Re: was Cyclamen / now Master Gardeners

Auralie,

What a shame that people are so petty.  Our MGs include Conservateer members
and members of other clubs.  Whereas I might have a not so positive
impression of the Conservateers iorganization, I have no problem with its
members.

> One of our members was refused entry to the
> [MG] program

This is one reason I like that our MG program accepts people first
come-first trained.  You aren't refused unless there is a problem like being
a serial killer.

It is my understanding that here in Fort Wayne there actually is an
organization called the Mens Gardening Club.  I haven't yet tried to gain
entry.

Kitty

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Aplfgcnys@aol.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: was [CHAT] Cyclamen / now Master Gardeners


> In a message dated 11/09/2003 8:46:33 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> genebush@otherside.com writes:
>
> > Any theories on why Master Gardener chapter would have more active males
> > than the usual garden club or organization? Come to think of it Alpine
> > Gardening seems to be made up of a very strong male component. Does not
seem
> > to be just a local thing here as I read from your guys.
> >
>
> Not Zem or Bonnie, but I have given the matter a lot of thought.  In our
area
> at least garden clubs still suffer from a "Helen Hokinson" image and lots
of
> men who are quite interested in and helpful with garden club activities
> wouldn't be caught dead belonging to one.  And there are women affected by
the same
> image who don't believe men belong in garden clubs.  The vice-president of
my
> club is a noted orchid specialist.  He was giving a  lecture to a garden
club
> in the region, and introduced himself as belonging to the New Horizons
Garden
> Club.  He said a couple of the women looked as if they needed smelling
salts -
> they demanded to know how that could be.  He took great delight in telling
> them that the president was also male.  (What he didn't tell them was that
 there
> are only 14 members, only 2 of which are men.)  But early on there was
> another man who wanted to join.  We invited him to a meeting and he kept
> interrupting every few minutes to tell us what the "proper" way to conduct
the meeting
> was.  He didn't get invited back.  Of course we knew  the proper way to
conduct
> a meeting - at that time five of us had been District Directors and  four
more
> were presidents, past or present, of other clubs.  In our small group we
> didn't need to follow his rigid protocols.
> I really think garden clubs in general suffer from an image problem.  Of
> course there are all sorts of garden clubs, and some of them are
responsible for
> the problem.  I have belonged to one like that, too.  But many garden
clubs do
> much valuable and interesting work, and many are like mine, active groups
of
> close friends who enjoy each other's company.  What bugs me most is that
in
> this area Master Gardeners think we are the devil incarnate.  They
actively hate
> us!  Some have refused to speak to the Horticulture School I run just
because
> it is garden club sponsored.  One of our members was refused entry to the
> program because of her garden club membership, and she is an impressive
> horticulturist.  I know this situation doesn't exist everywhere - I have
garden club
> friends throughout the state who are also Master Gardeners, and who don't
share
> these feelings, but in this area our name is mud.  It makes one wonder if
at
> some point along the way one of them wasn't asked to belong to some club
she
> wanted to join...
> Auralie
>
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