Thursday 5 May 2011

The Green Thumb

The Green Thumb            
                                 The Thorold Horticultural Society
                                        Founded February 1929
                                  Box 417 Thorold Ontario L2V 4J6
                                               
                                               
                                Society Flower – Red Geranium


       MAY MEETING
            Wednesday May 18th 2011
        Holy Rosary Hall Queen St Thorold

PLANT SALE ** AND OPEN HOUSE
                   6:30 to 7:30
                  ALL INVITED to
MEET OUR NEW PRESIDENT Michael Stangl and VICE PRESIDENT Andrew Botbyl
                      **********
DEMONSTRATIONS ** ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
              EXCITING DOOR PRIZES
PLANT and Photo DISPLAYS
 FOLKS ON HAND TO ANSWER ALL YOUR GARDENING QUESTIONS

7:30 – Regular Meeting ****

****REGULAR MEETING*****
We have invited our new District 9 Director, Sue Lusted to be with us and say a few words about the Provincial Convention coming up next year. Things are well underway and you will want to hear all about it.
Following her presentation there will be a time of refreshment and socialization. In the past we featured rhubarb desserts at the May meeting so if you feel inclined we welcome muffins etc with rhubarb as the key ingredient.
 Please note there will be no mini show this month.

PLANT SALE INFORMATION
*** Bring donations for the sale to the hall between 5:30 and 6:30 pm so they can be priced and placed.
If you can’t get your plants in at this time or if you need containers please phone Barb Berry at 905-227-4307.


SOCIETY FINANCES
Balance forward from March 31, 2011- $2,164.47
Income
Membership-                              $301.00
Corporate Sponsorships-                70.00
Donations-                                       10.00
Total Income-                              $381.00
Expenses
Speakers Fee-April -                    $50.00
Rental Postal Box                           152.55
Cake/March meeting                      19.99
Newsletter                                        22.04
OHA Membership dues               312.00
District 9 Membership dues          41.00
Convention Start Up Fees            150.00
Total Expenses                            $927.18            

Balance on hand as of April 30, 2011-$1,618.29
Thanks to Treasurer Betty Beck for this financial statement.







PAST EVENTS
VOLUNTEER AWARDS RECOGNITION
The Thorold Horticultural Society was honored with an organizational volunteer award at the 2011 City of Thorold Good Citizen Awards Night , held Wednesday April 13 at Club Capri . We were also given a special recognition for outstanding service to the Thorold Community- including the Society’s many public works projects over the years. It was a lovely evening and ten members were on hand to accept these honours.  We wish to thank all of the committee members that organized the event especially Terry Dow who nominated the THS.  The certificates and the special award will be on display at upcoming meetings. We encourage everyone to come out and see them. One of our members, Albert Secord was presented with an individual Volunteer Award for his work in several organizations including the Horticultural Society, the Historical Society and the Friends of the Morningstar Mill. Congratulations Albert!!! Congratulations THS!!!



DISTRICT 9 AGM and SPRING FORUM
SATURDAY APRIL 16 2011
GRACE MENNONITE CHURCH ST CATHARINES ON

Seventy-nine members of Niagara District 9 gathered together at Grace Mennonite Church on Niagara Street in St Catharines on Saturday April 16 for the 2011 Annual General Meeting and Spring Forum.
District Marvin Myhre chaired the first part of the meeting.
Greetings were brought from Marvin as well as Rose Walsh, president of the host society and Brian McMullan, mayor of St. Catharines .
The minutes of the 2010 spring meeting were read by District 9 secretary Lisa DeYoung and the financial report by Treasurer Eileen Hewett.
OLD/NEW BUSINESS – Marvin went over a number of items including the regional science fair and preparations for the upcoming 2012 Convention.
CONVENTION ROSE COMMITTEE REPORT
The Committee announced the name of this Rose. It is to be called
The 1812 rose. It is a Kordes rose in the fairy tale series and is sold commercially under the name Red Riding Hood. Niagara College will be planting a bed this spring. A brochure and order form will be distributed soon. The rose will be available for order in the spring of 2012.

