Committee Descriptions

Budget

The Budget Committee reviews and presents the annual budget to the Executive Board for approval. The Budget Committee reviews any proposal for expenditure of funds in excess of the annual budget and brings the matter for discussion and vote to the Board. They review the Club’s Actual Spending to Budget P&L each quarter; and participate in the audit of the books and accounting records of the Club at the close of the fiscal year.

Civic Gardens
The Civic Gardens Committee maintains several beautiful garden locations throughout Hingham.

Library Gardens
The Committee maintains the planters and surrounding areas of the Main Entrance of the Library as well as the courtyard located on the second floor. Members meet at least twice a year on a Friday for a spring and fall clean-up and planting. Additionally, members sign up for watering the planters and ongoing courtyard maintenance and weeding during the growing season.

Old Ordinary Garden
The Old Ordinary Garden is located at 21 Lincoln Street on the side of Historic Society’s Old Ordinary House Museum. Committee members are involved in two cleanups – spring and fall. Spring cleanup involves planting annuals. Members also sign up for garden maintenance throughout the growing season.

Park and Islands

Perhaps The Garden Club of Hingham’s most visible town commitments are maintaining the three traffic islands in Hingham Center and Founders Park (where North and South Streets meet). Club members dodge cars and trucks at the traffic islands in the Center and manicure dozens of rose bushes and day lilies that surround four iron benches in Founders Park.  Founders Park was given to Hingham in 2008 by the Garden Club as a beautiful area of relaxation for downtown shoppers. 

Communications – Internal
This committee is responsible for coordinating all email and written communications with Club membership. Internal Communications maintains Club distribution lists, operates the Club’s email account is responsible for annual production of the Club Yearbook.  

Communications – External
External Communications is responsible for creating awareness of Club membership opportunities, fundraisers, special events, and civic projects through press releases, signage and digital media content. Members design and maintain our website and social media accounts. The Club’s website was redesigned with richer content and functionality in 2022. The Committee is now developing a new strategy for our Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

Field Trips
Each year the Club plans special field trips for our members’ enjoyment. This year our planned trips include a Christmas visit to Blithewold and a trip to Art in Bloom at the Boston MFA. 

Fundraising
The Fundraising Committee plans and executes the Club’s major fundraising events throughout the year. The Centennial Garden Tour in June of 2024 will be the Club’s major fundraising event during our centennial year. 

Horticulture
The Horticultural Committee organizes monthly horticultural workshops and programs for its members. Horticulture committee members’ presentation of the Hort Short talks at general meetings is encouraged.

Hospitality
The Hospitality Committee provides the flowers and sustenance for garden Club monthly meetings, social events such as the Holiday luncheon (often pot-luck) and the June luncheon meeting. Every few years the club also has a fall social. Committee responsibilities include contributing a baked good, fruit, or floral centerpiece to at least two of eight monthly meetings, assisting the chair as necessary with the club social events. Assistance with the three social event responsibilities could include coordinating attendance and payment, event planning, set up and clean up, venue selection and hostess responsibilities. Hospitality committee members are encouraged to attend all social events.

Junior Gardeners
This group consists of mainly 4th and 5th graders who enjoy a variety of lively and fun workshops. Seasonal projects spark interest in gardening and floral design.

Library Flowers
Members of the Garden Club enjoy providing a weekly flower arrangement to greet visitors and staff alike at the main desk of the Hingham Public Library.  

Membership
The Membership Committee keeps an accurate roster of all club members; active, associate and honored.  During the year Membership staffs the sign-in/name tag table at meetings, maintains the sign-up genius system, collects dues and integrates new members into the club.  

Nominations
The Nominations Committee identifies, interviews and proposes the slate of Club Officers and Directors for the coming year. 

Plant A Row 
In 2021 several members of the Garden Club reached out to the Hingham Food Pantry and formed a partnership, adopting the principles of the nationwide Plant a Row for the Hungry, which was initially started by the Garden Writers’ Association and Jeff Lowenfels, in Anchorage, Alaska in 1995.  Club members are invited to grow extra garden produce, herbs, and flowers to share with the clients at of the Food Pantry.

Programs
This committee plans and coordinates monthly programs related to gardening. Based on members’ interests, these programs may include guest speakers, crafts and workshops. The committee schedules, prepares contracts and confirms speaker details. At the monthly meeting, committee members introduce and assist the presenters. They also provide a brief overview about upcoming programs.