Do you know some peole who may be interested in learning about gardening, floral design, landscape design and more? Perhaps your community could use some sprucing up. A garden club may be for you! It's not difficult to start a new club. The Membership Chairman has an arsenal of resources available to help you. CGCI.can put you in touch with people close to you that may be able to help. CGCI has seventy-five years of ideas, suggestions and tools that have helped other people get new clubs up and running and grow successfully. The information below is just a start. Contact the CGCI Membership Chairman for more information.Would you like to.....
Start a new club?
California Garden Clubs can help!
CGCI is happy to help.
Click here to email the CGCI
Membership Chairman for detailed information.
Click here for a Word membership application.
Click here for a Acrobat memberhip application.
Click here to ask us a question.
Procedures for Forming a New Garden Club
1. Contact Prospective Members
Set a convenient time and place and invite interested friends
and neighbors for the purpose of organizing a garden club.
Garden club members in the area should be invited to attend
to speak on the benefits of a garden club, especially a federated
club. These members should be acquainted with the
state organization in order to answer questions.
2. First Meeting
On the meeting day, the one who invited the interested persons
will either serve as the temporary chairman or appoint
another. The temporary chairman will, in turn, ask someone
to serve as temporary secretary. The garden club members in
attendance should explain the objects of federated garden
clubs, the responsibilities and benefits including the amount
of dues paid to the State Garden Club, and to NGC. At some
point, after the discussion, the group will decide whether they
wish to form a society and either by unanimous consent or by
formal vote, the decision is made to organize and become
federated. The temporary chairman appoints a bylaw committee
and the date for another meeting is set. This bylaw
committee should be provided with a copy of the bylaws of
the State Garden Club so as not to be in conflict.
3. Second Meeting
After the call to order by the temporary chairman and the
reading of the minutes by the temporary secretary, the bylaws
are presented, debated and adopted. A recess is taken for
those present to become members by signing a paper (charter
members) and the payment of dues as outlined in the bylaws.
The next business would be the nomination from the floor
and the election of officers. After the election, the President
takes the chair and the Secretary records the minutes of the
meeting from that point on. Such necessary business of the
new society may be transacted which may include a notification
to perhaps a District Officer of their desire to become a
federated club.
Sample Bylaws for a New Club
Article I - Name
Full and complete
Article 11 - Object
Check State Garden Club bylaws for suggested objectives - encourage
interest in all phases of home gardening and promote civic beautification,
conservation of natural resources, etc....
Article III - Membership
Types of membership; how to apply, any restrictions; what vote to
be admitted and by what body; dues, when payable, when delinquent,
when dropped for non-payment, reinstatement.
Article IV - Officers
Names of officers; qualifications; how nominated and elected
(Nominating Committee); term of office and when term begins; can
serve more than one term or not; duties of officers.
Article V - Meetings
Regular and annual meetings, what day of month for how many
months-, special meetings and how they are called including notice
time; quorum.
Article VI - Executive Board
Members; how much power; meetings; quorum.
Article VII - Committees
Standing Committees named and appointment procedure; how special
committees can be formed and by whom. President, board and/
or assembly.
Article VIII - Parliamentary Authority
Name of a reference book such as Robert's Rules of Order Newly
Revised to govern the proceedings in all cases to which they are
applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws
and standing rules.
Article IX - Amendments
How bylaws can be amended - 2/3 vote with previous notice.
Article X - Dissolution
Procedure for dissolving based on the rules of the State Garden Club
and/or state law.
Standing Rules
After the organization has been established, there will be a need to
adopt standing rules which may be adopted by a majority vote at any
meeting, amended by a majority vote with notice or '/vote without
notice and can be suspended for the duration of any meeting. The
time of your meeting should be a standing rule and not a bylaw.
Standing rules are related to the details of the administration of a
society rather than to parliamentary procedure.
The above information is taken from a publication of by the National Garden Clubs, Inc.,
4401 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110-3492
Tel: (314) 776-7574, Fax # (314) 776-5108
Phyllis Wood
Parliamentarian
Revised August 2004
Regarding non-profit status.....
If you club would be interested in applying for 501(c)(3) non-profit status under the CGCI Group Non-Profit Exemption plan, the IRS will require additional language. Please click here. for more information.
All in all, its very easy and well worth the effort.
We can help.
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