board briefs - university of georgia
TRANSCRIPT
Board BriefsA Newsletter from The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.
Board of Directors
Volume XVI I Edition IV, Fall 2020 Susan Stephens, Editor
Dear GCG Club Members,Nurture your portion of Georgia, despite COVID. Grow your clubs despite COVID. Meet outdoors or in smaller groups, despite COVID. Work on community beautification projects, despite COVID. Bring joy to those in Senior Facilities or Nursing homes, despite COVID. Stay connected, despite COVID. We commend the many clubs that are thinking outside the box.
We are an energetic and creative group of people. Our members have a wide variety of talents. Put your thinking caps on and develop ways in which your club members can meet – either safely in person or virtually via ZOOM.
Because of this situation, many of us have learned new technology. Of course, it’s never the same as being face to face, or sharing a hug - however, seeing a smiling face on your computer screen is truly a welcome sight. Your community can benefit from your energy and ideas. Garden Clubbers are great.
Many speakers are now offering on-line programs. The various Botanical Gardens and Plant societies are also offering virtual programs or tours over the coming months. Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge being shared this way.
We are always promoting the use of Native Plants and we love to partner with The State Botanical Garden. SBG maintains a list of Native Plant nurseries. https://botgarden.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Directory-of-Native-Plant-Nurseries.pdf Check it out and see if one is near you - always good to plant a few natives in the Fall. Also watch for Native Plants sales in your area. The Awards and Standard of Excellence Certificates that clubs won for their 2019 efforts normally are distributed at the Spring Convention or Fall District Meetings. We still wish to congratulate you all for your outstanding efforts. Names of winners have been published in Garden Gateways and District Newsletters. We are so proud of all the work you have done. Going forward, we know clubs have been hindered by COVID. Therefore, the Club President’s Annual report onClub activities – due Feb 15th each year - has been edited considerably. However, we wish to give extra points those clubs who have done things to work around the virus and come up with creative ways to complete club work safely. Click on this link to see the new form. http://gardenclub.uga.edu/pdfs/presidentsreport.pdfHopefully, many of your members participated in the Great Georgia Pollinator Census. That was easy to do at home and helped contribute to scientific research.
It is that time of year when we are pushing for increased membership. It is hard to invite prospective new members to your garden club, if your club is not holding meetings. For this reason, we again are asking for you to consider making a friend or neighbor a subscribing member of GCG - for a $25 tax deductible contribution. These subscribing members add to our total membership - which we need to keep over the 10,000 mark in order to receive two $4000 scholarships from National Garden Clubs. We just eked by last year, thanks to you. Please show your support again now. The form is on a later page. Clubs & the District sponsoring the highest percentage of Subscribing Members will win the contest for 2020 – to be announced at the 2021 State Convention in Valdosta.Please continue to ‘Nurture the Garden We Call Georgia.” Thank you, Barbara
GCG WebsitePlease remember to access information on the GCG Website. Increased security makes it necessary to put in our USER ID and Password whenever we access any type of form or PDF document.Please share this information with your club members: USER ID: guide PASSWORD: grow1315 Both words are all lower case - no caps.
Subscribing Membership -We can do it!! With the help from all our clubs, we can reach our goal of 10,000 members before Oct. 10th. This enables us to receive TWO $4000 scholarships from National Garden Clubs. Of course we want you to invite new members to join your own club - and send their names to Bonnie with their dues. But we also ask that each club sponsor at least one Subscribing Member for a $25 donation. This person is NOT a member of your club, but rather someone whom you choose to honor as a SM. Your Club Members can register a friend, neighbor or relative and they will then receive Garden Gateways and can receive email info if they wish. Clubs & the District sponsoring the highest percentage of Subscribing Members will win the contest for 2020 – to be announced at the 2021 State Convention in Valdosta. Be sure to put your club’s name and number on the form to get credit for sponsorship. Do this ASAP. Bonnie needs time to process the names so we can send dues to National. Please use form on next page
Youth - Woodsy Owl Poster ContestIt’s Woodsy Owl’s 50th Birthday in 2021, so the US Forest Service is only judging Woodsy Owl Posters. No Smokey Bear posters this year. We have rec’d official confirmation of that ruling . Therefore, please spread the word to all our youth. We would hate for any youngster to put forth lots of effort on a Smokey Bear poster and not have it count in the competition.
