1.  Brownies: Thanks go out to Jennifer Richmond for bringing brownies, so the club was able to celebrate August's birthdays and anniversaries!

 

2.  Kristi Dame: Many thanks go out to Kristi for her willingness to take secretary notes for the meeting today.  Penny Slavik was unable to attend, due to a knee injury.

 

3. Bylaws: The bylaw changes have been sent out, for review by the club.  A vote will be taken, soon.  Please check your emails and prepare to vote during this upcoming Thursday's meeting.

 

4.  Member Roster:  During the month of September, the secretary will be making revisions and updates to the Club's roster.  Sadly, we will be losing a few members due to moves, job changes, etc., and they will be sorely missed!  Please share ideas you might have on ways to recruit new members. Also, the deadline for paying past dues (2025-2026), was Aug. 31, 2026.  If you missed the deadline, and plan to continue being a club member, contact Penny Slavik immediately.  

 

 

5.  Next Year's Dues: Rick Pickering has developed an invoice for the 2026-2027 dues.  These invoices will be sent out soon, to each club member.  The membership dues have been lowered and need to be paid in October.  At the beginning of the Kiwanis year, the club must pay Kiwanis International for each member.  When the member pays their dues, they are reimbursing the club.

 

6.  Installation Banquet: We are pleased to announce that we have signed up 22 people for the banquet, thus far.  If you are still planning to attend, but have not signed up yet, or you have not paid for the meal, Jennifer Richmond will need an exact count by Tuesday morning, so she can confirm out order.

 

We need volunteers to bring desserts, and banquet setup will begin at 5:00pm on Sept. 18, 2026.  If you are unable to help with setup, remember that the banquet begins at 6:00pm at the San Marcos Activity Center.  Please let Penny Slavik or Jennifer know how you can help.

 

Program
What is a Garden Club and How it

Mary Alice DeBow has had an interest in plants since she was in High School Garden Club. Over the years, she and her husband traveled a lot, and she was able to observe many plants and the environment they survived in best. She shared that not all plants adapt the same if put in different locations.  For example, when digging in the Chesapeake Bay area, you often ran into having the hole fill with water, whereas digging in Texas may produce rocks or dry dirt.  Also, deer don't always pay attention to whether a plant is deer resistance or not.  They will probably eat it regardless.

 

After High School, an aunt of a friend invited Mary Alice to a town Garden Club, and she was so glad she went., because she learned a lot more about plants.  After that, she became president of the National Garden Club, which is the largest volunteer group in the country, and that led her to the Texas Garden Club, specifically the one in the south-central region.  What she likes most about the Texas Garden Club is that it has a lot of things they do for the community.  There are offered educational classes that meet several times a year, and youth in grades 9-12 are given opportunities to participate in writing contests.  Conferences on flower arranging are offered as well, so there is something for everyone.  In San Marcos, she was excited to share that the garden club is instrumental in setting up a butterfly garden at DeZavala Elementay.  Very educational program!