Monadnock Herb Society Information for Members
The Monadnock Herb Society meets on the last Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Baldwin Education Center at Fox State Forest in Hillsborough. Fox Forest 309 Center Rd. is located on Center Road about 2 miles northwest of the intersection with West Main Street.
Our meeting are April thought September and September will be bread and soup month and crock pots will be the easy way to keep soup warm. Please check newspapers and this website for announcements
Meeting date, time and location may occasionally be changed due to holidays, program, or speaker availability.
Dues are $5.00 per calendar year, and should be paid as early in the year as possible.
Our purpose is to share information and encourage the growing and enjoyment of herbs for esthetic, culinary and medicinal purposes. Members share interests in herb, flower and vegetable gardening, cooking and herb-related crafts. Most of our programs are open to the public at no charge.
Organization: We function on an informal and volunteer basis, so meetings and the group will only be as good as your involvement!
Every member should volunteer for assignments during the year, and serve on the Program Committee periodically.
Program Committee: Is responsible for a six-month segment of meetings – but is encouraged to book programs into the next period to give the next Committee a leg up! It consists of three members, plus a carryover from the previous Committee to give continuity and advice.
The Committee comes up with the program schedule, books Fox Forest*, and arranges for speakers, garden visits, demonstrations, field trips, or hands- on workshops.
- In November of each year, the Program Committee should set dates for the coming year and reserve the Baldwin Education Center at Fox Forest for the entire year.
The Committee should notify Fox Forest at least 2 weeks in advance of any changes that affect our booking (program change; time change; or off-site meeting). Last minute cancellations should be by both e-mail foxforest@dncr.nh.gov and phone call/message to (603) 464-3453!
The Committee also gets volunteer sign-ups for the six-month period (moderator, herb-of-the-month, hostesses) and makes assignments if necessary.
The completed Program Schedule should be sent to members by e-mail (paper copies mailed to those without e-mail) as soon as it is available, ideally by the second month of the period.
No later than the 7th of each month, the Committee provides information on that month’s program to the Website Coordinator for publicity, and also sends a program announcement by e-mail to the Secretary for forwarding to the membership.
The January/June committee should be in place by the October meeting so that the final schedule can be presented in February. The July/November committee should be in place by April in order to have plans for the rest of the year ready in July.
Other Ongoing Roles: Treasurer – Mickie Clement dpclement@tds.net Collects dues, pays bills, handles the bank account and reports periodically to the membership.. Maintains the Membership List and this brochure.
Coordinates with the Secretary to keep the e-mail list up to date. E-mails copies of the Member List (once a year), with paper copies to non-e-mail users. Paper copies available on request.
Secretary – Records brief minutes of each meeting; handles needed correspondence for the group. Forwards program announcements to the Website Coordinator and members as received from the Program Committee (by the 10th of the month). The week before the meeting, sends out a meeting reminder. Sends paper copies of program listings to non-e-mail members as available. Places/e-mails announcements of our meeting times and programs in the community events listings of local newspapers.
Website Coordinator – Maintains/updates our web site at www.monadnockherbalsociety.com
** Volunteers Needed for Each Meeting – (If your plans change and you are unable to fulfill your assignment, please arrange for your own substitute.)
Moderator – Leads the meeting. Suggested Agenda is on the back of the brochure and on the website at www.monadnockherbalsociety.com
Herb-of-the-Month – Gives a short presentation on a particular herb — its growing, history, uses and special interest for culinary, medicinal or other purposes.
Hostesses – Two for regular meetings (3 suggested for special meetings such as the November Pot Luck and January Loaf & Ladle). Hostesses provide a beverage (herb teas or punch) and snacks – often cookies or bars. It’s especially nice if these can be herb-related.
A 30-cup hot pot is available at Fox Forest for hot water. However, the hostesses are responsible for coordinating their plans and for bringing paper hot cups, napkins and other supplies, as needed.
- In the interests of reducing waste, members are encouraged to bring their own washable mugs – these can be left on the shelf of the podium at Fox Forest.
- Also For Your Information … Please respect fellow members’ privacy: Please do not share our member list – especially e-mail addresses – with outside groups without permission from the group. Information of interest to members can be sent to the Secretary for sharing with members or posting on the website at her discretion.
Fox State Forest contact information – Located on Center Rd. in Hillsborough, about 2 miles northwest of the intersection with West Main Street (Rte. 149). Mail address is PO Box 1175, Hillsboro, NH 03244. Phone number is 464-3453, but staff is often out and about. Educator-in-charge at Fox is Inge Seaboyer; contact at the phone # above or foxforest@dred.state.nh.us
UNH Cooperative Extension’s Family, Home & Garden Info Line – Toll free # 1-877-398-4769, M-F, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a toll-free information line staffed by trained volunteers for answers to garden questions – among other topics.