JARS v59n3 - Member Awards

Member Awards

CAPE COD CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Judith V. Dalmas

The Cape Cod Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society is proud to present its highest honor, the Bronze Metal Award, to Judith V. Dalmas in recognition and appreciation for your many valuable contributions to our chapter. You have served as Board member, worked in the Display Garden, participated in plant sales (the designer of our plant sales aprons), and opened your garden for Chapter Garden Tours. Judith, your creative ability is well known and one of the results was our new members brochure last year. You have also served the chapter well as current vice-president and program chairman. Your ability to find and produce excellent speakers for our chapter meetings is much appreciated. Your garden expertise is evident and your willingness to share your talents and time serves our chapter well. This Bronze Metal Award is well deserved.

EUGENE CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Leonard Frojen

The Eugene Chapter, American Rhododendron Society, in recognition of his many years of service, is pleased and honored to present the Society's Bronze Medal to Leonard Frojen. Leonard, a long-time active member of our chapter, has spent countless hours working to encourage wider interest in that gem of Pacific Northwest gardens, the genus Rhododendron . He has served and is serving now on our Board of Directors, but his more visible presence in recent times has been as perennial chairman of our flower shows. This is a multi-faceted task requiring the coordination of many components, culminating in awesome displays of sprays, trusses, foliage and plants at both the Early Show and our Main Show, the latter a weekend extravaganza at a local mall offering up close and personal beauty and information to visitors and a wonderful climax to the blooming season for our membership. Thank you, Leonard, for your important contributions to rhododendrons for both our chapter and the public. April 9, 2005.

OZARK CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Sandra Hughes

Ozark Chapter is proud and happy to present its highest honor, the Bronze Medal, to Sandra Hughes, in recognition of her devotion to our chapter. She has always been extremely supportive of all our activities, both personally and financially, even when suffering from a badly broken foot! By her efforts we have been able to increase our membership substantially in the Batesville, Arkansas area where she lives. She helped organize a chapter meeting there which was extremely successful. We especially appreciate her gracious giving and her enthusiastic and always friendly personality. As an artist, she has promoted our chapter with her paintings. She has also served as co-editor of our newsletter. She has donated plants to our sales, purchased many others, and was a gracious hostess to a garden tour at her lovely home in Batesville. Thank you, Sandra - we love you! You are a real asset to our organization.

PEACE ARCH CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Elfriede and Jim DeWolf

The Peace Arch Rhododendron Society is pleased to present the Bronze Medal of the American Rhododendron Society to Elfriede and Jim DeWolf. Elfriede has willingly served several positions on the executive and is instrumental in our club hosting an annual one day rhododendron education and promotion with a local garden center. Jim is our treasurer, a post that he has served for the past seven years. Together their guidance has served our club well. Their enthusiasm for rhodos is contagious. "The Glades" is a five-acre woodland rhododendron garden and home for the DeWolfs. They generously open their garden to the public as a fundraiser for the Peace Arch Hospital Auxiliary Society. The annual Mother's Day Tea has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Hospital Auxiliary. Our club's annual windup picnic is held in their garden each June. With the intent of preserving "The Glades" and its 2000 rhododendrons for future generations and to insure that the gardens founders, Murray and Lydia Stephen, will be remembered for their devotion to the genus Rhododendron , the DeWolfs have gifted the garden to the City of Surrey. PARS sincerely thank Elfriede and Jim for their efforts to improve our club and for their unwavering support of rhododendrons.

PORTLAND CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Steve Hopkins

You have provided outstanding service to the Portland Chapter, American Rhododendron Society. You have done an exceptional job serving the chapter as president, vice-president, and currently as a member of the Board of Directors. You arranged many excellent programs during your tenure as vice-president. You have been involved in many of the chapter's activities and have been willing to help whenever called upon, even at a minute's notice. You actively participated and contributed to the success of the Western Regional held at Welches. You have generously donated door prizes for chapter meetings and helped with the Early and Mother's Day Shows. In appreciation of your many contributions, the Portland Chapter is pleased to present the Bronze Medal to Steve Hopkins. May 19, 2005.

PRINCETON CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Arthur Ryba

The Princeton Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society takes pride and pleasure in awarding the Bronze Medal to Arthur Ryba for your energy, enthusiasm, and years of service in participating in activities, and volunteering your help and assistance wherever and whenever it was needed; we are grateful. You have served as Plant Sale co-chair. You have moved and tagged plants preparing for the sale, and assisted during the sales. After the sale, you have labored to pack-up the left over plants. At regional and other meetings you have assisted in many ways, such as handling audio-visual equipment and other arrangements. As an enthusiastic and knowledgeable plantsman with an extensive collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, you have generously shared through the cutting exchange and garden visits. You have participated in chapter truss shows and have many awards to attest to your skills. Therefore on this March 13, 2005, in recognition of your contributions, the Princeton Chapter presents the Bronze Medal, its highest award.