Contact Mary Ogden for more info.
912-294-144(c) [email protected]
The new flyer with rules/regulations is included in this issue of Board Briefs and is being posted on the GCG website.
USER ID: guide PASSWORD: grow1315 Both words are all lower case - no caps.
Very Important
Board Briefs - Fall 2020 page 2
Subscribing Membership
A Subscribing Member shall be an individual who is committed to the purposes and objectives
of the Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. and desires association without the necessity of becoming a member of a local garden club. A Subscribing Member shall be eligible to participate in all programs and events available to the general membership, shall receive Garden Gateways and other informative membership mailings but without the privilege of a vote.
Dues are $25.00 per year for the Subscribing Member. Reminders will be sent prior to
membership expiration. Those unpaid will be dropped from the membership and will be
ineligible for awards competition.
The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. Subscribing Membership Application
Name ____________________________________________
Address __________________________________________
City/State/Zip _____________________________________
Telephone (Home) ___________________________________
Telephone (Cell) _____________________________________
E-mail ___________________________________________
Do you wish to receive regular email notices about all GCG Club Activities? Yes □ or No □Do you wish to receive select email notices regarding General Information Yes □ or No □
Checks should be made payable to the Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.Mail to Bonnie Nash, Business Manager
The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. 2450 S. Milledge Avenue, Athens, Ga 30602-5817
706-227-5369 email: [email protected]
If this is a gift membership, or you were referred by a GCC Club Member, please provide the following
information so we may give that club credit for this Subscribing Membership. Thank you.
Garden Club ______________________________ Club # __________ Dist:________
Donor/Referred by Name ________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip _______________________________________________________
Phone ___________________ E-mail ___________________________________
□ Use this donor address for renewal notification
National Garden Clubs Project
The 2020-2021 NGC ongoing project is “Plant America" focusing on educating, building andsupporting America's Garden Communities.
Dear Garden Club Friends,
Again, this year, Plant America grants will be available to garden clubs of up to $1000 to support a community project. Projects can cover every aspect of gardening including container, community, edible, therapy, pollinator, sustainable and xeriscape to name a few.
Publicity around these community gardening projects will show the public what we do as members of The Garden Club of Georgia and National Garden Clubs and how our projects benefit our country.
We had SIX (6) grant recipients this January including Landings Garden Club, Madora Garden Club, Pine Tree Garden Club (Atlanta), Three Rivers Garden Club, Watkinsville Garden Club and Winchester Garden Club! Congratulations to all!!! We can do it again! You just need to apply.
Application Deadline: October 15, 2020. See the attached forms.
Forall the specifics go to the NGC website:
https://www.gardenclub.org/plant-america-community-project-grants
For questions or assistance contact: Lisa Hall NGC Projects Chairman, GCG 2nd VP [email protected] 912-598-9504 (H) 404-414-6496 (C)
Board Briefs - Fall 2020 page 4
Board Briefs for September 2020
Announcing a new Historic Landscape Preservation Fundraiser!
Save the Date May 1, 2021
Hills and Dales – A Living Legacy
Each year a Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. district hosts the annual Historic Landscape Preservation
fundraiser and 2021 is the year for Redbud.
We are honored to be able to host this event at the elegant Hills and Dales Estate in LaGrange, GA on
May 1, 2021. This historic gem features an Italianate home designed by Neel Reid with expansive
gardens that date to 1842 with the vision of Sarah Coleman Ferrell. Fuller Callaway, Sr. purchased the
property in 1912, built the beautiful home and nurtured the legacy of the incredible historic gardens.
For a preview of the home and gardens, go to www.hillsanddales.org.
The Elms and Roses Garden Club Council, Inc. is coordinating our event and we are excited to welcome
all our Garden Club of Georgia friends to this charming estate and grounds. The day will include self-
guided tours of the mansion and grounds, a lecture with seating limited to 90 participants, a welcome
center with an award winning film on the property, gift shop, and a box lunch to enjoy on the grounds.
