The Annual Luncheon of the FFGC Floral City Garden club was held the second Friday of May at the Inverness Golf and Country Club.

Floral City Garden Club Installs New Officers

Alice Webb club Chaplin, summed up the feelings of the members as they came to the end of their sixty-first
club year and looked forward to summer experiences.

Alice read the poem she had written for the occasion, “The time has come for our year
to end. Rain season comes soon, at least that’s the trend. Go on vacations, work in
your yard…Maybe visit that new baby behind Buckingham guards! Whatever you do
and wherever you go, Enjoy this summer and return with a glow.”

After a well prepared lunch, members witnessed the installation ceremony of their
officers-elect. Installing Officer was Marcia Beasley a thirty-seven year member of
the Club and a life member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. She chose a
butterfly theme for the installation, reciting qualities of butterfly species to aline with
duties of each office. Each officer was given a photo-magnet of the butterfly she
represented and a blooming plant in a terracotta pot with butterflies fluttering on
stakes above plant.

Officers installed included the Corresponding Secretary Sandy Van Tassel, Recording
Secretary Kathy Lingusky, Treasurer Mary Graff, Second Vice President Janie
Stewart, First Vice President Carol Wood and President Susie Metcalfe.

Members pledged their support to the new Officers and President Susie Metcalfe
received the Gavel from outgoing President Donna Thomas. The first act performed
by the new president was to warmly thank Mrs. Thomas with a gift certificate to Color
County Nursery, Lecanto. Well wishes were given to Mrs. Thomas as she serves the
District IV Garden Club as First Vice President for the coming two-year term.

The club was brought up to date on various activities and events that would be
occurring during the summer, beginning with the first board meeting on the Monday
following the luncheon. This meeting would initiate planning for the Club’s Year
Book, This year the Club did not have an eligible candidate for the Florida Federation
of Garden Clubs (FFGC) Seek Program and since a cabin at the FFGC Camp Wekiva
burned recently, the members voted to send the $300 money for the SEEK scholarship
to Camp Wekiva for use in building a new cabin.

The club received five awards from either Florida Federation or National Garden Club
and one of the members was surprised when it was announced that her efforts at
writing the monthly Citrus County Chronicle column for the Garden Club president
had receive state recognition with a monetary award.

President Metcalfe, also announced she had made a nomination to the Friends of the
Florida Urban Forestry for their 2018 Urban Forestry Advocacy Award. She reported
that Club members Marcia Beasley and Frank Peters had been selected to receive the
State Award. Continuing she said, “ the award selection committee felt their efforts
stood above all other applicants in exemplifying excellence in Urban Forestry
throughout the State of Florida.”

The recipients said the Award recognized both the Floral City Garden Club’s and the
Floral City Heritage Council’s many years of work in advocating for the preservation,
maintenance, replanting, evaluation surveys and fund raising for the Historic “Avenue
of Oaks” on Orange Avenue and Aroostook Way in Floral City. David Watford,
Chairman of the Friends of the Urban Forestry Advocacy Awards Committee,
presented the Award at the Board of County Commissioners meeting on 14 May and
the Commissioners also gave Certificates of Appreciation to the Awardees.

Although the Club will not hold meetings during June, July and August, officers of
the Garden Club will be meeting to work on the Year Book for the coming year. The
next membership meeting will be held at 12:00 noon on the second Friday, 13
September, in the Floral City Community House at the Town Center. For further
information call President Metcalfe at (352) 637-3828 or 1 st VP Carol Wood at (813)
235-3917 and visit the web site at www.floralcitygardenclub.weebly.com.