What better way to start the first meeting of the Hammond Garden Club than to have Mr. Sam Dileo as the speaker to tell us about the 2nd Annual Patriot Ball!
After the opening prayer by Chaplin Paulette Hebert and the membership articulating the beautiful and patriotic Pledge of Allegiance Mr. Dileo recounted the wonders that will be happening at the night of the Patriot's Ball that has been sponsored by Le Fleur De Lis and George Ibert's. The Dixie Bells that everyone loved so much last year will be coming again Nov.10 as well as The Pooyai Jamm Band that will be playing during intermission.
There will be a silent auction and an open buffet dinner as well as a cash bar so besides the wonderful entertainment there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Tickets are $50.00 each and the profits will go to the organization Wreaths Across America. You may pick up tickets at Mr. Dileo's office at the Audubon Center, 1200 S.W. Railroad Ave., Suite 100 B or call (985) 345-0570.
The dress for the occasion is: Casual/Semi-Formal/Military and Veterans attire appreciated. This spectacular event will be held at the Le Fleur De Lis Reception Hall in Ponchatoula.
Last year the garden club fashioned and prepared the decorations and Mr. Dileo requested our help again this year which we eagerly accepted.
After a question and answer session we broke for another delicious luncheon prepared by Marilyn's Catering. A spaghetti casserole over stuffed with ground meat and cheeses, golden corn niblets that tasted like it was right off the cob, crispy green Caesar salad and banana pudding cake fit for a king...I mean queen!
After lunch Sue Parrill, Historian, gave a commentary on Jane Austen Gardens with slides showing their beauty, many of which were manicured greenery such as boxwood. The greens were enhanced with the beauty of English gardening which is an array of many different flowers mixed in. They were all over England's countryside and at many lovely homes some that were eventually inherited by members of the Austen family.
All the likable and cultural talks completed, it was time to get down to business! Mary Thornhill, President first reported that the minutes by Karen Granier had been emailed to the Executive Board and had been approved. She then called on Phyllis diBenedetto, Treasurer for her report, Jewel Jamal for the Link Award who said the honors went to The Courtyard Cafe on Cate Street and Deborah Garafola announced that the Garden of the Month was awarded to Nick and Myra Cannino on College Drive.
Mary then asked for any other reports and Glenda Nelson gave an account of the organization Keep Hammond Beautiful that will be meeting on Saturday September 22, from 8 to 10:00 AM at Jackson Park and the new organization Keep Tangipahoa Parish Beautiful has been busy getting started; it's a big endeavor because it involves the entire parish.
Deborah Garafola added that you may call the parish at any time if you are in an area that you have seen people discarding trash. They will come out and put a sign up about littering with a phone number on it to call. She added that it has deterred it from happening around her property.
Margaret Hawkins said that there was Ikebana arrangement classes on the third of each month at the Ponchatoula Community Center from 10:00 to 1:00 PM. Cost is $30.00 for making 3 arrangements. There were 2 openings left and if joining you should bring a brown bag lunch.
After all the details of each report were provided Mary informed the members that we were going to have a Constitutional Convention. She noted that we have discovered there were many things in the Constitution that needed amending and the Executive Board will be meeting several times to see which rules would need to be changed, such as the amount of members allowed in the club. It would then be brought to the members for approval.
When the report on the Constitution changes ended Mary called on me, Linda Broussard. There were so many heavy reports I decided to read a poem I had received from a friend on the internet because it was so light-hearted and it brought the mood up because of all the laughter! Maybe on a shorter column I will reproduce it so everyone can have a good laugh...it's the best medicine for what ails you!
The HGC would like to send some laughter but most of all some prayers to the people devastated or deprived of life in the horrific hurricane that hit the East coast. May God be with you in these times of tribulation.
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 Hammond and God bless America!
by Linda Broussard
she is a member of the Hammond Garden Club
After the opening prayer by Chaplin Paulette Hebert and the membership articulating the beautiful and patriotic Pledge of Allegiance Mr. Dileo recounted the wonders that will be happening at the night of the Patriot's Ball that has been sponsored by Le Fleur De Lis and George Ibert's. The Dixie Bells that everyone loved so much last year will be coming again Nov.10 as well as The Pooyai Jamm Band that will be playing during intermission.
There will be a silent auction and an open buffet dinner as well as a cash bar so besides the wonderful entertainment there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Tickets are $50.00 each and the profits will go to the organization Wreaths Across America. You may pick up tickets at Mr. Dileo's office at the Audubon Center, 1200 S.W. Railroad Ave., Suite 100 B or call (985) 345-0570.
The dress for the occasion is: Casual/Semi-Formal/Military and Veterans attire appreciated. This spectacular event will be held at the Le Fleur De Lis Reception Hall in Ponchatoula.
Last year the garden club fashioned and prepared the decorations and Mr. Dileo requested our help again this year which we eagerly accepted.
After a question and answer session we broke for another delicious luncheon prepared by Marilyn's Catering. A spaghetti casserole over stuffed with ground meat and cheeses, golden corn niblets that tasted like it was right off the cob, crispy green Caesar salad and banana pudding cake fit for a king...I mean queen!
After lunch Sue Parrill, Historian, gave a commentary on Jane Austen Gardens with slides showing their beauty, many of which were manicured greenery such as boxwood. The greens were enhanced with the beauty of English gardening which is an array of many different flowers mixed in. They were all over England's countryside and at many lovely homes some that were eventually inherited by members of the Austen family.
All the likable and cultural talks completed, it was time to get down to business! Mary Thornhill, President first reported that the minutes by Karen Granier had been emailed to the Executive Board and had been approved. She then called on Phyllis diBenedetto, Treasurer for her report, Jewel Jamal for the Link Award who said the honors went to The Courtyard Cafe on Cate Street and Deborah Garafola announced that the Garden of the Month was awarded to Nick and Myra Cannino on College Drive.
Mary then asked for any other reports and Glenda Nelson gave an account of the organization Keep Hammond Beautiful that will be meeting on Saturday September 22, from 8 to 10:00 AM at Jackson Park and the new organization Keep Tangipahoa Parish Beautiful has been busy getting started; it's a big endeavor because it involves the entire parish.
Deborah Garafola added that you may call the parish at any time if you are in an area that you have seen people discarding trash. They will come out and put a sign up about littering with a phone number on it to call. She added that it has deterred it from happening around her property.
Margaret Hawkins said that there was Ikebana arrangement classes on the third of each month at the Ponchatoula Community Center from 10:00 to 1:00 PM. Cost is $30.00 for making 3 arrangements. There were 2 openings left and if joining you should bring a brown bag lunch.
After all the details of each report were provided Mary informed the members that we were going to have a Constitutional Convention. She noted that we have discovered there were many things in the Constitution that needed amending and the Executive Board will be meeting several times to see which rules would need to be changed, such as the amount of members allowed in the club. It would then be brought to the members for approval.
When the report on the Constitution changes ended Mary called on me, Linda Broussard. There were so many heavy reports I decided to read a poem I had received from a friend on the internet because it was so light-hearted and it brought the mood up because of all the laughter! Maybe on a shorter column I will reproduce it so everyone can have a good laugh...it's the best medicine for what ails you!
The HGC would like to send some laughter but most of all some prayers to the people devastated or deprived of life in the horrific hurricane that hit the East coast. May God be with you in these times of tribulation.
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 Hammond and God bless America!
by Linda Broussard
she is a member of the Hammond Garden Club