Standing Committees
This committee is the keystone of our membership meetings. Set up of the projection and sound system occurs preparation for the monthly membership meetings. Monthly pre-meeting rolling pictorial Powerpoint presentations are created to display pictures and activities of past and upcoming events for members to view as they gather for our meeting. A monthly meeting PowerPoint display is created to assist with the organization of information important to the membership. It assists with the timely flow of the business meeting.
BYLAWS
The parliamentarian serves as the Bylaws Chair. The Bylaws Committee reviews the PCGC Bylaws once a year and presents the proposed amendments at the June Membership meeting for approval.
CIVIC BEAUTIFICATION
Working with accredited landscape design consultants, the Civic Beautifications Committee plans landscape and container projects at 14 sites in five communities (Carlisle, Enola, Lemoyne, Mechanicsburg, and New Cumberland). The projects include 16 landscapes and 40 containers. The sites are located at a Charitable Organization, Church, City Welcome Sign, Historic Site, Library, Museum, Post Office, Veterans’ Memorial, Blueberry Farm, Fire Company, City Street Containers, and two Community Parks.
In addition to designing the areas, the Committee purchases, plants, waters and weeds the sites throughout the season. And the committee members change the plants in the containers for each season: spring pansies/ bulbs, summer annuals, fall mums, and winter greens.
Plus, the Committee purchases and plants trees that pay tribute to outgoing club Presidents. A plaque with details about the Presidency is added and a tree dedication is organized.
CLUB COMMUNICATIONS
The Communications Committee is tasked with forwarding pertinent information to all Club members primarily by email but also by telephone or mail when email is not an option. Each mother th “TO DO List” reminds members of the date/time/location of the upcoming Monthly Membership meeting, list of members who are to serve on the monthly Hospitality Committee or the other meeting duties as well as news/activities from Club Committees, and the minutes from previous meetings. In addition, items of interest from affiliated organizations such as National garden Club (NCG), Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs, Inc. (CAR-SGC), Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (GCFP) and local garden clubs in our GCFP District IV are also distributed. The Chair of the Committee or a representative attends monthly Club Board meetings as well as distributes to Board members the Board -related Committee reports, minutes and news as directed by the Club President. And lastly the Communications Committee distributes Bylaws and proposed Bylaw changes.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Community Outreach is the point of contact for community requests for Club Speakers or for Club representation at local fairs and other events and recruits Club memebers to conduct informational presentations for local groups on topics with which they have expertise. Community Outreach recruits club members to host tables/ booths with Club informational materials and is responsible for assuring that sufficient Club handout materials are available for distribution at outreach events.
CONSERVATION / POLLINATORS AND BIRDS
The combined committees work together to learn about responsible stewardship of our planet and to stay informed about environmental issues. We support actions that promote sustainability, environmental stewardship and justice. We encourage participation in Earth Day, Pennsylvania Bird Day, and Arbor Day. Trip events are planned to which all PCGC members and guests are welcome. Guest speakers are often invited to our meetings to discuss topics of interest. Meeting will be held most months in the last Monday in the upstairs meeting room at the Camp Hill Giant Food Store at 10:00 am.
FINANCE
The Finance Committee reviews and acts on (accepts, rejects, or modifies) the report of the Club’s financial records prepared by a small group of the club members chaired by he Assistant Treasurer. This internal review of the club’s books must be completed by August 31st and presented to the Board every September.
FLORAL DESIGNERS GUILD
The Floral Designers Guild will present monthly workshops, with the topics being announced at Membership meetings and via Club communications. Attendees will learn the basics of floral design, as well as some aspects of Flower Show Procedures to prepare members for entering flower shows. A list of supplies needed will be provided prior to each workshop. All Club members are welcome to attend regardless of design experience. Workshops will be held in the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 am, beginning in October, at Giant, Camp Hill.
GRANTS
Horticulture is the science and art of cultivating plants. Horticulture Committee meetings include work study sessions that focus on specific plant families. Workshops and demonstrations may be included. Plus, members contribute to the plant of the month, horticultural hint, and mini-flower shows at membership meetings. We tour gardens and sponsor other nature related outings. Our participation in the Horticultural Division of flower shows encourages members to exhibit their plants and visit the shows. All members are urged to attend NGC Gardening Study Schools. The Committee organizes a Progressive Dinner/Garden Tour of selected committee members home gardens at the end of the club year.
