The Wellington Garden Club (WGC) in keeping with its mission to serve the community, inspire and instruct its members and youth in environmental/ horticultural sciences and ecology, awarded academic scholarships to four outstanding students at its Spring Luncheon on May 2 at the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club. Scholarship recipients were: Sandy Smith, an environmental science major at Palm Beach State College; Amy Polen, a Palm Beach Central High School senior entering the University of South Florida as an Environmental Science & Policy major; Julie Morell, a Palm Beach Central High School senior entering the University of Central Florida as an Environmental Science & Education major; and David S. Fisher, a Wellington High School senior entering the University of Florida as a Botany major. These students were selected for their outstanding academic and civic records, vetted by the WGC scholarship committee, and recommended by their professors and educators.
WGC President Kathy Siena presided over the luncheon, recognizing Barbara Hadsell and Twig Morris, co-chairs of the club’s recent event, the “Glorious Gardens” Garden Tour which provided funds for the scholarships and for youth garden clubs, as well as for environmental summer camp sponsorships, landscaping of Habitat for Humanity homes, and numerous community beautification projects, native plant installations and other civic and educational programs. This array of projects garnered the club numerous state and regional Garden Club awards, which also were announced.
WGC-sponsored Youth Garden Clubs claimed eight wins at the National Garden Club level. The competitions were in language and visual arts with themes related to conservation and ecology. During the past year WGC sponsored Youth Garden Clubs at Binks Forest Elementary School, Girl Scout Troop 22222, Olympia Jr. Garden Club, Palm Beach Central High School, Pine Jog Elementary School, Wellington High School, Wellington Landings Middle School, and Wynnebrook Elementary School.
The Spring Luncheon was the final event of the 2015-16 season; the club takes a break from June through August. The Luncheon co-chairs were Bobbi Ziegler, Barbara Zenker and Judy Schweitzer. In addition to the awards and scholarship presentations, guests enjoyed a fashion show of “Hats Through the Ages” organized by member Dee Rolfe who showed many of the hats in her personal collection with the help of members modeling them.
There are approximately 165 active members of WGC, including both men and women from Wellington and surrounding communities. Meetings are held the first Monday of each month from September through May. All interested citizens are invited to visit the Wellington Garden Club website (wellingtongardenclub.org) to learn more about the club’s activities, and to become members, attend monthly meetings, and participate in ongoing projects and continued learning opportunities.