Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.

Member of National Garden Clubs, Inc

Michigan Consultants Council


MICHIGAN CONSULTANTS COUNCIL

The mission of the Michigan Consultants Council is to provide activities and additional educational opportunities for MGC members on protecting our environment, promoting best gardening practices and encouraging excellence in landscape design.

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MICHIGAN CONSULTANTS COUNCIL (MCC) HISTORY

The MCC organization was formed and bylaws approved in June, 2007.  The first business meeting and Tri-Refresher was held in Traverse City, MI the same year.  Since the beginning, two meetings a year have been held: a summer tour with speakers, garden tours, and interactive luncheons for members; at the yearly State Convention the MCC held their annual meeting to present awards to local clubs sponsoring garden walks; MCC often sponsored a lecturer during the MGC Annual Convention.  Every two years new officers were elected for a two year term.  Officers were: President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer.

Former MCC Presidents were: Bonnie Ion 2007-2009; Mary Pulick 2009-2013; Lynn Dinvald 2013-2015; Nancy Stark 2015-2017; Rita Crawley 2017-2021.

In the summer of 2021, a committee was formed with a representative from each district along with the MGC President to re-structure the Council.  Since the Council is a part of MGC, Inc. the district representatives felt that a committee structure, rather than a board structure, would be more appropriate.  A written proposal was presented at the November 4, 2021 MGC, Inc. Board of Director’s Meeting. The proposed structure change was approved and each district will have a representative on the Council.  No longer will there be elected officers and finances are handled by the State Treasurer.

The current Chair of the Michigan Consultants Council is Nancy Stark.

MCC Committee

MCC was re-organized into the committee structure with eight reps -one for each district. The chair of the committee is a member of the MGC Board of Directors. The presiding MGC President will appoint representatives from each district for that term of office as well as the Chair of the Consultants Council

MCC REPRESENTATIVE QUALIFICATION AND ADMISSION

  1. Be a member in good standing of a MGC local garden club.
  2. Be accredited as a Consultant or a Provisional Consultant in one of the schools by National Garden Clubs, Inc.
  3. Attend schools and/or refreshers to complete and maintain your credentials.

MCC MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS

  1. Provisional Consultant – has completed two courses and has passed the exams in any one of the above schools.
  2. Consultant – has completed all four courses and has passed the exams required in any one of the above schools.
  3. Master Consultant – has completed four refreshers in a school.
  4. Emeritus -a Master Consultant in good standing, who is unable to continue refreshing, may be granted Emeritus status. This is granted upon approval by the appropriate NGC School Chair.

MCC COMMITTEE

MCC has reorganized into a committee structure with eight reps –one for each district. The chair of the committee is a member of the MGC Board of Directors.

MCC COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Attend scheduled MCC Committee Meetings via Zoom
  • Work with the District Director as a member of the District team to act as a liaison between the Consultant’s Council and the District they represent.
  • Participate in District Club President’s Meetings via Zoom to inform Club Presidents about schools and encourage attendance. Provide school dates and locations.
  • Work with the Local School Chair when a school is offered in the district and offer assistance.
  • Assist the 3rd VP in organizing and planning a Refresher every two years for Consultants, MGC members and other interested guests based on the needs of consultants to maintain individual accreditation.
  • Confirm submitted information to help maintain an updated list of educational speakers, programs and tours for their district based on the Club President’s annual report.
  • Provide monetary funds and sponsorship for a keynote speaker at the MGC Annual Conference and assist speaker as needed.
  • Send a quarterly newsletter to all district Consultants and Club Presidents about upcoming school registration and opportunities to further their education. Remind them of the awards for garden walks and environmental awards given each year.

MCC GARDEN WALK & ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD INFORMATION

To download information on the Michigan Council Garden Walk Award and Environmental Award of Merit, click here.

HOW CAN CONSULTANTS HELP THEIR DISTRICT?

  • Encourage your club members to attend the schools offered in the state and through NGC.
  • Offer to help the Local School Chair in planning a school in their district.
  • Club Presidents and Consultants may work with the MCC District Rep to maintain the District Speaker, Field Trip and Program Lists.
  • Encourage clubs to apply for the annual MCC Garden Walk Award and Environmental Award of Merit following guidelines provided on the website.
  • Promote your knowledge of being a Consultant in one of our schools and encourage club members to attend a school of their choice. Express how much you learned from attending a school.
  • Attend Schools or Refreshers to maintain your credentials. Contact the school chairs to make certain your credentials do not expire. Check on the MGC website to verify your credentials are correct on the Consultants lists for each of the three schools -Environment, Gardening and Landscape Design.

EDUCATION