President's Message

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK…

Good Heavens! There is so much going on with our Society right now, it’s unbelievable! Please see the insert in this month’s newsletter of all the events that will be taking place during Riverside Rose Society Week…Fifty Golden Years of Roses, from May 4-10, 2008. Refer to it often in the coming weeks, as well as our newsletter’s calendar, so that you don’t miss out on any of the events or deadlines for RSVP-ing.

The Golden Anniversary Committee (GAC) has done a truly outstanding job of picking up on my vision for this year’s 50th Anniversary celebration and running with it. Chairperson(s) for each day’s activities have seen to their responsibilities with great speed and professionalism. Not only that, but our members are performing tasks I didn’t even assign them! They are also pitching in and helping other members who are in need of assistance, so that everyone gets their jobs completed in time and are ready for our big week in May. All I can say is I have never been more proud of this Society or its members. In the four years I have belonged to RRS, I have never seen the Society pulling together like it is this year. It is truly a blessing to witness this happening.

I am also most pleased to announce that two individuals from Louisiana will be our special guests during Riverside Rose Society Week --
Mr. Jeffrey Ware, Executive Director of the American Rose Society in Shreveport, and Ms. Connie Uddo of "The Beacon of Hope" in
New Orleans, who has seen first-hand the lives we have touched with our Restoring Roses to Southern Gardens project.
Chairperson of the project, Lee Stevens, has spoken personally to Connie, and I have spoken to Jeffrey, and they are not only impressed with what we are doing here in Riverside to celebrate our milestone, 50th year, they are also thrilled that we have asked them to be a part of it. In fact, in a recent piece of correspondence from Jeffrey, he stated, "I am honored to be asked to attend and represent the American Rose Society. All of us here at headquarters applaud your achievements as one of the premiere local societies in our organization.”

Another new, exciting development since last month’s newsletter has to do with our rose planting/dedication ceremony at Fairmount Park’s Rose Garden. Our event has been expanded to include co-hosting with the city of Riverside a nostalgic 50s event entitled “A Golden Evening in the Rose Garden”, to raise funds for a fountain to be dedicated in Zelda Lloyd’s memory. The event will be held on Friday, May 9th, instead of on Thursday, the 8th. On Thursday, the 8th, we will be laying flowers and flags on the graves of unaccompanied Veterans at Riverside National Cemetery.

Also, be sure to pick up a copy of the May issue of Inland Empire Magazine that hits the stands on Friday, April 18th. The publication is featuring in its “Playlist” section the entire week of events commemorating our 50th Anniversary. Whew! That’s all for now!

Back to the hill…

Bonnie