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ttending the President's Tea is Lena Bateman LGCF President with members of the HGC that attended the Summer Board Meeting in Baton Rouge from left are Sue Parrill, Phyllis Mire, Shirley Pellichino,Bateman, Linda Ryan, Leah Sadden, HGC President Mary Thornhill, Carolyn Schwebel and Juanita Pearson.
The Hammond Garden Club has begun it's new fiscal year and we are starting with a bang and lots of awards for many special people! It was the President's Tea held at the City Council Chambers with a standing room only crowd, everyone wanting to get back to our regular schedule, everyone wanting to return to visiting with our family of garden club friends! So much to talk about, so much that transpired over the summer, lots of new things coming up starting with the meeting being conducted by our new president Mary Thornhill!
Mary called the "meeting" to order (for the Tea it's not a business meeting...more like a social get together), and asked our new Chaplain Paulette Hebert to bless our new beginnings for this year, and then the resonant sound by all with the Pledge of Allegiance.
At the Tea each year the new yearbooks are distributed to club members that are made possible by our exceptional "Chief Editor" Vice President Karen Nelson and the art on the cover is taken from our Cleanest City Yearbook by our "Artiste In Residence" Phyllis Mire.
As I am sure everyone knows we have won the Cleanest City Award for District and State levels for the 12th year in a row partially for the wondrous yearbook put together by Phyllis Mire (art) and Glenda Nelson (collection of articles). But the other reasons for the winnings are also because of organizations like Keep Hammond Beautiful, many individuals and the directives of our Mayor Pete Panepinto. This is why the back cover is dedicated to the Mayor; he's holding the plaque and the platter high in the air that was awarded to the city from the Louisiana Garden Club Federation. Thornhill presented him with our yearbook at the Tea. His speech ensued thanking all for their involvement for these coveted awards.
Thornhill then called on "Louisiana Southern Belles-Share In Our Gardening" Summer Board Chairperson Linda Ryan to speak about the meeting that was held in Baton Rouge and attended by Co-Chair Carolyn Schwebel, Historian Sue Parrill, Phyllis Mire, President Elect Shirley Pellichino, Leah Sadden, President Mary Thornhill, and Ways and Means Chairman Juanita Pearson. Ryan thanked all that attended and gave a gift to each for jobs well done as well as a gift to the attending District VI Director Nancy Delehaye and Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. President Lena Bateman.
Bateman and Delahaye both gave a talk on what a wonderful club we were and congratulated us and the city for the Cleanest City Awards with a thank you for the invitation to the Tea, both expressing that they loved coming to our events, everyone is always so happy, up and friendly.
Next on the agenda was having the committee of Jennifer Allen, Brenda Daussat and Peggy Dunn present the Scholarship Award to Tessera Crockett. Forms were turned in by several SLU students and because of the overwhelming credentials that Crockett had acquired, her grade point average and was also referred by her professors, the conferment of the scholarship was given to Crockett.
The last award was for the Hammond Garden Club's Member of the Year presented by the Member of the Year/Nominating Committee of Juanita Pearson, Linda Ryan and Carolyn Schwebel which went to Sue Parrill for her constant involvement and attendance for the past year. There was resounding applause for the choice made by the committee.The gift was a beautiful blue and green swirled glass bird bath on a metal stand.
I must mention that the glue of this whole "President's Tea" was the food provided by the members of the Executive Board! There were two tables that seat eight pulled together on which the food was placed. There wasn't a spot that could fit another plate of goodies!
It all began with Sylvia Dileo's Special Chocolate/Coffee Punch adorned with scoops of vanilla ice cream and embellished with huge scoops of whipped cream, (most members couldn't leave that table)! There were wonderful deviled eggs, grape jelly with bar-b-que sauce meatballs, a hot scrumptious chicken dip, chips with a layered spread, a fruit tray and a vegetable tray and a huge tray of mixed finger sandwiches.
A grape salad that really wasn't a salad at all (more like a dessert with caramel sauce and pecans). Speaking of desserts...a peach cobbler to die for, some little round chocolate brownies with German chocolate icing, and Sue Parrill brought sugar cookies gorgeously decorated with all different kinds of flowers, one placed by each members' plate! Oh my...I'm sure I gained 5 pounds! The Garden Club not only does flowers...we are great cooks too!
The cover of the yearbook shows a peacock in all it's glory, in shades of gold, blue, green and teal and it was the "Make It Shine" theme for our year and our Tea. The gastronomic comestibles table was enhanced with an exquisite arrangement looking very much like a peacock by Linda Ryan as well as several bouquets that graced the tables where we were seated. The plates and napkins resembled a peacock's tail feathers and the white iced petits fours had blue, green and purple flowers on their tops. What a beautiful sight to come back home to! So glad we are back and ready for all of our new experiences!
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of the District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. and the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. doing our best to unify and beautify our homes, gardens, our city and our nation every day to the best of our ability. God Bless America!
by Linda Broussard
she is a member of the Hammond Garden Club