PRINCETON CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Gloria-Jean Ryba

The Princeton Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society takes pride and pleasure in awarding the Bronze Medal to Gloria-Jean Ryba. You are being recognized for your tireless efforts on behalf of the chapter, and for your willingness to participate and assist in all of the chapter's activities. Over the course of more than a decade, you have stepped forward, time and again, to help in all the activities that attend the annual truss show. You have helped set up the show, assisted the judges, served as clerk, and been a public greeter. At its end, you have helped tear down, clean up and pack away. You have been a member of the Board of Directors, serving as its recording secretary. At plant sales you have assisted in the preparations and during the sale, and you have contributed to the success of other events, such as the annual picnic and garden tours. Therefore on this March 13, 2005, in recognition of your contributions, the Princeton Chapter presents the Bronze Medal, its highest award.

PRINCETON CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Jerry van de Sande

The Princeton Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society takes pride and pleasure in awarding the Bronze Medal to Jerry van de Sande. For more than twenty-seven years, you have served in countless ways with a dedication that has enriched and enlivened all of our activities. You have served as chairman of the Annual Picnic and Plant Exchange, as Study Group Leader, as a member of the Board of Directors, as chapter vice president, and as chapter president. Although you have retired from the public school system, you continue to teach us by sharing plant knowledge and expertise, your skill at propagating, and your love of gardening. And as a magician you have brought us joy and laughter as you demonstrate that we cannot always believe everything we see. Therefore on this March 13, 2005, in recognition of your contributions, the Princeton Chapter presents the Bronze Medal, its highest award.

PRINCETON CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Maria Sinibaldi

The Princeton Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society takes pride and pleasure in awarding the Bronze Medal to Maria Sinibaldi. Since 1990 the chapter has benefited from your enthusiastic and dedicated service. You have served on the Board of Directors as recording secretary, as a Board member, as membership chairman, and as the newsletter editor. You have been a frequent volunteer. At the annual truss show, you have assisted at setting up, as a clerk, and later with the cleanup. At the display garden you have planted, weeded, and provided general care. At the plant sale you have helped with publicity, setup, sales, and at the end, the cleanup. As a Master Gardener you have publicized rhododendrons and chapter activities. At the New Jersey Flower, Garden, and Outdoor Living Show, you have organized an educational booth to promote rhododendrons and the ARS to the gardening public. Therefore on this March 13, 2005, in recognition of your contributions, the Princeton Chapter presents the Bronze Medal, its highest award.

RSC TORONTO CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Richard Birkett

Back in the early 1980s, you were one of the "Group-of-Fifty" founding members of the ARS District 12, Rhododendron Society of Canada, Toronto Chapter, also known since the early 1990s as the Toronto Region Rhododendron & Horticultural Society. Through all these years you have provided outstanding service to our Society as president, director and treasurer, and continue to provide accounting input to the new generations of treasurers. You have developed a noteworthy rhododendron garden and have opened it up for numerous open-garden occasions to our members, including ARS Convention participants during the Annual ARS Convention in 1998, hosted by the Niagara Chapter, ARS District 12. You and your wife Barbara have also hosted Christmas parties on many occasions and have opened your home to many of our speakers. You always offer a helping hand in flower shows such as Canada Blooms and home-based flower shows. Presently our members know you as the "Rhododendron Man" who drives the truck and delivers rhododendrons from Niagara to Toronto for our April sales. Without that input, we would have no sale. You tirelessly promote our Society and the culture of rhododendrons, through lectures to garden clubs and through TV and radio appearances. Richard, we are proud to present you the Toronto Chapter's highest award, the Bronze Medal.

RSC TORONTO CHAPTER - Bronze Medal:

Tony Grinevicius You have been an enthusiastic and very active member for many years, served as director for twelve years and as treasurer for three years. You have always been around, no matter whether you were organizing liners for sale events, germinating seedlings and sharing them with members, booking our meeting rooms, or licking stamps and envelopes to get the newsletter on its way to members. You set up for the annual spring plant sales, the autumn plant sale and produced the sales flyers. You were there with the Canada Blooms show set-up and attendance at the booth, spent endless years as our booth attendant at the "Jump on Spring” event and tended the rhododendron gardens for a decade. You were part of the Moore/Evans/Hilgerdenaar/Morsink team to haul truckloads of rhododendrons from Niagara to set up the educational rhododendron forcing display for the Ontario Horticultural Association annual meeting in 2002 and even watered these rhododendrons for two months. You have been involved with just about everything concerning running our group and you are always there when needed. Tony, for your unselfish contributions, we as members feel honoured to be able to present you with the highest award of the Toronto Chapter, the Bronze Medal.

