Second District FGCNYS
We were founded in 1925 with the aim to conserve our natural resources, beautify our communities, support world gardening projects, support youth organizations, teach floral design, sponsors new garden clubs and educate the public.
We, on Long Island, are part of Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, The Central Atlantic Region, National Garden Clubs, Inc. and are part of one of the largest volunteer gardening organizations in the world.
The first garden club on Long Island was organized in Flushing in 1914 by Mrs. John Walton Paris. There were ten clubs by 1922, and two years later Mrs. Paris' dream of a Federation of Long Island Clubs was accomplished at a meeting held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. A year later, in 1925, the Long Island Federation merged with the State and became known as Second District. Only four years later, in 1929, the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State became a charter member of National Council of State Garden Clubs (now known as National Garden Clubs, Inc.), with some of the same aims and purposes we sponsor today. These are: conservation and the protection of wildflowers, encouraging civic plantings, preserving scenic and historic locations, emphasizing planting of trees and cooperating with plant societies.
Clubs in Second District, which includes the Borough of Queens and Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and now numbers 31 Clubs, have presented Flower Shows since the 1930s. District Shows have received many State and National Awards.
Two District meetings are held each year for members, and workshops on various phases of garden club work are held periodically. Flower Show Schools, sponsored by the State, but planned and operated by a District Chairman, have been held in the Second District since 1951 for garden club members who wish to become Nationally Accredited Judges, and for members and nonmembers who wish to further their knowledge in Gardening Study, Environmental Conservation, and Landscape Design to name a few.
The first Second District newsletter was published in 1939. Since 1955 it has been called The Long Island Gardener. Published four times a year, it provides members with complete coverage of District and Club activities.
Our History
District Chairs
QUEENS COUNTY - BARBARA BUCKLEY
NASSAU NORTH - ANNE GRONAN
NASSAU SOUTH -
SUFFOLK NORTH - WENDY WOLFSON
SUFFOLK SOUTH - JEAN ANN GOTTSCH
Committee Chairs
AUDIT - MARISA KATZURIN
AWARDS - KIM THOMSON
AWARD OF HONOR - GAIL BERTI
BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES & BUGS - JENNY HOLMES
BOOK OF RECOGNITION - SUE BOUDREAU
BUDGET - CHRISTINE O'BRIEN
CIVIC BEAUTIFICATION & DEVELOPMENT AND BLUE STAR MEMORIALS -
SUE BOUDREAU
DISTRICT CLUB RECOGNITION - DENISE D'ONOFRIO-ZIZZO
DISTRICT LUNCHEON CHAIRMAN - ELAINE SHEIN
DISTRICT LUNCHEON ASSISTANT -
DISTRICT WORKSHOPS - ALICE DAWES
ENVIRONMENTAL - SUE AVERY
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES COUNCIL - EILEEN DERICCO
FLOWER SHOW CONSULTANT - EILEEN DERICCO
GARDENING STUDY SCHOOL - VICTORIA BELLIAS
GARDEN THERAPY - MARIE CAPITANO
HISTORIAN - PAT BANY
HORTICULTURE COUNCIL - MARISA KATZURIN
HOSPITALITY - RITA SEPENOSKI
JUDGES COUNCIL - KIM THOMSON
GAIL BERTI
LANDSCAPE DESIGN COUNCIL - LYNN PEZOLD
LONG ISLAND GARDENER EDITOR - KIM THOMSON
LONG ISLAND GARDENER ASSISTANT EDITOR - KIM THOMSON
MEMBERSHIP - ANNE GRONAN
NATIONAL GARDEN WEEK - DIANE TUTTLE
NATURE CONSERVANCY -
NGC & FGCNYS LIFE MEMBERSHIPS/NATIONAL GARDENER - CHRISTINE TIBERG
PARLIAMENTARIAN -
PENNY PINES - JENNY HOLMES
PHOTOGRAPHY - DENISE D'ONOFRIO-ZIZZO
PRESIDENTS COUNCIL - LYNN PEZOLD
PROMOTIONS - GAIL BERTI
PROTOCOL -
PUBLICITY & PRESS BOOK -
SCHEDULE CONSULTANT - KIM THOMSON
SCHOLARSHIP - SANDY HART
SPEAKERS LIST - LAURA MCLAUGHLIN
SUNSHINE - BARBARA (BABS) GUDE
VENDORS - DIANE TUTTLE
WEBSITE - MARION ROMEO
WORLD GARDENING - MARISA KATZURIN
YEARBOOKS - JOY FLYNN
YOUTH CHAIRMAN - TERRY SAJEWSKI
Our Leadership
Officers
DIRECTOR - ELIZABETH WALSH
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - ELAINE SHEIN
RECORDING SECRETARY - DONNA DiSTEFANO
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY - CHRISTINE TIBERG
TREASURER - CHRISTINE O'BRIEN