2003 Spring Annual Meeting: Fairfax

April 11, 2022

The eighty-third Annual Meeting of the Garden Club of Virginia was hosted by the Garden Club of Fairfax on May 12-14, 2003, at the Fair Lakes Hyatt, chaired by Sandy Aman and Nancy Anne Cook.

The Board of Directors gathered on May 12 at the home of Suzi Worsham in Clifton for lunch, followed by the board meeting.

A revised edition of the Member’s Handbook was presented.

Business reports from Development, Communications and Journal committees followed. Finance Chairman Dianne Spence initiated a discussion of the soaring insurance costs, pointing out that GCV was fortunate coverage was not canceled following the large sewerage repair claim. She also presented a motion from the Kent-Valentine House Committee that up to $5,000 be approved from the balance of the kitchen renovation fund to purchase 60 ballroom chairs, a trolley to carry and store chairs, 8 white tablecloths and white overlays. The chairs would be offered for rental during events at the Kent-Valentine House. Motion carried.

Following business, the meeting adjourned.

An elegant Dutch treat dinner was held in the hotel that evening, offering an Oriental buffet that included “too many desserts from which to choose.”

Mary Hart called the Annual Meeting to order Wednesday morning and welcomed attendees. Jo Ann Benson and Charlotte Benjamin (outgoing and incoming Fairfax presidents, respectively) each provided brief remarks and introduced club historians Roberta Carter and Linda Schlesinger. Roberta and Linda swept attendees back to 1926, when sisters Katherine McCandlish Richardson and Ruth McCandlish Graham, dressed in finery appropriate for the day, invited friends for tea in Katherine’s rose garden.

Mary Hart reported that attendees would hear about the recently revised Members Handbook from Deedy Bumgardner, the first edition of the GCV Committee Manual from Dianne Spence and updates to the GCV database from Annabel Josephs. She reviewed activities that had provided members with opportunities for continuing education — workshops by Journal, Horticulture, Flower Shows and Conservation and Beautification committees; and special events that included forums, lectures, flower show speakers and Horticulture Field Day.

Meg Clement reported on the “Tree Memorial Project,” a remembrance of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. Every club participated in the project, planting more than 65 trees. Meg continued, “Sprinkled across the Commonwealth, these trees stand tall in the forms of foster holly, katsura, dogwood, tulip poplar, honey locust and more.” She continued, “These memorials will remind us of that one horrid event, but they are as unique as each of the lives lost on September 11. The Garden Club of the Northern Neck joined with the students of Rappahannock Community College to create a meditation garden, while the Garden Club of Warren County planted 15 trees along Front Royal’s Peyton Street. Fauquier and Loudon Garden Club surrounded Goose Creek Bridge with swamp magnolias, while the four clubs in Richmond dedicated scarlet oaks at Mary Munford School and included a reading from Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. From Norway spruce in Winchester to the crape myrtles at Martinsville’s public library, from the red maple at Virginia Beach’s Garden Park to the mountain ash in Lynchburg’s Old City Cemetery, these trees will reflect the dignity, courage and hope that have arisen from our emotions born on September 11.”

GCV Members Handbook, offered for sale $3.00 and Catherine Whitham reported on the new planned giving brochure. Catherine also reported for Development Chairmen Susan Ewing that the Board of Directors had approved a resolution for the committee to seek foundations gifts for capital projects at the Kent-Valentine House, adding, “Local foundations will support GCV efforts to protect and preserve the historic house as long as a prudent, long-term, fundraising plan is in place with the membership.”

Horticulture Chairman Suzanne Wright announced 2003 Horticulture Award of Merit recipients: Sally Guy Brown, the Garden Club of Alexandria; Pamela Simpson DeBergh, Winchester-Clarke Garden Club; Laura Anne Brooks, the Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula; Katharine Kingsley, Leesburg Garden Club; Foxie Morgan, the Lynchburg Garden Club; and Pat Taylor, the Boxwood Garden Club.

Public Relations Chairman Fleet Hurlbatt and Slides Committee Chairman Linda Consolvo summarized their efforts on plans to merge the two committees. Fleet described her responsibility in photographing and providing press releases for GCV events with Linda serving as her assistant and scribe.

The meeting was adjourned for the day and attendees were invited to Mount Vernon for lunch. Ann Gordon Evans described the afternoon, “With lunch and our rosemary centerpiece, we saw a horticulturist at his very best. The head horticulturist at Mount Vernon, Dean Norton, treated us to an afternoon filled with film, lecture, Mount Vernon gardens and lots of fun.” During the tour, attendees had an opportunity to see Mount Vernon’s bowling green, one of Rudy Favretti’s final restoration projects as the GCV Landscape Architect.

The awards banquet was held that evening at the George Mason University Center for the Arts.

The meeting was reconvened at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Rosemary Wallinger, Betsy Agelasto and Clarkie Eppes discussed Journal goals to meet the increasing financial needs, after moving from two Journals to four, and the need to reduce the turnaround time required for editing, printing and mailing the Journals. They described a successful workshop on March 24, 2003, when Nancy Hugo presented, “The Writer’s Life: Combining the Passion with the Prose,” and followed with an amusing conversation describing the “tall and short of things” — short articles of 450 words or less and tall orders to reach out for articles.

Barbara Catlett reported on completed Kent-Valentine House renovations of the kitchens and third-floor bathroom, then introduced Dudley Brown who spoke about his work on the project. Annabel Josephs then presented GCV Honorary Membership to C. Dudley Brown. His contributions to Kent-Valentine construction and renovation projects and interior design advice have proven invaluable to the Garden Club of Virginia.

Mary Glen Taylor, 2003 de Lacy Gray Medal recipient, gave an informative report on her project to search and catalogue Charles Gillette’s work.

Nominations Chairman Katty Mears presented the following slate in nomination for 2003-2005 Directors at Large: Meredith Scott, the James River Garden Club; Molly Rueger, the Virginia Beach Garden Club and Joyce Moorman, the Brunswick Garden Club. The motion to approve the adoption of the slate carried.

Restoration Chairman Bessie Carter introduced 2002 Favretti Fellow, Sarah Trautvetter, who gave an informative report on her work at Old Mansion in Bowling Green.