November 29, 2021

Members and Friends,

In spite of COVID-19 we were able to hold all of our events this year with great success. The Pruning and Planting workshop was well attended and enlightening. The Children’s Mini-Rose Workshop was held out of doors and the kids had fun with Peter Bertrand who showed them how to plant and care for a mini-rose. In June, our first Annual Rose Day was a hit with many local retailers creating displays of roses in their stores. The Annual Rose Show, one of the few in-person Rose Shows this year in the USA, was a resounding success. Our horse drawn carriage was again part of the Southampton Village Indepedence Day parade and we were awarded Best in Show with a Live Animal.

This year’s Cocktail Party Fundraiser, held in the lovely garden of Carol and Fred Guest was not only enjoyed by all who attended but was also a financial success. The funds raised at this annual event go towards the maintenance of the five public rose gardens we have created to beautify our village.

Instead of the traditional Annual Lecture/Luncheon to close out the season, we were privileged to enjoy a private tour of the Peter Marino Art Foundation on Jobs Lane, led by Peter himself. The Luncheon and Tour was a unique opportunity to see the old Rogers Memorial Library transformed by Peter Marino into a jewelbox of a museum filled with artwork and antiques.

Our Annual Meeting was held on October 2, followed immediately by the Board meeting. A special award was given to Cornelia Bostwick for her many years of exceptional service to the SRS. The President’s Trophy was awarded to Valerie Hanley for her outstanding efforts this season. Our heartfelt thanks to both of them!

On behalf of the Board, thanks to our members for their support and we wish you all well for the winter season ahead. We look forward to seeing you all at our events in 2022.

Warm regards,

Jim Berkrot
President