West Jersey Rose Society 58th Annual Banquet

Our Annual Banquet is the WJRS “social event of the year”. On July 20, 64 happy rose lovers, friends and families enjoyed each other’s company with a delicious meal at Marcos Restaurant in the Indian Spring Country Club.
We learned some interesting things about our members when we played People Bingo:  did you know that we have members who revealed, among many other things, that they fly airplanes, play in a marching band, been in a protest march/riot, patented inventions, held public office, hitch hiked the world, and admitted to skinny-dipping?
Not only were the Rose Show trophies awarded (see list of winners), but everyone who attended won a fabulous door prize contributed by one of our generous donors (see below).  We also had some amazing Special Prizes including dinners, memberships, theater tickets, Phillies tickets and mini roses.
Congratulations to June Hament, our ARS Bronze Medal honoree, to Iliana Okum, our Rosarian of the Year, to Lynne Iacovino who received a special certificate for outstanding contributions to our society, to our new Lifetime Members, Terry Rosati and Bill and Dorothy Southwick, and to all our talented Rose Show winners.



A round of applause to Cora Williams and her creative arrangers (Diane Fennimore, Iliana Okum, Diantha Rogers, and Sally Anne Schweitzer) for their strikingly colorful floral centerpieces, to Dee Bosch for preparing the trophies, and to our photographers, Tom Mayhew for bringing his lovely photos of the Rose Show and Bill Kozemchak for documenting the Banquet festivities.
And a big thank you to Jeanne Moore for her calm efficiency in herding us through registration, to Iliana Okum, our Mistress of Ceremonies for her attempts (mostly successful) to keep the rowdy crowd in order, to Terry Palise for her moving opening and closing prayers; to Cyndy Scalf for her speedy Installation of Officers, to Brenna Bosch, Rhea Bolar and Gus Banks for presenting all the right awards to the right people, to Laura Kyle and Michele Ziemba for enthusiastically being in six places at once, and to Judge Dave Coggins for his role as Master of the Games.

See you next year!

June

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS

Ameriprise Financial, Stuart White Arden Theatre Company Bistro DiMarino Bloomers Home & Garden Center Bonide Clover Garden Center & Florist Collingswood Shakespeare Co. Conard-Pyle/Star Roses Cork Restaurant David Austin Roses Dr Earth Espoma Flagg’s Garden Center Florian Tools G Boys Garden Center Green Lea Garden Center GreenCure/GardenShoesOnline GreenHeart Farms/Nor’East Miniature Roses Haines Farm & Garden Center Heirloom Roses Indian Chief Restaurant Kirby Brothers, Inc. Laura Kyle, CMT Laurel Oak Garden Center Longwood Gardens Magnolia Garden Village Marty Levin, EML Associates Medport Diner Mills Magic Neptune’s Harvest Fertilizers Passariello’s Restaurant Regan Nursery Roork’s Farm Supply Spotts Hardware & Garden Center Staples Moorestown Supermarkets of Cherry Hill Symphony in C Trader Joe’s Triple Oaks Nursery & Herbs Wegman’s of Mt Laurel Wyck Historic House & Garden And Members of the WJRS

PHILLIES PHANTASTIC!

On September 21, Bill and Dorothy Southwick cheered with 45,000 other fans as the Phillies played the Nationals.  The Southwicks won the tickets as part of a Phillies Gift Basket donated by Stuart White of Ameriprise Financial in support of our Annual Banquet.  Unfortunately, the Phillies were "asleep at the bat", losing 5-7, but we all still had a ball.

This Gift Basket was one of many great gifts given away at the banquet, including dinners at local restaurants, theater tickets, garden memberships, roses and gardening supplies.

Join us at the Annual Banquet next year and see what terrific prizes you could bring home!


Stuart White (Ameriprise Financial), June Hament, Bill Southwick, Dorothy Southwick, Sept 21, 2011