Maine Rose Society

Minutes of 3/14/04 Meeting

The Barron Center, Portland, Maine

Prepared by Deb Rumery, Recording Secretary

Present:  Members - Ed Bergen, Kay Buffum, Soren Christensen, Jerry Cinnamon, Sari Hou, Sherman Curtis, Charlee Curtis, Roger Gotlibson, Joan Gotlibson, Claire Homan, Rita Lesniak, Charles Ramee, Beverly Ramee, Clarence Rhodes, Deborah Rumery, Marion Stevens, Michelle Winn.  Guests – Ruth Norton, Judy Ambrose, Wayne Peterson, Brenda Peterson.

President Jerry Cinnamon opened the business portion of the meeting at 1:05 p.m. Joan Gotlibson motioned to accept the February meeting minutes and Claire Homan seconded.  The minutes were approved by unanimous vote.

Committee Reports:

Treasurer: Claire Homan reported the current MRS balance.

Flower Show: Several members commented that the People Places & Plants Flower Show went well for MRS, with members having fun staffing the display and talking with hundreds of visitors.  Jerry Cinnamon recognized Ed Bergen as the society’s “unsung hero” and chief pinch-hitter for filling in vacant slots, and Sari Hou for all her work in coordinating booth staffing for MRS. He also acknowledged the tremendous outpouring of grassroots support for the event, with 21 members taking turns at the display. Benjamin Kirkland was recognized for creating the traffic-stopping display of roses at the booths. Steve Law receives congratulations for chairing the flower show participation and for being at the show for the entire ten days.  Guests Wayne and Brenda Peterson reported they attended the MRS March meeting after visiting our booth at the show.

Plant Sale: Chair Joan Gotlibson reported that the sale is on track.  She estimates we gave out nearly 1,000 flyers at the flower show.  Kay Buffam, Rita Lesniak, and Deb Rumery took extra flyers to distribute at local supermarkets, garden centers, etc., prior to the May sale.

Rose Demonstration: Chair Vaughn Hardesty reported via email that due to lack of follow-up by the Maine Mall, he contacted Broadway Gardens Nursery in South Portland,  and that they are willing to host this event for us.  A brief discussion followed and the group approved this new location.  The date is still pending as June weekends conflict with many regional society rose shows and the first weekend in July is a national holiday.  Jerry will get back in touch with Vaughn regarding the date.

Publicity: Deb Rumery reported that several papers carried the meeting notice. She will also contact the features editor of the Maine Sunday Telegram regarding their upcoming new Home & Garden section.

Hospitality: In Chairperson Margaret Edwards’s absence, Beverly Ramee and Kay Buffam volunteered for the April meeting.

New Business:

Joan noted that our April 11 meeting conflicts with Easter.  Following a straw pole, the group decided to move the meeting date to April 4.

Claire reported that founder and long-time member Gerry Newell had passed away. In keeping with the society’s practice, the group voted to split a $100 donation in Gerry’s name between the Maine affiliate of the American Heart Association and the Arthritis Foundation.

A friendship card was circulated for members to sign to send to Lilyan Brower, who is has been bedridden for the last five weeks.

Clarence reported that he continues to serve as the Roses In Review coordinator (RIR) for the Yankee District.  He also recognized Jerry for being nominated by Carol Ann Rogers, Yankee District Consulting Rosarian Chair, to be the next Yankee District CR chair. Jerry has accepted the nomination to be presented at the March meeting of the ARS Yankee District.

Meeting Program

Our resident consulting rosarians, Clarence Rhodes and Jerry Cinnamon, delivered the second half of their educational “How to Grow Good Roses” series, complete with visual aids both low- and high-tech.  Clarence presented a Readers Digest-style overview of the four types of plant tissue, their structure, and how they function to create healthy plant growth. Before yielding the floor, he reviewed the chemical make-up of water.

Making a smooth segue from Clarence’s chemistry lesson, Jerry presented a thorough PowerPoint tutorial on the nutritional needs and processes of roses and plants. Interspersed with Sari’s photography of their roses, his informative presentation explained, among other things, photosynthesis, how fertilizers interact with plants, and the chemical make-up of water-soluble, coated, and organic fertilizers.

Following a general discussion of the presentations, and visitations among members and guests, the meeting adjourned at approximately 3:30 p.m.