2011 Deep South Regional Convention in Lafayette, LA (District III) from March 13 - 16, 2011

Allons à Lafayette is French for Let's all go to Lafayette. The Flag is the Flag the region around Lafayette known as Acadiana.
Lagniappe (lahn-yop) is a Cajun French word meaning "a little something extra."
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Y'all Come, cher!

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PRESS
RELEASE
Lafayette Garden Club
Contact: Henrietta Boriskie, Publicity (337)
856-6201 (Home)
(337) 212-3083 (Cell); hbb929@cox.net
DEEP SOUTH REGION OF NATIONAL GARDEN CLUBS 50TH ANNUAL CONVENTION,
“BAYOU FESTIVAL - FUN,
FOOD, FLOWERS”
The
Deep South Region of National Garden Clubs 50th Annual Convention,
“Bayou Festival - Fun, Food, Flowers,” was an opportunity to reinforce
the power of our ideas about recycling, fire prevention reinforced by
“Smokey Bear,” learn about “La Maison Acadienne” the Creole medicinal
garden, from Dr. Ray Brassieur, granting of numerous awards and
citations, and just having a good time. The Convention, presided by
Mary Sue Colvin, Deep South Region Director, was held on Monday, March
14 and Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at the Hilton Hotel, in Lafayette,
Louisiana. The Deep South Region Alternate Director was Margo Racca, a
Louisianian with State, Region and National Garden Club lifetime
memberships. Tante La La a/k/a Diana Nolan, of Lafayette Garden Club,
served as Deep South 2011 chairman. Ms. Nolan received a Citation by
Director Mary Sue Colvin, for her untiring effort to bring the 2011
convention to a level of its highest intentions: coping with all egos
and for “letting the good times roll.” 
The Ashland Room at the Hilton featured a Standard
Petite Flower Show, with a welcoming flower- adorned world globe
emphasizing the theme “Protect our World: Live Clean, Live Green.”
Among the very many meritorious entries was Glenda Balliviero’s
rhodendron azalea (pink azalea), which won the first place Arboreal
Award
Pam Braun’s display of Haworthia (South African succulents) took
first place for Horticulture Excellence and Collector’s
Showcase. Award of Designers Excellence Designer’s Choice
went to Kitty Cashman, which is a small stretch design. Tricolor horticulture
awards went to Debby Cooper and Mary Jane Peters, for her
“Oh, H20.” First
place
winner
for educational exhibits was “Golden Daze,” which
promotes planting of daffodils, went to Mississippi State Garden Club,
while the educational horticulture exhibit award went to Tina Tuttle, Deep South
Horticulture Chairman, for her “How Big is Petite” exhibit. Theresa Borders of
Georgia’s Pine Needle Garden Club was named Deep
South Region Mentor of the Year. “Deep South Regional
Director Sue Colvin is shown presenting the 2011 Deep South
Region Member Award of Honor to Betty Foret of Lafayette Garden Club,
as Louisiana State Garden Club President Donna Bucci looks on.”
Congratulations to all the design and horticulture
award winners, and thanks to all who participated in this convention’s
Standard Petite Flower Show. 
Featured
speaker,
Dr.
Ray Brassieur, University of Louisiana
at Lafayette Anthropology professor, presented a program “Inspiration
for a Creole medicine garden, based on a 1933 thesis by Charles
Bienvenu. Dr. Brassieur mentioned Vermilionville’s “La Maison
Acadienne,” its medicinal garden, and the upcoming April 2
Vermilionville event, “Le Jardin Medicin.”

Monday’s
luncheon guest speaker, Dr. Carlos Smith, gave an interesting talk on
“Plant Diversity.” Dr. Smith has a PhD in Horticulture, with a major in
ornamental horticulture, was Avoyelles Parish County Agent and taught
Master Gardeners’ classes. Dr. Smith is pictured with Glenda Balliviero
of Lafayette Garden Club’s Horticulture Committee.

