BUCK MOUNTAIN GARDEN CLUB
Monday, November 9th, 2026 at 12:30 at Deese Hall
Buck Mountain Episcopal Church, Earlysville
All welcome!
Hosting: Volunteer still needed to help with drinks/set-up
Food: Brown Bag It!
Meeting: Approval of minutes // Leadership Team reports // Any announcements by the members
Program: Annual Fun(d) Raiser!
For those of you who are familiar with this program…. have fun picking stuff out to donate, and get thinking about what you might need for this holiday season!
For those of you who are new(er) to the Club, here’s the deal:
In November, we gather to enjoy camaraderie with fellow gardeners, food (our own, no big deal, brown bag, share if you want) and LOTS of fun with picking up items that we can gift to others around the Holiday Season, or that we might want to have to adorn our own homes! All proceeds from the donations you make in exchange for each gift item go towards our charitable contributions for the year.
It’s pretty simple: You find something (or things) in your home that you think would be worthy of sharing with others – stuff that’s in good shape (or new and unused), useful, beautiful, and/or related to the Holiday Season. In the past, contributions have included gently-used gardening tools, books, jewelry, crystal, platters and bowls, hand-made crafts, artworks, dried flower arrangements, seeds or plants, gift certificates, home-made foods and baked items, and much, much more! You are welcome to bring one thing, or many. And you are also always welcome to join in even if you’re not able to bring anything, for whatever reason – and you might find something to take home!!
And speaking of “welcome”, this is one event that is perfect to bring some friends or family along, too — all are invited!
When you place your donated item(s) on the table, please include a tag with a suggested donation amount, along with your own name – so folks can ask you questions about the item(s) if needed.
After a bit of browsing and wish-listing, and while we’re munching on a brown-bag feast, our Mistress of Ceremonies, Gayle Gutierrez, will “pass the basket” of numbers – numbers that reflect the number of participating people in the room. (And it’s OK if you just want to hang out and not “shop” from the donation table – you just skip taking a number, and that’s that.)
Number “1”chooses first from the donation table, Number “2” is next, and so on – you get that, right?
Well! THEN it gets a bit more complex and fun! When all the folks in the room have chosen an item, then the numbers reverse! We have found that this gives everyone a more equal chance to pick what they’d most like to have from the table. And if two folks really want the same item, they can duke it out on the side, and the most generous donation gets the prize.
If any items are left over on the table after the forward-and-reverse rounds of choosing, then Gayle will pull out her auctioneer’s gavel and organize a “what’s-the-best-offer-for-this-item” scenario, and hopefully by the end of the day, all the items will be in a good (new) home!
Easy, right?!
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Future Programs:
2026-2027 Program Co-Chairs:
Chris Bachmann and Sue Gosnell
(Contact via earlysvillebmgc@gmail.com or by using the Members-Only roster for direct contact info)
And just FYI, we are thankful for the folks who have planned to sign up to host, and hope you will volunteer if you haven’t already! BMGC provides the plates, utensils, napkins, and cups. The folks hosting for the day can bring a light snack and maybe something to drink, planning for about 15-20 people. Most members brown-bag it for their full lunches.
And on the days that we have a pot-luck, all that is needed would be to provide drinks and some set-up help. Easy. Fun to do as a team of two, but also often done Solo. Either way is fine! If you want to sign up, please contact list coordinator Laurie Hynes via earlysvillebmgc@gmail.com or by using the Members-Only roster for direct contact info.
September 14, 2026 – Laurie Hynes (along with some extra-special goodies from speaker and Master-Baker Bess Abraham!)
October 12th, 2026 – Patti Booth & Gayle Gutierrez
November 9th, 2026 – Brown Bag it! (A volunteer to help with drinks would be appreciated on this date)
December 14th, 2026 – All Share in a Holiday Potluck! (Again, 1 or 2 volunteers to help with drinks and set-up would be helpful)
January 11th, 2027 – Joy Matthews & Patrice Neese
February 8th, 2027 – Joyce Magness & Laura Pleasants
March 8th, 2027 – Joan Belcher & Cathy Mancuso
April 12th, 2027 – Karen Dosier & Fiona Hollier
May 10th, 2027- Pam Mingey & Dee Walsh
June 14, 2027 – End of Year Luncheon (Venue TBD)