At the 96th annual State Convention in Grenada at First and Green venue, the Charleston Magnolia Garden Club (CMGC) distinguished itself among the greats in garden clubs.
The outgoing Garden Clubs of Mississippi president, Melinda Causey, presided beautifully over the events that made this convention inspiring, but we waited for our own Sassy Mauldin to take the stage of Mississippi’s garden clubs.
The Garden Clubs of Mississippi (GCM) held its convention April 8-9, Tuesday and Wednesday. Over 150 members descended or came up from the Coast to converge on little Grenada and it met them and exceeded expectations. The local convention chairmen were Gale Moore, Pattie Smith, Debbie Kilpatrick and Beth Muselwhite, who is the president of Grenada Garden Club.
Carol Bullard, Celia Williamson, Gay Lynn Haynes, Allison Ashmore, Lucy Boyette, Anne Walker and Joanna Patton, a new member of the CMGC, attended the convention functions while getting ready to install and fete Sassy Mauldin into the history of garden clubs in Mississippi.
Some of the activities included The Delta Divas, Carol Bullard from CMGC and Debby Cooper, from Deep South Garden Clubs Inc., entertaining the convention through a creative flower design program on the Tuesday night of the convention.
There were various workshops and among those were those that clarified our responsibilities to pollinators that keep our farms’ production strong. Awards were lavished on our club by past presidents and other clubs that recognized our contributions to our community, thus our state.
Our club boasts of Carol Bullard and Celia Williamson as well as Sassy Mauldin, who is now our GCM president. Carol and Celia hold positions as master floral designers. Carol was 2003-2005 GCM president, and Celia is the GCM treasurer at present. With their encouragement and expertise, our club is recognized across the Hills and Delta District as well as seven states that comprise the Deep South Garden Clubs Inc.
Below are the awards that we have won this year alone. Enjoy the honor our hard work has won!
Awarded by The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc:
• Environmental Concerns (Youth) Award — For outstanding activity in environmental concerns
• State President’s Award — For the best garden club in Mississippi that best promoted and executed the Garden Club Mississippi State President’s theme of “Growing in our Communities … Plant, Promote, and Protect” — a cash award of $100.
• Garden Club of the Year — Awarded to a garden club who excels in its service to members, club programs, community projects and attending club, district and state meetings and/or sponsored programs. A cash award of $100.
Awards for the 2024 flower show, “Growing in Our Communities”
• 1st Place — A Standard Flower Show in a Public Place
• 1st Place — Harriet M. Lewis Judges’ Award, for Highest Scoring flower show in Mississippi
• 1st Place — Emily Allen Horticulture Award, cash award of $50
• 1st Place — Helen Gough Table Artistry Award, cash award of $25
• Standard Flower Show Achievement Award — Overall Winner
The following were Awarded by the Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. (DSCG), comprised of local garden clubs in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana, and presented at the DSGC Annual Conference in Valdosta, Georgia, March 11-13, 2025:
• Deep South Garden Club of the Year — Awarded to a garden club who excels in its service to members, club programs, community projects and attending club, district and state meetings and/or sponsored programs, cash award of $100
• Deep South Garden Clubs Unified Project Award — 2023-2025 theme: “Decorate the Deep South with a Focus on Flower Shows, Floral Design and Colorful Plantings.”
1st Place, club competition — Colorful Plantings Award, cash award of $200
And OVERALL WINNER — Decorate the Deep South, a cash award of $250.
