OHA District 8 holds 110th Anniversary Annual General Meeting in Lucknow

Saturday (May 6) brought showers and flowers to the Lucknow Community Centre as the Lucknow Horticultural Society welcomed more than 90 garden enthusiasts to the 110^th Anniversary Annual General Meeting of District 8 of the Ontario Horticultural Association (OHA).

Lucknow president and District 8 director, Sharon Nivins, welcomed the District 8 executive, representatives of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Huron-Kinloss Township, and horticulturalists to Lucknow, and opened with a poem by Billy McCoy, “My Country Garden.”

Huron-Kinloss deputy mayor Wilfred Gamble welcomed everyone, and Ann Finlayson delivered greetings from Suzanne Hanna, president of the OHA.

Roll call was answered by 17 horticultural societies throughout Bruce, Grey and Huron counties. Each group took the opportunity to highlight Canada’s 150^th events and other special celebrations and meetings in their areas.

In Memoriam commemorated the death of horticultural society members through the reading of a poem, listing of names and a bouquet of flowers; one for each member.

District 8 business was conducted at various times throughout the day-long meeting. Procedural items, such as adoption of minutes of the 2016 AGM, treasurer’s report, and appointment of new auditors, were dealt with in the morning.

The first guest speaker was Helen Scutt, agriculture organization specialist at OMAFRA, with the theme, “Growing Your Membership, Cultivating Diversity.”

She began her presentation with the observation that just as diversity in a garden makes it more interesting and vibrant; diversity in an organization has the same positive effect. Sharing thoughts on diversity, inclusion and accessibility, Scutt challenged her audience to identify barriers to inclusion in their respective communities and encouraged setting goals to create more supportive environments for new members.

Following a full morning program, a delicious lunch was provided by Nivins and Andrea Feeley of the Lucknow Horticultural Society, with serving assistance by the 1^st Lucknow Scout Troop.

The second guest speaker was Jacqui Empson Laporte of Auburn on the topic, “Nature in Our Gardens.”

Empson Laporte is an environmental specialist at OMAFRA and is passionate about re-establishing connections with the natural world. Her presentation demonstrated how her personal values and life’s journey are reflected in her gardening style and content.

During her talk, she raised eyebrows with her promotion of the Soil Your Undies program. This campaign from the Soil Conservation Council of Canada and Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario, invites people to test their soil by burying a pair of 100-per-cent cotton briefs or panties in the ground. Healthy soil is full of living organisms that will eat the fabric in a few months. A step-by-step guide is provided at www.soilcc.ca.

After Empson Laporte’s presentation, Nivins revealed the OHA District 8 Soil Your Undies Challenge, providing a kit complete with underwear, instructions and marking flags for each horticultural society.

Nivins introduced another new OHA program, the Pollinator Project Initiative, with a grant of $200 provided to a horticultural society to plant and maintain a pollinator-friendly public garden. The criteria was read and the Goderich and District Horticultural Society was the winner of a draw chosen from interested societies.

In two separate sets of recognition, certificates were presented to district horticultural societies marking significant anniversaries including Markdale, 105 years; Teeswater, 95; Ripley, 90; Hanover, 55; and Seaforth and South Port, 45.

Nivins awarded certificates of outstanding service to one member of each society as nominated by that society's executive.

Nearing the end of the meeting and the day, Ann Finlayson installed the new District 8 executive: director Vicky Culbert, past-district director Sharon Nivins, assistant district directors Theresa McLaughlin (Grey), Andrea Feeley (Bruce) and Karen Redmond (Huron), secretary Elly Pennings, treasurer Susan Watson, and supplies, Carl Preuss.

Finlayson thanked Nivins for her years of leadership and service, presenting her with a gift of appreciation.

New district director Vicky Culbert also thanked Nivins and expressed her gratitude to Redmond for her work as district secretary and travel companion. Redmond thanked the Lucknow Horticultural Society for hosting the day’s event.

Several activities took place either during, behind the scenes, or prior to the meeting. They included a photography contest, poster competition for youth, door prizes and silent auction. Chief among the competitions, however, was the flower show based on the theme, "Oh Canada." In addition to exhibits assessed by judge Laurence Ryman, members attending the AGM voted for a People’s Choice award.

Winners of the photography competition were Barb Fleming and Jeanette Martin; while Ann Andrew of Lucknow won both the Judge’s and People’s Choice awards in the flower show.

After a full day of presentations, competitions, awards and new ideas, participants of the District 8 AGM looked forward to returning to their groups to share their experiences. Next year’s meeting will be hosted by the Ripley and District Horticultural Society.