Point Clear & St Osyth HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
	We held our A.G.M. on 23rd October, followed as usual by our Fun Quiz.  This was even more hilarious than usual, as a knowledge of horticulture was of very little use, it was much more a question of luck. For example:  How much soil can a mole displace after continually digging for a certain length of time?  Or, if aphids are allowed to breed unchecked for X number of months, how much would the resulting numbers weigh?  The answer to that surprised us all!  The winner with the most luck on her side was Mrs Dulcie Evans. This year, we were fortunate in that only one member of the committee resigned - Mrs Barbara Greer  We were very sorry to lose Mrs Kathy Semple as Chairman, but pleased to know that she will remain on the Committee, and will be willing to act as Vice-Chairman.  Mrs Semple proposed that Mrs Dulcie Evans should be the new Chairman, and this was seconded by Mrs Margaret Hearn.  Mrs Evans took her place at the top table and presided over the election of the other officers, which are unaltered from last year. Our President, Mr Ken Muir, gave a short speech detailing his plans for next year.  He will be retiring from business and only expects to be involved in his company for 25% of his time.  However, he is planning to write a book entitled “A Fruit Grower’s Ladder”.  Mr Muir will be supplying strawberry plants again for any member wishing to grow them on.  He has also offered to give us a talk and to hold another judging evening, this time demonstrating judging vegetables.  We will be taking him up on both of these kind offers. The year 2001 was a very successful year for the Horticultural Society; we hope for more of the same in 2002. A Happy Christmas to you all. Dulcie Evans 2002 YEARBOOKS/SCHEDULES I have spent some time this year re-organising the yearbook, which will hopefully make it easier to follow.  There will be a more comprehensive table of vegetables at the beginning, showing how many of each vegetable are needed for a dish (i.e. relevant for classes marked ‘Any other vegetable.’) and the number needed in a collection.  In this table it also shows the maximum number of points that can be scored for a particular vegetable; this is important for collections and for the ‘Any Other Vegetable’ classes. I have also altered the layout of the Trophies and Special Prizes.  There are two reasons for this.  Firstly to clarify how the cups are won thus enabling more people to have a chance of winning a cup.  Secondly, to make it easier for the computer to calculate the points needed for some of the cups. If you are interested in winning a cup next year, it will be worth looking at this section when you receive your yearbook.  I have laid it out so you can see which cups are won on a points-basis and which are best exhibits.  Planning is needed to win cups on a points-basis.  The schedule order for all three shows has been standardised. There are 7 sections for each show and it should be clearer which classes you need to enter to increase your chances of winning the cups. Good luck for next year. Nicky Underwood, Membership Secretary Point Clear & St Osyth (820020)