2004 Spring Annual Meeting: Spotswood

April 11, 2022

The eighty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Garden Club of Virginia was held on May 19-20, 2004, at the Spotswood Country Club in Harrisonburg, chaired by Glenna Graves and Susan Craun.

The Board of Directors was hosted for lunch on Tuesday, May 18, 2004, at the home of Widgee Zirkle, where Mary Hart thanked her board members with parting gifts. The board meeting followed at the Hampton Inn.

Business included numerous changes to bylaws. The Journal treasurer position was eliminated and those duties were transferred to the GCV Treasurer. The Journal Advertising Committee was expanded and Journal cost-cutting measures were announced.

After previously reporting on soaring insurance costs and the efforts to reduce the costs, Finance Chairman Dianne Spence received notice that the insurance policy would not be renewed. She credited Cabell West and Anne Baldwin with obtaining a less expensive replacement policy with more coverage.

It was mentioned with concern that the “dial-up modem was limited to 1500 minutes; the staff has been mindful of turning the Internet off when they are not using it.”

Mary Hart called the eighty-fourth Annual Meeting to order and introduced Rachel Hollis, Spotswood president who then introduced club historian Sandra Eagle.

“And while this is our first Annual Meeting, we have had three Board of Governors meetings. In October 1933, we entertained the Board of Governors with headquarters at the Kavanaugh Hotel. The minutes read, ‘A series of entertainments were given in their honor, and every effort was made to give pleasure to our distinguished guests.’ In 1955, we again had this pleasure. Those minutes catalog a round of luncheons, tea and dinner. Although the minutes don’t mention it specifically, we assume the guests were distinguished. The 1979 Board of Governors meeting made the record books. The city had 10 inches of snow on October 10. At that meeting our distinguished guests were confined to the motel lobby as we ferried food and flowers through the snowbanks in four-wheel drives, readjusting our plans as the flakes piled up.”

Sandra continued with the club’s many successes in hosting GCV events and in supporting the community through the years. “There is hardly a median strip untouched, a ragged corner that goes begging or a municipal building under landscaped.”

Mary Hart expressed pride in the presentation of three restoration projects during her term: Moses Myers House garden in Norfolk; Lee Hall in Newport News; and the stone walls of Dogwood Lane in Clarke County; she laughed about her 1994 assignment to install a database of GCV members saying, “You think you are a bit slow? That assignment took me 10 years to complete!”

Lucy Ellett read a House Resolution commending the Garden Club of Virginia for the Memorial Tree Project.

Communications Chairman Page Sullenberger reported, “There is little that goes on in GCV that one won’t find at www.gcvirginia.org. And perhaps the most thrilling of all is the speed with which the membership has dumped tons of bits of data into our coffers. They are as treasured as gold.”

Development Chairman Susan Ewing reported that exterior renovations and repairs at the Kent-Valentine House were estimated in the $200,000 range. This would include balustrade and portico reconstruction. She announced plans to contact and make proposals to several local foundations for assistance with the project. The committee was also considering an annual listing of donors in the Journal.

Historian Lynn Beeler reported, “After a year and a half of planning, canceling and replanning, we had a most successful meeting of approximately 35 club historians and a few club presidents at the Kent-Valentine House in October 2003. Paulette Schwarting, an archivist with the Virginia Historical Society presented methods of preserving scrapbooks, photographs and other important papers. Attendees then toured the KVH and sorted through their club boxes. Some were happy with their overstuffed boxes, while some found more dust than history!”

Julia Stickley of the Spotswood Garden Club introduced speaker John Heatwole, celebrated author and historian, who presented, “Memories of the Land Beyond the Blue Mountains.”

Mary Hart presented for the first time the North American Lily Society Award for Service to Genie Diller. The award was designed by her husband and talented artist, David Diller.

The 2004 Massie Medal for Distinguished Achievement was presented to Dorothy Harris Montgomery for her leadership, service, advocacy and devotion to the Garden Club of Virginia. The 2004 de Lacy Gray Memorial Medal for Conservation was presented to Rebecca McGovern for a lifetime of achievement in conservation and beautification.

Mary Hart reconvened the meeting on Thursday morning. Following a report by Conservation and Beautification Chairman Mary Bruce Glaize, Nina Luxmoore of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation presented the GCV with a John Barber print to thank the GCV for their continued support for working to protect the rivers of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay. The CBF and GCV have worked together on a variety of issues, including poultry waste, wetlands protection, King William Reservoir and increased funding for natural resources.

Betsy Agelasto and Clarke Eppes compared their committee efforts to streamline Journal production and reduce costs with the Extreme Makeover shows on television, calling their work an Extreme Journal Makeover.

Horticulture Chairman Suzanne Wright reminded attendees that The Horticulture Committee’s Directory of Nurseries, Speakers and Books was posted on the GCV website. After describing upcoming horticulture events, Suzanne presented Horticulture Awards of Merit to Nita Easley Andrew, Chatham Garden Club; Mary Sherwood Holt, Huntington Garden Club; Mac Doughtie Houfek, the Virginia Beach Garden Club; Genrose Lashinger, the Williamsburg Garden Club; Anne Olsen, the Garden Club of the Northern Neck; Nancy J. Philpott, the Garden Study Club; Linda Pinkham, the Elizabeth River Garden Club; Kay Van Allen, the Lynchburg Garden Club; and Lucy Wilson, the Martinsville Garden Club.Public Relations Chairman Fleet Hurlbatt presented Mary Hart with “collection of wonderful memories of all that has been achieved during your leadership. Enjoy!”

Following a report by Restoration Chairman Bessie Carter, Rosemary Wallinger introduced Andre Viette, author, radio show host, nursery owner and propagator.

Ellen Saunders paid tribute to Spotswood, saying, “The ladies of the Spotswood Garden Club have given us a virtual Friendship Quilt to carry with us as we travel home.”

Nominations Chairman Katty Mears presented the following 2004-2006 slate for approval.

Deedy Bumgardner paid tribute to Mary Hart with a clever and glowing “performance evaluation” of Mary Hart as the head gardener. Her evaluation included Mary Hart’s extensive GCV knowledge gained through numerous, previously held leadership positions; her selection of capable chairmen; her push, leadership and insistence that GCV become computer savvy; her wise advice and cheerful encouragement; her careful pruning (slides, budgets and more); and her skills in handling skirmishes with Richmond’s Architectural Review Board. A standing ovation followed.

Mary Hart bid farewell to the office and wished Deedy well as she was poised to bring her own dreams and aspirations to the office of President of the Garden Club of Virginia. Deedy then adjourned the eighty-fourth Annual Meeting.