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Cassina Garden Club members actively participate in
various garden club activities on the local, District and State level.
While these activities are included in our Newsletters on a timely basis, we
have established this page so that we may share these activities with website
visitors and highlight our members' efforts.
November 2011
Oleander District
Meeting
 A
record gathering of two hundred ninety members of the Garden
Club of Georgia made the 53rd annual Oleander District meeting
on St. Simons Island on October 11th a huge success. Hosted by
the five clubs of the St. Simons Council of Garden Clubs, the
meeting held at Epworth by the Sea attracted members from across
the State. The honored guest was Caroline Silcox, President of
The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. The meeting was conducted by
Oleander District Director, Sharon Flores.
Cassina members made huge
contributions to the success of the meeting—from creating the
magical centerpieces to serving as hostesses to directing guests
to the various venues throughout the day. Beverly Nash and Ruth
Kolumber led the floral centerpiece team, and Jane Bangert
contributed hundreds of yards of ribbon for both the
centerpieces and the eleven door prizes. Ann Caswell, Anne Marie
Dalis, Jane Rives and Sandy Storino were in charge of the sale
of Ryan Gainey’s book, The Weekly Weeder, with proceeds
benefiting the Oleander District.
 Libby
Hogan and Becky Stephenson served as Timekeepers during the
Business Session, and Elizabeth Freyer and Ann Worthington
served as Tellers. Libby Hogan and Jane Bangert collected
thousands of pull tabs that will be taken to the Ronald McDonald
House in Savannah. The sale of these aluminum tabs provide
operating funds for this important non-profit. In addition, they
accepted huge donations of underwear and socks for the Fig Leaf
Project. These clothing items are desperately needed for
patients at the State Hospital in Savannah.
Edward Armstrong’s floral
demonstration of The Magic of Flowers enthralled the audience.
Cassina received two District Awards. It was definitely a day of
Magic for both Cassina and the Oleander District. Next year’s
District Meeting will be held in Vidalia on October 19th.
October 2011
National Garden Club
Contests
The National Garden Club is
offering several contests to bring gardening and our youth
together. This exciting process can be fun for parents,
grandparents or other adult friends. Reach out to your
grandchildren, youth groups already formed or classes at school
and encourage them to enter the NGC contests. There are several
contests available for different age groups from high school to
elementary school.
The High School Distinguished Service Project Award is offered
for grades 9 through 12. A high school student will be awarded
$100 first place or $50 second place for an outstanding civic
project making a significant improvement for public benefit,
e.g., the environment, conservation, recycling, horticulture,
etc. The Youth Sculpture Contest is for children in the 4th
through 8th grades. The purpose is to encourage youth to keep
our planet green and to get involved with saving our planet by
recycling items to make a sculpture. Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl
Poster contest is for children in 1st through 5th grades. The
winner will receive a $100 Savings Bond.
Contact Ruth Kolumber for more information regarding these
contests. Your grandchild is eligible to enter and the
application will be sent by Cassina Garden Club.
Preservation and
Outreach
Our successful fundraising events,
the Christmas Tour of Homes and the Tabby & Tillandsia Garden
Walk, enable Cassina to make contributions to projects that
relate to Cassina’s mission statement in addition to providing
funds to self insure our cabins. The funds for projects and
contributions to the following organizations totaling in excess
of $10,000 were approved by the Board and Membership:
National Garden Club:
Golden Days
Garden Club of Georgia:
Arboreal, Memorial and Botanical Gardens
Garden Therapy
Roadside Beautification
Scholarship Program
Garden Related Contributions:
Botanical Garden (Savannah Area Council of Garden Clubs)
Georgia Southern Botanical Gardens
Historic Southern Red Cedar Tree Project
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
Leconte - Woodmanston Foundation
Live Oak Garden Club Tree Project
St. Simons Council of Garden Clubs
Signature Squares - Brunswick
WildScapes
Preservation:
Altamaha Riverkeepers
Arthur J. Moore Museum at Epworth
Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Epworth by the Sea
Georgia Heritage Day (Oglethorpe Elementary School)
Hospice of the Golden Isles
St. Simons Land Trust
St. Simons Public Library
Summer 2011
Oleander District Club
& Council Officers Workshop
 The
Garden Club of Georgia—Oleander District Club & Council Officers
Workshop was held on Wednesday July 13 at the Sapelo Hammock
Golf Club on Shellman’s Bluff. The Workshop was designed for
incoming and returning garden club officers and interested club
members. Conducted by Sara Lanier, Deep South Regional Director
and past President of the Garden Club of Georgia, the workshop
focused on ways to enhance leadership qualities,
responsibilities of Club Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers,
along with ideas for increasing membership. Anne Aspinwall, Liz
DeMato, Sharon Flores, and Janis Rodriguez represented Cassina
at the workshop.
