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Hospitality

Library

Membership

Newsletter

Program

Publicity

Nominations

Development

IMA Horticultural Society
Committees

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Hospitality Committee

Plans and hosts dinners or receptions associated with Hort Soc lectures and occasional special functions.

Key contacts:  IMA Special Events Director, IMA Special Events Coordinators, Caterers (see approved IMA list)

Throughout the year:

  • Working 4-5 months in advance, schedule dining room and lecture hall, bartender, and supplies with IMA special events director.
  • 1-2 months in advance, plan menu with caterer.
  • Coordinate with Publicity Committee to arrange for printed invitations. These are sent to members in time to respond 5 working days ahead of each event.

Monthly:

  • Receive checks for dinners.
  • Keep a list and tally of reservations.
  • Inform caterer of the final number of diners.
  • Arrange for table decorations.
  • Send e-mail reminders to members as desired. (Publicity Committee maintains e-mail list.)

Day of event:

  • Arrive early to oversee arrangements for dinner or reception (tables and bar are set up in advance by IMA staff).
  • Provide name tags (pre-written in large letters, if possible).
  • Check off names on reservation list as members arrive.
  • Coordinate with treasurer to arrange payment of caterer.

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Library Committee

Develops and maintains a circulating collection of resources of interest to the IMA horticultural staff, Hort Soc members, and the gardening public.

Throughout the year:

  • Recruit and train library volunteers.
  • Catalog and track library holdings.
  • Advocate and plan for improvement of library collection, services, and publicity.
  • Staff the library with trained volunteers Wednesday and Saturday afternoons (12-3 PM).
  • Log and shelve new acquisitions.

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Membership Development Committee

Attracts new members to the Hort Soc and helps to integrate them into the organization.

Key contacts: IMA Member Services

Throughout the year:

  • Track availability of membership brochures and prospect letters at Greenhouse, IMA, and Better than New Shop.
  • Inform Volunteer Coordinator of new members, so they can be assigned tasks related to their interests and talents.
  • Develop strategies for recruiting new members and maintaining existing membership (e.g., member tours, new member receptions).
  • Maintain membership roster, coordinating with treasurer and IMA Member Services list.
  • Copy list of new members to library so they can check out books.
  • Send out new member packets (e.g., welcome letter, new member questionnaire, latest newsletter).
  • Follow up to see that enrollees get on the Hort Soc mailing list.
  • Greet visitors and new members at Hort Soc events, seeing to their comfort and social introductions.

Once a year:

  • Send membership renewal notices to existing members (April).
  • Publish accurate membership roster (September).

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Newsletter Committee

Publishes "The Lilly Pad" to inform members of Hort Soc events, opportunities, and news of the IMA gardens and grounds.

Throughout the year:

  • Seek out news items and feature stories to inform the membership and further the Hort Soc mission.
  • Groom prospective news writers.
  • Develop an editorial plan comprising regular columns, special features, and seasonal items.
  • Inform writers of submission deadlines.
  • Publish the Lilly Pad four times a year.
  • Make extra copies available to IMA Membership Committee to send to prospective and new members.

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Program Committee

Engages speakers for Hort Soc lectures that will attract audiences to the IMA and to the Hort Soc.

Throughout the year:

  • Scout for interesting speakers for Hort Soc lecture series (6 per year).
  • Ensure a good mix of lecture topics: garden design, plant specialties, private and public gardens, practical techniques, historical perspectives, IMA grounds, etc.
  • If possible, line up four lectures at a time for a Spring Series, and a Fall Series. Deadlines: May for Fall Series, September for Spring Series.
  • Ask speakers to provide promotional material relevant to their talks (if available).
  • Negotiate honoraria within the program budget. Request special funding as needed for high-profile speakers.

Monthly:

  • Update Publicity Committee on dates of programs, lecturer names, topics, and promotional material.
  • Arrange for speaker lodgings (through IMA travel agent) and payment (through Hort Soc treasurer).
  • Make opportunities for the speaker to meet the IMA Hort Staff and further the IMA's reputation as a horticultural venue beyond Central Indiana.

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Publicity Committee

Publicizes Hort Soc lectures and benefits of Hort Soc membership. Helps to raise awareness of the gardens and grounds of the IMA. Provides writing/publishing/mailing list services to support a variety of Hort Soc activities.

Key contacts:

  • Hort Soc program chair
  • Director of Oldfields and Gardens & Grounds
  • IMA Gardens Supervisor
  • IMA Greenhouse Supervisor
  • IMA Previews (Calendar) Editor
  • Indianapolis Star Home & Garden Editor
  • Special-interest newsletter editors

Throughout the year:

  • Develop plans and appropriate media for informing the public about Hort Soc lectures, the library, the IMA grounds, and the benefits of Hort Soc membership.
  • Maintain mailing list of horticultural organizations, landscapers, public parks administrators, master gardener clubs, garden clubs, college biology/botany departments, and other groups in the Central Indiana "green" community.
  • Maintain e-mail list of Hort Soc members.
  • Implement publicity plan through media notifications, mailings, distribution of flyers, displays at local gardening events, making available Hort Soc information at lectures, etc.
  • Provide information about Hort Soc lectures and events to IMA Previews editor in advance of publication deadlines (10,000+ circulation).
  • Prepare and send member invitations to Hort Soc lecture/dinner events.

December and August:

  • Prepare handouts and mailings promoting the spring and fall lecture series.

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Nominations Committee (Board Development)

Throughout the year:

  • Analyze board composition in terms of skills and dedication needed to further the Hort Soc mission.
  • Scan Hort Soc membership for potential leaders and draw them into Hort Soc activities.
  • In September, contact incumbents to verify their continuing willingness to serve. If replacements are needed, contact potential candidates to verify their interest.
  • Draw up a slate of officers for presentation at the October board meeting. Per bylaws of March 2001, elected officers are: president, vice presidents (2), secretary, treasurer, and directors (5).
  • Present board-approved slate of officers to general Hort Soc membership at November meeting and obtain voice vote of approval.

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Development Committee

Throughout the year:

  • Take a long-range view of the Hort Soc's fundraising potential and needs.
  • Coordinate with IMA controller and estate planning personnel to provide opportunities for Hort Soc members to build the endowment for the IMA gardens and grounds.
  • Work with horticultural staff to develop proposals for Hort Soc-funded grounds improvements.

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