet was held at the Danville Golf Club, transformed into Victorian splendor, complete with brocade table toppers, hats, hatpins, pin cushions, flower hat boxes and moss-covered hats, all different. Gabriella herself sat on the mantel, decked out in parsley, lime green pearls and white lilies.

Mina called the meeting to order early Thursday morning and reports continued. Nominations Chairman Nancy Talley presented the following slate in nomination for 2002-2004. A motion to accept the slate was seconded and passed.

Parliamentarian Gale Roberts presented changes to bylaws, including the addition of the Garden Club of Virginia Fund, renaming the Publications Committee to the Journal Committee and the addition of the Communications and Personnel committees. Director of Public Relations Sarah Bass presented Mina with two scrapbooks, one for each year of her term.

Helen Pinckney reported for Development Chairman Widgee Zirkle that four areas in the Kent-Valentine still need renovations to complete the 1997 master plan — kitchens on first and second floors, first-floor flower pantry and third-floor powder room. She informed attendees the goal of $150,000 was two-thirds complete and said donations would be greatly appreciated.

After a short recess, Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, presented an entertaining and informative slide lecture and warned, “If you want to have a garden, you have to break a few rules.” Marietta reported, “With his wild and crazy humor and high energy, he set forth a wealth of information on landscaping and plants which made for a fun listening experience.”

Mina then called new GCV President Mary Hart Darden to the podium and welcomed the “Georgia peach,” stating she had known Mary Hart for ten or twelve years and had never known a more efficient, personable, good-humored, dependable person. “Her attention to detail is constant and her devotion to the Garden Club of Virginia is evident in her take-charge attitude, whether it be in handling finances or tapping an entirely new avenue of GCV activity, the development and evolution of our website. I know of no one who could have doggedly pursued this challenge more effectively and with more good humor than Mary Hart.”

Mary Hart Darden paid tribute to Mina, with more than a few tears among attendees. “Mina Walker Wood has led us well. There were times she pulled us along and other times she nudged us from the rear, but all along she never faltered on the best course for the Garden Club of Virginia.” Mary Hart shared wisdom that Mina had passed along from one of her sons, “Mom, you don’t have to answer every question. It’s all right to say, ‘I don’t know.’” Mary Hart then asked of Mina “What will the Garden Club of Virginia do without you? With deepest honor I reply, I don’t know. Thank you, Mina.”