Alva Review-Courier -

The Tulip Garden Club would like to invite the public to join them at their open house on Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Runnymede from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be served and photos, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks and information will be on display.

The Tulip Garden Club was organized on Nov. 18, 1948, by several members of the Iris Club at the home of Mrs. C.M. Branson, who was elected as the first president of the new club. They voted to name the new club the Tulip Garden Club and to meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 2:30 p.m. This was changed to the second Tuesday of the month several years later.

There were 10 charter members; other officers elected were Mrs. Earl Geis, secretary and treasurer; Mrs. C. A. Winters, historian; and Mrs. Bill Elder, reporter. The robin was chosen as the club bird and the song chosen was “In the Garden.”

The membership grew to 20 members over the next four years, and the club decided to limit the membership to 20. The group had two projects of helping make the parks more beautiful: a flower bed in the city park and a flower bed in Hatfield Park.

In 1951, new officers were installed and the club constitution was adopted and plans were made to follow suggestions for club work as given by the district, state and national officers. Also, the club colors of pink and green were decided upon. A history of the first 38 years was published in “The First 100 Years of Alva, Oklahoma (1886 to 1986).”

Over the past 70 years, 31 members have served as president of the Tulip Club. Current officers are Linda McCoy, president; Becky Smith, vice-president; April Ridgway, secretary; and Rhonda Fields, treasurer and historian. Current members are Li Brooks, Mary Ann Crow, Genevieve Farris, Rhonda Fields, Evelyn Hofen, Helen Janzen, Linda McCoy, Donna Rhodes, April Ridgway, Becky Smith, and Elisabeth Ridgway (junior member).

A few of the club projects include maintaining the Pyramid flower bed at Hatfield Park, planting crape myrtles, and maintaining the Oklahoma sign flower bed and the flower bed beside the monuments on the downtown square, sponsoring student poster contests, donating gardening books to Alva Public Library and decorating library display windows, and adopting a classroom at Alva Public Schools. Members also plan an annual field trip to visit garden centers/tours, participate in an annual picnic with members of the Petunia Garden Club, serve on committees to select “Yard of the Month” and “Blooming Business of the Month” during summer and fall seasons, and enjoy an annual Christmas party with members and spouses.

The club also maintains a garden room at the Cherokee Strip Museum where they display club memorabilia and scrapbooks.