Holly Society of America Annual Meetings
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64th ANNUAL MEETING
HOLLY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, INC.
October 19 - 23, 2011

Schedule at a Glance

Around “Long Island North Shore” with the Holly Society of America
With reflections of the lavish lifestyle of The Great Gatsby, Long Island North Shore’s natural offerings will provide us insight into a lifestyle that once saw a glitter of the Jazz Age. This is not 1922, and many of us never lived during that era, but we’ve read about the reckless jubilance that led to decadent parties and wild jazz music epitomized in that American novel, The Great Gatsby.

Whatever became of the Jazz Age may not be a concern to our Holly growers, but we can witness the results in New York’s Long Island splendor and imagine how it must have been.

Bud and Ruth Gehnrich will serve the Holly Society of America as our 2011 Annual Meeting hosts. Because of their connection to the Planting Fields Arboretum, they, along with its new director, Vinnie Simeone, have planned a brilliant and entertaining Annual Meeting.

Bud, Ruth, and Vinnie have scheduled two tours: (1) a full day Thursday Early Arrivals’ Tour at the Planting Fields Arboretum will include a tour of Coe Hall Estate; and (2) on Friday, we visit the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in the morning, then an afternoon trip across the Sayville Ferry to the renown Fire Island Sailor’s Haven and Sunken Forest. During dinner we’ll hear the waves crashing outside Captain Bill’s Restaurant, and the tinkling of ice cubes inside.

On Saturday we return to the Planting Fields Arboretum Visitor Center to hear speakers give once-in-a-lifetime presentations, participate in the Silent Auction and Holly Sprig Contest, and our always popular, most-anticipated Holly Auction.

Saturday’s speakers include James F. Resch, Ph.D. and Ann Farnham. Both speakers are members of the Holly Society of America. Jim, HSA Trustee, is a passionate holly grower interested in propagation, and the selection and introduction of new cultivars. Ann is a landscape architect and uses hollies extensively in her work. She serves the HSA as its Arboretum Chair and is on the Board of Trustees.

Saturday evening is when we’ll gather for our Annual Holly Banquet and Awards Ceremony. Those who want to completely absorb the Gatsby theme can don an entirely “white” party attire. Hats for the ladies? Those of us who knew and loved the late Marge Norton will want to wear hats in her memory. We’ll dine in the wonderful Coe Hall Estate. We’ll have our own once-yearly opulent party, the Holly Society of America way.

The Great Gatsby presented the condition of America in the 1920s: the themes of dreams, wealth, and time, and how each related to the American dream. The Holly Society will dream its own dream of fine sprigs, perfect cultivars, new Test hollies and newly registered hollies, as well as spending quality time networking within a circle of friendly holly enthusiasts. You’ll want to book your hotel reservations early at the East Norwich Inn.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19

• 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Board Meeting and Dinner, Planting Fields Arboretum South Lounge
  

Click here to view EARLY ARRIVALS’ TOUR SCHEDULE ...

THURSDAY, OCTOBER, 20

• 8: 00 a.m. Breakfast at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Registration at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 9:30 a.m. Early Arrivals’ Tour and history of PFA Holly collection with Vincent Simeone, Director
  
• 12:00 noon Lunch at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Registration at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 1:00 - 6:00 p.m. PFA South Lounge open for auction and plant sale materials
  
• 1:30 p.m. Tour of Coe Hall with Henry Joyce
  
• 3:00 p.m. Return to East Norwich Inn
  
• 5:00 p.m. Attitude Adjustment in PFA Visitor Center
  
• 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Registration at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Holly Sprig Room in PFA South Lounge open for Sprig Contest entries
  
• 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Welcome Dinner at PFA Visitor Center with Vincent A. Simeone, Director
  
• 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Holly Sprig Room in PFA South Lounge open for Silent Auction and entries in Sprig Contest.
  
• 9:00 p.m. Return to East Norwich Inn
  
  

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21

• 8: 00 a.m. Breakfast at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Registration at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 8:45 a.m. Leave for The Bayard Cutting Arboretum
  
• 9:45 a.m. Tour of Bayard Cutting Arboretum with Richard Weir
  
• 11:30 a.m. Leave via motor coach for ferry at Sayville, NY
  
• 12:15 p.m. Ferry to Sailor’s Haven/Sunken Forest
  
• 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Tour with Richard Weir
  
• 4:00 p.m. Ferry returns to Sayville, NY
  
• 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Dinner at Captain Bill’s Restaurant, Bay Shore, NY
  
• 7:00 p.m. Return to East Norwich Inn

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

• 8: 00 a.m. Breakfast at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 8:00 a.m. - 12 noon Registration at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Plant sale in PFA Visitor Center
  
• 9:00 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. Holly Sprig Room in PFA South Lounge open to view prize winners and Silent Auction
  
• 9:00 a.m. Program starts in PFA with call to order and announcements.
  
• 9:15 a.m. Presentation #1, by Bruce Crawford of Rutgers University
  
• 10:00 a.m. Presentation #2, Test Hollies, Patents and Trademarks by James Resch, Ph.D., & Ann Farnham, HSA Trustees
  
• 10:45 a.m. Coffee break
  
• 11:15 a.m. Presentation #3, by Michael Pontti, HSA President
  
• 12:00 noon Lunch at PFA Visitor Center
  
• 1:15 p.m. Silent Auction closes
  
• 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Holly Auction setup.
  
• 1:30 p.m. Annual Business Meeting in Visitor Center
  
• 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Holly Auction in PFA Visitor Center
  
• 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Holly Sprig Room in PFA Visitor Center open, (last chance to view Sprig Contest).
  
• 6:00 p.m. Attitude adjustment at Coe Hall
  
• 7:00 p.m. Annual Holly Banquet and Awards Ceremony at Coe Hall.
  
• 9:00 p.m. Return to East Norwich Inn

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23

• 8:00 a.m. Breakfast at East Norwich Inn