Bay Breeze

Is it spring yet? It is currently raining, hopefully bringing bountiful blooms to all of our spring gardens. Can’t wait.

The Auxiliary had a great meeting on January 30 at Celia’s Mexican Restaurant in Menlo Park. We had 13 people in attendance (Rick Camin, Vicky Parrott, Cindy Singletary, Mary Cohen, Barry Cohen, Charlene Ott, Simon Parrott, Scooter Wren, James Walker, Jackie Marsey, Alice Domine and of course Girvin and myself). Thank you everyone who came and participated in our lively conversation. Our raffle basket list is full and the committee list is filling up. There is new and creative energy amongst us. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of 2024 will bring. Here are the highlights of our meeting:

• We approved the minutes from our October 2023 meeting, the 2023 year-end Treasurer’s report and a budget for 2024.
• We are still trying to figure out a non-cash payment method for our LEAF raffles, for those of you who don’t carry cash. There are many options, from Venmo, Zelle, Square, and ApplePay, but the process is not so simple or cost effective when you are a small non-profit.
• All future raffle ticket sales will be $5 per ticket, five tickets for $20.
• The Chapter Picnic will be Sunday, September 8 at Cuesta Park in Mountain View. Thank you to Rick Camin for making our reservation.
• We voted to donate $4,000 to LEAF, $1,000 to the Steve Whitehill fund and $3,000 to the Joe and Sally Tanouye fund.
• There was discussion about the May chapter meeting. Mary is working on organizing a LEAF fundraiser event or maybe more aptly called a LEAF legacy event. We are hoping to have family of the SFBA Chapter named funds in attendance in order to rekindle memories and stories of SFBA chapter members. Also in attendance may be students who received scholarships from our named funds, hopefully inspiring all to make a donation to LEAF. Students are the future of the Green Industry and LEAF and the Auxiliary are doing their best to brighten everyone’s future. Stay tuned for more information on the date and location.
• We are looking for someone to do the Auxiliary potluck in the summer. We do have a plan B in case no one steps forward. I won’t announce what that plan is until May possibly. The potluck is the must attend event for Auxiliary members. Hosted by an Auxiliary member at their home, we have been up and down the peninsula and over to the coast numerous times. Let your party planning skills shine and it’s a potluck. You don’t need to do all of the cooking!
• James Walker, Rick Camin and Jackie Marsey have agreed to be the Christmas Holiday Party committee and will be investigating new ideas and possibly reinventions of old ideas. Thank you for volunteering. I look forward to hearing your ideas.

Thank you everyone for coming to the meeting and brainstorming on how to make chapter events the best ever in 2024. I look forward to seeing everyone at the March meeting. We will be on daylight savings by then and that much closer to SPRING!

Lesley Peters
Garden Designer
650-444-4580
gpland@sbcglobal.net