Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!
Celebrate May Day!
It’s a fact that May Day is not an overly prominent celebration in North America. Yet it does have a long and notable history as one of the world’s principal festivals. The origin of the May Day as a day for celebration dates back to before the birth of Christ. And like many ancient festivals it too has a Pagan connection. For the Druids of the British Isles, May 1 was the second most important holiday of the year because it occurred when the festival of Beltane was held. It was believed that the day divided the year into half. The other half was to be ended with the Samhain on November 1. Those days the May Day custom was the setting of new fire. It was one of those ancient New Year rites performed throughout the world. And the fire itself was thought to lend life to the burgeoning springtime sun. Then the Romans came to occupy the British Isles. The beginning of May was a very popular feast time for the Romans as well. It was devoted primarily to the worship of Flora, the goddess of flowers. It was in her honor that a five day celebration, called the Floralia, was held. The five day festival would start April 28 and end on May 2. The Romans brought in the rituals of the Floralia festival to the British Isles and gradually the rituals of the Floralia were added to those of the Beltane. And many of today’s customs on May Day bear a stark similarity with those combined traditions. May Day observance was discouraged by the Puritans and gradually it came to be regarded more as a day of joy and merriment for the kids, rather than a day of observing the ancient fertility rights.
The tradition of Maypole and greeneries - By the Middle Ages every English village had its Maypole. The bringing in of the Maypole from the woods was a great occasion and was accompanied by much rejoicing and merrymaking. The Maypoles were of all sizes. Maypoles were usually set up for the day in small towns and one village would vie with another to show who could produce the tallest Maypole. The Maypole tradition suffered a setback for a few decades when the Puritan Long Parliament stopped it in 1644. However, with the return of the Stuarts, the Maypole reappeared and the festivities of May Day were again enjoyed.
Maypoles and trees - The association of trees to this celebration has come riding on the back of the spring festival in ancient Europe. Trees have always been the symbol of the great vitality and fertility of nature and were often used at the spring festivals of antiquity. The anthropologist E. O. James finds a strong relationship between the ancient tree-related traditions of the British and the Romans. According to James' description, as a part of the May Day celebration, the youths in old Europe cut down a tree, lopped off the branches leaving a few at the top. They then wrapped it round with violets like the figure of Attis, the ancient Roman god. At sunrise, they would take it back to their villages, blowing horns and flutes. In a similar manner, the sacred pine tree representing the god Attis was carried in procession to the temple of Cybele on Rome's Palatine Hill during the Spring Festival of March 22.
Roots of May Day celebration in America - The Puritans frowned on May Day, so the day has never been celebrated with as much enthusiasm in North America as in Great Britain. But the tradition of celebrating May Day by dancing and singing around a maypole, tied with colorful streamers or ribbons, survived as a part of the English tradition. The kids celebrating the day by moving back and forth around the pole with the streamers, choosing of
!
May 2014 Volume 12, Number 5 www.brags.ca
Burnaby Rhododendron and Gardens Society MINUTES OF MONTHLY MEETING –April 2, 2014
Discovery Room, Burnaby Village Museum!
1.Welcome and call meeting to order at 7:06 pm by Wendy Thompson. 2. Adoption of March 5, 2014 Minutes Motion to accept December minutes was made by Verna Adamson; seconded by Therese Pope. All were in favor. Reminder: meeting minutes are posted on the BRAGS’ website and the password is updated by David Forsyth. 3. Outstanding Business from the December Minutes Wendy asked that anyone willing to sit at a table for BRAGS at the Stoney Creek Great Salmon Send-off Saturday May 10 please contact her.
4. Treasurer’s Report Susan Brandl reported revenue for March was $24.53 from membership and interest; expenses were $500 for the SFU scholarship and $100 for the speaker, giving revenue over expenses of -$575.47. There is $5816.15 in our current account. Motion to accept by Susan; seconded by Don Wrigley. Passed.
5. Correspondence
a) Invitation from Burnaby to the Volunteer Recognition dinner. Keith Harris and his wife will attend.
b) Notice of Fraser Valley Dahlia Society’s tuber sale; info available if interested.
6. Standing Committee Reports
a) Rhodofest: Verna Adamson reported - Posters and rack cards are ready; all asked to take several. - Volunteer signup sheets at back; volunteers will be phoned closer to the festival. - Silent Auction will have two closing times (1 and 3pm); plants will be arranged according to their closing time and there will be two different coloured bid sheets. All plants must be paid for by 3:30 pm - Faye Kilpatrick will co-ordinate the Spring Bouquet contest; she spoke to South Burnaby Garden Club. - Setup will be 9am Saturday; plants can be dropped off Friday afternoon (Rm 104) or Saturday morning. - There will be a live auction at 1:30; we are asked to find one special item to add for this event.
- The second live auction at the end of the event will take place outside this year. - Rhodo trusses will be in the glass cases again, with extras in Room 103, as we did last year.
- The City is advertising in the Newsleader this year.