The registration fee is $40 for the day and details on how to register will be posted on the GCG, Inc.
website shortly.
Proceeds from this event will support historic landscape preservation initiatives all over Georgia.
Individual donations are tax deductible and we are grateful for your continued interest in this very
worthwhile cause.
Come enjoy a leisurely day this coming Spring, stroll the garden paths with friends, and treasure this
wonderful legacy! Hope to see you all this May 1st, 2021!
Board Briefs - Fall 2020 page 5
Youth Poetry Contest
Clubs - Contact your local elementary schools and encourage them to have their students enter our Youth Poetry Contest. You may have more success if you go through the librarian. The Librarian has access to all students and teachers. Librarians prefer to get instructions via email making the contest easier to disseminate.
With many students learning virtually, this may be a great opportunity for some excellent
poetry since students are at home with individual assistance and less distraction.
NGC YOUTH POETRY CONTEST 2020-2021 Theme
"Exploring BackyardMysteries”
Eligibility General Education: Kindergarten through 9th Grade Special Education: Kindergarten through 9th Grade
English as a Second Language: Kindergarten through 9thGrade Monetary awards for 1st thru 3rd place GCG winners
See GCG website for all the details, rules, and contact info for District Chairmen. http://gardenclub.uga.edu/poetry.html
Submit Entries to your District Poetry Contest Chairman before or by December 1.
Questions may be directed to your District Poetry Chairman or State Chairman Jean O’Shields
400 Valley View Drive, Fort Valley, GA 31030-3443 [email protected] 478-397-7660
The Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl Poster Contest!
Children from first through fifth grade are invited to participate in the National Garden
Clubs, Inc. Poster Contest! SPECIAL RULES this year for Woodsy’s 50th.
Happy 50th Birthday Woodsy Owl!!1. ONLY Posters featuring Woodsy Owl will be accepted
this year. No Smokey Bear posters will be judged!!!
2. All poster entrees must be sponsored by a local Garden Club.
3. Woodsy Owl posters must include Woodsy’s conservation message:
Lend a Hand, Care for the Land!
4. May use any Woodsy Owl Icon–either new or vintage image.
You can search on-line: woodsy owl images. But don’t paste a computer-generated image.
5. Each poster MUST be 11 x 17 inches in size.
6. The posters should encourage children to take a personal role in conserving natural resources.
7. A good poster has a bold and simple design. Its message is easily read and understood and is
delivered both in picture and in text.
8. Materials that can be used include: crayons, markers, poster paints, water colors, etc. The choice
of paper is up to the child.
9. Posters may include artwork pasted upon a second piece of paper. However, they must be flat. No 3-dimensional posters, computer scanned, or electronically generated images will be accepted.
10. The artist’s name, address, home phone, grade, school,
teacher’s name, city and state must be printed on the back of the
poster in the lower right corner. Please print the label from GCG
website, then paste or tape it to the back of each child’s poster.
11. Each poster must also show the name and city of the sponsoring
local garden club- on the back.
12. Posters are to be completed by individual student artists.
13. Students should check spelling. Posters with spelling errors will be
disqualified.
14. Posters will be judged for originality, design, slogan, artwork, and
overall effectiveness of the message.
15. Since Woodsy Owl is an Official icon and protected by law, the colors
of his clothing need to be accurate. Check the colors on the Web site:
www.fs.usda.gov/conservationeducation. A poster may include just the head of Woodsy
or his whole body.
16. Winning posters should be copied as they will not be returned.
17. Visit www.gardenclub.uga.edu/poster.html and www.gardenclub.org for further contest details.
18. Only 5 first place posters in the GCG State competition will be entered in Regional competition.
Regional winners will be entered in National competition. National entries become the
property of NGC.
19. Please complete the Chairman winning posters report and send with posters
20. To receive free copies of the poster certificates and entry stickers, send an email to
[email protected] with your name, address and quantity needed.
