Committees Duties
Committee chairpersons may circulate sign-up sheets during Club meetings or send emails via the facilitator to solicit member participation or assistance with upcoming activities. Committees may also send email reminders or place phone calls concerning commitments.
Aprons and Hats – PGC aprons and hats are ordered from specific vendors as needed. Members contact the committee if they need an apron or hat, and payment is forwarded to the treasurer. The committee coordinates orders and pick-ups and brings aprons to Club meetings. Extra aprons are in the PGC supply cabinet in the back room at the Senior Center. Members are encouraged to wear their aprons and hats at the annual plant sale.
Brochure – The Committee/person is responsible to maintain current information on the Club’s tri-fold brochure, which is distributed at local events to share Club goals and encourage new membership. A brochure template is available for use when updating. The Club reimburses printing costs.
Communications Facilitator – The Communications Facilitator emails Club activity information to members, such as work sessions or upcoming events. This information may come from committee chairpersons. Some information may need Board approval before distribution. This member must have computer and email knowledge and capabilities. If time allows, notifications are mailed to members who do not have email, and the Club reimburses postage costs.
Fourth of July Float – In prior years, the Club entered floats in the Town of Pepperell’s annual 4th of July parade and celebration. When awards were given out for the best floats, the Club received the award twice. Although a float is not an annual activity, the Club did enter a float in 2018, our 50th Anniversary year. The response was very positive, so future floats are anticipated. A large trailer and a truck to haul the float are needed, along with an enclosed building to store it during preparation. Ideas will be solicited from members, and members are asked to help build the float and/or march in the parade. If no float is entered, members march in the parade carrying the Club’s banner, and wearing Club aprons and/or festive and flower-decorated hats.
Garden Safari – The Safari Committee plans several day-trips during the warm weather to visit places of horticultural interest, usually within a 30-mile radius of Pepperell. The trips are open to all members and some may require individual entry fees. The committee tries to plan tours on weekends and weekdays for convenience of all.
Green Team – This committee is an important contributor to the annual PGC plant sale. Team members dig and pot perennials from members’ gardens, Club-maintained town gardens, or other townspeople to sell at the plant sale. They solicit plant donations, coordinate digs and potting sessions, maintain our holding beds, keep records on types and numbers of plants in the holding beds and prepare laminated photo tags for plant sale displays. Plant digs and potting sessions may be in the fall or spring, and are scheduled at various times of the day so all members can participate. This committee works closely with Plant Sale Committee. The Club reimburses printing costs.
Holiday Party – Starting in 2023, the holiday party is celebrated in January. In the past it was held at the Pepperell VFW, but is now held at the Albert Harris Senior Center. Part of the meal is purchased, with members contributing the remaining dishes. The committee plans the meal and choices, set-up, centerpieces and games; and looks to members for help. Interested members are asked to bring a garden-related gift valued at $20 for a grab bag/Yankee swap. Members can also bring in homemade goodies to fill baskets that are raffled off.
Holiday Wreaths –PGC provides holiday wreaths for various locations in Pepperell; currently the Town Hall, the covered bridge, the Police Station, the Fire Stations, the Lawrence Library, the Community Center, the Post Office, and Smoky Bear at the Highway Department. The wreaths and decorations are purchased by the committee, and reimbursed by the Treasurer. Club members gather on the first Saturday morning of December to decorate the wreaths, which are then taken to their respective locations by members, either that morning or early in the week.
Horticultural Bylines and Green Tips – The Horticultural Bylines chairperson shares a brief topic at each meeting. This may be a short discussion, a quick demonstration, a short video, or a gardening-related handout.
June Social Committee – The June Social Committee arranges a dinner party for the last meeting of the Garden Club year. The committee chooses a restaurant, menu selections, and makes reservations. The treasurer collects money from members who plan to attend.
Nominating Committee – Section currently being revised
Plant Sale Committee – The Plant Sale Committee is responsible for planning and organizing the annual plant sale. This is the Club’s main fund-raiser, and all members participate in some aspect of the sale. The plant sale is held on the third Saturday in May at the Albert Harris Senior Center. The committee purchases annuals, herbs, vegetables, and hanging plants from local nurseries to sell at a profit. We also solicit plant donations from Club members and the public, working closely with the Green Team. The committee keeps notes about suppliers, quantities of plants ordered, and prices charged. There are numerous sub-committees involved in the sale.
