The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-03-15
GARDEN CLUBS

pears to have less energy and
activity from the community to aid
it, yet which to my mind has more
valuable ramifications than the
garden clubs about North Carolina.
Yet it would be hard to find
a more valuable adjunct to Gull
tural and esthetic development
than the garden club. It has def
mite value as an economic factor
in its stimulation of purchases in
many lines of merchandise essen
tial to real estate improvement, as
well as home-making. And fur
Their, the improvement of property
values contributes to a greater
yield of taxes for the general
benefit.
Continuing, the garden clubs are
chiefly responsible for UNFOLDING
our real estate values, which is no
inconsiderable factor in our daily
life. Good property makes it
easier to obtain loans for invest
ment in and enjoyment of the COM
forts Of life.
The ladies of the garden clubs
deserve far more than most peo-
pie realize in the way of encour-
agement. They are usually small
band of dedicated women. They
are women who are invariably
good homemakers themselves, and
who take pride in their surround
ings. They have an eye for that
which is esthetic and attractive.
They like to live a well-ordered
existence, surrounded by SYM
metry, neatness and beauty. They
abhor waste, believe in good man.
agement, thrift and conservation.
If we gave more support to gar
den clubs, and contributed more of
the money that is wasted on the
drones, the shiftless and the dead
beats, we would have better re-
suits and live in a better world.
1t is from the activities of the
inspired and dedicated garden
club women that our roadsides and
roadside homes look as we'll as
they do today. Usually these wom-
en- keep their own homes in order.
They strive for neatness and order
about their homes and yards. They
see that their houses are painted.
their fences are kept up. The
grass is moved, their shrubbery
pruned and the trash picked up.
The perennial neatness of
single home along a stretch of
highway can in time lead to the
renovation and improvement of
nearly every home along this road.
The well-kept and well-painted ap-
pearance of this one home, event
ually leads other home owners to
paint and clean up too. A good
example soon shames a dilatory or
careless person into following the
course of his neighbor.
To more than anything else do
we owe credit to the garden clubs
for keeping this movement alive.
Because of them, lawns are grass
ed and clipped, shrubs planted in
orderly fashion, and flowers bloom
about our roadsides to please and
entrance the visitor.
Because of them, our community
gets rated in the eyes of our visit
ors, and this rating is transmitted
far and wide. If sufficiently favor
able, it attracts more and more
visitings and inspires in others,
sometimes, the desire to come with
us, to own property, to live amidst
people who manifest through the
appearance of their premises love
for beauty, pride Of ownership and
devotion to stewardship.
For after all, the ability to earn
and to own is stewardship that
comes from higher up. It is a
mighty stewardship, and imposes
a great responsibility on each and
every person. This responsibility
constitutes a challenge of great
height, depth and magnitude.
Do we really meet this chal-
lenge, and how we'll do we meet
it standing alone? That is a ques-
ton that will never be fully ans
wered, for we know no matter how
sensitively we feel about this chal-
lenge, no matter how profoundly
we may accept it inwardly, we
would not in outward appearance
do so much as we do, did not the
women through their love of order
and beauty, drive US to accept it.
Did they not, through their garden
clubs shame us into doing as much
as is done; did they not drive us
to make a stab toward doing our
duty toward the improvement and
repair of our own property, and
the betterment of our community,
the world no doubt would see little
manifestation of gratitude that is
most certainly our debt for the
magnificent stewardship that has
been vested in US.
The activities of garden clubs
do so much to benefit all the COM
munity by their enhancement of
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