SIUSLAW CHAPTER- Bronze Medal:

Everett Hall

The Siuslaw Chapter is pleased to present the Bronze Medal, the chapter's highest honor, to Everett Hall for his long-time contributions to the chapter as a member, Board member, vice president and president. Everett conceived the chapter's "Search for the R. macrophyllum " project. He continues to trek the Oregon coast locating outstanding R. macrophyllum and patiently takes cuttings and collects seed from the special varieties for propagation. His monthly columns in our Macrophyllum newsletter on selected rhododendrons and garden information have vastly increased our knowledge of the rhododendron garden. He has been co-chairman of our annual rhododendron shows and has been invaluable in identifying rhododendron trusses for chapter members, plant registration and our shows. He is renowned for his propagation skills and his crosses. His generosity of time and unending willingness to help each member has enriched us all. His influence on the genus Rhododendron and his contribution to our chapter are invaluable. With great appreciation we proudly award the Bronze Medal to Everett Hall.

PRINCETON CHAPTER - Certificate of Appreciation:

Dr. Ed Jasionowski

Your selection and scheduling of our yearly garden tours has been an inspiration to all members who attend. We appreciate your endeavors to continue this chapter function. March 2005.

PRINCETON CHAPTER - Certificate of Appreciation:

Nancy Feryok

Your efforts in constructing and maintaining the ARS Princeton Chapter website, which advises others of the activities of our chapter and has been a source of new members, is gratefully appreciated. March 2005.

PRINCETON CHAPTER - Certificate of Appreciation:

Melinda and Lester Martin

Your dedication to providing the refreshments at each meeting of our group is generally overlooked. The chapter appreciates all that you do, as it contributes to a pleasant meeting and social activity. March 2005.

SIUSLAW CHAPTER - Certificate of Appreciation:

Charles King

Charles King's influence on the Siuslaw Chapter is visible each month when we receive our "Macrophyllum" newsletter. Charles took an ordinary newsletter and through his knowledge and computer skills turned it into the talk of the ARS. And if that were not enough, you then created beautiful name tags for our members and the method to have new members receive a name tag almost instantaneously! Thank you, Charles, for bringing printed beauty to the Siuslaw Chapter.

SIUSLAW CHAPTER - Certificate of Appreciation:

Paul Wilson

Paul Wilson's technical knowledge enabled the "Macrophyllum" to be emailed to our members, thus saving the chapter much postage each month. His photographic skills enhanced the newsletter and other chapter publications with his beautiful photography. Paul's assistance with our shows is invaluable. And thanks to Paul the Siuslaw Chapter now has a website that is beyond belief. Thank you, Paul, for sharing your technical knowledge with the Siuslaw Chapter!

SIUSLAW CHAPTER - Certificate of Appreciation:

Dave Shepherd

Dave Shepherd is a long-time chapter member and a former Bronze Medal winner. Yet Dave continues to contribute to our chapter. Dave's presence is visible at each of our shows with the many trophies he obtains. He continues to support the plant sales at our shows and is always ready to re-supply more rhodies when needed. At our monthly meetings Dave is always there, cheerfully giving door prize tickets for the rhodies he has gathered as prizes. Thank you, Dave, for your continuing support.

SIUSLAW CHAPTER - Certificate of Appreciation:

Marianne Horney

We have Marianne Horney to thank for bringing us the books that better educate our chapter. Each meeting Marianne and Bob cart the many books she has selected to our chapter meetings. At our shows she has an outstanding display for the public. Chapter book sales under Marianne have soared. Her enthusiasm spills over to her displays. Her knowledge of each book and her willingness to complete special orders allows us all to have the books in our libraries of our special interests. Thank you, Marianne. Your enthusiasm and dedication are greatly appreciated.

SOUTHEASTERN CHAPTER - Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition of Leadership and Service:

Russ Gilkey

Russ, you have supported the Southeastern Chapter for nearly thirty years, have held numerous offices in the chapter including chapter president, helped organize and sustain the ARS Species Study Group. Russ, you chaired the Plant Sale Committee for the 1994 ARS Annual Convention in Asheville, North Carolina. Your administration of this position was far-sighted and long-reaching. You sought out the rare and the choice and propagated these plants for the benefit of all who attended. More recently, you provided yak seedlings for door prizes at chapter meetings and as sought-after gems at the chapter's July plant auction. You have presented chapter programs and written articles for the Journal. The meticulousness of your scientific mind is matched by the warmth of your manner. To many, you are known as the "Yak Man." to the Southeastern chapter, you are known as a treasured friend. On this, the 19th day of March 2005, the Southeastern Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society salutes you and bestows this, the Lifetime Achievement Award.