JARS v61n1 - Bronze Medal Awards

Bronze Medal Awards

COWICHAN VALLEY CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Janet and David Gardner

Janet Gardner is a leader in every aspect of the chapter's activities. She was president when the highly successful Western Regional Conference was held in the Cowichan Valley in 2000, and is always ready to step into any position in need of a willing worker, from secretary in recent years, to librarian currently, and in 2007 second vice-president. Her husband, David, has the same spirit of joining in to make chapter functions pleasurable for everyone, whether setting up the annual spring plant sale, the June picnic, or the Christmas party.

Bronze Medal: Anne and Roger Slaby

Anne and Roger Slaby are founding members. Their names appear on the first membership list of 1988, and since then they have given constant, unceasing service to the chapter in various executive capacities. Anne is the first to offer for any job that needs doing - currently convening the annual garden tours, for example - and Roger, as a rhododendron nurseryman with a background in teaching, keeps up to the minute on the latest developments in rhodo culture and keeps others informed.

LEHIGH VALLEY CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Dr. Dale Howe

The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society is extremely proud and delighted to present this prestigious award to Dr. Dale Howe for his many contributions to our chapter. Dale has worked diligently for our chapter for many years in a very generous fashion. He has been a dedicated and an enthusiastic supporter, donating his time to our plant sale, annual dinner, yearly picnic, planning of trips, propagation of plants, and other chapter activities. He is also our past president and continues to serve on our executive. In recognition for his dedicated service we are pleased to present the American Rhododendron Society Bronze Medal to Dr. Dale Howe.

MIDDLE ATLANTIC CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Jeanne Hammer

The Middle Atlantic Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society presents to Jeanne Hammer this Bronze Medal Award in recognition of your outstanding services as a board member, vice president, president, past president, and all-round dependable and reliable member of our chapter. Your leadership resulted in an outstanding presentation of our history at the MAC 50th Anniversary Celebration, and our efforts have provided many excellent meetings. You have promoted interest in the ARS Archives at the University of Virginia. Your leadership renewed promotion of our organization through an exhibit at The Maymont Flower Show. For these and many other contributions we gratefully present this award. November 4, 2006.

MIDWEST CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Gerald Firak

Midwest Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society is honored to award you this medal in recognition of your service to the chapter. We honor you, Gerald, for the faithful 37 years in our chapter in which you contributed as chapter president, assisted over the years in our Truss and Plant Sale, donated plants to other members, participated in donating seeds to the ARS Seed Exchange, shared your intimate knowledge of rhododendrons, and your quiet willingness and devotion to other horticultural organizations. We salute you, Sept 30th, 2006.

PORTLAND CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Anya Averill

With enthusiasm, energy and leadership, you have served as chairwoman of the Smith Garden for three years. You have devoted countless hours doing the many duties of this office that include writing thank you notes, taking telephone calls from the public as well as members, writing newsletters, brochures and handling much of the accounting. You have also graciously taken part in the special volunteer work days by providing hot soup and other delicious food. For your many outstanding accomplishments on behalf of the Smith Garden, the Portland Chapter, American Rhododendron Society, is pleased to present the Bronze Medal to Anya Averill. May 18, 2006.

TACOMA CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Mutsuko Higashi

The Board of Directors is honored to award Mutsuko Higashi the American Rhododendron Society Bronze Medal in recognition of your service to the Tacoma Chapter. Over the past several years, your generous donation to the plant auctions, with outstanding plant specimens, has led to the Tacoma Chapter's ability to continue with the renovation of the Point Defiance Rhododendron Garden. The plant auction is our only fundraiser and it is always a great success thanks to your support. Your continued support of the annual Truss and Plant Show with a hundred or more trusses and high quality plants is also greatly appreciated. It is with great enthusiasm that the Tacoma Chapter presents our highest honor, the Bronze Medal, this 15th Day of November, 2006.

VALLEY FORGE CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Penny and Tony D'Alessandro

For many years you have been active, devoted and involved members of the Valley Forge Chapter. You have worked as a team in various major activities of the chapter during that time as board members, each taking on different responsibilities. Together, you conducted the advance plant sale for several years. In recent annual plant sales you, Penny, have assisted with the perennials and also provided lunch for the volunteers while Tony has helped with the pick-up and trucking of the purchased plants in addition to his duties as chapter treasurer which entailed correlating and banking the sales receipts. Penny has recently been organizing the Annual Banquet and, Tony, in your capacity as chapter treasurer, organized, computerized and simplified the chapter budget process. You have both been instrumental in introducing the planting of native azaleas in your hometown park in Strasburg, PA. It is therefore with great pleasure that this Medal is awarded this 12th day of November, 2006.

