By Mary Lee Minor
The Ohio Association of Garden Clubs, Inc. held its summer Convention, August 18-20, at Mohican State Park Lodge and Conference Center, using the theme “Gathering the Treasures of 12 Moons”. Over 255 people attended the event.
Bucyrus resident, Mary Lee Minor, OAGC state president presided over the three-day event, planning with a volunteer committee for several months. All speakers offered programs which supported native Americans, including people, animals and plants.
Chuck Jakubchak, Strongsville shared “The Seasonal Full Moons”; Dr. Lisa Rainsong, Cleveland Institute of Music, brought her efforts to record “Earth’s First Musicians”, documenting bird songs, frogs, toads, katydids and crickets; Alice Hoover, OAGC member from Coshocton, portrayed “Sacajawea” receiving a standing ovation; Cheryl Harner, Richland County Master Gardener, talked about using native plants to attract native critters.
Activities were marked with a flower show of artistic designs, fresh cut horticulture, and educational displays. Minor entered two artistic classes. Juniors from Peas-in-a-Pod, Katelyn Heinlen, and Abi Chester, and Nuts About Nature, Kaleigh Swalley and Aryn Copeland received awards for fresh floral designs. Abi, Aryn, Katelyn and Paige Smith had junior displays in bird boxes and butterflies from a state contest.
Members of The Earth, Wind and Flowers Garden Club supported Mary Lee and the club entered a table setting contest, and placing first. Mary Ann Basinger, Shirley Chapman, Cheryl Corney, June Gebhardt, and Susan Maynard attended.
In an effort to interpret the “Blackberry Moon” Minor created this mass design of fresh materials including actual blackberries, purple smoke bush, Heavy Metal grass, coleus, and blackberry foliage, for the flower show at the Ohio Association of Gardens Clubs, Inc. Convention. It received a first-place. Minor entered a still life to represent a native American legend “Navajo Boy” which earned a second place. The three-day event was staged at Mohican State Park Lodge and Conference Center in Perrysville.
Minor is completing her eighth year on the Executive Board of OAGC. She became a third vice-president in 2006, second vice-president in 2008, first vice-president in 2010. In her two years as president she has increased membership through goals using a contest. She promoted a huge raffle her first year, with 8 showcases of prizes, including overnight stays and patio furniture. She designed a trip to Ireland this past June for OAGC, touring gardens and arriving in Dublin for the opening of the World Flower Show. She is working with OAGC conservation chair to refurbish The Ohio Historical Society’s native plantings at the building in Columbus.
Minor gathered funding for Mohican Outdoor School throughout her term calling it “Butterfly Kisses’, selling her plants and small items at regional meetings. In fact, the Convention group traveled to the school site, five miles from Mohican Lodge on the afternoon of August 19. Mohican Staff and staff from the Crawford Park District shared earth-related skills. Josh Dyer, came as Appleseed John; Chris Rothhaar had a large display of pelts of native Ohio mammals; Warren Uxley exhibited prairie grasses and other native plants. Flute carver, Randy Bryhn, of Galion played and talked about his carving passion. Mohican School staff provided hikes to Hemlock Falls, an owl, a birder, and native American story teller. Former junior garden club members, Sara Gebhardt and Brooke Shroll directed a craft which brought feathers and beads into strands to be worn in the hair.
Minor also brought a focus on eastern bluebirds, the return of karner blue butterflies to Ohio, and native plants which support all stages of insects.
She is also directing a Strategic Planning team, and wrote a short skit which was performed at the Convention, summarizing the past and setting the stage for change. With 3 other flower show judges, she is editing a handbook for Exhibitors and Judges which is nearly 400 pages long.
On Wednesday afternoon, Minor gave a set of closing remarks about her journey in OAGC’s leadership, appreciating the rich support from members. She then presented an engraved gavel to president-elect, Peggy Case of New London whose term begins October 1. Case announced that the 2015 event is scheduled for June 1-3 at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge, in Oregon, Ohio.