MAINE ROSE SOCIETY

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Sunday, April 8, 2001   The Barron Center

1:10 p.m. Portland, Maine

 

Minutes

 

Officers Present:  President Frank O’Connor, , Vice President Vaughn Hardesty , Secretary Wilma Sarna, Treasurer Claire Homan, Board Members, , Margaret Edwards, Wendy Kemp, Steve Law

 

Officers Absent:, Board Member Merle Bacastow, Ralph Carpenter, Joan Gotlibson

 

The meeting was brought to order by President O’Connor.  He asked Steve Law to tell the members present about the new Maine Rose Society web site. 

 

WEB SITE:  Law explained that he was asked, by Sara Hou, a Professor of Computer Science, Unity College, if the Maine Rose Society would like to have a web site designed for them.  One of the Ms Hou’s students would do the design work as a class project.  Steve would provide the domain name and arrange for the connection and server and the student would do the rest.  The web address is www.unity.edu/webdesign/MRS/MRS.html  and can be opened by clicking on the rose covered trellis/gate.  A discussion followed on which members should be listed at the site and it was agreed that the Consulting Rosarians should be listed plus other members who are willing to provide information to the public.

 

ROSE SALE:  Larry McMahon reported that the roses would be arriving during the first week in May and will be delivered to the home of Clarence Rhodes.  Larry asked for volunteer help to unload the plants.  The Rose Sale will be held on May 12 in conjunction with the Master Gardeners.    Tanya Heskett reported that newspaper notices and posters have been arranged.  The posters will be distributed to area businesses, nurseries/garden centers.  People Places and Plants magazine will include information on the sale.  Tanya asked how the roses would be priced and after some discussion it was agreed that $5 will be added our cost for each plant, rounding up to the next dollar. 

 

NEWSLETTER: The Rose Bowl’s current Editor, Lilyan Brower, is unable to continue because of health issues.  A volunteer to edit the newsletter was requested.  Steve Law agreed to publish the newsletter “for a while”. 

 

ROSE SHOW:  This year the Show will be held on July 1.  Frank O’Connor has looked into alternate sites for the Show and narrowed the search down to the Riverton School and Verillo’s Conference Center.  The group agreed that Verillo’s was the better of the two sites and offered more conveniences such as a place to eat and adequate parking.  One or two rooms will be required and Frank and Larry McMahon will, after taking stock of how much room is required to lay out the tables, etc., determine how much space will be needed.  The set-up committee will arrange the tables and prepare for the show in early morning so as not to require the room(s) an extra day.  Entries will be taken until 10:00 a.m. and the Show will be open at 1:00 p.m.  The judge’s names will be provided to Frank so that they can be included in the schedule.

 

GARDEN TOURS:  The Board of Directors, at its January 17 meeting, approved a Garden Tour to raise funds, as proposed by Tanya Heskett.  Tanya was, at that time, appointed as Chair of the Garden Tours.  Tanya will need 2-3 people to help her.  The Tour will be held the first Saturday after the Rose Show, July 7.  Frank O’Connor and Debbie Rumery volunteered.  A few people volunteered their gardens as part of the tour and other possible gardens was discussed.

 

Following a brief break for refreshments, Clarence Rhodes spoke to the group about his method of growing roses in pots, a presentation he had recently given at the Yankee District at Cape Cod.  Clarence spoke about his initial attempts 15 years ago and the methods he is presently using, the “soil” mix he has found to be the most effective, fertilization, his ingenious method of spraying, the ease of wintering over and the multiple benefits of growing roses in pots.  Clarence noted that the results of the rose survey will be published in the next issue of ARS, Roses in Review.

 

There will be no meeting in May, the Rose Sale substituting for the meeting.  The next meeting will be held on June 10 at 2:00 p.m. at the Barrens Center.  Clarence Rhodes, Margaret Edwards and Clare Homan will provide refreshments at that meeting. 

 

Meeting adjourned at 2:25 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Wilma Sarna, Secretary

 

Members		Present
Kay	Buffum
Soren	Christensen
Margaret	Edwards
Tonya	Heskett
Elaine	Law
Larry	McMahon
Clarence	Rhodes
John	Rumery
Deb	Rumery
John	Sarna