New officers and new direction for Westlake Garden Club

The Westlake Garden Club recently installed new officers, from left: Marsha McEntee, Jean Smith, Shirley Lutts, Marie McCarthy, Kathy Shimko, Brian Thompson and Regina McCarthy.

The Westlake Garden Club celebrated the holidays of 2015 with a delicious lunch at Westwood Country Club in December with holiday music provided by Emily Rose. At that lunch, new officers for 2016 were installed.

This is the first time in four years the gavel has been passed to a new president. A big thank you to outgoing president Regina McCarthy, whose innovations took the club in new directions over the past four years. 

The new officers are: Marsha McEntee, president; Jean Smith, 1st VP; Shirley Lutts, 2nd VP; Marie McCarthy, treasurer; Kathy Shimko and Brian Thompson, recording secretaries; and Regina McCarthy, corresponding secretary. 

At the first meeting of the new board, there was some discussion about the future direction and priorities of the club, fundraising and membership. The board will convene for a special meeting later this month to discuss at length these issues and the future of the club’s highly successful annual fundraiser luncheon.

Several minor changes will be visible right away. The club decided not to meet in January and February and there are no formal meetings scheduled for July and August. In July, the club will host two “mini” garden tours for members only and a bus trip that will be open to the public is being considered for August. Last year the club decided to change from an evening pot luck dinner in October, to an evening picnic and plant exchange in June. The change was met with much success and will be continued this year. 

The program schedule for this year is almost complete with interesting and educational programs on everything from geese control to a new style of cooking with herbs, and the importance of wildflowers in the Metroparks to having a national park in our backyard, and we will learn about the cultivation of history at Lakeview Cemetery – we hope a little something for everyone. 

To learn more about the Westlake Garden Club, visit our website at westlakegardenclub.org or come to one of our meetings. Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at Westlake Porter Public Library. Business meeting starts at 11 a.m. with lunch at noon and the program at 1 p.m. 

March’s program is “Ohio Geese Control; Creating a Healthier and Happier Environment for Ohio Residents and Canada Geese.” Watch for more information on this program in the next issue of the Observer.

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Volume 8, Issue 4, Posted 9:33 AM, 02.16.2016