The
Flower Show Awards dinner featured entertainer Jody Beard’s “Sing Across America,” with the audience
solemnly singing “How Great Thou Art.” Louisianian Jody
Beard began playing guitar and piano when he was eight years old, later
becoming the front man for the 21st Century Sound Affair which evolved
into the band Honey. He was a radio DJ and personality in Crowley and
Little Rock, AR, and later moved to Nashville. Jody currently has four
Indie Record releases and resides in Lafayette where he teaches voice,
piano and guitar.

At Tuesday morning’s
annual business meeting Louisiana
Garden Club Federation President Donna Bucci welcomed everyone to Louisiana,
followed by Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel, who
welcomed everyone to Louisiana, stating that Lafayette is a Triple Crown Tree City, and this region is more
than a melting pot, a virtual “gumbo.” Durel stated that “gumbo” is an
African word meaning okra – our culture is so rich. Durel
presented Director Mary Sue Colvin with a framed
proclamation,
declaring the week of March 13 through 19 as Deep South Region Garden
Clubs week. Ann
Daniels,
President
of
Alabama
Garden Club gave
the response to the Mayor and Donna's welcome.
Gay Austin, of Mississippi stated
that one lady’s husband’s response to the men’s swamp tour was that
“they’d already been on a twelve-mile swamp tour, coming in on I-10 from Baton Rouge – on
the Atchafalaya
Basin.”
Florence Ann Ketelsen of TN, a/k/a Minnie Pearl invited everyone to the
Tennessee Deep South Convention in 2012, while handing out
Tennessee-made moonpies. A skit, encouraging membership was performed
by the State Garden Club Presidents.

Tuesday’s
luncheon
in
the Vermilion Room, “Protecting our
World...Living Green - Living Clean” emceed by Kathy Bedenbaugh,
featured the Red Hot Mamas who entertained the crowd with their
“ecology friendly” costumes. Mother Nature judge
declared all the Red Hot Mamas winners because they recycle and
conserve our earth. Betty Bagert received the citation from Director
Colvin for promotion of the Smokey Bear Contest for our Region, as well
as Kathy Bedenbaugh and Georgie Petitjean, promoters of DSR’s Live
Clean-Live Green project
The garden of Sarah and Harold Schoeffler was
the setting for a Tea honoring Mary Sue Colvin, Deep South Region
Director and Sara Lanier, Deep South Region Director-Elect. Tennessee State Garden
Club President, Alice Overton, commented, “The committee has done such
a splendid job of making a convention
getaway that one would desire. The refreshments were
outstanding, floral arrangements natural. Who could ask for anything
greater than that of Sarah’s design?” Pictured is the Tea's
main table floral arrangement by Gloria Guilbeaux. . Jeri Melton,
Tennessee
voting
delegate,
along with Juanita Allinder, long-time Garden Club
member and Deep South Region Treasurer enjoyed the sunny day
seated on a bench in Sarah’s lovely garden beside the greenhouse.
To the delight of the ladies, Lafayette Garden
Club’s door prizes chairman, Kathy Van Ness, and her Committee, kept
things lively, calling out winners’ names and giving out gifts at the
luncheons and dinner.

Wrapping
up
the
Convention’s featured entertainer lineup, at
the Tuesday Evening Banquet and Deep South Region Awards banquet, was
Kent Gonsoulin, Cajun humorist. His unique brand of clean Cajun humor
kept the audience laughing. After winning his first big contest “The
International Cajun Joke Telling Contest” in 1993, he began performing
individually throughout Louisiana, and touring with All Star Cajun
Comedy Tour. Director Colvin cited Convention Co-Chairman Julie
Haack for bringing the 2011 DSC to a delightful completion and for
making it all work. Addressing the membership, Director Mary Sue Colvin
referred to her six Deep South Region state presidents as “the green
goddesses,” calling them the “wind beneath my wings,” closing with
“Bless your hearts.”
Musicians played zydeco music at the Sunday evening
pre-Convention dinner and Cajun dancing at Randol’s. Louisiana
State Garden Club President Donna Bucci said “she was impressed with
all the Convention activities, taste of Lafayette and the zydeco
music.” And Ann Daniels, Alabama Garden Club State President,
enjoying Randols, commented that “she was having a great time and
the food was just delicious.”
So, as Tante La La would say, “I tink everyone
passed a good time, cher.”