All local first, second, and third place posters should be to your District Chairman by Dec. 1.
District Chairman should have all district winning first, second and third place posters
to State Chairman by January 20.
BLUE STAR MEMORIAL and GOLD STAR FAMILIES MARKERS
I am so proud of our Gerogia Garden Clubs! As of June 2020 Georgia has dedicated a total of 167 Blue Star Memorial and Byway Markers and 3 Gold Star Families Markers. Don’t stop now! Please consider sponsoring a Blue Star Memorial or Blue Star By-way Marker and / or a Gold Star Families or Gold Star By-way Marker in your city/county. We can never have too many.
Information and Forms for ordering Blue Star Markers and Gold Star Families Markers can be found on the NGC website under “Ongoing Projects” or by selecting this link: https://www.gardenclub.org/blue-and-gold-star-memorials
Sewah Studios implemented a price increase on July 1, 2020.
The following prices are good thru May 1, 2022:
• Memorial/Highway Markers are $1,590.00 and are delivered with a 7' post. Cost includes shipping.
• By-Way Marker Plaques are $530.00. Cost includes shipping. It is up to the club to have the plaque
mounted.
• Replacement Post is $325.00 per post.
• Refurbishment/Restoration cost is $800.00 to restore a Large Blue Star Memorial or a Blue Star Highway
Marker (No Post or Cap). Cost includes round trip freight. Note: You must pack up and ship to Sewah.
• Cap Repair/Refurbish/Restoration cost is $900.00 to restore a Large Blue Star Memorial/Highway Marker
(No Post). Cost includes round trip freight.
Another option is for marker restoration on site. This is done by Tom Stelling, who owns Historical Markers Restoration. He has done several Blue Star Markers in the state and his work is excellent. You can reach Mr. Stelling by phone at (386)299-7841 or by email at [email protected] Mr. Stelling charges $750.00 to restore a large marker on site and $400.00 for a by-way marker also on site. He will be coming to Georgia to refurbish markers for Camellia District and Azalea District as soon as he can safely do so. He would determine discounts (if any) on a case by case basis.
The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. offers a grantto districts and member clubs/councilsto assist with funding Blue Star Marker Restorations.The application is available on the GCG website under Blue Star Markers. Guidelines are included in the application. Funds for the grants come from the “Blue Star Marker Restoration Fund”, established in memory of former GCG President Suzanne Wheeler. Be sure to consider including a donation to this fund in your club’s yearly budget and please check the markers in your area to see if they are in need of restoration. It is important to keep our Blue Star Markers in good repair. Remember their purpose is to honor those who serve to keep us free.
Thank You for your continued support and enthusiasm for this wonderful program! Contact me if I can assist in any way. Jan Thiese Blue Star Memorial & Gold Star Families Marker Chairman The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. 128 Weatherby Drive Macon, GA 31210 [email protected] Board Briefs - Fall 2020
page 8
Thank you for your Scholarship Support
You make the difference!
Susan Turner, Scholarships Chairman
On behalf of the GCG Scholarship Committee, I share our sincere appreciation to all who have contributed to our Scholarships program. Our Named Scholarships Contributors and
Patrons of Scholarships are the foundation of our giving.
However, make no mistake; all contributions are significant in their importance to our GCG Mission of Education.This past year, your contributions totaling $71,000.00 are
currentlyassistingtwenty-seven students to reach their goals and dreams.
We are now in the new Scholarships giving period.Our 2021-2022 students will be applying before we know it!Please consider a contribution from your club, council, district or individually.
Thank you again for the commitment you bring in the success of a young person dedicated to the
same mission as The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc., Beautification, Conservation & Education.
Remember to support GCG Scholarships Fundraising through the AmazonSmile Program.
As our GCG President Barbara Bourque recently wrote, “Please share this information with your
club members. With so many people ordering merchandise on line, we certainly hope our
membership would designate GCG as their charity of choice with AmazonSmile.”
You shop. Amazon gives.
• Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. • Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.
Your shopping will provide Scholarships support from The Garden Club of Georgia Inc. Start shopping at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/58-0706724
The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.
