Last year was a great year for UHS, and I think that members can be especially proud of the job that our core of volunteers did in hosting the District 17 AGM at Mill Run. Thanks again to all those involved for a job very well done!

Speaking of jobs well done, our thanks go out to Rick Causton for being such a dedicated president for the last 5 years! We really appreciate everything that you did over your term. I hope that I can maintain the standard you set!

It is my hope that we can attract a few more members to our ranks. I know that I have learned a lot about gardening since I decided to tag along with Jo. My initial reluctance to attend was because gardening was more of a chore than a passion, and what did I know about horticulture. I like to grow vegetables and enjoy the fruits of my labour in a more tangible way than just enjoying the natural beauty that surrounds us in our garden most of the year. I usually take notes at our meetings so I have something to refer to when needed as memory does not seem to be my strongest feature!

If we can communicate how people can benefit from the gardening education that we provide through our monthly meetings then we should be able to grow the membership. Once people realize that they can learn, and meet new friends and neighbours then they will seriously think about joining. There are many new residents in town that may not have enjoyed having as much garden as they own here in Uxbridge, and it is these residents that we need to welcome and encourage to come along. If every member tried to bring along a new member each month as a guest then that would be a great start. Perhaps we might find new young blood that would be willing to volunteer a few hours each year to maintain the gardens we tend in town. We certainly need that infusion as our gardening army certainly isn’t getting any younger!

So let’s see what we can do differently to attract and retain members in 2011, so that we continue to be one of the biggest social groups in the area. I look forward to working with all of you in the coming months.

Mike Whiston