A big thank you to our Secretary, Susan!
Wiltondale Garden Club – October 10, 2022 – Meeting At Andrea Evelius’ Home
Draft Minutes
Co-President Chris Raborn led the meeting, which began with lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the home of Andrea Evelius. Pat Boughter and Andrea Evelius provided a delicious lunch. Members attending are listed at the end of these minutes.
Potential Topics for future Meetings
Members suggested the following topics for consideration for future meetings:
Bees & Honey
Pollinators
Flower arranging
Kokedama moss ball planters
Tour of recycling facility
Ladew Garden tour
Winery tour
Landscape design
Houseplants
Valley View Nursery tour
Nursery tour
Herb garden at Hampton Mansion
Gardens at Evergreen House
Foraging for food
Radebaugh Park and East Towson Park
Officers and Committees for the year beginning in March 2023
Members volunteered and approved the following selection of officers and committees for the year beginning in March 2023.
- Co-Presidents: Chris Raborn and Diane Topper
- Treasurer: Darcy Watt
- Recording Secretary: Susan Wierman
- Budget, Fundraising, and Philanthropy: Chris Raborn, Diane Topper, Darcy Watt
- Website and Directory: Laura Sonjara and Chris Raborn
- Speakers and Program: Kathleen Brady and Pat Boughter
- Sunshine: Lily Porter and Lil Laird
- Member Communications: Jessica Mendoza, Lil Laird, Lily Porter
- Horticulture: Andrea Evelius
- Membership: Information posted on website; everyone encouraged to invite new members to join the club.
Treasurer’s Report
Chris explained that the Club’s funds are divided into two categories: funds available for the benefit of members, and funds raised for charitable purposes. Funds from the plant sales each year are dedicated to charitable use and cannot be used for club costs (e.g., to compensate for speaker fees or meals). Chris thanked Treasurer Darcy Watt for maintaining separate spreadsheets for each category of funds in an electronic file accessible to the Co-Presidents.
Chris summarized the revenues from the two plant sales held this year: The fall sale netted $705 after costs, and the spring sale netted $890.
Chris listed the charitable donations the Club made this past year:
$200 Towson University for the Glen Arboretum
$150 TALMAR Horticultural Therapy Center
$250 Audubon
$100 Friends of the Towson Library for children’s programming
$50 charitable memorial
$50 Alzheimer’s Association (memorial)
$1000 (approximate) cost to renovate planters at the Towson Library
$200 mulch for Radebaugh Park
Chris noted that club projects and some of the speakers invited to present at our meetings have resulted in several of the above donations.
Darcy reported the club’s current account balances are:
$2,353.27 for future charitable activities (primarily funds raised from plant sales)
$154.57 for club expenses (primarily funds remaining from dues)
Darcy explained that $11.50 per member annual dues to Federated Garden Clubs will be due in January, but members’ dues for the year are not due until February. The Club collected dues this year but lengthened the year to include summer months and operated for the past two years on one year of dues revenue. Additional funds designated for club expenses are needed to cover the 2023 dues to Federated.
Action: Members approved without objection a one-time special assessment of $10 per member to ensure that sufficient funds were available to pay dues to Federated Garden Clubs.
Chris will send an email to members to request payment of the one-time special assessment.
Recognition and Appreciation
Chris reported that the Club had received a thank you card from the Friends of the Towson Library for renovating the planters along York Road next to the library. Chris and Jessica have been visiting the planters frequently to clean up any damage and ensure sufficient watering.
The Friends of the Library also thanked the Club for our $100 donation, which will be used for children’s programming. This was funded by a $50 gift to the Club from the Sons of Italy in honor of the life of Lil Laird’s dear departed sister, which was matched by the Club for a total of $100.
Chris reported that Diane Topper and Kathleen Brady have been working hard to improve plantings at the local Radebaugh Park. The Club previously donated $65 worth of mulch. The Green Towson Alliance sent the Club a thank-you note for the mulch.
Action: Members approved without objection a further donation of $151 to cover the cost of asters planted at Radebaugh Park.
Upcoming Projects
Chris and Jessica are continuing to take care of the planters outside the Towson Library. Chris and Jessica expect to improve additional planters next to the Towson Library using perennial plants.
Chris and others will organize planter sales for 2023. The website has been a big part of expanding the planter sales. Sandy complimented the excellent planters obtained from TALMAR. Chris would like to be able to expand the number of planters to be delivered. She suggested that it would be better to limit the number of people delivering plants to five, but that it might be possible for each person to make two delivery runs. Chris noted that two planter sales per year are as much as she can oversee.
Kathleen, Jessica, and Chris volunteered to investigate the possibility of working with the Wiltondale Improvement Association to hang garlands/bows/wreaths on the light poles in the neighborhood for December. Depending on the cost and the participation by the Association, the Club would be able to donate some funds to this project if the Association would provide the labor to hang the decorations.
Andrea had some discussions with a representative of the Baltimore Zoo about helping them establish a butterfly garden in an area previously occupied by prairie dogs. It’s not clear at this time what funds the Zoo would be willing to invest in this nor whether the project has necessary approvals. Chris expected that the Club’s participation would primarily be advice regarding plantings. Andrea has a pollinator garden at her home, and the cost of the plants was substantial.
Ideas for additional projects:
- Continue to support development of Radebaugh local park
- Support development of the East Towson Park
- The Towson Chamber of Commerce encouraged replanting other planters in Towson
- Chris has established an account at a commercial grower. This could be used for a group purchase for the benefit of Club members only of a selected variety of plant. Funds could be raised for the benefit of the club if participation were limited to club members.
Upcoming meetings
This is the last meeting of the year, but there was some discussion of the possibility of a November meeting. It may be possible to schedule a wreath-making class for members at Maryland Flower and Foliage Company on Vincent Farm Road. This might be a way to increase funds available for club costs. There would be a charge for the class, and it would have to be limited to members only.
Sandy Rupp volunteered to check with the Country Club of Maryland about dates that might be available for a December dinner. She will get information to Chris as soon as possible, and Chris could send around a request for members to indicate whether they would attend.
Beginning in March, monthly meetings will continue to be the second Monday of the month at 11:30 a.m. Chris circulated a signup sheet to encourage everyone to sign up to be hosts.
Adjournment
Members thanked Chris Raborn for all her work to organize the Club. Chris thanked Darcy for agreeing to be Treasurer and having organized electronic recordkeeping to facilitate communication with the Co-Presidents. Chris thanked everyone for their participation. The meeting was adjourned at 2:05 p.m.
Attendance
Chris Raborn, Co-President
Diane Topper, Co-President
Darcy Watt, Treasurer
Susan Wierman, Recording Secretary
Pat Boughter
Kathleen Bracy
Andrea Evelius
Evelyn Johnston
Lillian Laird
Jessica Mendoza
Lily Porter
Sandy Rupp
Priscilla Smith
Caroline Connelly (guest)
Respectfully submitted,
Susan S.G. Wierman, Recording Secretary
10/10/2022