Now is the time to share this information with family and friends.
Support the Garden Club of GeorgiaScholarships Fundraising
through the AmazonSmile Program.
As our GCG President Barbara Bourque recently wrote,
“Please share this information with your club members. With so many people ordering
merchandise on line, we certainly hope our membership would designate GCG as their charity
of choice with AmazonSmile.”
You shop. Amazon gives.
• Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. • Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping atsmile.amazon.com.
Your shopping will provide Scholarships support fromThe Garden Club of Georgia Inc.
Start shopping at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/58-0706724 The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. provides scholarships to eligible students majoring in garden and
environmental related fields of study enrolled in accredited Georgia Colleges and Universities.
For information, including scholarships application, visit our website at
http://gardenclub.uga.edu/scholarships.html
Your contribution to The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. through the AmazonSmile program benefits these
deserving students. Their mission is the same as ours: Beautification, Conservation and Education. Thank you
for designating The Garden Club of Georgia Inc. as your charitable organization! For further scholarships
information contact Susan Turner, Scholarships Chairman [email protected]
Land Trust/Marshall ForestCaroline AlfordThe Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.August 18, 2020
Exciting things have been happening in Marshall Forest this year.Here are the highlights:· All materials for replacing the posts on the Braille Trail have been ordered.· The installation of about half of the posts has been planned as an Eagle Scout project as soon as the
materials arrive.· A climbing Gym in Marietta has donated the climbing ropes to put between the posts for use as guide
ropes for the visually impaired.· Mark Weed and his crew removed a portion of the fence to make room for the entrance to the bus
turnaround.· Andrew Saville cut the grass in the area of the new bus turnaround.· The City of Rome Public Works Department has put in culvert, driveway entrance, and bus
turnaround across from the entrance to the Marshall Forest parking lot. This will provide better access to the pecan grove and river front parts of the forest.
· The Fire Crew from the Nature Conservancy removed invasive species, fallen trees, and fire hazards throughout the Marshall Forest.
· The 6th annual Robert Weed Memorial Walk is scheduled for October 16, 2020, at 2 pm. Owen Kinney, Head of the Biology Department at Darlington School, will speak. Social distancing will be observed.
· Katie Owens with The Nature Conservancy, Lisa Smith with the Rome Visitors and Convention Bureau, and and Ansley Saville are planning for the October 2020 Georgia Historic Preservation Ramble that will be in Rome on October 17, 2020. Marshall Forest is one of the featured destinations.
· New signs to replace damaged and missing signs need to be ordered.· Additional gravel is needed along the trails to make walking easier and more accessible to the visually
challenged.· QR codes, to give background information about the forest and trail maps for use by visitors to the
forest, are one of the goals for the coming year.· Deed of Gratitude Certificates are being printed for those who contributed $25 or more during 2019-
2020 garden club year. These will be given out at the fall District Meetings.· Marshall Forest received $ 2800.00 in contributions over the summer. These donations combined
with the receipts from 2019-2020 were used to expedite the purchase of the composite posts, caps, and cement for the Braille Trail. More help is needed to purchase the gravel for the trail.
Your contributions help us keep the Marshall Forest in good condition for visitors. Please don’t forget to add Marshall Forest to your club’s list of contributions. Deed of Gratitude certificates will be presented to contributors of $25 or more to Marshall Forest by March 1 of each year. Contact Caroline Alford to schedule a tour of the forest via e-mail at [email protected] or by cell phone 706 346-5886.
The City of Rome Public Works Department has put in culvert, driveway entrance, and bus turnaround across from the entrance to the Marshall Forest parking lot. This will provide better access to the pecan grove and river front parts of the forest.
Challenging Times Often Offer Unique OpportunitiesDiane Hunter, 3rd Vice President, Special Projects
We all miss getting out with our fellow gardeners. Those gardening group projects are either put on hold or drastically shrunken. But there are ingenious programs offered online for many of our favorite pursuits. We have online garden tours, conferences and meetings. The State Botanic Garden is no exception. In July, SBG and the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance offered its first Zoom class as part of its Certificate in Native Plants. Attendees from all over the state were able to get expert instruction from Conservation coordination Jennifer Ceska and Adult Programs Manager Sean Cameron. Ceska provided 3 hours of instruction followed by Q&A sessions over two days.
