Camellia Club of Mobile
Inc.
Newsletter
Issue 4 Vol. IX - January 2013
GETTING READY FOR THE SHOW – JANUARY 13th MEETING
Show Chairman Walter Creighton and Assistant Show Chairman Al Baugh are asking
that all members who can participate in our 73rd Camellia Show,
scheduled for January 19th and 20th, should attend our
January l3th meeting. Lots of help
is needed to put on our usual successful Show, depending on whether you wish to
spend a few minutes or a few hours (or anything in between) there will be
something that you can do. Taking
part is really a nice way to enjoy the camaraderie that takes place in
presenting a first-class Camellia Show.
So come along and see if there is anything you would like to do, we will
have excellent training in all aspects plus we’ll show you how to prepare/
present your blooms and entry cards for the Show.
We hope everyone is planning on entering blooms, remember – we have three
categories specially for novice exhibitors, plus a category restricted to our
Alabama resident members (11 awards) which means you won’t be going up against
the heavy-hitters from out-of-state!
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Over Seventy Members Attend Christmas Party and Auction
The Club’s annual Christmas Party and Auction was well attended by more than 70
members who enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon with a festive meal organized by
Leannah Holland and prepared by our Club members. I missed out yet again on a
piece of Marcheta’s famous coconut cake (noted that all the guys had a
piece on their plates) next year I’m gonna be first in line!
Jim Oates did his usual super job as auctioneer, aided by ‘elves’ Katina
and Vera – I missed what Alice Creighton said during the auction, but it
completely dissolved everyone within earshot into hysterical laughter!
It was so nice to see our friend Laura Barnard at the party, lots of hugs
for her from everyone. The Club presented Vaudine Driskell and Laura Barnard
each with a china trinket box handpainted with a camellia in recognition of
their years of service to the Club in manning the refreshments table each
meeting, whether we had a Catering Member or not.
All in all it was a great relaxed
gathering, our thanks to all who made the food and donated or bought the auction
items.
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Elaine Smelley
As many of you already know, our dear, dear friend and Board Member Elaine
Smelley is seriously ill. She is
presently resting at home in the care of her beloved Jimmy.
I know she would appreciate receiving cards letting her know she is in
our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time. Those of you who know Elaine
well will appreciate that she has determinedly sent out the Judges information
packages in the past week and, though she may not feel well enough to attend our
Show, she has detailed Jim to take her place in charge of the Judges.
Elaine, we know that camellia people from the Atlantic Coast to the
Pacific Coast, and especially the Gulf Coast, are all rooting and praying for
you.
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Camellia Chat....
The Pensacola Camellia Club staged a magnificent Show at the beginning of
December, in a huge new venue at the Pensacola First Baptist Church.
Talk about organized luxury – they even had golf carts with drivers to
transport exhibitors and their boxes of blooms from the parking lot to the hall
doors! Lots of room for exhibitors to get their blooms ready for the display
tables, lovely lucite trays for plates of three etc., then blooms ready for
placement were taken to the door of the display hall,
after checking for correct exhibitor cards by Col. Hooten,
he turned the trays of blooms over to a flock of volunteers who then
properly placed the blooms. Exhibitors didn’t get into the Show hall until after
the judging! All frighteningly well
organized!!! The food
table for exhibitors was beautifully presented with a cadre of ladies
steadily refilling the emptying dishes.
All female Club members were wearing nice aprons embroidered with the
Club name and a camellia. Really a very elegant show, though we could have done
with a few more places to sit and socialize.
My problem was that I could not remember all I had entered and since I
did not place the blooms myself I had
no idea where my blooms were!
(Don’t know how people who enter hundreds of blooms manage!)
I was fussing because I could not find my little “April Snow” until some
kind soul took pity and told me it had been put into competition for the Best
White in the Show... Wow! I never expected one of my whites to get into that
august group!! OK, it didn’t
actually win, but I’m very proud of it anyway.
Northshore Camellia Club staged their Show in Covington in the middle of
December and it is growing every year.
We had a really nice time, visiting with camellia exhibitors and judges –
ever notice how many hugs you get at camellia shows?
- saw several blooms we’re
going to have to add to our outdoor collection.
It was nice to see quite a few members from our Club exhibiting, and
several winning awards including the Baughs, Smelleys, Currys, Jim Dwyer and
Jimmy Walker, didn’t we do well!
And my litle bitty
white “Tootsie” went up against the big boys in competition for Best White in
Show! Gosh, two almost Best Whites, there’ll be no living with me if I actually
win!
We’re glad to report that Walter Creighton has put his recent health problems
behind and is back in the saddle again as Chairman of our 73rd Show.
Robert Moore is coming along well after his serious back operation which
appears to have worked.