2008 Spring Annual Meeting: Tuckahoe

April 9, 2022

The eighty-eighth Annual Meeting of the Garden Club of Virginia was hosted by the Tuckahoe Garden Club of Westhampton in Richmond on May 13-15, 2008, at the Jefferson Hotel.  “Tradition in Transition” was chaired by Martha Moore and Joanie Robins.

Cabell West hosted the Board of Directors for lunch prior to the board meeting on May 13 at her home.

The Dutch treat dinner was hosted al fresco by Sue and Tad Thompson and family at their historic Tuckahoe Plantation.

President Sally Guy Brown called the meeting to order Wednesday morning and called on Tuckahoe Garden Club president Cabell West, who welcomed attendees.

Sally Guy summed up her presidency in terms of strategic planning accomplishments. She closed, “all of these changes and the implementation of the strategic plan could not have been accomplished without the dedication, talent, energy and great spirit of fun and friendship that is the GCV. What a fabulous group you are. Just like my recent ride in the pace car on the Martinsville Speedway, this has been a most thrilling and wonderful ride, and I cannot thank you enough.”

First Vice President Cabell West and Second Vice President Kim Nash announced that the Communications Committee would be eliminated, with the Second Vice President and the Corresponding Secretary being asked to oversee external communications (including finance) and internal communications, respectively. Directors at Large have been asked to serve as liaisons to remaining committees. These changes are designed to unify the different voices of the GCV and are not intended to change the work of individual committees.

Corresponding Secretary Mary Bruce Glaize described successful member orientation meetings organized within the newly established regional framework: District 1 meeting in Richmond at the Kent-Valentine House, led by Candy Carden; District 2 meeting at Elk Hill Farm in Nelson County, led by Laura Dansby; District 3 and District 4 meeting at the Moses Myers House in Norfolk, led by Betty Power; and District 5 meeting at Oatlands in Leesburg, led by Kim Nash.

Following morning reports, Tuckahoe Garden Club member Sue Thompson introduced renowned landscape architect and founder of the Southern Garden History Society, Ben Page. He is a principal at Ben Page and Associates and has been published in Southern Accents, Gardens Illustrated, House and Garden, Southern Living, Veranda and House Beautiful.His slide lecture featured his work that included landscape plans ranging from four acres adjacent to the residence of the Vice President of the United States to a 96-acre university campus in Memphis.

The meeting was adjourned for the afternoon and attendees were treated to luncheon in the newly renovated Capitol, made possible by Clerk of Senate Susan Clarke Schaar. Afternoon tours of the Capitol, the Executive Mansion and grounds, and the Library of Virginia followed lunch. Afternoon tea was held at the Kent-Valentine House.

The awards banquet was held Wednesday night at the Jefferson Hotel.

Sally Guy reconvened the meeting Thursday morning and congratulated award recipients.

GCV Online Chairman and Webmaster Nina Mustard then presented an online workshop, “The GCV Website in a Nutshell.” Mary Bruce followed the workshop by reading a GCV resolution honoring Nina for her work, adding, “Nina is our WWW: our wonderful, winning, webmaster.”

Horticulture Chairman Kay Van Allen announced 2008 Horticulture Award of Merit recipient Mary Ann Gibbons, a member of Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club and, “an avid conservationist and a zealous advocate of native plants.”

Mary Bruce followed the Journal reports from Chairman Gail Braxton, Editor Jeanette Cadwallender, and Advertising by reading a GCV resolution honoring Laurie Starke, Journal Editor Pro Tem in the absence of Peggy Federhart.

Nominations Chairman Mary Hart Darden presented the Slate of Officers in nomination for 2008-2010.

Tributes to Sally Guy Brown

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable. First, you have to know what you want. Women have long known what they wanted and became famous for doing it first. Sally Guy Brown joins an illustrious list of women in history. She will probably not be published in record books, but surely, she will be recorded in the history of the Garden Club of Virginia as setting the state for many firsts.” A slide presentation followed that listed a few of her “firsts” – first world-class fly fisherman as GCV President, leader of first GCV Symposium, first GCV President to say “charge it’ and many more.

Sally Guy introduced new GCV President Cabell West who adjourned the eighty-eighth Annual Meeting of the Garden Club of Virginia.