Garden Club of Georgia
2012 Calendars
The 2012 calendars, “Expressions,”
published by the Georgia State Council of Garden Clubs, is now
available. The photographs were taken at Deen Day Sanders’
Garden House in January and the designs are exceptional. Two
sizes are offered, Purse and Desk, same price for either, $8.56,
tax included. Proceeds from the calendar sales go to the
scholarship fund.
MJ Choate is taking pre-paid orders
NOW. The Desk style is plentiful, but only 1000 of the Purse
style were printed and they are popular. No more will be
printed. The early bird is more likely to get her choice!
Make out your check to Cassina Garden Cub and indicate your
style choice on the memo line. Mail you check to MJ Choate, 103
Spyglass, St. Simons Island, GA 31522. Contact MJ for any
questions. (912-634-2518)
May 2011
Oleander District Fall
Meeting
We are all excited that the 2011
Oleander District Meeting is going to be held here on St. Simons
Island. The five member clubs of the St. Simons Council of
Garden Clubs will be in charge this year. The Council has
already been busy with much of the planning necessary for
staging such an event. Each club will have a major designated
responsibility for the meeting and Cassina has been asked to
provide the table decorations for the meeting and luncheon.
The theme for this year’s meeting
is “The Magic of Flowers” with our own Edward Armstrong as the
feature speaker and “floral magician.” We need to make sure we
provide the most STUPENDOUS magical floral arrangements that
will WOW our guests. A committee is being formed to get things
started. All those interested in helping are encouraged to sign
up at our May meeting or call or e-mail Beverly Nash.
We need all your creative ideas,
your floral arranging expertise, and many willing hands for all
the big and little jobs that will be necessary to make this
event a success.Start thinking of “magical” ideas now and sign
up at the May meeting. We need to start meeting during the
summer months to begin planning and preparation.
Garden Club of
Georgia State Convention
 The
Garden Club of Georgia State Convention was held April 26—28, in
Athens, Georgia. Cassina members attending were Anne Aspinwall,
Sharon Flores, Beverly Nash, and Janis Rodriguez. In keeping
with this year’s theme, “Where it all Began”, our members had an
opportunity to visit the State headquarters and the State
Botanical Gardens.
Adding to the excitement this year, we were especially glad to
have Cassina representatives on hand to see our own former
president Sharon Flores installed as the new Oleander District
Director.
February 2011
Garden Club of Georgia
News
The Garden Club of Georgia’s 83rd State Convention will be held
April 26 -28 in Athens. Recalling Athens as the birthplace of
all garden clubs in the U.S., the theme this year is “The
Beginning Was Here”. The keynote speaker will be Allan Armitage.
See your winter Garden Gateways for other details and
registration information.
A Garden Club of Georgia Flower Show School Course III
will be held in Millen, Georgia March 1 - 3. Registrations are
due by February 25th. If interested, details may be obtained
from
pincejohnson@bellsouth.net.
Remember the State Ronald McDonald Project for collecting
your aluminum pull tabs. Save all you can each month and bring
to each meeting. Let’s all “PULL TOGETHER” for this very
worthwhile cause.
January 2011
Garden Club Member
Elected To State Office
L-r; Winette Almon, current Oleander District
Director; Betty Grimes, Garden Club of
Georgia President; Sharon Flores, Oleander District
Director-Elect.
Sharon Flores,
Immediate Past President of Cassina Garden Club was elected to
the position of District Director of the Oleander District for
the Garden Club of Georgia. The announcement was made at the
annual District meeting in Savannah. She joins the State Board
of Directors for a two-year term. There are seven districts in
the State, and the Oleander District represents twenty seven
counties and seventy five garden clubs. The responsibilities of
the District Director include supervision of all clubs in the
district, encouraging the formation of new clubs and promoting
National and State conservation, preservation and civic
beautification projects. In addition, she will be responsible
for working with local clubs to organize the annual District
meeting. The 2011 Oleander District Meeting will be held on St.
Simons Island in October.