HOSPITALITY
At all Membership Meetings committee members prepare beverages and check in food as members drop it off. All club members (except Associates) will be asked to provide food two times during the club year. All food is to be cut into serving sizes with an ingredients card. Please include serving utensils and bring to the kitchen by 9:30 a.m. If you are unable to attend during your assigned month, you are to find a replacement and notify Sue Kent at kentskats@yahoo.com or 717-732-9818 OR Lisa Garrison at lagarrison2013@yahoo.com or 717-805-1309.
LIBRARY LIASON
The Club’s yearly $1,000 donation is evenly divided between four local libraries: Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, Dillsburg Public Library, New Cumberland Public Library, and Joseph T. Simpson Public Library. Books selected by each library are related to the Club’s mission and “Donated by PCGC” labels are placed inside. The Chair encourages and coordinates events and displays at these libraries.
MEMBERSHIP
The 1st Vice-president is the Membership Chair. Duties are as listed in the Bylaws. The Assistant Chair shall fill-in at meetings in the absence of the Chair. The Membership Committee shall assist with mentoring new members, maintaining contact with current and long-term members, as well as educating all Club members on the benefits of their membership.
NEWSLETTER
Our newsletter is “The Flower Press”. The newsletter editor compiles, edits and distributes a newsletter for September/October, November/December, January/February, March/April and May/June. Committee chairmen are responsible for submitting articles and event dates by the newsletter deadline. Members with email receive a PDF color copy; others receive a black and white printed copy. Newsletter deadlines: August 15, October 15, December 15, February 15, March 15.
PRESSED FLOWER DESIGNERS
Pressers are members interested in learning the art of Pressed Flower Design. Collecting, pressing, storing and design are all part of our monthly workshops. Crafted items are available for purchase at monthly membership meetings and at community events. There are also opportunities for educational exhibits and participation in flower show competitions. Workshops are typically held the first Monday of the month, at the Giant Food Store, 3301 East Trindle Road, Camp Hill, 9am-noon.
PROPERTIES
The club rents a storage unit at Extra Space Storage, 4751 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA. Items owned by the club are stored in this unit. Any club other than a federated club that requests the use of properties from PCGCmay be asked for a donation. Contact Keith Thomas or Sue Zalesky for access to the storage unit.
The Publicity Chair informs the community of PCC’s activities and upcoming events through print and on-line sites. Working with the PCGC photographers, photos and articles are submitted to four local newspapers, several television/radio calendars, Keystone Gardener, GCFP Calendar, PCGC “The Flower Press, electronic billboards,
PCGC website and Social Media.
SCHOLARSHIP
PCGC scholarships support local students in studies in Horticulture, Floriculture, Agriculture, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Sciences, Conservation, Urban or Regional Planning, Forestry, Botany, or allied plant or ecology related studies. Also, PCGC members passing courses offered by GCFP and NGC may apply for a $150 reimbursement for each course. Courses include: Environmental School; Flower Show School and Symposium; Gardening School; and Landscape Design School.
WAYS AND MEANS
Ways and Means projects include raffles at regular meetings, HML and other sales to generate income.
- A Holiday Market Luncheon is held annually. Speaker is acquired, money is raised through ticket sales, vendor booth fees, bake sale and white elephant sales. Items acquired from donations of members, businesses are raffled off. Floral designs are awarded as door prizes.
- Plant sale offering plants from members’ gardens and donations from commercial nurseries. Garden-theme items and bake sale goods are sold.
- Members donate to Terracyle recycling not only to keep items out of the landfill, but to raise funds.
- The Pressed Flower Designers sell their wares at regular club meetings, district meetings and other venues
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
The Committee will act as consultants to youth directors at local libraries and to other youth organizations such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to teach and promote the art of gardening and related activities. The members of this committee are required to obtain PA child abuse clearance for volunteers. The PA Child Abuse History Clearance and PA State Police (PATCH) Criminal Background Check are easily acquired online and free of charge.
