Awards Committee Chair 2024-2025: Barbara Duff
Each year, the National Garden Clubs, Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs and the Garden Club of New Jersey presents awards to various local clubs in recognition of their outstanding projects, programs and members.
All local clubs submit applications in compliance with the requirements of the National Garden Club (NCG). The Garden Club of LBI has been the recipient of numerous yearly awards. In addition to the State and National awards a club may also be presented awards by the Central Atlantic Region (CAR). The Central Atlantic Region consists of all garden clubs of NY, NJ, PA, OH, DE, MD and the Washington, DC area.
Garden Club Wins National & State Awards! June 2024
Photo by Garden Club of NJ
(l to r) President Lois Perry, Website/Social Media Chair Diane Macrides & Awards Committee Chair Barbara Duff. (not pictured Past President Michele Farias & Yearbook Committee Chair Janice Stonaker)
Submitted by Barbara Duff
On June 18, 2024, five members of The Garden Club of LBI attended the 2024 Garden Club of New Jersey Awards Luncheon in New Brunswick: President Lois Perry, Chair of Website/Social Media Diane Macrides, Janice Stonaker, Chair of the Yearbook Committee, Michele Farias, Chair of the Outdoor Living Garden Tour & Art Show and myself, Barbara Duff, Chair of the Awards Committee.
We were surprised and delighted to be presented with five awards for our Garden Club. There were two awards from The Garden Club of New Jersey, another two from the Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs, and one additional award from National Garden Clubs, Inc.
I am so pleased to offer congratulations to Holiday Tour of Homes Chair Bev Reitinger for “The Magic of LBI: 56th Annual Holiday Tour of Homes.” The Garden Club of New Jersey gives this award for an outstanding project or program. This recognition of our largest fundraiser, in which every single member participates, shows what a special garden club we all have created. So kudos to all our members for such an outstanding job.
Congratulations to Youth Garden Club Chair Jeannette Michelson and Co-Chair Ginny Scarlatelli for The Violet M. Bennett Environmental Trophy for a “Youth Committee After School Program.” This award recognizes an outstanding program with youth. Jeannette and Ginny work very hard to offer kids a fun after-school activity that teaches them basic skills in horticulture, along with environmental issues facing the island, the importance of pollinators, and the role of planting native species to sustain the local ecosystem.
In addition to these state awards, we were named “Overall Winner” for the “NGC Standard Flower Show Schedule Award” by the Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs. Titled “It’s a Musical World,” the show was held at the LBI Foundation of the Arts & Sciences. Congratulations to Co-Chairs Julie Eller and Cindy McGrath for their outstanding work in making our Standard Flower Show qualify on the regional circuit.
Also, Janice Stonaker was recognized by the Central Atlantic region of State Garden Clubs for her work by winning First Place in the “Yearbook Award” in the large club division. The yearbook, an easy-to-use source of information, is created to inspire members to attend meetings and participate in club activities.
The National Garden Clubs organization, presented us with a “Certificate in Appreciation of Award Participation” for the Social Media/Website division. Congratulations to Website/Social Media Chair Diane Macrides for her creativity and day-to-day upkeep and dedication to our social media sites. She has worked hard to increase viewership, engagements, and number of followers. The Facebook and Instagram sites are now attracting new audiences due to posting on a consistent basis, using exciting and interesting photos and informing the public of gardening activities, classes and events happening in the area.
Monarch Cover Wins Award! November 2023
Cover photo by Carly Michelson/Design created by Tracey Cameron
Submitted by Barbara Duff
We are excited to announce that the National Garden Club has awarded our Garden Club first place in the Central Atlantic Region (one of seven regions in the National Garden Club membership) as well as first place in the Large Club Category for our yearbook.
National Garden Clubs, Inc. and the Garden Club of NJ Awards June 2023
Photo by submitted by the Garden Club of New Jersey
We are thrilled to announce that The Garden Club of LBI has been recognized by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. and The Garden Club of New Jersey. Awards for the excellence of our member’s work were conferred at The Garden Club of New Jersey Annual State Meeting on June 6, 2023.
National Garden Clubs, Inc., Award 2022-2023:
- Certificate of Merit: Award 1 D – Club Standard Flower Show – “It’s a Musical World.” Chair: Julie Eller & Co-chair: Cindy McGrath Standard Flower Show. They thoroughly documented this show in a Book of Evidence that allowed them to receive the highest award possible for a Standard Flower Show.
The Garden Club of New Jersey Awards 2022-2023:
Three of the four Garden Club of New Jersey Awards were tied to our Standard Flower Show of 2022, which was titled It’s a Musical World. This was held at the LBI Foundation of the Arts & Sciences.
It’s a Musical World Awards:
Julie Eller, Chair of the Flower Show, was the winner of the Horticultural Excellence Award in the highest-rated Standard Flower Show. The award was for a combination planting where she was required to keep the plants together for six months. Not only was she awarded The Amelia Stewart Perpetual Trophy for her work, but also the Grower’s Choice Award and a Blue Ribbon for her exhibit.
Judy Lipman was the winner of the Glenn Ferrari Memorial Trophy for the Arboreal Award. To win this honor she submitted a clipping from her lilac bush. Following the tragic event of losing her house in a fire, this award was especially meaningful to Judy, since lilacs stand for renewal and confidence.
Dorian Madreperla was awarded the Doris Bryan Educational Exhibit Trophy for plant propagation. The goal of the plant propagation category was to show how new plants grow from a variety of sources. Not only did Dorian achieve this, but she was also able to distribute baby plants to guests at the show. This was the first time our club had participated in the Education Exhibit category.
Certificate of Merit:
The fourth award won was a Certificate of Merit with Gold Seal for an Excellent Yearbook. Janice Stonaker, Chair of the Yearbook Committee, which includes Tracey Cameron and Eileen Szperka, revamped the entire look of the yearbook. They added more information and changed the format. The judges awarded them a score of 98 out of 100, the highest award given.
Garden Club of NJ Awards August 2022
Photos: Jeannette Michelson (click on images to enlarge)
The Garden Club of Long beach Island received two awards form the Garden Club of New Jersey. The club won the Violet Bennet trophy for the Pollinator Garden in Bay Breeze Park Barnegat Light. The club also received the Jane Bersch award for launching the Outside Living Garden Tour in 2021 that was open to the public. Karen Martinez was the chair of the 2021 Outside Living Garden Tour and Bonnie Brodman is the chair of the Pollinator Garden.
.