At the Fred Brooks Garden Club’s annual Rose Dinner in June, WVGCI president Pam Simien presented Life Membership Pins to members Jeanie Ward and Sally Miller-Collins. The state Life Membership supports the WVGCI’s Scholarship program. This program provides scholarship money to West Virginia college students who are studying conservation, landscape design, environmental protection, and horticulture. The Life Membership is one of the highest honors a club can award to a member.

Jeanie serves FBGC as first vice-president. In this office, Jeanie is responsible for finding interesting and educational programs and constructing the annual program book. This includes membership information, a list of programs, and the club’s by-laws and officer information. Jeanie, along with Brooke Scott, arranges field trips for the club. She is also a world-class fundraiser for the club and has taken on the job of maintaining the flower bed at the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department.

Sally is the lead designer for the Christmas tree at the Upshur County Courthouse, a task she starts in early January. Her skills as an art teacher helps the Conservation, Education & Youth committee find projects for the club’s work with Cloverbud Camp, Stockert Youth Center, and the Upshur County Public Library’s Story Time group. Sally also manages the club’s youth outreach for WVGCI’s youth awards, resulting in wins this year in youth poetry, youth sculpture, and two Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl.

Fred Brooks Garden Club’s other Lifetime Members include Ina Jean Cutright, Naomi Matthey, Cindy Phillips, Sandra McCutcheon, Beth Post, Patty McComas, Libby Randall, Carolyn Patterson, Vonnie Hager, Yvonne Foster, and honorary member Carolyn Tenney.