May 2013

You have elected me as your District Director for 2013 – 2015. This is a very important and exciting job and it is an honor.  I look forward to working with all of you.  At the FFGC Convention in Ft Myers April 28 – 30 the new state officers and District directors will be installed and it would be wonderful if we could see all your friendly faces there.  We will have the opportunity to cheer on our District as Barbara Hadsell receives several awards for our winning entries.

Our theme for the next 2 years will be “Gardens are for Sharing.”  Just as walking into a garden offers beauty & diversity, so our garden clubs offer a wealth of opportunities to learn and share our knowledge & enjoy the friendships we make while working together.  As District Director I hope you will invite me to your clubs and continue to share your exciting club activities

I was born and raised in the West Palm Beach/Lake Worth area, so yes I am a true Native Floridian.  I belonged to Girl Scouts and always enjoyed crafts, working with natural materials and digging in the dirt, no gloves, no shoes just down and dirty, just another excuse to play in the hose. In 1975 I  moved to Rochester NY right out of HS and returned to the Ft Laud area in the early 80’s, now that’s a whole other story.  I did not get married until the age of 44, so my children are my 2 dogs. My husband Chris and I are both retired and enjoy volunteering.

My mother, Connie Singer, belonged to the WPB GC for many years; she relocated to Boca Raton and I joined her in the BRGC in 2005.  Soon I was very involved, and realized why my mother always had difficulty saying NO to all the activities.  I am not a judge, designer or 5 star member, I just have fun with all of it.  I do enjoy cooking, photography and gardening, I especially love plants that basically thrive on their own,  Those that produce babies or that you can just break off a piece and stick it in the ground. These plants are my favorites and are meant to be shared.  I once shared a stick from our Frangipani, no leaves, no flowers, with a new neighbor from Texas; I told him to just stick it in the ground and it will grow.  He looked at me like I had 3 heads.  He now tells the story and shares his 10 ft tall tree.

We need to share our knowledge with the public.  Our incoming FFGC President Sue Angle would like each district to put on a Garden Extravaganza- some of our clubs are already doing this- with vendors providing a wealth of information on water issues, invasive plants, recycling and other important topics. What a great way to promote Garden Clubs. Let them know Garden Clubs are not just Flower Shows and Tea Parties.  

As you work on your club budgets, consider including a registration fee for a member to attend the FFGC Convention, Fall or Spring District Meeting.  This could even be part of a raffle.  Let them have the opportunity to learn how much fun these events can be.

Barbara Hadsell will be honored at the National Convention in Seattle Washington, with a NGC Life membership from District Ten for all her hard work and dedication over the past 2 years as District X Director.

It is important that our clubs honor members for their time and service;  a brick placed at headquarters on the garden path, Pillar of Pride, Hall of Fame or FFGC, NGC or DS Life Membership are all good examples, everyone appreciates a pat on the back.

In January our WPBch  GC donated $3,000 to the FFGC Scholarship Endowment Fund, in honor of Carol Hall, former FFGC State President, for her many years of service to the club and district.

We have many District Officers and Chairmen who have volunteered to help make District Ten the best that we can be.  If they send you a request for information, please respond ASAP, and if you need help they will do their best to answer your questions.

Remember I am here as your Director to help you, to guide you, have fun with you and hopefully we can learn together all that garden club, district x and our state has to offer.

I believe the next 2 years will be entertaining and rewarding as we walk together remembering,    “Gardens are for Sharing” 

Thank you