The Garden Club of Indiana

Why be Federated?

What does the State do for us? Why is there a State Board? Why do we need to belong to the State and National Garden Club? These are questions that are presented all the time. I will try to answer them so that you can also appreciate the benefits of belonging to “the largest volunteer gardening organization in the world”.

Many of you want to know what the state does for you. The state has a Board of Directors that is made up of officers, district directors and chairmen. All of these persons are garden club members who are interested in gardening and being a part of a National Organization that does a tremendous amount of worthwhile projects. Projects that preserve, protect and restore our natural resources which bring beauty and enjoyment to others. As a whole, we ( garden club members) have saved many pieces of land, saved species, restored and brought aid to areas and peoples in need. Yes, we can do this on our own, but look at the impact that we have when we are able to take advantage of the grants that are offered to individual clubs. Bigger projects are undertaken and larger changes are made. We do not have to work quite so proficiently at fund raising, when we have the networking resources of federated garden clubs.

The chairmen that are on the Board are there for a purpose. “A chairman is a conduit of information” and it is their responsibility to pass on information to club presidents or other members who seek answers. All chairmen are encouraged to give reports, give programs about their subject, and be accessible to all questions from members. This is the reason the directory is published in the Indiana Gardens and on the Website, so that YOU can access them with questions, ideas and sharing of experiences. Chairmen are here to help us all. Most chairmen care deeply about the project they are responsible for. They spend time making posters, doing research, some programs and working in their gardens. They are garden club members just like you, they just do an additional job.

Environmental Consultants, Landscape Design Consultants and Gardening Study Consultants are members who have been to a federated garden club accredited school and are here to help you. They are not necessarily on the Board, but are an integral part of federated garden clubs. They have studied hard, have access to Professors, and are certified to be Consultants. They have to take refresher courses. You have access to these schools because of being federated. You have access to these consultants for your club projects because you belong to a federated garden club. You have access to these consultants as your own personal advisors on your own landscape, when you are part of a federated garden club. There are many consultants waiting to be called and you miss an opportunity if your club has need of help and you don’t use their assistance and call for advice.

District Directors are a fount of information. If you need assistance in finding answers, they can point you in the right direction or answer your questions. State officers do the same thing as officers in your personal club, it is just done on a state wide level. All of the officers, directors, and chairmen are passing along materials received from the National organization. Indiana Gardens, the state magazine that all of you receive, the state web site, the National Gardener, the national website, the “Keeping In Touch” publication sent to presidents, and the National Member Services Catalogue are all publications that have valuable material in them. These are all accessible to you because you a member of a federated garden club. They are for YOU. Just like any other garden magazine that you read, they have articles of value and information that you may need or want now and in the future. Check them out! Your dues pay for the Indiana Gardens. They are your publications. Read them. Save them for reference needs.

The state has conventions, conservation conferences or workshops, design luncheons, schools and district meetings so that information can be passed on in the form of great programs. Many garden club members work diligently to put these meetings and programs together for YOUR benefit. These programs are accessible to you because you are part of a federated garden club. Plant exchanges, plant sales, tours of public gardens, the making of new friends, sharing experiences and as much education as you could want without going to college is available to you as a member of a federated garden club.

By belonging to The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. you are part of a much larger whole. Joining this active organization gives you a great deal of leverage, power, resources and the wealth of knowledge and information that is essential to continue to grow. Growth in all ways is always less complicated and painful when you have a vast support system, whether in your personal life or in the life of a common interest group. Federated garden clubs offer you this network of support.