NEWSLETTER						NEWSLETTER

                        Gardeners of Somerset Valley
                             Wegarden.org
February 2011					Editor: Mitch Greenbaum
                                                        908-231-8338

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, February 16, 7:30 PM
North Branch Reformed Church

MEET THE SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS
NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES

Many important operational duties take place in the months of February and March which help keep the club healthy and vibrant throughout the rest of the year. First and foremost, please remember to bring a dues check to the meeting or mail one to club Treasurer Pat Matson, 141 Mountain View Road, Warren, NJ 07059. The amount remains the same, $25 for an individual, $35 per family. A reminder should have gone out in the last meeting notification but unfortunately was overlooked and the collection process is now a bit behind schedule. Let’s get the dues paid as quickly as possible so everyone can concentrate on the fun stuff like programs, trips and special events.

Scholarship remains a key founding principle of GOSV and it has been a very long time since the recipients came to a meeting. They have been missed and happily this changes next week when two of the students are scheduled to give a ten to fifteen minute presentation. The third who has a scheduling conflict with a class may attempt to drop in at the last minute. To bring everyone up to date, GOSV sponsors two Rutgers scholarships, one in memory of Rudolp W. and Ans van der Goot and the other from the George Osterman Family. A scholarship has been provided to a Rutgers student since 1991. The Delaware Valley College program has been in effect since 1999. The stipend now stands at $3000 per student. In the past they have talked about their majors, projects and aspirations, and you’ll learn that they work incredibly hard and are dedicated to make a difference in their chosen fields. I think you will come away feeling proud that GOSV supports young men and women showing such a high level of commitment, motivation, maturity and poise. By way of introduction they are:

Griffin Kutcha (Delaware Valley College): Majoring in Ornamental Horticulture

William Reichert (Rutgers): Majoring in Plant Science

Zeina Zahalan: (Rutgers) Landscape Architecture

In March, programming returns to normal with a friend of Pien Nagy taking us on a visual visit to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

Below is a quick summary of some of the other key administrative activities that will be brought up during the business portion of the meeting.

Nominations for the four officer positions; President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary for a one year term and two trustees for a three year term. Incumbents can run again. If interested in serving in one of these roles, please contact Mitch Greenbaum or Marty Oostvoen so that you can be announced as a candidate at next week’s meeting. With apologies for the short notice, the deadline to contact us is next Tuesday evening (2/15). The actual election takes place in March.

The club needs to decide if it should continue to sell the Ace flower and vegetable flats and hanging baskets as part of the main fund raiser that covers many of the speaker fees and other outside activities. Though considered reasonably priced and of good quality, interest has not been as strong as expected. The Geranium sale which has been an integral part of the club since the beginning won’t be affected. Everyone is encouraged to work hard to increase sales to the high levels of the past.

The officers and trustees have been working on revising the GOSV by-laws. A working copy for review by membership will be available either next week or at the March meeting at the latest.

If time allows, present ideas and gauge interest for possible outside trips to Buck’s Gardens, Unionville Vineyards, Macy’s, Colonial Gardens and more.

Did you hear that pitchers and catchers are reporting to spring training this weekend? Have you noticed the snow meltdown and the longer days? Not so subtle hints that the worst of this savage winter is soon to be over. Early seed starters if not already sowing are itching to do so and the NJ Flower & Garden Show is coming up the week after next (February 17-20, NJ Convention Center, Edison. Thanks Marty for sending the information on free tickets). This year the displays have a Broadway theme which harks back to the club’s past and continued successful participation in the Montclair College Art in Bloom program combining horticulture with another major art form. This show along with the acclaimed one in Philadelphia basically kicks off the long awaited 2011 season. Things are definitely heating up. Come give our students a warm welcome and get a glimpse of the future in horticulture.