Communities

Tygart Valley District Garden Clubs meet

The Tygart Valley District of the West Virginia Garden Club, Inc. met on a beautiful fall day at the Riverbend Country Club in Buckhannon on Septe. 21. The district covers eight counties and includes five garden clubs.

Fred Brooks Garden Club hosted the meeting and members decorated the meeting area with fall flowers, hay bales, pumpkins, cornstalks and banners. Stargazer Garden Club of Rock Cave provided the morning refreshments. An extensive boutique of gently used items including purses, jewelry, antiques, and garden items, as well as a "green boutique" of live plants, was donated by clubs tempted attendees. Jeanie Ward and Brianna Hill were co-chairs of the boutique and were assisted by Becky Kunzelman and Loretta Koone

Patricia Mayes, District Director, welcomed everyone and thanked Fred Brooks GC for creating a beautiful event. WVGC, Inc. State President Martha Hilton attended the meeting, as well as other WVGC officers: Pam Simien, First Vice President; Carol Williams, State Treasurer; Anne Lambright, Secretary and Finance Chair; and Emily Shirey, Executive Secretary. The Garden Club Creed was led by Bethany Post, president of the Fred Brooks GC, and the Pledge of Allegiance was let by Faith Moore, Assistant District Director. Summer Kirk-Swanson, Secretary Elect, read the minutes of last year's meeting and the treasurer's report was read by Mary Hyre, Treasurer. Ms. Mayes reported on the 2025 WVGC State Convention slated for March 27-30 at the Days Inn Conference Center at Flatwoods. The theme of the convention will be "Swing into Spring." The National Garden Club President Brenda Moore, who is a West Virginia native, will be attending the convention. Ms. Hyre presented next year's budget, which was approved. Vivian Shomo, member of the Mountaineer Garden Club and Nomination Committee Chair, presented the slate of new officers for 2025-2027. They are Faith Moore, District Director; Beth Post, Assistant District Director; Mary Hyre Treasurer; and Summer Kirk-Swanson, Secretary. Members voted to approve the nominations. These officers will be installed at the convention.

Each club president then reported on the various activities of their clubs in the past year.

Ms. Moore, chair of the Awards Committee, announced this year's district awards. Emma Scott Garden Club won two awards: the Garden Therapy award for the Mom and Pop Therapy Program in local nursing homes in Elkins, and the Community Beautification and Involvement Award for the rehab of the Blue Star Marker at the Elkins City Park. Fred Brooks Garden Club won the Evergreen Youth Award for its Stockert Youth program, the Story Time group at Upshur County Public Library and 4H Clover Bud Camp. A $50 monetary award was given to each winner.

Martha Hilton, President of the West Virginia Garden Club, addressed the group on statewide issues and activities. She presented Summer Kirk-Swanson, Vice President of the Emma Scott Garden Club, with certificates of merit from the National Garden club for three of the poems submitted by the After School Program at the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church. These award-winning poets are Quinn Broschart, Addison Harris and Zenna Jones. Ms. Mayes announced that a donation by the district was made to the Virginia Cavendish Memorial Courtyard at the Huntington Museum of Art in Ms Hilton's honor.

After a lunch of lasagna and baked chicken with all the trimmings provided by the River Cafe, Juliette Oldaker, floral designer in Buckhannon, presented a workshop on how to tie Dutch Hand-tied Bouquets. Using a variety of plants and textures, she demonstrated how to place and tie the bouquet into a beautiful naturally shaped arrangement. She explained how to trim each stem as well as how to place them in a vase. These types of bouquets may also be more formal with a uniform, conical shape.After she completed the arrangement, the bouquet was auctioned off to attendees by Ms. Hilton. Ms Post thanked Juliette by presenting her with a gift.

Ms Moore, who is also the President of the Mountaineer Garden club, invited attendees to join her club in 2025 for the fall meeting which will be in Parsons. Many beautiful mums and fall-themed hand-painted slates created by Fred Brooks club member Sally Miller-Collins were given as door prizes. A quilt donated by the Emma Scott Garden Club was raffled off at the end of the meeting and Millie Hornbeck was the winner.

"It is a tradition that fall meetings are held in the various districts throughout the state as a way for clubs to interact, to find out what projects or activities others are doing, to meet and talk with the WVGC president and her officers, and to learn more about gardening and community service. It was a great day for various clubs to be together and Fred Brooks Garden Club should be congratulated for a very successful event," stated Ms. Mayes.