K.
Pritchard with Shirley
Minott on right.
This
is the HIGHEST HONOR a District can give. Nomination made by WHGC, Karen
Pritchard, President. Awarded
by the South Shore District of The Garden Club Federation of
Massachusetts.
Shirley Minott
is a person who has been a real leader in our club’s growth and spirit
over the past many years. Her enthusiasm, knowledge and warmth has
nurtured this club and brought us many, many proud moments.
Shirley has
served as a board member for our club ever since I can remember, serving
as programs chairman, assistant treasurer, auditor, second vice president,
and most recently as our club president.
She
presided over our club during a period of rapid growth when we filled
every spot on our roster and began our first waiting list for membership.
I believe her vitality and spirit was a key attraction for recruiting many
of our new members.
She has
spearheaded our club participation in the New England Spring Flower Show,
encouraging us to become involved in the club division, in which we have
participated for the last three consecutive years.
Shirley has
brought distinction to our club by her excellence in design – bringing
in her first blue ribbon and tricolor at our own club’s show in 1993 at
the Stetson House in Hanover Center. Since then she has received tricolors
at the New England Spring Flower Show and many more blue ribbons at
various other flower shows and fairs in the region.
Shirley
chaired the staging committee last year at the Spring Flower Show – an
undertaking that would intimidate less hardy souls - and she brought that
large committee of volunteers along without a hitch.
She has
designed for many years at the Museum of Fine Arts "Art in
Bloom" event and has represented our club with great distinction. She
will do so again this spring…
Last year,
she became an accredited judge and is now looking to launch our own flower
show in the near future.
Shirley has
participated in many of our civic beautification projects; being a
dedicated member of the team that installed and maintains the bandstand
landscaping at Sylvester Field.
She has
been an outstanding liaison with the Hanover Schools – ensuring
that our donations to the schools and scholarship programs are used to
full advantage, as well as spending her time in classrooms for example:
teaching Christmas floral crafts to the children in her daughters’
classes.
For years
she has been a fixture at our Junior Gardening programs, ready to be
called upon whenever needed and being a guest speaker at several meetings.
She has
been a committee member for the holiday decorating at the Stetson House,
our Historical Society antique home in Hanover Center, for many years.
Shirley has
also donated her time to hold design workshops for us over the years, as
well as to sponsor workshops by other designers in her big old barn. Her
encouragement has brought many of our talented members along, on their own
path of creativity.
She toiled
long hours, too many to count, last spring preparing her beautiful garden
for our club Garden Tour, our most successful fundraiser ever…
Shirley is
currently serving as a director on our own club’s Executive Board. In
addition to that post, she recently wrote the design schedule for the New
England Spring Flower Show, and will participate in the show as a
designer.
She serves
on Judges’ Council, participates as a judge in numerous events, serves
currently on the State Board as their liaison with the National Flower
Arrangers and continues to design for flower shows, this in addition to
the occasional wedding, raising her two teenage girls, Allison and Jessie,
and keeping her husband, Charlie, the happy camper that he is.
Shirley’s
personal accomplishments, in tandem with her unfailing dedication to our
club, makes her a stellar asset to the fine reputation of the Garden Club
Federation of Massachusetts. KBP
Her
accomplishments and leadership have:
