Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
EATON — Alpha Garden Club is nearing 100 years in existence, and in early May, members celebrated the milestone by sharing information about the club’s past, all the way back to the initial creation of “garden clubs” in the area.
The first meeting of a garden club in Eaton was held in 1923, with four members present. They decided to have “no president, no dues, no eats and no gossip.”
The objective of that first meeting was to study gardening and different vegetables, fruits and flowers. During a subsequent meeting, it was decided the club would collect 10 cents in dues from members to pay for incidental expenses of the club.
Although membership in the Garden Club fluctuated over the years, the one constant was the dedication to learning and educating about gardening.
Alpha Garden Club began in December 1924, when Lora Silvers, Harriet Harris, Harriet Swartzrauber and Mrs. Ray Hartman met to discuss starting a garden club. The first “official” meeting of that club was Jan. 6, 1925, according to history compiled by the late Fanny Kisling and displayed at a Tuesday, May 2, meeting of the current club last month.
According to the information provided, “Membership in the club is by invitation only. Potential members are asked to join after they have attended a meeting. Earlier, memberships were voted on. Members who missed three meetings were dropped from the rolls.”
Other Alpha Garden Club historic facts include:
•The Alpha Garden Club held the first flower show at the Preble County Fair in 1931.
•The club met in members’ homes until sometime in the 1970s. Members did not serve any food, other than snacks or drinks if anything. There was no prayer, but roll call was taken and members responded with a verse, garden tip, favorite flower, etc.
•Based on newspaper clippings from the 1950s, according to Kisling, when members attended meetings, they usually wore hats.
•Alpha Garden Club’s purpose is to “promote better community interest in the environment; to place a garden book in the Eaton Library annually; to contribute to other selected projects; to share friendship and to share floral information.”
For more information about Alpha Garden Club, email [email protected].
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on Twitter @emowenjr.
