On the delightful sunny afternoon of September 17, 2024, members of the Acton Garden Club gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Acton Garden Club with high tea at the historic Acton Women’s Club.
The air was festive with music from the 1930’s, tables beautifully set with fall native flower bouquets and porcelain teacups and an amazing assortment of dainty refreshments as members continued their tradition of “poured tea” and celebrated in hats and dress reminiscent of the era of the 1930s.
The tradition of tea had been set in those early years of the club. It was noted in old minutes, “Tea was set at 12:30 p.m., with a silver tea set, a gift to the club by longtime member Polly Bursaw (from 1940 to 1983) followed by the business at 1 p.m. and the ‘program’ at 1:30.” While the programs, meeting times, and tea have evolved over the years, the spirit and mission of the club remain unchanged.
The 90th Anniversary High Tea was a culmination of preparations over the past year, from the planning of the event and gathering of finery and hats, to creation of silk flowers to grace the hats, to sharpening of culinary skills with preparation of delicate sandwiches of cucumber and egg, scones of every kind, cakes, shortbread cookies and jam, and other delicious treats, as well as the brewing of teas.
The members commemorated their 90th anniversary and enjoyed a much needed rest after a busy year of projects and events. This year was notable for the Oval Garden installation at the Town Hall, gift of the Acton Garden Club to commemorate this anniversary; the Annual Plant Sale; ongoing civic beautification and cultivation of the Meeting House Hill Wildflower and Daffodil Run Gardens; and Acton Arboretum Herb Garden. Also on the 2024 calendar were educational meetings, Garden Therapy, Gardening with Young People, and collaboration on civic, environmental and climate projects.
It is not an Acton Garden Club event without food! Interestingly, in 1934 the Club started with a rule that there were no refreshments, but this rule quickly became obsolete as the hostess apparently always served tea at these afternoon meetings, with minutes of the meeting including a reference to the “dainty refreshments”. The Acton Garden Club now boasts of some of the most talented bakers and chefs in Acton, and every meeting is a delight of refreshments.
Each member received a beautifully written copy of “Acton Garden Club 1934-2024 with 90th Anniversary Updates: a Retrospective” by Virginia C. Hahn, with updates by Judy Shuppert and Cathy Fochtman.
This book, described as a “gentle little history”, written in 1994 for the Club’s 60th anniversary, by Virginia Hahn (club member from 1986 to 2014) begins with the establishment of the club, its early years, membership, and floats and flower shows. It goes on to describe the outreach, environmental involvement, beautification, educational activities, and awards of the club, with updates to the present year of 2024.
The book also includes, as was tradition, a poem often included in the printed yearly program, believed to have been written by Mrs. John Milliken for the 30th anniversary celebration of the club’s founding, that aptly embraces the spirit of the club to this day. Excerpted from Milliken’s poem:
…. To that very special day
When women with inspiration
And information too,
Met to organize this club.
To exchange the truths, they knew.
To master techniques in gardening
And to cultivate a pride
In making their home sites places
Where Beauty could abide.
In Acton – in 1934- it was
This Club was given birth
By dedicated women
Who loved to cultivate the Earth.
Ninety years later, Acton Garden Club is an organization of women and men who share the love of cultivating the Earth and friendship, and share their many talents as culinary artists, seamstresses, quilters, crafters, artists, writers, painters, photographers, business women and men, teachers, nurses, doctors, scientists, engineers, air traffic controllers and professionals. We are an exciting group and looking forward to the next 90 years.
We look forward to seeing you on December 5, 2024 for our “Books in Bloom” presentation at the Acton Memorial Library.
You can visit us at www.ActonGardenclub.org or on Facebook.
Ann Marie Testarmata is the Acton Exchange correspondent for Acton Garden Club.