Whoever said summer was slow and easy doesn’t know our master gardener group. I have visited several of our projects and members are there early and in force. The PEST committee visited Witt Stephens nature center and were blown away by both the high quality of plant material and the size of the project (and hard work of the MG members). We also visited the Clinton Librarys’ Scholar’s Garden. There were a few problems with the project, but the entire project group has since met with the Clinton library staff and worked it out. Great effort and teamwork there! Each project has a contract with their host, and they are expected to meet certain requirements. Look on the website for pictures of these two projects.
The training committee has worked hard to develop a new phone questionnaire for our applicants interested in the fall class. Each board member has called and interviewed 6-10 applicants and I believe we are going to have an extremely strong class this year. We have many wanting to take the course, but because of limited space will only be able to accept 25. The class should be complete and notified by the end of August. (All sessions must be attended or the applicant will not be considered.) The class starts October 4th.
Derek has been busy updating our mentor program. I think you’ll like the new format, and I believe this program will forge a stronger tie with our new members. No project will receive a new member without a mentor already committed to that person. You’ll hear more about this program later.
Tina Coley has been on leave of absence since her mother (our own Valerie Smith) has had surgery…which went well but she will need some recovery time. Derek has been covering for Tina, and he’s definitely put the hours in. He’s had to learn his job the hard way: on the job training!
Despite it being summertime your board has met often and had many brainstorming sessions. Our goal is to begin September with some new ideas and improvements on old ideas. And YOUR IMPUT is welcome. Among the items on our agenda is stream lining the busy bee program and looking at our monthly newsletter.
If you read Laura Ann Warren’s ‘Message from the Editor’ you know that she will be leaving as Chronicle editor in December. The board would like to know what YOU want the newsletter to address and any thoughts you might have on how we communicate with members. We are also having a difficult time finding a chair and managing the busy bee program. It has become very cumbersome to keep up with since it is now 10 years old.
We are interested in what YOUR thoughts are on both of these issues. What do you want the Magnolia Chronicle to be/what information would you like to see in it? How do you feel about the busy bee program? Please email me cfmendel@aol.com if you would like to share your thoughts.
I talk to a board member almost every day, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know this group better. We’ve developed friendships that have enriched each of us. I want this experience to be true for our group as a whole.
Community…as I’ve said before…it’s the best part of being a master gardener. We’ve got a lot to do…I’ll look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in September.
Carol Mendel
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