Online opportunities increase the reach of this unique program and provide a great bridge to more hands-on activities as soon as it’s safe. More classes are expected to be offered on Zoom both by the Athens and Tifton campuses. So, if you’ve always wanted to get your certificate but haven’t been able to travel, now is the time. For details of the program and a future list of classes see https://botgarden.uga.edu/education/adult-programs/ . The scope of instruction is wide and deep; course particulars and certificate application is available on that page, as well.
Many thanks to all of you who participated in the Great Pollinator Count on August 21 and 22. Look for opportunities to plant natives this Fall. And, remember, get natives only from reputable nurseries; you can find a statewide list at https://botgarden.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Directory-of-Native-Plant-Nurseries.pdf. Every District has at least one SBG and Native Plant Initiative approved nursery.
Start exploring! What is a pocket prairie? Check out next month’s Board Brief to find out what it is and how it benefits our pollinator friends.
ARBORETA, BOTANICAL & MEMORIAL GARDENSMARY DENNEY, CHAIRMAN
This chairman has enthusiastically been looking forward to the completion and grand opening of the Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum at the Center for Art and Nature on which construction was begun in August 2019 at The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens.
Construction has been delayed by rain storms and the Covid-19. The grand opening, which was set for September,2020, has been changed to January 2021. Exact date and time will be published at a later date.
Board Briefs - Fall 2020 page 12
http://gardenclub.uga.edu/pdfs/awards.pdf Above is a link to the August 2020 updated GCG Awards Handbook which is now posted to the GCG webpage. There are some tweaks in wording for several awards, so please read every award description carefully before beginning your applications and use this guide with the most updated information on awards and contact information for individual award chairs to whom you make your submissions. #16 Yearbook: Annelle Moore has moved to Macon, so all Yearbook awards applications must be mailed to her at her new address on page 4 of the Handbook. #11 NP Native Plant Award -NEW Award! NGC Youth Awards https://gardenclub.org/youth-contests On the Scale of Points for #H-7 High School Gardeners Essay, the NGC publication release form (5 points) must now accompany the student application with the cover page and essay submitted via email in pdf format (5 points).https://gardenclub.org/youth-contests NGC Youth Poetry Award: The scale of points in the updated handbook is incorrect. Check this same NGC link for correct scale of points Please contact June Thomas or me if you have any questions. We love hearing from you and assisting in any way we can. Betty Benner, Awards Chair June Thomas, Awards Co-Chair [email protected] [email protected] 912-294-6841 912-294-4940
Plant Society and Affiliate
for the Garden Club of GeorgiaMembers as of September 5th 2020.
American Camellia SocietyAmerican Hydrangea Society
Coastal Plain Chapter Georgia Native Plant SocietyCobb County Daylily Society
Daylily Society of Greater AtlantaGeorgia Daffodil Society
Georgia Iris SocietyGeorgia Perennial Plant Society
Hamilton Gardens at Lake Chatuge, Inc.Historic Oakland Foundation, Inc.
Environmental Education Alliance -(Monarchs Across Georgia)
Rome African Violet Study Group
Board Briefs - Fall 2020 page 13
2020 GCG WILDFLOWER DIGITAL PHOTO CONTEST
The results are in and winners
are announced.
We hope you saw the winning entries for the 2019-2020 Wildflower Photo Contest – published in the Fall issue of Garden Gateways.
First Place -Japanese Honeysuckle - Dianne
Smith Shenandoah Rose Garden Club,
Redbud District
The color photographs are outstanding and you can see all the entries on the GCG Website -
To sign in use: guide grow1315 http://gardenclub.uga.edu/pdfs/2020entries.pdf
Garden Gateways Cover Photo Contest for 2021-2023 Term
Our Garden Gateways Editor, Victoria Chandler, was so impressed by the work of our
photographers in the Wildflower Photo Contest, she would like to feature wildflowers and
butterfly/birds/pollinators/wildlife on our color covers for next term. All the color printing
is done at the beginning of the term, therefore we need to select our color photographs
before April 2021.
All the entries for the many past years’ Wildflower Photo Contest will be entered
automatically - no need to resubmit those photographs. New original photos of
wildflowers, birds, butterflies, other pollinators, and wildlife are requested. Remember the
cover photos are vertical on the page. Keep in mind we have seasonal issues - Victoria
won’t be using a photo of a bunny in a snowbank for a spring magazine. Photos due
before March 15th, 2021
Send your JPG photo along with the above information to Barbara; [email protected]
Photos submitted for the Wildflower Contest 2020-21 will automatically be considered for Gateways Covers.
No need to apply twice.
Garden Club: District: Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Email: Common Name of subject Botanical/scientific Name of subject
Date of photo: Specific Location: (Rome woodland, Amicalola Park- full sun, Blue
Ridge Mountainside, Lowndes County roadside, Augusta meadow,
Columbus riverbank, Tybee Island beach, etc.
Vote YES on Constitutional Amendment One
You can make a difference in Georgia on Nov. 3. Your election ballot has only two Amendments to Georgia’s Constitution on it this year so voting on amendments should not be a chore as in past elections. Vote YES on Constitutional Amendment One.
Amendment One is clearly stated in a single sentence: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to dedicate revenues derived from fees or taxes to the public purpose for which such fees or taxes were intended.” After many years of GCG advocacy, the 2020 General Assembly passed a resolution that allows the people of Georgia to mandate the way Trust Funds will be administered, directing that each fund be used for its designated purpose. Currently, the Georgia Assembly can remove the funds to supplement unrelated general budget items.
Of special concern to our members are the Solid Waste Trust Fund and the Hazardous Waste Trust Fund. The most obvious source for these funds was the $1.00 used tire fee paid by individuals to fund the Solid Waste Trust Fund. The Solid Waste Trust Funds are used to clean up unlawful tire dumps across the state. These and other fees and taxes will be returned to local governments to handle the cleanups of dumps and landfills.
What can you do besides vote? Now is the time to activate your members to help spread a positive word on Amendment One. Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers, put out the call on your club’s newsletter and social media, make phone calls and send emails. You can find a sample letter to the editor, and even submit it electronically to local papers here: www.protectgeorgia.org/trust-funds.
For help with your outreach, contact Tally Sweat, state legislative chairman, at [email protected] to get a sample letter and other information you may need. Be creative for the legislative!
Board Briefs - Fall 2020 page 15
Legislative and Governmental Affairs2020 Fall Board Meeting
During the 2020 Georgia Legislature's extended session, several positive environmental bills were passed and at least one detrimental bill was defeated. The best news to emerge from the session isthat a Resolution creating a proposed constitutional amendment passed.
Amendment One is on the November 4 ballot. This amendment authorizes "the General Assemblyto dedicate revenues derived from fees or taxes to the public purpose for which such fees or taxeswere intended."
This amendment, if passed, will guarantee that the dollars the public has paid to recycle used tireswill go toward cleaning up the notorious tire dumps across Georgia, as well as funding monitoring and cleaning up landfills. Over many years, Garden club members across the state have supported efforts to get to this point. This chairman is urging you to carry this effort across the finish line by encouraging your members, friends and the public to vote for Amendment One in November.Not to be overlooked is the success of the passage of SB 123 which restores fees for coal ash dumping in lined landfills equal to that of household garbage. And, as usual, there was at least one bill that needed to be defeated, HB 345, which favored large scale industrial Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOS) to the detriment of Georgia's traditional family farms. These CAFOS would have severely damaged Georgia's clean waters, a high GCG priority as stated in GWC's Position Papers.
And the fight to save Okefenokee Swamp continues. Letters to the Governor, legislators, congressmen and senators as well as to the Corps of Engineers are encouraged to oppose mining operations along the ridge bordering the swamp..
Tally Sweat, Chairman
Board Briefs - Fall 2020 page 16