Members of Gardeners by the Sea embrace the opportunity to serve our community through activities that benefit local residents, other organizations and our club. On any given day, our members may be found conducting activities for local youth or senior residents, supporting the efforts of other community organizations, or educating ourselves and others in matters of gardening, conservation and floral design.

 

Leadership for these activities is provided by several committees:

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• AWARDS – Committee members identify opportunities to earn monetary grants or awards for our community service projects and activities. They collect supporting documentation and photographs to include in grant/award applications and submit completed applications to the appropriate organizations in a timely manner.  CHAIR: Charlotte Whidden
   

• BEACH AND BAY COTTAGE TOUR - Committee members support this annual fundraiser for the Coastal Library in Bethany Beach by hosting one of the homes is open to the public. In July 2022, over a thousand tickets were sold and funds raised exceeded $75,000. CHAIR: Ria Carrarro.
  PHOTO: Some of the GBTS committee members and the owner for the home we hosted in 2022 are pictured at the bottom of this page.
   

• BLUE STAR MEMORIAL - BETHANY -- The Blue Star Memorial Marker is a tribute to member of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is located at the intersection of Route 26 and Kent Avenue in Bethany Beach. This is a joint project of Gardeners by the Sea, the VFW Post 7234 Auxiliary and the Town of Bethany Beach who collaborated to make this project possible. CHAIR: Judy Stuhl
   

• BLUE STAR / GOLD STAR MEMORIALS - MILLVILLE -- The Blue Star Memorial is a tribute to members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Gold Star Memorial honors the families of service members who lost their lives in military conflicts. These memorials are located in Evans Park. They are a joint project with the Town of Millville, VFW Post 7234 Auxiliary and Gardeners by the Sea.

 

• COMMUNITY PROJECTS – Committee members identify, coordinate, and implement beautification and community service activities.  CHAIR: Maureen Eisenhart

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• GARDEN THERAPY – Committee members assist local seniors with floral design projects that encourage creativity, social activity, pride in their accomplishments and the joy of sharing the results of their efforts. CHAIR: Margaret Woda

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• HABITAT FOR HUMANITY –  Club members assemble container plants to be presented to the new property owner upon the home dedication and welcome the new homeowner into the neighborhood. Funds are generated through club fundraising activities and volunteer hours. CHAIR: Ellen Dowling

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• HISTORIAN – The Historian maintains a scrapbook of any newspaper articles, photos, etc. pertaining to the Club, keeping a copy of each year’s yearbook and keeping a historical record of all events of the Club. CHAIR: Ann Bendersky

 

• HORTICULTURE – Committee members prepare a presentation of monthly gardening and plant tips for presentation at general membership meetings for club members. CHAIR: Pat Drizd

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• HOSPICE TREE – Club members team together to create a theme for a holiday tree.  All decorations and decorative elements (wreaths, ornaments, etc.) are handmade by the members.  The decorated trees and wreaths are displayed at the Hospice facility and create an uplifting environment for staff, families, and patients.  The decorations and trees are then sold by Hospice to raise funds. Funds are generated through club fundraising activities and volunteer hours. The location is Hospice of Delaware, Milford, Delaware. CO-CHAIRS: Diane Baxter and Ria Carraro
   

• HOSPITALITY – Committee members organize and replenish supplies (beverages, paper goods and cutlery are provided by the club) for coordinating the lunch theme and menu, hostesses and flower arrangements for each meeting, and hosting the welcome table to confirm that all members and guests sign in and receive name tags.  CHAIR: Sallie Melvin
   

• LORD BALTIMORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GARDEN – Garden club members team together to maintain a section of the gardens to help in the beautification of the school. Funds are generated through club fundraising activities and volunteer hours. Location: Lord Baltimore Elementary School, 120 Atlantic Avenue, Ocean View, DE. CHAIR: Thea Chandross

 

• MEMBERSHIP – Committee members provide information to prospective members about the club objectives, activities and membership requirements. We welcome them to our meetings, answer their questions, assist them with the application process, connect them with a mentor and introduce them to current members. Behind the scenes, this committee maintains membership records, makes or orders a name badge for each new member and simply enjoys getting to know so many nice people who share our interests. CHAIR: Karen Plis​
   

• NOMINATING (Chairman appointed by the President) – Committee members recruit members to serve in club leadership roles and prepares a list of candidates for the club office’s biennial election.
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• OCEAN VIEW HISTORICAL SOCIETY -- Garden club members support the Ocean View Historical Society by helping with their gardening activities. These include an herb garden on the grounds of The Coastal Towns Museum and landscaping installed in 2020. Garden club members also make wreaths for the museum's Open House and participate in the Garden and Art Tour. CHAIR: Maureen Eisenhart
   

• PLANT SALE -- Garden club members plan and conduct plant sales to help fund these community service projects. These events provide the added benefits of spreading awareness of about our club and our activities, helping us to recruit new members and educating our neighbors in the community about plants that do well in this area. CO-CHAIRS: Brenda Wimperis, Barbara Ware, Steve Zimmerman
  
  NOTE: Plant sales are held at Evans Park Community Center, 32517 Dukes Drive, Millville, Delaware 19967. Details about available plants, other garden-related items that will be for sale and the date and time of the sale and will be posted in the ACTIVITIES area of this website under Community Events when it is scheduled.  
   

• PROGRAMS (coordinated by the Vice President) – Committee members plan and organize meeting presentations. They also confirm and follow up with speakers and/or demonstrators prior to the program.
  CHAIR:
   

• PUBLICITY – Committee members oversee internal and external communication that promotes GBTS news and events by writing and distributing press releases, creating and distributing fliers in a timely manner, and submitting an article quarterly for the DFGC Newsletter. CHAIR:
   

• SCHOLARSHIP – Committee members assist a student living in Sussex County Delaware and attending Delaware Technical Community College majoring in the agricultural field with a GPA of 3.5 or higher by providing financial assistance. Funds are generated through club fundraising activities. CHAIR: Lisa Arni. 
   

• WAYS & MEANS – Committee members identify, coordinate and implement projects, trips, and events that will raise funds for supporting the club's community outreach.
  CO-CHAIRS: Barbara Ware and Jacqueline Malizia

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• WEBSITE – Committee members communicate accurate and relevant information online about the club's objectives and activities to club members and the public in a visually appealing format.
  CHAIR: Chris Feher
   

• YEARBOOK – Committee members prepare an annual publication highlighting information about meetings, programs and projects sponsored by our club,  DFGC, CAR-SGC, and NGC. The committee also annual provides updates to information about club leadership, committees, and membership details.
  CHAIR:
   

• YOUTH PROGRAMS -- Committee members develop and present to children science lessons supported by literature related to the topic, a craft or activity to reinforce the topic, and journaling by the students. We hope to awaken within each student an awareness and appreciation of his/her habitat through exploration, discovery, and hands-on experiences that promote caring for and protection of the habitat. LEARN MORE about activities conducted at Lord Baltimore Elementary by GBTS members. October to May.
  CHAIR: Pat Drizd