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Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when I want to make the effort to insure that everybody in our Association are welcome to participate within our group. It is vital to me that anybody that wants to learn water gardening and keep current with all the latest information, can by being a member. Participation may mean just being a member or it could mean being part of the team of volunteers who accomplish the goal of running an organization. In order to accomplish this we need a team of Officers and Directors that are dedicated to this goal. Some of the jobs are not too glamorous and do not get a lot of thanks. In those situations, it is up to me to make sure thanks does get said.
I am extremely humbled by the dedication of your Directors and Committee Chairs over this last year. We have still increased in numbers just like the previous year. The satisfaction that these women and men get is knowing that we are there for the water gardener without bias as to products and services. In other words we are here in an unselfish mode. Our only goal is to promote water gardening.
Businesses that have similar goals are also part of group. They will have some bias to their products that they offer but that is business. Our Fountains of Support continue to grow and to be honest -- many of our members joined to take advantage of the discount. Who's counting on why a member joins -- that really doesn't matter. All that matters is that proper techniques of water gardening are made known to all gardeners that is considering adding water. It is that simple. And it is also a simple fact that we are a very large group and we are reaching a bunch of people.
Talk about reaching a lot of people -- Gary Craven, our Vice President, has agreed to lead a new type of garden tour. We are calling it, at least right now, The Assisted Senior Tour. I might mention that this tour was Gary and Janet's idea -- and I think they have hit on a good one. The CIWGA wants to tackle another civic responsibility and this one has the all the right ingredients. This tour would be free to seniors that need assistance in getting around and their assistants. Our responsibility would be to pay and provide assistance to these seniors on tour day. We would line up the right type of gardens -- handicap accessible, of course, and it would be nice if the gardens had water. I do not think that is a requirement yet but most of the more interesting gardens are ones that have water. Right?? I feel that I am really not biased but that is my opinion :-) Anyway if your garden qualifies for this -- please let me or Gary Craven know. The timing of the tour would be a month before The Central Iowa Tour of Water Gardens -- the middle of June would be good time to tour gardens. Exact dates and more information will be following in the months to come.
One more note on the Assisted Senior Tour -- we are hesitant to open it up to the general public yet -- we may get overwhelmed. We will be interviewing a couple of nursing homes to see how much interest there is. We have so much money and only so many volunteers. Gary thinks that that we may only need to ask two or three nursing homes to use up our resources for the year.
Okay -- for our program for December. Ed Moran, the Assistant Superintendent and Aquatic Plant Specialist at Reiman Gardens in Ames, will be speaking on the Water Features at Reiman. If you like the water gardens at Reiman then you must attend this program. If you haven't met Ed -- I am so jealous -- nice guy, smart, young and has the best job in the world. What more could you ask for? We also will have catered Christmas treats -- this one is on the Association. Count on hot cider and something very sweet??!! The meeting will start at 7:00 PM on December 8 at the Alliant Facility.
Of course, we will have door prizes and our annual Christmas gift giveaway. This $5 gift giveaway is done instead of a gift exchange. This is a chance to give money to our communities -- the last couple of years it was Bethany Manor. This year it will be the Assisted Senior Tour. The people that want to give to this, can, and the people that don't -- well, don't have to. It is all voluntary and there is absolutely no pressure to give. For those that can't make the meeting can send your donation to Denice Resietter, our Treasurer. It will be earmarked to use only for the purpose of going into our Civic Program. This may be the way that you choose to participate in our Association's activities.
Hope to see everybody at the meeting. I just experienced something at my own ponds that I will share on the 8th. This experience everybody needs to know.
The Big Toad, Jamie