Danbury Garden Club Committees:
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Artistic Design Committee: The purpose of the Artistic Design Committee is to use plant materials to express creative concepts. This year the choice of design is up to the designer, any NGC design type. The Theme this year is: “”Places in our World.” The design should give members the feeling of this place. The three or four monthly designs will be critiqued according to the NGC principles of design – balance, rhythm, dominance, contrast, proportion, and scale.
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Boutique Crafters Committee: The Boutique Crafters Committee consists of members with different skills: some knit, others crochet, some do needlework, jewelry or crafts, and others simply come up with ideas. Their purpose is to provide a “boutique table” for our Holiday Luncheon in November where we sell the products of our work to raise funds for the Club and the community. For the last several years they have provided blankets to the Danbury Hospital. We also knit/crochet an afghan and make a Christmas wreath to raffle at the Holiday Luncheon. The Committee meets the second Monday of each month at the home of one of the members.
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Books Committee: The Books Committee shares information with members about gardening, the environment, and related subjects. It serves, also, as a bookstore and/or media center for our members by selling National Garden Club’s “Vision of Beauty” calendars and Handbook for Flower Shows. The Committee has its own small tape/DVD library. The Committee also recommends books or DVDs to the Danbury Public Library to purchase with our yearly donation to the Library. In 2010, a group called “The Bookworms” was formed. The Bookworms read books pertaining to gardening, nature, the environment, etc., and meets once a month at a committee member’s home to discuss the book.
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Civic Committee: The purpose of the Civic Committee is to enhance the ambiance of our community by promoting public interest in horticulture through gardening and civic projects. The committee partners with the city of Danbury on horticultural projects such as planting tulips along Main street. The Committee maintains the gardens at the Old Jail (WIC), The Danbury Museum and Historical Society, and the Blue Star Memorial. The Committee arranges for the Arbor Day planting at a local school and the memorial tree planting at Kenosia Park. The Committee also selects a Danbury business that shows an interest in beautifying their property to present the club's annual Civic Award.
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Communications Committee: Since August of 1999, Gleanings has been the Danbury Garden Club newsletter. The purpose of Gleanings is to communicate recent activities, future events and to share relevant information with club members. Gleanings is published three times a year in January, April, and August. Committee members will participate by preparing articles of interest to be published in Gleanings.
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Conservation and Butterfly Garden: This committee will share the knowledge of the impact of the interaction between man and nature, positively and negatively, which we call "climate change." In addition, we will continue to maintain the Butterfly Garden at the King Street Primary School.
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Daily Bread Committee: Since its inception in 1984, the Daily Bread Food Pantry at St. James Church has increased its donation of food from a total of 90 bags of food a week to its current distribution of 140 bags of food per week. Each family gets one large bag of food staples (dairy, meat, chicken) plus supplies, with proof of address and ID. There is a special donation during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. Committee members assist the Chair in collecting the donations and delivering to St. James.
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Garden Therapy Committee: The Garden Therapy Committee conducts flower arranging workshops with residents at various convalescent and assisted living facilities as well as Broadview and Rogers Park Middle Schools on the second Tuesday of each month.
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Horticulture and Landscape Design Committee: The Horticulture and Landscape Design Committee strive to increase awareness and appreciation of the beauty in horticulture and landscape design. The committee arranges educational workshops, trips to tour public gardens, as well as club member garden tours.
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Juniors Committee: The St. James Juniors Committee mentor and educate St. James students, ages 5 to 18, in artistic design, conservation, community service, horticulture, garden therapy, and civic projects. Students participate in Danbury Garden Club flower shows and have participated in the CT Flower Show. Regular meetings of the DGC St. James Juniors are the second Saturday of the month at 10:30 at St. James Episcopal Church, West Street, Danbury. In addition, special trips are offered to students throughout the year.
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Meeting Places and Hospitality Committee: The Meeting Places, Hospitality and Properties committee is responsible for 1) contracting for the meeting location of the board and regular monthly meetings, 2) arranging for the luncheon at Anthony's Lake Club for the monthly meetings and 3) collecting reservations for the monthly meetings and 4) coordinating the hostesses for Board Meeting refreshments. In collaboration with Brigid Guertin, the Committee is also responsible for securing and storing the club's flower show properties at the Danbury Museum.
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Program Committee: The Program Committee plans the monthly programs and activities for the Club year and confirms monthly speakers and their requirements. They also assist the Chair of the Day as needed in greeting and assisting the speaker.
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Publicity Committee: The Publicity Committee works closely with Membership and other Committee Chairmen to identify opportunities for publicizing Danbury Garden Club activities as well as other opportunities to attract new members.
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Trips and Tours Committee: The trips and tours committee coordinates club member trips to area gardens, museums, and places of interest that support the goals and objectives of the club.
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Scholarship Committee: The Scholarship Committee selects two current students for an annual award of $2,000 each. To qualify, the student must be a resident of Connecticut attending full time at Western Connecticut State University or Naugatuck Community College, in good standing, in need of financial aid, and majoring in plant biology, ecology, conservation, or a related field. **The Scholarship Committee also encourages current or former students of the St. James Juniors group to apply for scholarships. Certain parameters for these students apply; including a recommendation by a current or former chairperson of the St. James Juniors Committee. This one-time-per-person award may be up to $1,000.
*Other special Committees include Advisory, Awards, Finance, Historian, Nominating, Membership, and Yearbook.
*** Club Members can download and fill out a Reimbursement Requisition Form and send it to the Treasurer.
