SaddleBrooke Gardening Club’s first general membership meeting
Mary Jane Wilson
The new SaddleBrooke Gardening Club (SBGC) held our first general membership meeting on July 17 in the MountainView ballroom. The ballroom was packed to near capacity, as residents were anxious to learn all about the new club. Acting Club President Robert Kumza reviewed a PowerPoint presentation and a small portion of the club’s new website that highlighted the basic structure and functions of the club. Acting VP Gail Bohlman’s presentation described many of the functional roles that are planned and how these roles will benefit members. Members were able to learn about this new club by interacting with acting board members, completing their membership applications, and choosing their areas of interest.
SBGC is organized into four subgroups: Vegetable/Herb, Flower/Roses, Cacti/Succulents/Other, and Citrus/Fruit Trees. Subgroups are designed to permit members the opportunity to know and associate with other members who have similar interests. Subgroups help keep club gatherings smaller and more intimate, thus, enabling each member to know their group more personally.
Initial subgroup meetings have already been scheduled in mid-August so that like-minded gardeners can meet each other and start forming connections, learning from each other’s experiences and planning future subgroup activities, including home garden tours or field trips. Based on suggestions and ideas from early membership enrollments, the club offers a wide suite of capabilities that should appeal to SaddleBrooke gardeners of all types. Current plans of the club include seed sharing and plant exchange, bulk purchase and cost sharing, off-campus tours and field trips, social events, best varieties online documentation, and guest speakers. As additional SaddleBrooke residents return from their summer travels and bring their ideas to the club, we fully expect to see additional capabilities to be added to the club offerings.
Membership applications and information about the club and subgroup events can be found at www.sbgardeningclub.weebly.com. Upcoming event dates are listed under the Upcoming Events section of the website.
To have your name added to the roster of the new SaddleBrooke Gardening Club, send an email to [email protected]. Once you are on the active roster, you will automatically receive all the club news and invitations to club events. Dues for a basic membership are $10 a year. Dues paid now include membership privileges through the end of 2025. This new club will reinvigorate your enthusiasm for gardening and make you a much more successful Arizona gardener.