The History Of CLCA
Women's Auxiliary
CLCA Through The Decades1950s1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s |
Service. Friendship. Education. And fun. The mission and goals of the CLCA Women's Auxiliary seem as straightforward and focused in 2002 as they were when the first state auxiliary president was elected out of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter in 1952. It may seem unlikely that an organization's core values could remain so steadfast in a culture that has been buffeted by what some may rightly perceive as monumental change. Nevertheless, the fact remains that today, as the 11 chapters and 91 members of the CLCA Women's Auxiliary mark its first half-century, the group's basic tenets remain in tact. "First and foremost, we are there to support CLCA," says Lori Tripathi, 2002 state women's auxiliary president, as she talks about the organization's roles, goals and future. These days, the auxiliaries provide support for CLCA members, and organize activities and functions in many of the same ways they did five decades ago when they began assisting at CLCA chapter meetings and working on fund-raisers and raffles. As the chapters evolved and grew, the same helping hands were offered at CLCA tri-boards, and auxiliary members, who until sometime in the 1980s called themselves the "Grass Widows," provided a vital family connection for members and their families through picnics, holiday parties and get-togethers that were just plain fun. The auxiliaries ultimately began to serve larger roles, and in 1958 the state auxiliary selected and honored the first Knight of the Garter, as it has every year ever since. The chosen knight is the CLCA member deemed (by the auxiliary's secret ballot) to have championed "the ladies'" cause above all others. The rich history of this tradition to recognize a "noble gentleman," courteous, well-mannered, kind, always willing to help, has been unbroken for the last 44 years. When looking back to their early involvement, current auxiliary members say they joined not only to support their spouses in businesses, but to meet new people and forge new friendships. "I felt it was important for the wife of the chapter president to support the women's auxiliary," says Mary Cohen, 2002 head of the state scholarship foundation. "I knew a few of the ladies, quite a few because we had been going to chapter events. Around 1987 Jill Crudup was instrumental in encouraging me to go into leadership." Cohen was 1988-90 state auxiliary president, member of the year in 1999 and is the current chair of the board of trustees of LEAF (the Landscape Educational Advancement Fund). "We have about 40 members in our chapter, and we basically do everything on the chapter level that we do on the state level. We also do fund-raising for LEAF and for three local colleges." From the very beginning, as the women worked to orchestrate events, dinners, meetings and conventions, auxiliary members forged some of the closest friendships and relationships of their lives -- for themselves and their spouses. "I don't think the function of the auxiliary really has changed all that much," says Tripathi, who acknowledges that even after 10 years, she's "still a newcomer." "It's pretty much stayed the same, I think; supporting the guys organizing the fund-raisers," she says. "We try to make it fun and enjoyable and try and get the camaraderie and friendships going as we get the chance to meet spouses in situations that are not meetings. When I joined the auxiliary, I found a wonderful group of spouses. The group is really important to me and a lot of other women." Irene Huebsch, 1958-59 state women's auxiliary president and current honorary member of the San Francisco Bay Area/East chapter talks about the closeness of the group in its earliest days and echoes Tripathi's sentiments without hesitation. Today, Huebsch is a satellite member of the auxiliary; one who belongs to and has actively participated in more than one chapter. "A long time ago I decided that the landscaping business is a great business to be in," Huebsch says. "The people who are in it are very, very nice, and it was a great pleasure for me to belong and it still is." "We have a wonderful group," says Tripathi, of the North Coast Chapter. "The auxiliary is a great friendship builder, and I've met some of my dearest and closest friends there. If it weren't for CLCA, we wouldn't even know each other. If you're willing to go to meetings, you can make lifelong friends at CLCA. There are some people I see twice a year, and that's great. You feel like you're going to be friends for life." "I truly feel that we are all friends," says Mary Cohen. "It's not just a business association, or strictly for networking. If you go to a family function of one of our chapter members, you'll find that most of the people who have been invited are CLCA members." She likens the 40-plus friends she's made through her involvement to family members. "Absolutely a family," she says. "And their children. It's an extended family, that's what it is." As friendships grew and thrived, the auxiliary chapters flourished with them, and so did the desire to reach beyond the boundaries of the organization and extend a hand into the local communities. Since the early 1970s, education has been top-of-mind for auxiliary members and an important catalyst for auxiliary functions and fund-raisers. The awarding of scholarships, particularly, has been an integral function of the women's auxiliary at both the local chapter and state levels. "Offering scholarships and drawing people into a field that desperately needs educated people is the best reason for offering scholarships," says Candy Fiske, 1972-73 state auxiliary president and a founder of LEAF (the Landscape Educational Advancement Foundation) scholarship program. But, she adds, that's not the only benefit. "Memorial scholarships are a way somebody can be remembered on a long-term basis." Fiske, an honorary member of the San Francisco Bay Area/East Chapter, points out that the ability to donate to a scholarship fund is not exclusive to CLCA members "We've had donations come from friends and outsiders, too," she says. There's no hedging at all when Janice Weems, 1982 president of the San Diego auxiliary, says the LEAF program has been "her love since 1988." A longtime member of the scholarship selection committee, Weems applauds those visionary members who worked hard to set up the mechanism that provides annual LEAF funding and virtually eliminates the uncertainties of annual fund-raising. "They (the Women's Auxiliary) had always tried to raise money for scholarships through basket raffles and other kinds of fund-raisers," Weems says. "But Candy (Fiske), the original chair of LEAF, and some others who were in on the actual setting up the bylaws -- decided we should have a perpetual fund that was not completely depleted every year -- that we would earn money on the principal and only give the interest away. LEAF got off the ground in 1988 when the original endowment was raised by members who started setting up scholarships-- not just memorial scholarships -- and people just started sending in money. It was incredible. We got the word out through chapter bulletins and letters and word of mouth and a letter that came from the state. So the board and the chapters got busy and raised more money. It was just incredible." Kristin Sheehan, state historian for the past two years and member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter, joined the auxiliary in 1994. "My husband, Jeff, was involved and getting to know more people and their wives, and I thought it would be a good way to get to know them, too. We've made a lot of lasting friendships and a lot of my best friends are CLCA members. It's been a benefit to both of us. When Jeff became president, we started making friends who live all over the state." Although auxiliary memberships seem to have declined in recent years, Lori Tripathi is hopeful that as more people join CLCA, more of their spouses will decide to participate on the local or state level. In her open letter to members this year, she extended a heartfelt invitation to those who want to join in the fun. "John Redmond, who was Knight of the Garter in 1994, was very supportive of the auxiliary," she says. "He felt having a strong auxiliary was an essential part of having a strong chapter. That way, he said, 'You have the support of your spouse, and you can do what you need to do as a landscaper.'" |
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