by Nancy Tovar, BCMGA President
In an effort to keep you all informed of the latest BCMGA happenings, here are the highlights for October. The upcoming October 19 Membership Meeting is important to attend in order to VOTE on a change to Article IX, Section 3 in the Policies and Procedures, as well as the slate of new officers for 2021: President- Deb Kern President Elect- Jana Tindall Vice President- Alan Taylor Past President- Nancy Tovar Secretary- Diana Allen Treasurer- Marge Alig Co-Treasurer- Lynn Trimpe Membership Secretary- Deborah Hobbs OMGA Rep- Rich Taylor Alt OMGA Rep- David Mandel Outreach- Bob Smythe Members at Large- Frank Garcia, Debra Garley, and Pashalle Johnson. Please sign in 5-10 minutes before 7:00pm so we can get started on time. Following voting, Our speaker will be Jay W. Pscheidt, Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology and Extension Plant Pathology Specialist who will speak about plant viruses. If you haven’t visited the BCMGA website lately, please do: www.bentonmg.org Rich Taylor has worked hard to put all of our information and needed documents in one place. As an organization, we plan to use our website as our primary communication tool, posting all current and relevant BCMGA information there. If anyone has website experience, ever dreamed of being a blogger, or would just like to help, please contact Rich Taylor. Check out the blog page, where you can find my monthly Board Highlights (and more in the future). Rich has just added a forum feature, in which all members can access and share information, stories, ideas, pictures and more. You can find the Forum under the "Members" tab, then locate the Discussion, Recipes and Trading Post sections. Remember to submit your “Bountiful Harvest” photos with your name and brief heading to Rich Taylor for a chance to win a $25.00 gift card to your favorite gardening store or nursery. rpt851@gmail.com. The deadline is October 16. Check out the photos in the "Gallery" submitted over the past few months by many talented MGs. Look for another new section on the website titled Volunteer Activities under the "Members" tab (members only password: bcmga2020) and on the Calendar. Here are some newly approved volunteer activities: Propagation Teams: Woody Plants-Trees/Shrubs/Vines, Edible Plants, Perennials and Greenhouse Clean-Up; sign up to help with these activities: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a45a9ac29a7f85-greenhouse If you’d like to receive emails regarding activities with the Greenhouse committee or propagating edibles, email Jennifer Klammer: jennifer.klammer@comcast.net Here's the link to sign up for Donations and Divisions crews: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a45a9ac29a7f85-donations If you'd like to be added to the mailing list for the D&D team, email Leslie Hauser: lesliehauser107@gmail.com Don't forget that you'll need to complete the OSU Covid-19 Awareness Training before taking part in any in-person volunteer activities. Links can be found in the sign-up information. It takes about 15 minutes. 2021 Mini College will be a virtual event held July 14 and 15. There will be a keynote speaker each day followed by several mini sessions. Plans are still in the works. Sadly, there will be no Insights into Gardening in 2021, due to the difficulty planning an event of that scale during these uncertain times. The Communications Committee will be meeting with Extension staff after each monthly board meeting and with Committee chairs on a quarterly basis starting in 2021. The committee will have an update for the membership soon. Feel free to bring any communication concerns or ideas to one of the committee members: Marge Alig, Deborah Hobbs, Rich Taylor or Nancy Tovar. The BCMGA Board voted to fund a scholarship for KJ Lee to attend online training in seed preservation by the Royal Botanical Society and Kew Gardens in Great Britain.This is a project he has studied over the past couple years. He'll eventually travel to Britain to practice what he's learned, then share his knowledge with us. Extension Notes: The next All Volunteer meeting will be held via Zoom at 6pm on Oct 22. Please RSVP: https://beav.es/omx It’s a great way to stay connected, ask questions and do a little socializing with fellow members. Celebrate Master Gardener Week October 26-30, 2020 Thank you Master Gardeners and welcome to a weeklong celebration of YOU. Events include • Film festival featuring three film viewings, discussions, and Q&As with filmmakers and/or local experts. • State of the Master Gardener Program Address with Dr. Gail Langellotto • Beneficial Insect Trivia Game and Discussion This free celebration is designed as an online opportunity to connect through the learning management platform OSU uses for online classes. Registration for Master Gardeners will be opening on October 19th. Thanks for all you do! Keep Calm and Garden on, Nancy Tovar