December 2010
Ronald McDonald
House
Starting this month, Cassina will
begin participating in the Garden Club of Georgia Project to
collect aluminum pull tabs for the Ronald McDonald Houses
throughout the state. Pull tabs from any aluminum can will be
accepted. We want to encourage all members to start saving these
for this very worthy cause. Susan Baltzell will be heading up
this project for us and will be providing a collection box at
each of our meetings. She will also be sending us reminders, so
START COLLECTING NOW.
November 2010
Annual Oleander
District Meeting
 Congratulations
to Sharon Flores who was announced at the district meeting in
Savannah as the next Oleander District Director. Eleven Cassina
members traveled to Savannah on October 12 to attend the annual
Oleander District Meeting. We were all glad to be there to
support Sharon and to represent Cassina. Of particular interest
to us was a program which provided information on the Garden
Club of Georgia’s Bulletin Board Project with our elementary
schools. We also brought back information on the Floral
Arrangement Competition to share with members for next year’s
calendar competition. As a part of the St. Simons Council,
Cassina will be taking part in next year’s district meeting
which will be held on St. Simons. We all came away with many
good ideas and possibilities for helping Sharon make the next
district meeting a big success. Cassina also came away with
several major awards and numerous door prizes and “goodies” from
the Country Store.
Golden Days Project
 National
Garden Club President Renee Blashchke’s Golden Days Project
promotes planting of daffodils as a way to recognize our
gardening friends who are no longer in their homes or no longer
able to plant flowers. Cassina will be participating again this
year in the National Garden Club project by potting daffodils to
deliver at bloom time. Help is needed to pot the daffodils as
well as to deliver them. If interested in helping in either of
these areas and you have not already signed up, please call
Caroline Fleetwood. Planting date will be announced as soon as
the daffodil bulbs arrive.
October 2010
Historic Preservation
and Community Outreach
Through club efforts and the
success of our fundraising with the Tabby and Tillandsia Garden
Walk and the Christmas Tour, Cassina was pleased to be able to
make donations to the following non-profit organizations in our
community and throughout the state for 2010.
Frederica Park Gazebo Project; St. Simons Land Trust ($12,500)
Altamaha Riverkeeper ($100)
Hospice of the Golden Isles ($1000) Signature Squares Brunswick
($100)
Coastal Georgia Historical Society Corporate Sponsorship
($1,000)
St. Simons Library League ($100)
St. Simons Land Trust Live Oak Membership ($1,000)
LeConte-Woodmanston Foundation ($100)
Garden Club of Georgia; Cassina Scholarship ($1,000)
St. Simons Council of Garden Clubs ($100)
Epworth By The Sea Conference Center 60th Anniversary ($2,000)
Southeastern Horticultural Society ($100)
Epworth By The Sea Historical Museum ($2,000)
Garden Club of Georgia Therapy Project ($100)
Garden Club of Georgia Community On My Mind Project ($400, Oak
Grove Cemetery)
Coastal WildScapes ($100)
A large part of the mission of Cassina has always been to work
toward promoting our local community and preserving our local
history. Through these donations this year, Cassina is certainly
fulfilling that mission.
Garden Club of GA 2011
Calendars
 This
year’s edition of the Garden Club of Georgia 2011 Calendars are
still available. If you did not order yours last month, they
will be on sale for the last time at the October meeting. Pocket
size is $7.00 and large size is $9.00. These must be paid for at
the time of purchase. These calendars are offered in support of
the scholarship program of the Garden Club of Georgia. All
proceeds go to awarding scholarships to worthy applicants
attending our state schools for degrees in landscaping,
horticulture, and historic preservation. This is such a
worthwhile program and certainly deserving of our strong
support. Calendars are great for our own use, but they also make
great gifts for friends and family. Let’s get behind this
wonderful program of our State Garden Club.
Oleander District
Meeting
The Oleander District Meeting will
be October 12th in Savannah. Cassina members will be carpooling
from the Cabins on Tuesday morning. We will depart at 8 a.m.
Please note that your reservation for the meeting does also
include your lunch. Please confirm with Beverly Nash if you have
sent in your reservation so we will not leave anyone behind.
Although we do have a good group signed up to go, there is
always room for more. If you would like to join us, place
contact Beverly.
Island Garden Club
Council News
Neptune Garden Club is once again
selling fresh greenery for Christmas. To order call Sheri Bowen
at 268-2022 or e-mail at sheridanrb@aol.com
Live Oak Garden Club will also be selling Poinsettias again.
