"I have Tropical Milkweed seeds I'd be happy to share with club members. The Monarch Butterfly is on the endangered species list. One reason for their droppings population is the lack of food sources. This is one way to help their recovery." Greg Billings.  Call Sue Billings at 978-365-5716 and arrangements can be made to get the seeds.  

Lancaster Garden Club members have been invited to attend the Annual Trust Fund Lecture of the Groton Garden Club.

As part of their promotion of the GCFM Native Plant Challenge, the Groton Garden Club is co-sponsoring their Annual Trust Fund Lecture with the Nashua River Watershed Association on Sunday, Feb 9 from 2-4 pm. Landscape architect Toby Wolf will explore ways that designed landscapes can be inspired by nature.

Authentic, Immediate, and Alive: Design Lessons from Wild Landscapes

The MA Master Gardener Association is offering some great fall home horticulture classes. Visit their page for more information.

Treasurer

Overview

The Treasurer manages the financial activities of the club and keeps records via ongoing, monthly and annual processes. This role is year-round and frequently interacts with other members of the board and various chairpersons.

Ongoing – As needed

• ·         Make deposits at Worker’s Credit Union
• ·         Write checks for speakers and reimbursements
• ·         Pay club bills (check or electronic)
• ·         Maintain QuickBooks with applicable transactions and account coding
• ·         Reconcile bank statements for checking and savings accounts in QuickBooks
• ·         Participate in board meetings and provide financial reporting/information
• ·         Maintain files (bank statements, copies of filings, etc.)
• ·         Maintain petty cash (*Note- QuickBooks indicates there is $50 in the petty cash account, however cash was not provided by previous Treasurer. As such, this account has not been maintained at least since 30^th June 2018)

501 (c) 3 – Annual

• ·         Submit 501 c 3 renewal to GCFM – Due 1^st October
• ·         Complete 990N e-postcard to IRS (online) – Due 15^th November
• ·         Complete/send Form PC, filing fee confirmation, and any supporting documentation to MA Attorney General’s Office – Due 15^th November

*Note in Spring 2019, forms were sent to IRS and MA Attorney General’s office to fulfill missing documentation and apply for retroactive reinstatement of the club’s non-profit status. As of 4^th June 2019, the IRS has not responded except by cashing the $600 user fee.

GCFM - Annual

• ·         Pay annual insurance to GCFM – Due between 15^th March and 15^th April
• ·         Pay annual dues to GCFM – Due before 1^st May

Plant Sale – Annual

• ·         Provide cash boxes and small bills for giving change
• ·         Deposit money from plant and merchandise sales, membership fees, etc.
• ·         Report net revenue earned to the board
• ·         Obtain gaming permit for raffle and pay appropriate taxes to Gaming Commission, if applicable

Other recurring bills - Annual

• ·         PO box
• ·         Tower Hill membership for the club – Due in the Spring
• ·         Thayer Memorial Library donation for garden passes – Due in the Spring
• ·         Church donation for use of hall – Due in the Spring/Summer
• ·         GoDaddy web domain (Note-2 years was paid in Spring 2019, should not be due until 2021)
• ·         Wild Apricot website fees – Due in the Spring
• ·         QuickBooks Online (currently paid on a monthly basis)