Camellia Club of Mobile Inc. Newsletter Issue 3 Vol. IX  December  2012

WELCOME TO OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY - 9 DECEMBER 2012

The Club’s annual Christmas Party and Auction will be held at the Mobile Botanical Gardens on December 9th. The Club will provide the holiday meats, dressing and gravy, with the side dishes, desserts and drinks being provided by members.  Leannah Holland is overseeing this feast and if you do not know what to bring, contact her at 342-2299. After the meal Jim Oates will don his auctioneer’s hat, and with the help of his two elves, will auction off a variety of items donated by members – all proceeds will benefit the Club – so if you have something that you think people will like to buy, please bring it to the Party!  This auction is always great fun and everyone has a good laugh!  Look forward to seeing you all on December 9th.  This afternoon gathering will be purely social, so do enjoy this meeting!

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Seventy members attend the Camellia Arranging Program.                                                                                                                   

The November Meeting was very well attended with over 70 members showing up to find out all about the best ways to display our favorite flowers. Vickie Baugh organized a talented panel of arrangers, Elaine Smelley, Cheryl Rawls and Carole Savage, who each gave interesting tips on how they put together the beautiful arrangements they had brought to show the members.  After the demonstrations many inspected the arrangements more closely and asked lots of questions.  It was a very successful program, though I doubt I’ll ever be able to duplicate Elaine’s elegant vase of two sticks and a sasanqua branch!  ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Memoriam

 

On November 16, 2012, we lost our dear friend N.C. “Barney” Barnard who passed on after several weeks of illness.  Barney, who was 83, was a long-time member of our Club and served as Vice-President and then as President.  He never met a stranger and was ideally suited to his position of “Greeter” at our camellia show each year.  He loved to have visitors to his home to show off his collection of gorgeous camellias and shared air-layered plants and scions with everyone. I have an 8’ tall “Stars & Bars” by one of my little ponds which started out life as an air-layer gift from Barney and Laura, it is affectionately known to Bill and me as “Barney’s Double”! He always generously gave credit for his camellia knowledge and success to Jim Smelley, with whom he had worked at International Paper. Our Secretary Jim Dwyer made a special card of condolence from the Club featuring Barney’s elegant registered camellia “Laura’s Beauty” and a donation was sent to the Shriners Hospital for Children. At least five previous Club Presidents, plus other members, were among the hundreds of family and friends who paid their respects and condolences to Laura at the visitation which was held on November 18. Our love and sympathy goes out to Laura who has supported our Club and Barney’s passion for camellias for many years, we know she will continue to be an active member of the Club.

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Camellia Chat....

The month of December has two really good Camellia Shows, put on by one of our oldest Clubs – Pensacola Camellia Club – and one of our newest Clubs – Northshore Camellia Club in Covington, Louisiana.  If you just want to admire old, new and the very latest camellias, visit one or both of these Shows – but what I really recommend is participating in the Shows by bringing your best blooms to enter.  Both these Clubs are very welcoming and will also have camellia plants for sale, ones that are not on sale everywhere.

 

8 December 2012 – Pensacola Camellia Club , First Baptist Church, 500 N. Palafox St, Pensacola, FL. Blooms may be entered 7 to 11:00 a.m. Open to the public  2 p.m.  If for some very unfortunate reason you are restricted to visiting only one Camellia Show during  the season (other than ours!) – this is the one you should go to!  Nice venue, nice people, gorgeous blooms, lovely awards and  great selection of camellia plants for sale.  Note: for those who enjoyed our November program on arranging camellias, the Pensacola Show is one of the few Shows in our area that still has a competitive section dedicated to arrangements of camellias, done by some very talented people.  P.S. If you’re still looking for Christmas gifts, pop into Pensacola Hardware just down the street from the Show!

                                                                                                                               December 2012 – Northshore Camellia Club, St. Scholastica’s Academy Gym, 122 N. Massachusetts St., Covington, LA. Blooms may be entered between 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Open to the public  from 1:30 until 4:30 p.m. Although this is one of the Gulf Coast’s newest Clubs, it is extremely well supported by camellia enthusiasts from all over the Gulf Coast. Well worth a visit. A good venue and lots of very familiar faces!  Plus there are restaurants with very tasty menus in Covington, and along the coast!

 

It was great to see our friend  Marcheta Houston in good health again at our November Meeting.  We can report happily that Robert Moore is recovering nicely from his back operation. Visit  Robert’s Christmas Town on Hall’s Mill Road for a real Christmas treat!!!!