Orders can be placed with Chris Salo at 262-0144 or e-mail at
cpsalo@comcast.net.
September 2010
OLEANDER DISTRICT
MEETING
All garden club members are invited
to the 52nd annual Fall Oleander District Meeting. The meeting
will be held in Savannah on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at The
Coastal Georgia Center located at 305 Fahm Street. Coffee and
Registration begin at 9 a.m. Betty Grimes, President of The
Garden Club of Georgia will be a special guest and the program
will feature garden lecturer Norman Winter. Cassina members are
encouraged to attend. The registration fee is $25 or $30 after
October 1st. Contact Beverly Nash for details or go to the
“What’s New” inset page on the Cassina website.
GARDEN CLUB OF GEORGIA
2011 CALENDARS
The Garden Club of Georgia 2011
Calendars are now available. Prepaid orders for the
calendars will be taken at the September Meeting. The calendars
will be priced at $7.00 for the pocket size and $9.00 for the
standard size.
Proceeds from calendar sales will fund scholarship recipients
who attend Georgia colleges and universities and major in fields
related to gardening. The 2009-2010, calendar sales provided
$61,000 for scholarships, the largest amount in the Garden Club
of Georgia history. The goal this year is to exceed this figure.
Everyone is encouraged to sign up
for their calendars and exceed Cassina’s contribution to help
deserving and aspiring young people begin careers in an area we
all love. Consider buying several as they make nice, reasonably
priced gifts for someone you would like to please.
July 2010
Convention Happenings
 On
May 15 and 16, 2010, Beverly Nash, Sharon Flores, Elizabeth
Freyer, and Janis Rodriguez traveled to Atlanta to attend the
National Garden Club Convention. This was a huge event with both
national and international garden clubs represented. Elizabeth
Freyer attended a Saturday session to hear a presentation by
feature speaker “Pearl” about his South Carolina Topiary Garden.
Beverly, Sharon, and Janis attended the awards banquet. Cassina
received a National First Place Special Achievement Award for
our Garden Walk.
On May 12th, Beverly and Sharon traveled to Macon to attend the
Garden Club of Georgia Convention. We can proudly say that
Cassina came away from this meeting with first place awards in
all categories in which we entered a submission. Look for your
September Newsletter with a complete listing of winning awards.
Thank you for all you do to make these awards possible. They are
your awards.
May 2010
National Garden Club
Convention
Members of Cassina will represent
the Club at the 2010 National Garden Club Convention held this
year in Atlanta. Attending will be Caroline Fleetwood, Sharon
Flores, Elizabeth Freyer, Beverly Nash and Janis Rodriguez.
April 2010
Golden Days Project
  Garden
clubs nationally are participating in the Golden Days project
which was conceived to honor our senior members by creating mass
plantings of daffodils or potting the bulbs to give to these
members. Barbara Murrah, Cassina’s Golden Days chair reports
that our 37 pots of daffodils were potted in November by her,
Anne Aspinwall, Anne Caswell and Beverly Nash. The green nubs
began to appear in January and thenthe beautiful yellow blooms.
The committee is delivering this special “ray of sunshine”
throughout the month to past Cassina presidents and members who
have moved to retirement homes. Beverly Nash & Anne Aspinwall
Garden Club of Georgia
Historic Garden Initiative
The Garden Club of Georgia
requested that Cassina participate in the Historic Garden
Initiative for the Cherokee Garden Library, Atlanta History
Center, to research the Hamilton Plantation Garden that was
developed by the Lewis family during the first half of the 20th
 century.
The garden was located on land that is now Epworth-by-the-Sea.
Frances Allen volunteered to lead the project and assembled a
team consisting of herself, Beverly Nash, Janis Rodriguez, Julie
Spivey, Jennifer Kuja and Sharon Flores to document the garden.
After months of research that included unearthing old photos,
reading private papers, tracing the changes in the landscape and
interviewing personnel at Epworth, Coastal Georgia Historical
Society and local historians, a comprehensive report was
produced and sent to the Garden Club of Georgia. A copy was
presented to Judi Fergus and David Ogletree, Epworth-by-the-Sea
Museum on March 18th, and Cassina retains a copy for our
records.
(l-r) Beverly Nash, Janis Rodriguez and Frances Allen with Judi
Fergus and David Ogletree of Epworth-by-the-Sea Museum
November 2009
District Meeting in
Jesup
 More
than 240 garden club members attended the meeting on October 15.
