Sharon Burcham, President The Garden Club of Kentucky, Inc. Hello Kentucky, I am so excited to begin this journey as your State President. Making new friends, being introduced to your goals and accomplishments and visiting each of you will be most rewarding. Whether you are planting trees, removing invasives, releasing butterflies, building birdhouses, cleaning up creeks, installing a Blue Star or Gold Star Marker, sponsoring a plant sale, organizing a flower show or having a fun get together, please invite me, I would love to share that experience with your club. My theme for this term will be: “Make your Hometown Beautiful” Look for an opportunity to transform a corner, space or neighborhood, where you live, into a magical place. As Garden Club Members, our goal is to be good stewards of our environment while educating those around us to do the same. Whether it be encouraging the planting of natives to increase a healthy eco-system or removing invasives to allow true nature to take its course, we can all participate. Take small steps to recycle and learn as you go. Be proud of where you live and show your neighbors what garden club is all about. The President’s Special Project Awards Award #1 – Make your Hometown Beautiful Certificate and cash award to the club that creates magic in their hometown by finding a worthy location and transforming it into a beautiful space. Use your imagination and dream big. This creation should follow along with NGC guidelines by making conscious choices when choosing plants for your project. Look for plants and trees that are native and keep away from invasive species. Use this opportunity to showcase your garden club to everyone in your hometown and to all those that drive by your project. Create beauty on every corner. Award #2 – Recruit, Retain & Revitalize Certificate and cash award to the club that is the most creative in recruiting new members, becoming inventive in retaining new members and highlighting the most exciting ways to revitalize your club meetings to encourage growth and sustain your membership. This President’s Award will become a permanent GCKY standard award going forward after this term. Tell me a story about all the ways you have energized your club and include pictures that show what fun you are having. Thank you all for the support and encouragement I have received from across the State. Now, let’s go out and make Garden Club the place to be for 2025. Sincerely, Sharon Burcham
