Gulf Hills Garden Club 2016 Arbor Day Commemoration

At 10:00 am on Saturday, April 2, 2016, members of the Gulf Hills Garden Club gathered at the Memorial Garden on Shore Drive in Gulf Hills for our annual Arbor Day commemoration. This year was the 144^th anniversary of the founding of Arbor Day and the 184^th anniversary of the birth of J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day.

The atmosphere was just wonderful.  A delightfully cool morning with copious amounts of the most perfect sunshine!  It was just spectacular.

We started off with local Singing sensation Jessie Hill  performing a masterful rendition of the old hymn “In the Garden”. 

Followed by our Gulf Hills Garden Club President Dickie Roberts leading us all in the Gardener’s Prayer:

“Father, from thy hand, we have been given the world as our garden.  Teach us to live day by day that we may at all times show our love for thee by the way we cultivate the Holy garden of life”.

Dickie Roberts offered us introductions and welcome, during which a large bird of prey holding a huge trout like fish, majestically flew low over our group perfectly on cue to what was being said!  It was just a magical National Geographic Moment!

Faye Mosley then offered the Tree Dedication for the two Japanese Magnolias that have been planted on either side of the concrete bench, in gratitude for our active Club members and for those who have gone before us this year, especially Tem Shields’s sister: Jeana Blair Feazell Crevasse.

 Mary Ann Westfall proceeded to give a Prayer for the new trees.

“Lord, our new trees are strangers to us and we to them.  Remind us whenever we may pass by, to make them feel at home by speaking to them with love and a blessing.  May these plants’ cousins in the garden welcome them and help them to recover from the shock of being moved.  As blessings, peace and life were God’s gifts to us through his Son, Jesus.  May those same blessings, flow from this garden which we tend in Your Holy Name. Amen”.

Michael Moses did a poetry reading of Plant a Tree by Lucy Larcom

Jessie Hill then performed the classic song “What a Wonderful World”.

We concluded our morning with a round of thanks to members of the Gulf Hills Garden Club for all their extensive committee work.  Our President presented Maureen Schmidt with a special limited edition print of the Arbor Day Invitation designed by Michael W. Moses for this occasion.

After which excellent lite refreshments were served and enjoyed by all.  

Over all I must state that it was just a totally pleasant and inspirational morning. 

A very special thank you to Maureen Schmidt, Molly Penrod, Beth Margherio, and Faye Mosley.