Pictured
at
the Hilton’s staircase are Louisiana
Garden Club Federation, Inc.’s Director, Mary Sue Colvin, Associate
Director, Margo Racca, and State
Garden Club Presidents attending the Deep South Region Convention.
Copies
of
DVDs
of the Convention are available, and can be ordered from
photographer Norman Ballieviero at Nbgr@bellsouth.net.
Report by: Henrietta Boriskie,
Publicity
Downloads Available
View MORE PHOTOS from the convention
 Cindy Rieger & Marion Hilliard returning from the restroom
The Cajun comedienne told a joke abut the beautiful bathrooms in the hotel and the 'free' napkins to use when eating crawfish.
When they both walked into the room there was not a dry eye in the room - we were all laughing so much!
This was the awards night banquet It was a blast!.......Inger
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Prepare
to
be
Enlightened and Entertained!
Monday Lunch Program - Carlos Smith
(Straight from Dr. Smith himself)
Phase
I: Formative years
Born in Monroe, LA, 1948
Grew up on coton/everything farm
Phase
II: Formal Education
Graduated from St. Fredericks High School in Monroe in 1965
Graduated from Northeast La. St. College with a B.S. in Biology in
1969-major area plant taxonomy
Graduated from LSU in 1980 with a PhD in Horticulture-major area
ornamental horticulture
Phase III: Foundation of My world
Married June 17, 1977 to Robin Smith, my beautiful wife
Son, Timothy, bron March 9, 197
Phase
IV: Work in the Real World
Moved to Avoyelles parish in 1977
1977-81 taught Horticulture at LSU at Alexandria
1981-2009 was Avoyelles parish county agent/area horticulture agent
performing assorted tasks
Pashe
V: Golden Years
November 20099 retirement until............
Teach Master Gardeners’ classes and any other interesting or fun gig
Spend quality time with great granddaughter
Peacock ranching
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| Tuesday Luncheon
Entertainment
Be thrilled and entertained by the Louisiana Red Hot MaMa’s

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MONDAY EVENING ENTERTAINMENT
Jody
Beard was born in Pineville, LA and raised in Lafayette. He began
playing guitar and piano at age 8.
Jody continued on to become the front man for the 21st Century Sound
Affair which later became Flight 505. Flight 505 released their first
45 rpm through Sumpter Records (a division of Sun Records). Flight 505
evolved into the band Honey and had the opportunity to open for Canned
Heat in the early 70's.
He worked as a radio DJ and personality in Crowley and Little Rock, AR.
He later moved to Nashville where he played music and worked as a
session player. Jody currently has 4 Indie Records released and now
resides in Lafayette where he teaches Voice, Piano and Guitar lessons.
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TUESDAY EVENING ENTERTAINMENT
Kent
Gonsoulin is one of the funniest Cajun Comedians performing today.
His unique brand of clean Cajun humor keeps audiences lajughing across
the south.
His love of entertaining led him to enter talent shows and joke telling
contests while attending L.S.U.
After winning his first big contest “The International Cajun Joke
Telling Contest: in 1993. He began performing throughout Louisiana, and
has been featured in many best selling videos.
Whether Kent is performing individually or on tour with th ALL Star
Cajun Comedy Tour, his love of making people laugh is evident.
A guarenteed fun evening.
Kents tapes, DVD’s etc. will be offered for sale the evening of his
performance.
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Convention Hotel:
The Hilton Lafayette hotel is located at 1521 W. Pinhook
Rd. Lafayette, LA 70503 (Phone: 337 235-6111.
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The
Hilton
Lafayette
Website
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