Bronze Medal: William Dennis

Bill, you are one of our longer tenured member and during that time have also been a most valued one, active in various capacities but most notably in the chapter's annual plant sale. For several years you shouldered the job of contacting various plant nurseries and ultimately placing orders for and arranging delivery of plants for our spring sale. Additionally, you conducted the advance plant sale during its initial years. You have also been most generous in donating plants from your garden to our sale. Just recently you have agreed to accept the chairmanship of the plant sale for the coming year. This is in addition to currently being the Valley Forge Chapter Recording Secretary. It is also worthy of note that you hold the distinction of being published in the ARS Journal. It is therefore with great pleasure that this Medal is awarded this 12th day of November, 2006.

Bronze Medal: Mary Alice Snyder

Since joining the chapter you have been an enthusiastic and loyal supporter of the chapter in many ways. You have served as a director on the chapter board. For several years you organized the Chapter Annual Dinner, securing the contracts and handling the reservations from chapter members and friends. You also solicited appropriate items from area businesses to be used as door prizes. Most notably, you have for some years assumed responsibility for the perennial and native plant section of the chapter annual plant sale, ordering plants, directing receipt and placement of same and being on hand during the sale to offer assistance to and answer questions from our customers. All this with a keen sense of humor and an ever-present friendly smile. It is therefore with great pleasure that this Medal is awarded this 12th day of November, 2006.

VANCOUVER CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Douglas Justice

Douglas Justice is Associate Director and Curator of Collections at UBC Botanical Garden, and a teacher in the Agroecology and Masters of Landscape Architecture Programs. He joined the Vancouver Rhododendron Society in 1997, bringing with him a great wealth of invaluable horticultural knowledge as well as enthusiasm and support for all of the chapter's programs and events. As a member of the executive, his voice was always one of moderation and professionalism. At meetings, Douglas freely shares his botanical knowledge, often gives educational and entertaining mini lectures, and to our benefit has revived the popular "Francisca Bouquet" plant demonstrations. Tours of the UBC Botanic Gardens led by Douglas are always pleasurable and highly instructive. His contributions of rare species trusses and sprays from the Gardens greatly enhance our Show and Sale, as does his ability to identify and classify the rhododendrons on display. Douglas is a member of a number of local, national and international organizations, and he and his wife, Karen, write professionally on various horticultural subjects. Together they christened our newsletter the "Indumentum," and were the first to make an electronic version available to members.

Bronze Medal: Bill Spohn

Claiming to be a novice, Bill Spohn joined the Vancouver Rhododendron Society in 1997. Now, however, his large garden is home to a considerable number of species and hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas as well as maples, magnolias, camellias and other companion plants - it is a place that members enjoy visiting on Open Garden days. Bill soon took on the role of society secretary, keeping board meetings on track, and, with his sense of fiscal responsibility, ensuring that chapter functions were kept within budget constraints. The VRS is greatly indebted and appreciative of Bill's contribution as founder of our excellent website and his continuing commitment as our webmaster. The site, which Bill updates on a regular basis, is a doorway to the botanical and horticultural world. It carries many of Bill's superb photographs of rhododendrons in his own garden as well as others from the Rhododendron Species Foundation and other sources. It is an excellent educational resource, with links to the ARS, other chapters, and significant botanical sites or gardens worldwide, and is a source of information about events of interest to the rhodo and gardening public. Bill now serve on the board of the Rhododendron Species Foundation in Seattle, no doubt with his camera ever at the ready.

WHIDBEY ISLAND CHAPTER

Bronze Medal: Gail DaPont

The Whidbey Island Chapter presents its highest award, the Bronze Medal, to Gail DaPont. Gail has been editor of our newsletter for almost a decade. In this capacity she has tirelessly collected news items, published them in her professional style, and made sure they arrive well before the meeting date. A sprinkling of her warm humor is often included. She serves on the board, volunteers weekly at Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens, and is a steady contributor to the plant sales at meetings. Gail is an invaluable member of our chapter and we are pleased to honor her. November 15, 2006.

Bronze Medal: Pat Sasson

In grateful appreciation The Whidbey Island Chapter of the ARS presents the Bronze Medal to Pat Sasson. She has served as vice president for the last five years. Pat has willingly stepped forward for each term to schedule interesting programs and speakers on rhododendrons and companion plants. In addition to scheduling the program speakers, Pat often hosts them in her home for dinner and overnight stays and does the same for visiting members of other chapters. In this regard she is the chapter's own Good Will Ambassador. Furthermore, she readily volunteers for committees, plant sales and coordinates the Holiday Party.