The Camellia Club of Mobile
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| Officers | Governing Board |
| Larry Heard - President | Frances Ashcraft |
| Larry Bush - Vice President | Walter Creighton (Show Chairman) |
| Jim Dwyer - Secretary | Lyman Holland |
| Martha Terry - Treasurer | Bill Rawls |
| . | Jim Smelley |
| Jimmy Walker |
| Come join us for our
74 th year. |
Click To See A Letter From Our President
| March Meeting |
| This year’s record cold has delayed many of
our camellia blooms.
The weather has started to moderate and there is beginning to be
a profusion of blooms.
To celebrate the upsurge of camellia blooms, the Camellia
Club of Mobile will feature a camellia display of member
camellia blossoms at the March meeting.
Members are asked to bring camellia blooms to show to
others. Let’s make
this a stunning display of member blooms.
Everyone can see what other members are growing.
You might want to go by the post office and get a bubble
mailer to give to a member who brought a bloom from a plant that
you would like to graft.
Have the post office tell you how many stamps you would
need and then if you see something you like, you can address the
mailer, stamp it, and give it to the person who brought the
bloom. |
74th Annual Show 1940-2014
Saturday January 18, 2014 - 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday January 19, 2014 - noon to 4 p.m.
Click for a Show Poster: CAMELLIA SHOW POSTER 1.pdf
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CLUB MEMBERS RECEIVE INSTRUCTION FOR JANUARY SHOW
73rd Annual Camellia Show January 19 and 20
Meet new friends, learn about camellias, and
attend our interesting programs and activities.
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In Memoriam:
Elaine Smelley
It is with great sadness that we report that our dear
friend and Club member Elaine Smelley passed away on January 19th
after a mercifully short illness.
Elaine and her beloved husband Jim have been justly well-known in
the camellia world for many, many years.
She was a member of many camellia clubs and societies, but chose
to call the Camellia Club of Mobile her “home” club.
The past forty years or more have seen one or the other of the
Smelleys serving as a member of our Club’s Board.
Elaine knew so much about camellias and running a camellia Club,
and would always share her experience and advice if asked.
I know during my two years as President of the Club, Elaine was
invaluable in letting me know what ideas had been tried before (and
maybe failed!) plus what made the Club’s Shows run so smoothly.
Elaine regularly gave a slide show presentation for
old and new members at our meetings, always with lots of information on
the old, new and as yet un-named varieties that she showed us.
The Club’s trips to the Smelleys’ greenhouses in Agricola,
Mississippi, were a great treat that was always well attended.
One of the loveliest camellias registered in recent years is, of
course, “Elaine’s Betty” a superbly gorgeous sport of “Betty Sheffield”
developed by Jim and Elaine.
It was honored with the cover of the 1999 Camellia Nomenclature book.
Elaine’ strength and dedication to our Club was
demonstrated in her last few weeks when she was determined that the Show
Judges she had organized for so many years would continue undeterred by
her illness. It was a very
sad moment when the news reached us at the Camellia Show that Elaine had
passed at almost the very moment the judging was completed.
The loss of this delightful generous lady has left a
hole in the heart of our Club and in the heart of the camellia world.
Elaine’s visitation and service were attended by camellia friends
from at least five different states, with loving eulogies offered by
Randolph Maphis of the Camellia & Garden Club of Tallahassee and by Col.
Dick Hooten of the Pensacola Camellia Club.
Our love and sincere sympathy goes out to Jim Smelley on the loss
of Elaine, who was truly (to use an old-fashioned but most appropriate
word ) a gentlewoman. The
Club has made a donation to the American Camellia Society in her memory,
as have several of our Club members.
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| Jim and Elaine Smelley when Elaine won a
shower set at a Camellia Club of Mobile raffle. |
Contact Webmaster: jdwyer@gulftel.com
Page last modified 02/26/2014