Planting Committee – There are currently six subcommittees responsible for maintaining plantings around Pepperell: Main Street Barrels, Rotary, Senior Center, Town Hall, VFW Memorial, and Around-town. Each subcommittee is responsible for maintaining their own work schedules, choosing flowers for their area, ensuring annual plantings are completed prior to Memorial Day. Annuals and perennials are ordered ahead of time through the Plant Sale Committee or chosen from plant sale leftovers. The best plant choices for specific locations are described in a notebook that is updated each year by the Chairpersons. The Chairpersons organize work sessions to weed at the Town Hall, Senior Center and Rotary locations, contacting members via the Facilitator to remind them of their commitments. Around-town and Main Street containers are watered and weeded by the businesses. The VFW Memorial committee plants red geraniums, places American flags, and weeds that area. In the fall, plants in containers are removed and may be replaced with greens for the holiday season.
Program Committee – The Program Committee plans and coordinates monthly programs related to gardening. Programs based on members’ interests may include guest speakers, crafts and workshops. The committee schedules, prepares contracts and confirms speaker details. At the monthly meeting, committee members assist and introduce the presenters, and provide a brief overview to members and guests about upcoming programs. The Program Committee Chairperson is a Board Member.
Publicity Committees
Flyers – This committee works closely with the Program Committee to create colored flyers to publicize monthly meetings. The Program Committee sends the flyers to the Webmaster and Facebook chair for posting to the public. Computer knowledge in graphics and photo capabilities is essential for this position. The Club reimburses costs.
Media – This committee ensures that Garden Club meetings and events are publicized in local media. They write newspaper articles to inform the public about upcoming programs or completed Club activities. If possible, this member takes pictures using their own camera to accompany articles. The President and appropriate Committee Chairpersons work closely with Media to ensure all pertinent information is included in the articles and notices. The committee shares published articles with the Scrapbook and Historian Committee for inclusion in the Club’s scrapbook, and maintains information regarding local media addressees, deadlines and requirements.
Refreshments Committee – The Refreshments Committee is responsible for refreshments at each monthly meeting. At the beginning of the Garden Club year (and monthly as needed), the committee circulates sign-up sheets for each month’s refreshments. Members may volunteer to provide a tablecloth and arrangement (flowers or holiday theme), beverages, or snacks. The committee contacts members each month to remind them of their commitments. The committee and members signed up for a given month set up the refreshment table before and clean up after the meeting. This committee replenishes the supply of paper goods and utensils, as well as, coffee, tea, sugar, and sugar substitute as needed. Receipts for supplies are submitted to the treasurer for reimbursement.
Scholarship Committee – Formed in 2003, PGC currently funds scholarships for students at North Middlesex Regional High School and Nashoba Valley Technical High School. The amount and number of scholarships may vary from year to year.
Scrapbook and Historian – The Club scrapbook is a collection of newspaper clippings, souvenirs, and photos of Club activities and events. This member works with the Publicity/Media committee to clip published articles for inclusion in the scrapbook. Members’ pictures or articles can also be submitted. If possible, this member may also take pictures using their own camera to be printed out for the scrapbook. Printing costs, within a reasonable amount, are reimbursed by the Club.
Website – The PGC website was restructured in 2024, and is maintained by the Club’s webmaster. This site is our face to the general public who may not use printed media. Club committees or members may submit meeting or event information and photos to this member for posting. Submissions are subject to Webmaster and Board approval. Occasionally, the Club may contract-out for technical support. This member should have computer knowledge and photo editing capabilities.
Welcoming/Name Tags – This member is responsible for member name tags. As members enter the monthly meeting, they are greeted, and pick up their name tag that has been placed on the table. Guests are welcomed and asked to sign a guest sheet, which is used by the President to introduce guests attending the meeting. The committee member collects name tags near the end of the meeting and returns them to the box. The box is kept in the storage cabinet in the back room of the Albert Harris Senior Center. Additionally, this member makes name tags for new members.
Yearbook Editor – The Yearbook Editor prepares the PGC yearbook. In August and September, the editor obtains new or updated information for the yearbook. This may include elements such as the President’s message, Garden Club Federation contact information, monthly program dates and subjects, new officers and updated membership information. Using prior yearbooks and Board/member feedback, the editor plans layout any artwork, and coordinates printing of the yearbook, ideally for distribution at the October meeting. Writing member names on the covers ahead of time makes distribution easier. Extra yearbooks are kept in the storage cabinet in the back room at the Albert Harris Senior Center.