Dear Members,
Welcome Back! I hope each of you can look back over the summer and treasure memories of family, friends and community.
I am excited to be your new President, honored to follow Lynn Jax and the other powerful past Presidents and eager to welcome you to another exciting year in the Laguna Beach Garden Club (LBGC). This club is a resource, rich with wisdom and enthusiasm. Throughout the year, we will have many opportunities to share our gifts and reap the benefits of membership.
The Garden Club calendar is filled with special events: our general meetings include world-class speakers, monthly Green Thumb Craft activities foster creativity, and Trips & Tours offer interesting destinations.
Of course, our major fundraiser, the Gate & Garden Tour (Friday, May 3, 2019), and our newest club fundraiser, the Plant & Planter Boutique (Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019), will provide most of the funds for the good work of the club for scholarships, school gardens and civic beautification – along with the generous support of our sponsors.
See your beautiful new Membership Book for dates and details of our activities. Your very own copy will be available for pick up at our first meeting Friday, September 14, 2018 at Laguna Presbyterian Church in Tankersley Hall with social time at 9:30 AM; the meeting begins at 10:00 AM. You’ll also find the Membership Book on our website in the “Members Only” section along with other interesting information. We’ll provide you the password at our monthly meetings.
I encourage you not only to take advantage of all the club offers, but also think about new ways you can get involved and contribute to the club. Can you do one more thing each month? Can you sign up to bring refreshments, bring a guest, make a new member feel welcome, help with hands-on gardening, wear a flowered hat in a parade or open your garden for a member tour? Even just including someone new in your after-meeting lunch plans will enrich your experience and contribute to a stronger club. Participate as much as you are able. I guarantee that you will be rewarded.
As President, my theme is “Celebrating Art & Science in the Garden.” I see this as an opportunity to focus the enthusiasm and wisdom of the garden club not only on what we personally define as our gardens but also the “garden” we all live on, the planet Earth.
Over my two-year tenure, I will share things that I care about and learn what ignites your passion. For instance, I am proud to be a member of the club that was responsible for keeping billboards off the highway some 80 years ago. With your support we can celebrate that commitment to civic beautification by picking up litter along the highway. As a Californian, I am proud of all we do to save water. Like you, I have a bucket in my shower, and I only flush when absolutely necessary. But can we do more? A bottle-filling station downtown, for example, would eliminate the need for thousands of single-use plastic bottles, which would save millions of gallons of water. With your support, we can do so much.
These are some of the goals I am interested in pursuing this year as your president. Less visible, but just as important, are the relationships fostered and knowledge shared through club activities. The LBGC has widened both my circle and my horizons. I know it will do the same for you in the coming year.
Sincerely,
Nancy Englund
President
Laguna Beach Garden Club