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Richmond
African Violet Society: The Beginning
In October 1948, the Barton Heights Garden Club in Richmond held the first
African Violet show at the Battery Park Community House. The club promoted
the event throughout the Richmond area. Earlier in the year, the first
African Violet show in Virginia had been held in Alexandria. Many who
participated in the Richmond show expressed their desire to establish
a local group devoted to the culture of African Violets.
In November, a meeting to establish an organization was held with more than 30 in attendance. By the next meeting in December, officers were elected and the constitution and bylaws, based on those of the American African Violet Society, were established.
Highlights from the constitution and bylaws included the Richmond African Violet Society as the name of the club, with horticultural, educational and social purposes. Dues were established at two dollars per year. New members joined by personal written application and majority approval of active members. Meetings were held on first Wednesdays, with one meeting per quarter to be in the evening and to include guest privileges.
Officers included President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer. Committees included Programs, Membership, Publicity, Horticulture, Telephone and Historian. There was record of Hospitality as well.
The Richmond African Violet Society is affiliated with The African Violet Society of America and the Mid-Atlantic African Violet Society.
Margaret Bruckhart
Club Historian
Richmond
African Violet Society: Early Shows
The very first African
Violet Show in Richmond was held on October 2, 1948 at the Battery Park
Community House. Sponsored by the Barton Heights Garden Club, this show
spawned the formation of the Richmond African Violet Society about one
month later. The show itself was open to any grower of African violets.
Entries were accepted in the morning and judged by a couple from Alexandria,
VA, where the first show in the state had been held earlier in spring
of the same year. A point system established by the African Violet Society
of America was used. Later that day, the show opened from 2 until 9 p
m for the public to see the display of violets.
The first show of the Richmond African Violet Society was held June 3-4,
1950. Entries were accepted from any violet grower, both members and non-members
of the society. Held at the Carillon in Byrd Park, this show included
a theme; “African Violets In All Their Glory”. One person who
won several awards was a Society member, Helen Pangola, who lives in Richmond
and continues to attend shows to this year. Those whose violets won blue
ribbons also received prizes. There were about 200 entries in this first
show.
The next show in the records of the Richmond African Violet Society was
held in April of 1951, also held at the Carillon in Byrd Park. This show
included an educational display prepared by Helen Pangola. Non-members
and members of the society submitted entries. A junior division allowed
interested teenagers to enter violets in the show.
These early shows, with the exception of the first prior to the formation
of the Richmond African Violet Society, were held on two days, usually
Saturday and Sunday. The first show sponsored by Barton Heights Garden
Club accepted entries and invited the public all within one day.
There appears to have been spring shows annually since these early shows
of the Richmond African Violet Society.
Margaret Bruckhart,
Historian
Copyright 2007 by Richmond
African Violet Society.
Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited