Palm Coast, FL – Based on connecting and supporting community groups and sharing, in some cases, the little-known history with Palm Coast residents and visitors, the Palm Coast Historical Society and Museum opened their doors for the official reception to display the historical exhibits complied by members of The Garden Club at Palm Coast on Saturday.
“Today the Historical Society is hosting the Garden Club, one of the oldest in the community for their preservation month,” shared Elaine Studnicki, president of the Palm Coast Historical Society.
“The Garden Club, being around the longest, has the most organized, most enthusiastic, energetic group of volunteers I’ve ever seen. It’s been a real pleasure to have them here, “she said of the work put in by volunteers to assemble the exhibit.
The opening reception coincided with the launch of ‘Palm Coast Garden Club Week’, and the official proclamation from the City of Palm Coast was proudly on display for guests at the reception as they milled about the museum, transformed into a showcase for the Garden Club’s history, accomplishments and subcommittees including the Arranger’s Guild, Selection of the Month, and an organized timeline spanning the club’s 46 years in existence.
“They have asked us to do a history of Palm Coast as Palm Coast Garden Club was one of the first organizations in Palm Coast to be formed,” said Garden Club at Palm Coast Propagation Guild chair Jane Villa-Lobos.
“It’s wonderful because we’re all involved in the Palm Coast community and letting people know about the Garden Club and we’d like to align ourselves with other organizations in Palm Coast, to spread the word.”
That alignment has partnered both clubs with organizations like the Boy Scouts to collaborate in the past on an Eagle Scout project funded by a Garden Club community scholarship, and used to beautify the Palm Coast Historical Society’s Museum and offices with Florida-friendly plantings.
“I support Elaine in the mission to preserve and promote the history of Palm Coast. It was her concept to feature different community groups and once COVID allowed things to open up, we decided to feature the Garden Club because they had assisted the Eagle Scout in providing a scholarship to purchase plants and guiding him,” said vice president Kathy Reichard-Ellavsky.
“It just seemed like an appropriate synergy to have them be one of our first community clubs to be featured, along with that they’re one of the oldest, so it’s a good partnership.”
Over the next three months, the Garden Club will have dedicated programming at the museum according to Villa-Lobos.
“Once a month we’re going to start having a Garden Club person doing either a talk or a handout or here at the museum,” she said.
Carol Walker, president of The Garden Club at Palm Coast, was excited to showcase the decades of work done by volunteers to beautify the community over the years.
“We were excited because Kathy had come up with the idea and a couple of our members at the Garden Club are also docents for the Historical Society,” said Walker.
“It was a blessing because with COVID last year, we had to cancel our 45th anniversary luncheon. We were planning to have a celebration for that, and so that was upsetting to the members. Having this exhibit allows us to actually go through the 45 years of existence in Palm Coast and it gives all the members, especially those who have been in 20, 30 years, an opportunity to see all the pictures, celebrate, see the timelines, see Palm Coast at the infancy,” she said.
“That whole opportunity really is more fun than having a luncheon because now the public can come and it’s going to be open all summer.”
This exhibit will be available all summer on Wednesday and Saturday 1:00-3:00. The Palm Coast Historical Society is located in James Holland Memorial Park, 18 Florida Park Dr. palmcoasthistory.org.
Featured Photo: Showcasing one of the oldest clubs in Palm Coast, the Palm Coast Historical Society & Museum will host The Garden Club at Palm Coast through the summer, sharing the history and accomplishments of the club established in 1975. From left, Palm Coast Historical Society Vice President Kathy Reichard-Ellavsky, President Elaine Studnicki, member Patricia Eldridge and Garden Club Spring Festival Chair Denise Garcia.
