Dear Garden Club of South Carolina Members,

You are cordially invited to the 90th Convention of The Garden Club of South Carolina, Inc., a two day virtual extravaganza that you can attend from your very own living room. 

This FREE Event will be held in three sessions over two days and all voting will be done by delegates. Attached is the registration form and schedule overview. 

Event Schedule

Thursday, April 22 - 10AM - 12N - Pre-Convention Board of Directors Meeting - Zoom 

Friday, April 23 - CONVENTION OPENS

   1PM - 3PM 

General Membership Meeting 

Floral Competition  

5:30PM 

Cocktails from your garden

Guest Presenter: Ellen Zachos  

6PM - 8PM

Evening Memorial Service 

       Awards celebration  

Saturday, April 24  - Installation Program 

11AM - 1PM

Guest Speaker: NGC President Gay Austin 

        Installation of NEw OFficers   

closing remarks   

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ABOUT OUR CONVENTION

FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 

1PM - 3PM General MEmbership Meeting:  

Join your fellow members from all over South Carolina as we vote to add a new club into our Federation Family, approve the FY2022 budget and receive final reports on all programs and projects accomplished during this two-year term.

Opening ceremonies will begin promptly at 1PM so please log in around 12:45. 

Agenda items include general business, scholarships, membership, Youth Contests, National Garden Week, Memorial Garden, Planting with a Purpose, GardenFORLife, and much more. Please tune in to hear all about our good work and how your club has made a difference. 

Special unveiling of a New Scholarship Program

Floral Competition 

FLORAL Competition - Tropical showdown: 

WHO WILL BE THE CHOPPED CHAMPION OF SC FLORAL DESIGNERS? 

During the General Business Meeting a special competition will take place. Watch as 5 of our newest SC designers battle for the title of Chopped Champion. If you've seen the television show CHOPPED, you know that competitors are given identical mystery baskets filled with secret ingredients and a time limit in which to create their masterpiece. Each competitor must use each of the ingredients in whichever quantity they desire provided it highlights the ingredient. They are also allowed to bring their own ingredients or use elements on hand. 

In our competition, each floral designer will receive a mystery basket containing an identical abstract floral sculpture and 5 floral mystery ingredients. Each designer will have 1 hour to create an abstract masterpiece that you will vote on!

The winner will take home the championship title and $100.00! 

5:30PM Cocktails from your garden - Guest Presenter: Ellen Zachos  (Black Tie event)

MEMORIAL SERVICE: It's always a sad day when we one of our federation family passes away. Wonderful memories from many years of working together on programs and projects come to mind. We remember those fun days at conventions, traveling to far off places, and all of the wonderful times shared together pursuing our passions in garden club. This year we honor those memories by remembering each person who passed away during this term. Their friendship will truly be missed but our shared laughter will forever ring true in our heart. Chaplain Jerry Weise will lead the memorial as each Director calls each name. 

GCSC AWARDS CELEBRATION: No convention would be complete without a grand celebration of all of our club and council achievements. Join in as we announce the winners of each award with a special presentation by 2nd Vice President Mary Reeves. With almost 200 clubs, this event is the highlight of our convention and despite COVID we have so much to celebrate. Your projects, programs, special events and charitable endeavors are truly worthy of praise and we are very excited to honor you and all that were able to achieve during this term.  

In addition, special Service and Recognition Awards will be presented by President Trish Bender for outstanding contributions to the Garden Club of South Carolina. 

saturday APRIL 24, 2021 

11aM - 1PM installation program

NATIONAL GARDEN CLUB PRESIDENT GAY AUSTIN Will share National Garden Clubs Plant America programs and projects and provide an overview of our national impact during her two year term as president. 

Gay L. Austin, President of National Garden Clubs, Inc., is a native of Liberty, Mississippi, now living nearby in the City of McComb. As a youth living in rural Mississippi, she helped with her mother’s flower and vegetable gardens. Currently, she continues to grow and harvest fruits and vegetables for family use, specializing in making jams and jellies to share with friends.

Gay studied art at Newcomb College in New Orleans, Louisiana, and later obtained her nursing degree. In her professional career, she worked as an Emergency Room RN, then as the Office Manager of Southwest Mississippi Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic. Read more...

GARDEN CLUB OF SOUTH CAROLINA INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS for the 2021-2023 Term. NGC President Gay Austin will install our new officers in an installation ceremony.

Linda Howle will be our 44th president. Linda Howle received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Home Economics from Meredith College in Raleigh, N C. She is a retired National Board Certified Teacher, a Master Gardener, and past club president for Darlington GC. Linda has served as Director and Co-Director of the East Sandhills District and GCSC State Youth Awards Chairman. She now serves on the National Garden Club Board of Directors and is a NGC Accredited Flower Show Judge. She is currently our State Flower Show School Chairman, Finance Committee Chairman and President-Elect. 

By her side will be the 2021-2023 Executive Committee of elected leaders, including 3 Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Parliamentarain, Corresponding Secretary, Historian and Chaplain. These officers were voted on by ballot vote of our board of directors, club presidents and club delegates.