Representing Cassina L-r: Jennifer Kuja, Sharon Flores, Anne
Aspinwall, Janis Rodriguez, Elizabeth Freyer, Anne Caswell and
Caroline Fleetwood.
October 2009
Cassina Collection
Presented to Historical Society
 Eighty
years of Cassina scrapbook history was officially presented to
the Coastal Georgia Historical Society as part of the Cassina
Garden Club Collection on September 1. Future installments will
include club yearbooks, copies of documents, newsletters and
other paper records, as well as copies of contemporary meeting
minutes and reports. The
efforts are being organized by current Club Historian Peggy
Golden, Historic Preservation Chair Ruth Kolumber, and committee
members Frances Allen, Wendy Reilly and Sharon Flores.
Rose Ann Williams (left) and Mary Lynch move scrapbooks from the
Cabins to their new home at the Historical Society.
 Historical
Society Director, Pat Morris, Curator, Jenny Herring and Cassina
President, Sharon Flores celebrate the placement of the historic
scrapbooks in the vault at the Society (right).
September 2009
District Officers Workshop
President, Sharon Flores and Recording
Secretary, Anne Aspinwall traveled to Reidsville on July 21st to
attend the Oleander District’s annual Workshop for club
officers. The Workshop was conducted by the Garden Club of
Georgia’s Immediate Past President, Sara Lanier. Pictured below
(l-r): Sharon Flores, Winette Almon, District Director, Sara
Lanier, Anne Aspinwall.
Garden Club of Georgia Engagement
Calendar
 Prepaid
orders for the 2010 Calendar will be taken at the September
Meeting by Chair Betty Davis. The price for the pocket size is
$7.00 and the standard size is $9.00. Revenue from the sale of
these calendars funds scholarships for deserving students
attending Georgia colleges or universities and majoring in
garden related fields.
District Meeting to be Held in Jesup
The 51st annual Oleander District
Meeting will be held in Jesup on Thursday, September 15th at
10:00 a.m. at Altamaha Technical College. This is an important
and informative Garden Club of Georgia event, and Cassina
members are encouraged to attend. The honored guest will be
Betty Grimes, President, The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.
The registration deadline is October 6th and registration forms
will be available at the September meeting.
 Oleander
District
Cordially Invites All Garden Club Members
To the Fifty-First Annual Oleander District Meeting
“Our Future - Beautify it, Conserve It”
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Coffee/Registration: 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM
Meeting: 10:00 AM
Altamaha Technical College
Curtis P. Scott Center
1777 West Cherry Street
Jesup, Georgia 31546
912-427-5900
Honored Guest: Betty Grimes, President, The Garden Club of
Georgia, Inc.
Program: “Gourd Art Work” presented by Louise Horesovsky, a
graduate of Florida State University with a BS degree in Art.
She is a member of the American Gourd Society, the Georgia Gourd
Society, and the Florida Gourd Society.
Directions: Coming into Jesup from Hwy 341E, it is on the right.
From any other direction, follow West Cherry Street, take a left
onto Hwy 341W. It is on the left past the intersection.
Suggested Accommodations:
Jameson Inn Days Inn Ramada Inn
205 Hwy 301N 1090 Express Lane 1100 Express Lane
Rates: $59.00 + tax $55.00 + tax $57.80 + tax
Phone: 912-427-6800 912-427-2980 912-427-7760
Exhibit Space Chairman: Liz Dubberly, 912-427-6571 or email:
sarahjane@bellsouth.net
____________________________________________________________________________________
Registration Form - Oleander District Fall Meeting October 15,
2009
Last Name_______________________ First ________________ Phone
_____________
Address_________________________________________________________________
Club______________________District_______________Email____________________
Check all that apply:
___Nat’l Board Member ___Former State President ___District
Board Member
___Nat’l Life Member ___State Board Member ___Council President
___Deep South Board Member ___State Life Member ___Club
President
___Deep South Life Member ___District Director ___Club Member
___State President ___Former District Director ___Club Voting
Delegate
Complete the form above, make check for $22.00 to Wayne County
Council of Garden Clubs,
and mail to: Willie Burch, 1579 Stanfield Rd., Screven, GA.
31560.
Telephone: 912-579-6620. After October 6, 2009 registration cost
will be $25.00.
The following are links to Garden
Club sites:
National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Deep South
Region of NGC
Garden Club of Georgia,
Inc.
Oleander District of
GCGA
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