According to the history of the Bay-Waveland Garden Club, the idea for the club emerged in the de Montluzin Drugstore during discussions of how the towns of Bay Saint Louis and Waveland could beautify and promote private and commercial gardens to attract people to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Rotary Club was a “men only” organization at that time. Because they felt that flowers, beauty, and gardens were considered the domain of the “fairer sex,” they persuaded their wives to organize a club for this purpose. The Rotary Club of Bay Saint Louis sponsored the Bay-Waveland Garden Club into the Mississippi State Garden Club.
On Tuesday, September 27, 1938, the Bay-Waveland Garden Club was organized at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth Weston of Bay Saint Louis with Mrs. Leo Seal presiding. The following charter members were present: Mrs. Max Kohler, Mrs. Alice Buckley, Mrs. Harry Glover, Sr., Mrs. Edouard Carrere, Mrs. George Rea, Mrs. Minna Briggs, Mrs. Charles Moreau, Mrs. A. P. Smith, Mrs. James A. Evans, Miss Louise Crawford, Miss May Edwards, Miss Elsa Sporl, Miss Hilda Sporl, Mrs. Walter Gex, Jr., Mrs. Eugene Mogabgab, Mrs. Gus Terry, and Miss Margaret Green.
The first officers of the club were president, Mrs. George Rea; vice president, Mrs. Alice Buckley; treasurer, Mrs. Leo Seal; and secretary, Mrs. Eugene Mogabgab. By-laws were drawn up in accordance with the provisions of the Mississippi State Garden Club, a program committee began working on programs, and the meeting date was set for the second Tuesday of the month at 8:00 P. M. Since the Rotary Club had sponsored the organization, it was hoped that men would become members. For this reason the evening date seemed more appropriate to accommodate their schedules. However as men did not rush to join, the meetings were changed to Tuesday mornings.
The very first meeting was held at the Hotel Reed on October 18, 1938. Mrs. D. G. Rafferty of Pass Christian, Chairman of the Gulf Coast Council of Garden Clubs, spoke on organization to the forty-one members in attendance. Membership was set at ninety-nine, and the mission of the club was presented. “The OBJECTIVE of this club shall be the advancement of gardening, the development of home gardens, the furthering of City beautification and the preservation of native trees, shrubs, plants and birds.” The motto adopted was “He who makes a garden works hand in hand with God.” The club flower was designated as the wisteria, and the club colors were lavender and white. The club was federated in March 1939, thus becoming a member of the National Council of State Garden Clubs of America.
Meetings continued to be held at the Hotel Reed and other locations until April 1961 when the City of Bay Saint Louis granted the club custody of the old Taylor School on Leonhard Avenue. After Hurricane Camille in 1969, meetings were held at alternative locations, but they were still held. As reported by the first published Constitution and By-Laws in 1945, dues for that year were $1.50 per annum; in 1950, they were $3.00; and by 1987, they had risen to $15.00. Currently, they are $20.00. Additional funds to run the many ambitious programs have been garnered from hat shows, flea markets, bake sales, silent auctions, garage sales, antique shows, art shows, fashion shows, raffles, plant and flower shows, and contributions by friends and members of the Bay-Waveland Garden Club.
The club first participated in the annual Pilgrimage and Gulf Coast Historical Pageant on March 17 and 18, 1939. The home of Mrs. H. A. Singreen on Beach Boulevard in Waveland was open to the pilgrimage attendees with scenes of pirate gold and members in antebellum dress serving refreshments and breakfast to guests visiting the Pirate House. Participation in the Spring Pilgrimage continued with club members opening their homes and sharing hospitality with friends and visitors alike.
In addition to beautification efforts of a floral nature, the club was very active in civic affairs. In 1947 the Bay-Waveland Garden Club telephoned, “shoe-leathered,” and “button-holed” the community on behalf of the Stock Law in Waveland and the Sea Wall legislation and tax in Bay Saint Louis. In 1955 it pushed for the ordinance prohibiting signs on telephone and telegraph poles. In 1964 it supported the three million dollar bond issue for the construction of sewer, water, and gas lines in Bay Saint Louis. In 1965 the issue was traffic signals on Highway 90 at Nicholson Avenue in Waveland, and in 1984 the club supported the registration of historic trees for national preservation and preservation of the tree canopy.
From 1939 to 1987, the club won many prizes and honors for horticulture, publicity, scrapbooks, yearbooks, clean-up, and community improvements. In addition, the club organized and sponsored groups for youth and the elderly. These included the Youth Group, the Junior Hi Gardeners, the Merry Golds, the OLG Busy Bees and Lazy Daisies, the Sunshine Gardeners, the St. Joseph’s Academy Red Birds, Garden Therapy, and the Senior Citizen’s group. In addition the organization sponsored Girl Scout troop #27 which won the Gulf Pines Council Certificate in 1974 and 1988.
SOURCE:
The history of the first fifty years was compiled in August 1998 by Meg Hilliker, who was club historian at that time.