ROLL CALL-St Catharines had the most members attending with 23. Thorold had 2- Patsy Ingoldsby and Barb Berry.
The morning was Speaker John Sellers, District 4 Director and 2nd vice president of OHA. He talked on the following: 1. the 2011 convention in Sudbury and proxy voting if a society was not sending any delegates 2.the widespread use of electronic communication by the OHA. All forms are now available on line and can be filled out and mailed electronically.
3. The need for liability insurance
4 Accountability at all levels- individual societies, District and Provincial-to the Ontario government and to members
ELECTIONS
John Sellers conducted the elections. Elected as follows were
District Director- Sue Lusted
Assistant Directors - Colleen Laverdiere, Stephanie [McClure] Haverwood and Shirley Marsden
Appointed as secretary- Lisa De Young and treasurer- Eileen Hewitt
Past president- Marvin Myhre
Russell Boles, president of the Niagara Falls Horticultural Society thanked Marvin for all his work as District 9 Director the past few years.

After lunch, Marvin Myhre presented the Doris Lightheart award to the society that had the greatest increase in membership in 2010. The honours went to Niagara on the Lake .
Prize money was given out to the winners of the mini show. The show was excellent. There are a number of very talented arrangers in District 9. Draws were made for both the door prizes and the fund raiser draw.
AFTERNOON SPEAKER-EVELYN WOLF of Garden Possibilities in Newmarket   Topic: Companion Planting Visit Evelyn’s web site http://www.gardenpossibilities.co/ to find out all about companion planting.

APRIL MEETING-ANNUAL MEETING/ELECTIONS
District Director Stephanie Haverwood presided over the installation of officers and directors for 2011. They are as follows-
Past President- Nikki Szczechura
President -Michael Stangl   Vice President-Andrew Botbyl
Recording Secretary – Marg Lamb    Corresponding Secretary- Patsy Ingoldsby
Treasurer- Betty Beck
Directors
Joanna Antonsen , Betty Beck, Barb Berry, Marilynn Burke, Peggy Champion, Doreen Koch, Deborah Lee and Barb Te Desco.
Reports for 2010 including the Financial Statements, 2011 Budget, Activity Report and President’s Report were also presented to the members.
Both incoming president Michael Stangl and vice president Andrew Botbyl introduced themselves and talked about their ideas for the future of the society.

MEMBERSHIP FEE INCREASE
It was moved by Betty Beck, seconded by Barbara Berry that  single adult memberships be increased to $15, with each additional adult member in a household $5 and each additional child $2. Corporate memberships $35 will also be offered. The motion was approved. Note the increase in dues has been necessitated by increases in such things as insurance and Society membership fees in both the OHA [ Ontario Horticultural Association] and Niagara District 9. OHA fees are $312 and District $41 Insurance is $179.00



SPEAKERS
Zebrina Zimmerman talked about her family’s participation in the Plant a row- Grow a row program and urged everyone to consider contributing any extra fresh produce to Community Care or other agencies. Even if we have only a balcony or patio we can plant some veggies in containers to give to others. Bruce said that recipients of food banks traditionally receive non perishable food items in cans or boxes and they would really welcome some fresh carrots, beans etc that are grown in the local community.


DAFFODIL TEA   
The weather outside may have been wacky on the last Wednesday of April- windy/muggy and temperatures hovering around 28* but inside Trinity United Church Hall it was cool and delightfully decorated for the annual Daffodil Tea.
Many thanks to THS members who helped in various ways at the event-from providing daffodils, baked goods to working in the kitchen and serving. A big thank you goes out to a former member, Dorothy Chessen for all her work in decorating the hall and foyer.


SCHOOLS- ARBOR DAY Donations
All elementary schools in Thorold were offered a flowering pear tree for planting on their school grounds. Thanks to our President Michael Stangl and Bakker’s Nursery. Thanks to Patsy Ingoldsby for contacting the schools.


UPCOMING EVENTS
JUNE ROSE SHOW
Wednesday June 22   Holy Rosary Hall
Theme- THE ROYAL WEDDING
This is an opportunity to celebrate the great event all over again.
We are encouraging members to wear their best – hats especially.  
 Conveners are Deborah Lee and Barb Tedesco. They may be calling you to help at the show. The schedule with all the information you need is included in this newsletter. It will be sent separately for those getting theirs by email.
Thanks to Nikki Szczechura for compiling the schedule for us and for all the committee who came up with wonderful ideas for the decorative division.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL SOCIETY HAPPENINGS-WE ARE NOW ON FACEBOOK,HAVE OUR OWN BLOG AND GAINED A SPOT JUST FOR US ON THE OHA WEBSITE –GARDEN ONTARIO.COM

We would like to thank our CORPORATE SPONSORS:
and for further info on how you can sponsor please email: