2007 HONOREE: Carol Russell As the 38th president of Texas Garden Clubs, Inc., Carol Russell was full of energy and a very busy woman. She attended district, state, regional, and national conventions. She also attended many schools and symposiums. As president, she traveled many thousands of miles to fulfull her duties. Carol has served on the National Garden Clubs, Inc. Board of Directors. She has also served on the South Central Region Board in several positions over the years. On the state level, Carol has held many different positions, i.e. Civic Achievement Chair, Mary Musick Table Awards, PETALS Chairman, Parliamentarian, VP Lone Star Gardener, VP Awards, VP Finance, and President. Carol is a Master Flower Show Judge, Texas Design Consultant, Landscape Design Consultant, and Environmental Consultant. She is a Crown Jewel and received a commendation from National Garden Clubs, Inc. for PETALS winning a $1000.00 award for TGC, Inc. Carol was married to the late Walter W. Russell, Jr. and has 3 children. She is the proud grandmother of 4 girls and 1 boy. Carol grew up in the Houston area where she worked in the banking industry and was active in community theater. She also has lived in Oregon, Fort Worth, and finally settled in Dallas. Carol has belonged to Dallas Parlimentarians and is a current member of the Jane Douglas Chapter of DAR. She is a member of St. James Episcopal Church where she serves as Lector, Office Volunteer, and a member of the Flower Guild. Congratulations Carol for your hard work, earning the well-deserved title of Texas Garden Club Member of the Year! Guidelines For further information contact: Garden Club Member of the Year State Chair Dottie Sivess DSivess@texasgardenclubs.org Selection procedure: Ten candidates, one from each district, will be chosen as nominees for the honor. The honorees will be chosen based on service in garden club work and contribution to their community. All nominees will be recognized at the TGC,Inc. Fall State Meeting, where one will be chosen as the Texas Garden Club Member of the Year. History of Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. Garden Club Woman/Member of the Year The first TGC, Inc. Garden Club Woman of the Year celebration began in 1951 when Nita Harmon, later to become a TGC, Inc. President, and Leah Jarrett, decided that deserving garden club women should be recognized in a formal ceremony. This ceremony was held from 1952 to 2003 during the Texas State Fair and became known, during that time, as Garden Club Day at the Fair. The guidelines called for the immediate past president to be recognized in the fall following her term of office. In the alternate years a club member could nominate an exemplary federated garden club member who had held chairmanships and offices on any level. A committee of five former honorees on the basis of merit, not popularity, judged the letters and chose the recipient for TGC, Inc. That individual could only be recognized once for that honor. In 2003 the procedure and location was changed. Because President Linda Whetsell had been chosen as the 1992 Garden Club Woman of the Year, there would be three years for nominations from the garden clubs. It was decided that each of the ten districts would submit a candidate who best exemplified the TGC, Inc. Mission. All nominees would be recognized during the TGC, Inc. Fall Board Meeting with one chosen by a panel of past honorees to be TGC, Inc. Garden Club Member of the Year. (The title was changed in 2004.) Past Honorees 2006 Joyce Cochran 2005 Dottie Sivess 2004 Jean Mills 2003 Sue Durett 2002 Merlene Cain 2001 Barbara Baker 2000 Diane Whitaker 1999 Ina Brundrett 1998 Alice Davies 1997 Jayne Martin 1996 Mary Louise Barr 1995 Pauline Brown 1994 Lucy Hendy 1993 Renee Blaschke 1992 Linda Whetsell & Hazel Somerville 1991 Margaret Sharpe 1990 Edna Fuchs 1989 Christine Brown 1988 Noble Smith 1987 Betty Johnson 1986 Bertie Ferris & Nell Denman 1985 Esther Clinton 1984 Guyneth Priem 1983 Hazel McCoy 1982 Ruth Jenks 1981 Mary Louise Michie & Mrs. W. B. Carroll 1980 Ethel Spears 1979 Patsy Huckabee 1978 Stella Scott 1977 Margaret Coil 1976 Frances Ellis 1975 Sue Smith 1974 Kay Bozek 1973 Ethel Orr 1972 Bea Dooley 1971 Madge Horn 1970 Bea Dooley 1969 Norma Barton 1968 Virginia Weaver 1967 Welma Aiken 1966 Marion Campbell 1965 Magnolia Greene 1964 Gertrude Windsor 1963 Henrietta Kilpatrick 1962 Mabel Caldwell 1961 Annie Puryear 1960 Mary Kittel 1959 Bess Buchanan 1958 Annavi Buchanan 1957 Esther Miller 1956 Nora Berry 1955 Inez Coffey 1954 Mollie Salois 1953 Nita Harmon 1952 Minnie Marcus 1951 Marianne Scruggs