Growing
Since
1977
We’re not strangers, only friends you have not met!
Our
Roots
Streptocarpus
hybrid
HISTORY OF THE TORONTO GESNERIAD SOCIETY
Documented by the late Frances Coombs (Archivist)
The seed for the Toronto Gesneriad Society was sown in 1976 when Ron Myhr
obtained a mailing list of gesneriad growers from Floyd Chalmers, a commercial
grower. Mr. Chalmers had tried earlier to form a chapter, but nothing came of
it. Ron Myhr's first attempt was not successful either. Later, Mel Sater,
Chairman of the AGGS chapters and affiliates, placed a notice in The Gloxinian
to the effect that there were a number of AGGS members in the Toronto area, and
asked for a volunteer to organize a chapter. Ron replied, and was given these
names. This time, there was a better response -- enough to form the nucleus of a
chapter.
In January,
1977, Ron invited Sally Weir, Ella Wakeford, Danielle Curtis,
and Andy Cartmell to his Toronto home for discussion of this idea. In February,
1977, a second meeting was held -- this time at Sally Weir's home. Josie
Stefaniak and Gustav and Lillian Ciamaga were added to the group. It was decided
to hold future meetings at the Civic Garden Centre as there were more and more
people becoming interested in forming a Toronto Gesneriad Society.
The first meeting at the Civic Garden Centre was held on March 6, 1977.
There were 25 people present. Of these, 21 became paid-up members. The meetings
were to be held on the second Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m. There were to be
no regular meetings in July and August and the annual meeting was to be held in
June of each year. The by-laws were presented for adoption at the annual meeting
on June 5, 1977.
The charter was presented to Ron Myhr at the 21st Annual AGGS Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 1, 1977.
Newsletters: The first issue of the
newsletter was sent out prior to the
April 3, 1977 meeting. Back copies of the newsletter are kept on file in the
society's
library.
The year 2002 marked our 25th
Anniversary