- We are not using the volunteer room as we had to pay last year; please bring your own snacks
- Coffee is available at a discount if you bring your own mug
b) Plant Sale: David Forsyth reminded everyone that we all need to bring plants. Keith Harris donated several from his garden. Get them ready as soon as possible so they are looking good on the day of the sale, and that includes indoor plants. Verna reported that Lanny has agreed to help out by being in charge on the day of the sale, as she has in the past. c) Welcome/Attendance: Faye Kilpatrick Faye reported that there were 25 members and 2 guests in attendance. d) Memberships: Anne Forsyth – Nil. e) Speakers/Program: Bev Glover - Nil
7. New/Other Business a) Park and Tilford Gardens plant sale, 333
Brooksbank Ave N. Van, April 26th 10-1, rain or shine, cash only. Master Gardeners and bee keepers will be available to answer questions. Funds raised go towards enhancing their garden.
b) Keith Harris and Wendy Thompson attended the BCCGC meeting Mar 22. The Council is now using Quickbooks to ensure consistency in its financial records. Speakers included Paul McDonald - a BCCGC scholarship recipient - and Thomas Hobbes. We will try to print Keith’s report in the newsletter.
c) Sheila Chowdhury announced a fundraiser evening for L’Arche on April 3rd as well as an art sale by the Gamma Garage group on April 12-13.David Savelief recommended Brian Minter’s new plant picks and also mentioned Nicola, a new low sugar and low starch potato.
Meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm by Wendy. After the break, Les Clay of Rhodohaven Gardens in Aldergrove spoke about Rhododendrons.
!!
May queen, and the hanging of May baskets on the doorknobs of folks -- are all the leftovers of the old European traditions. Today, you could say that many gardeners are known to dance in their gardens when spring arrives!
• ☺We love to have members share their ‘secrets’
and garden/nature thoughts. If you have something interesting to share, from right here at home or a trip taken afar, please share with us! Or perhaps you have an idea for a future article…
Send to Cheryl Fiddis @ [email protected]!!
BRAGS Photo Gallery! Just!so!you!can!put!some!faces!to!the!names,!we!thought!we’d!post!a!few!pictures!of!our!members.!!More!to!follow!in!upcoming!newsletters!!
!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!Verna!Adamson!&!June!Dodson,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!our!Rhodofestival!Team!
!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!Wendy!Thompson,!our!President!
Bev Glover, Vice-President & Speakers Co-Ordinator
Susan Brandl, our Treasurer
BRAGS Membership: Please visit Anne at the membership desk to pay your dues or to join up – only $12 per year. Members share various gardening interests and enjoy monthly guest speakers, plus are entitled to discounts of regularly priced items at Garden Works and other garden centres, simply by presenting their membership cards. Meetings start at 7 pm at the Burnaby Village Museum, - Main Building, 2nd floor. Easy to get to with ample parking and refreshments are served! All are welcome!
Rhododendron Festival & Plant Sale! Sunday, May 4th, 2014
Rhodofest is a fun, family-oriented event held at the Shadbolt Centre. Please plan on attending! We would love to see you there, either in a volunteer role, or just to enjoy the day if you are not able to volunteer. However we are always in need of more volunteers, so if you haven’t signed up to help and are now available, please contact our Rhodofestival and Plant Sale teams of Verna and June, and David and Anne. And don’t forget to bring your family and friends! ~All this Rhodofest talk got me to thinking what I enjoy most about the festival. There’s so much happening, everyone is so friendly, and there’s never a quiet moment. But I must say, my favorite thing to do at the Rhodo Festival is to visit the Burnaby!Potters!Guild!tables!!!So!much!talent!and!so!much!fabulous!pottery!to!buy!!!Tell!me,!what!do!YOU!enjoy!the!most?! !
BRAGS
EXECUTIVE
President Wendy Thompson
604-420-6513 Vice-President
Bev Glover 604-540-2883
Treasurer Susan Brandl 604-433-4250
Secretary Linda Cholette 604-298-9059
Past President Verna Adamson 604-294-5550
. . . . STANDING COMMITTEES
Membership Anne Forsyth 604-298-6350 Nominations
Verna Adamson Publicity
Evelyn Crawford 604-437-8395
Rhododendron Festival
Verna Adamson 604-294-5550 June Dodson 604-939-2597
. . . . OTHER COMMITTEES
Plant Sale David & Anne Forsyth
Newsletter Cheryl Fiddis 604-435-2801
Anne & David Forsyth 604-298-6350
Welcome Faye Kilpatrick 604-434-5921
Sheila Chowdhury 604-298-1196
Raffle Faye Kilpatrick 604-434-5921 Refreshments June Dodson 604-939-2597
Speakers Bev Glover
604-540-2883 Website
David Forsyth 604-298-6350
Upcoming Meetings May 7, 2014 Catherine Dale from the Land Conservancy will talk. Many of you will know Catherine from her involvement with BRAGS and various Burnaby clubs and committees. It’s bound to be an enjoyable evening! June 4, 2014 “All About Hydrangeas” presented by Margot Moser, a previous BRAGS member and long time resident of Burnaby now residing in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island. Be sure to come and say hello to a long lost friend and learn about Hydrangeas. As per usual, we will break for the summer months, and resume our meetings once again in September. See you on September 3rd!
Out & About Etc… Customer Appreciation Day, May 15, 2014 Be sure to mark the date for GardenWorks 15% savings all day. Country Garden Tour, June 22, 2014 Annual Garden Tour hosted by the Maple Ridge Garden Club. Contact Gayle @ 604-467-2956, or Margaret @ 604-467-1885 for further information and ticket details. And Here’s an Amazing Photo… Fifteen-year-old photographer Marlin Shank was fortunate enough to capture several images of a rare albino ruby-throated hummingbird while in a park in Staunton, Virginia. Just beautiful!
!!
May queen, and the hanging of May baskets on the doorknobs of folks -- are all the leftovers of the old European traditions. Today, you could say that many gardeners are known to dance in their gardens when spring arrives!
• ☺We love to have members share their ‘secrets’
and garden/nature thoughts. If you have something interesting to share, from right here at home or a trip taken afar, please share with us! Or perhaps you have an idea for a future article…
Send to Cheryl Fiddis @ [email protected]!!
BRAGS Photo Gallery! Just!so!you!can!put!some!faces!to!the!names,!we!thought!we’d!post!a!few!pictures!of!our!members.!!More!to!follow!in!upcoming!newsletters!!
!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!Verna!Adamson!&!June!Dodson,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!our!Rhodofestival!Team!
!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!Wendy!Thompson,!our!President!
Bev Glover, Vice-President & Speakers Co-Ordinator
Susan Brandl, our Treasurer
BRAGS Membership: Please visit Anne at the membership desk to pay your dues or to join up – only $12 per year. Members share various gardening interests and enjoy monthly guest speakers, plus are entitled to discounts of regularly priced items at Garden Works and other garden centres, simply by presenting their membership cards. Meetings start at 7 pm at the Burnaby Village Museum, - Main Building, 2nd floor. Easy to get to with ample parking and refreshments are served! All are welcome!
Rhododendron Festival & Plant Sale! Sunday, May 4th, 2014
Rhodofest is a fun, family-oriented event held at the Shadbolt Centre. Please plan on attending! We would love to see you there, either in a volunteer role, or just to enjoy the day if you are not able to volunteer. However we are always in need of more volunteers, so if you haven’t signed up to help and are now available, please contact our Rhodofestival and Plant Sale teams of Verna and June, and David and Anne. And don’t forget to bring your family and friends! ~All this Rhodofest talk got me to thinking what I enjoy most about the festival. There’s so much happening, everyone is so friendly, and there’s never a quiet moment. But I must say, my favorite thing to do at the Rhodo Festival is to visit the Burnaby!Potters!Guild!tables!!!So!much!talent!and!so!much!fabulous!pottery!to!buy!!!Tell!me,!what!do!YOU!enjoy!the!most?! !
BRAGS
EXECUTIVE
President Wendy Thompson
604-420-6513 Vice-President
Bev Glover 604-540-2883
Treasurer Susan Brandl 604-433-4250
Secretary Linda Cholette 604-298-9059
Past President Verna Adamson 604-294-5550
. . . . STANDING COMMITTEES
Membership Anne Forsyth 604-298-6350 Nominations
Verna Adamson Publicity
Evelyn Crawford 604-437-8395
Rhododendron Festival
Verna Adamson 604-294-5550 June Dodson 604-939-2597
. . . . OTHER COMMITTEES
Plant Sale David & Anne Forsyth
Newsletter Cheryl Fiddis 604-435-2801
Anne & David Forsyth 604-298-6350
Welcome Faye Kilpatrick 604-434-5921
Sheila Chowdhury 604-298-1196
Raffle Faye Kilpatrick 604-434-5921 Refreshments June Dodson 604-939-2597
Speakers Bev Glover
604-540-2883 Website
David Forsyth 604-298-6350
Upcoming Meetings May 7, 2014 Catherine Dale from the Land Conservancy will talk. Many of you will know Catherine from her involvement with BRAGS and various Burnaby clubs and committees. It’s bound to be an enjoyable evening! June 4, 2014 “All About Hydrangeas” presented by Margot Moser, a previous BRAGS member and long time resident of Burnaby now residing in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island. Be sure to come and say hello to a long lost friend and learn about Hydrangeas. As per usual, we will break for the summer months, and resume our meetings once again in September. See you on September 3rd!
Out & About Etc… Customer Appreciation Day, May 15, 2014 Be sure to mark the date for GardenWorks 15% savings all day. Country Garden Tour, June 22, 2014 Annual Garden Tour hosted by the Maple Ridge Garden Club. Contact Gayle @ 604-467-2956, or Margaret @ 604-467-1885 for further information and ticket details. And Here’s an Amazing Photo… Fifteen-year-old photographer Marlin Shank was fortunate enough to capture several images of a rare albino ruby-throated hummingbird while in a park in Staunton, Virginia. Just beautiful!
