District Award of Honor Winners
2008
District I - Dee Droter
Hildegard “Dee” Droter received District I’s Award of Honor for her all around excellence during over 25 years as a member of the Tanta-Cove Garden Club and for her contributions and accomplishments at the district and state levels and in her community.
Dee received her club’s Most Valuable Member Award while serving as its President from 1992-94. She served as the Director of District I from 2003-05 then as Advisor and as interim Treasurer. Dee successfully undertook a major task computerizing the National Capital Area’s membership records as state Assistant Treasurer,1995-97, and then the NCA’s financial records as Treasurer, 1997-99.
Dee is also a talented and accomplished Landscape Design Consultant, Gardening Consultant, and Accredited Master Flower Show Judge. She leads design demonstrations and workshops and assumes major responsibilities for Standard Flower Shows and for the Prince George’s County Fair Flower Show. Dee is an accomplished vocalist who enjoys bridge, skiing, and travel. She is active at her church, and was a President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Southern Maryland Dental Society. The mother of four grown children and grandmother of two, she was involved with all her children’s activities and lives in Tantallon with her husband, John.
District II - Evalee Ciuca
Evalee Ciuca joined Centennial Garden Club and shortly thereafter became a Flower Show Judge. Evalee stepped up as Vice President and then President of Centennial Garden Club. After her tenure as President, she immediately accepted the challenge of Assistant Director of District II and is the current Director of District II. She sees that education in design and horticulture is a reality in District II; at the local level she personally teaches classes to garden clubs. She is innovative, energetic, and always willing to step in and help out. Evalee has been Flower Show Chair, Design Chair, Horticulture Chair, and Judge’s Chair, numerous times at various levels. Evalee constantly contributes to National Garden Clubs, Inc.’s goals by her efforts at the local, District, CAR and State levels.
But Evalee does not stop there. On a personal level, Evalee has volunteered for 20 years on the ACTS Crisis Hotline, handling any sort of crisis that is called in; she has facilitated the support group that sprang from that group, Surviving After Suicide. Evalee contributes actively to her community, to her church, and is the current Chairman of the Neighborhood Watch program. She recently received the 2007 Best Improved Neighborhood Watch Program Award by the sheriff. Evalee is strong in many categories, particularly Civic Development, Design and All Around Excellence. Evalee hails from Roanoke, Virginia, and is the personification of the term Steel Magnolia. .
District III - Maxine Kopecky
Maxine Kopecky started her years of active involvement and leadership in Ohio, where she attained Master Flower Show Judge and accreditation as Landscape Design Consultant.
When Maxine moved to Northern Virginia, she joined not one, but two garden clubs, the first, Reston in 1982, and the second, Rock Spring in 1989. At Rock Spring, she served as President, VP, Chair of Program 4 times, as well as Hospitality, Invitational, Liaison, Awards, and Membership.
At the state level, Maxine served with the National Capital Area Garden Clubs as a Trustee, on the Nominating Committee, Historic Trails Commission Chair, Landscape Design Chair in 2001 and Bus Tour Coordinator for over 10 years. She has been an Accredited Master Flower Show Judge since 1972 and belongs to the Sogetsu School of Ikebana and the Ikebana International.
Not to rest on her laurels, in 2003 Maxine began the process of breaking down the resistance of Arlington County’s government to mounting a Blue Star Memorial Marker at the Fort Myer’s Henry Gate. Going through all the proper channels, she came across one very stubborn official who kept delaying any decision for months and months. During that time, he went on vacation and “saw the light”…or rather he came across a group of folks dedicating a Blue Star Memorial on his travels, not once, but twice, in his out-of-state travels. Each time, he stopped his car and asked what was going on. Each time he was told that they were dedicating a Blue Star Memorial paying tribute to “all who have served, are serving and will serve” in the Armed Forces. He admitted to them that a lady at home had been “bugging” him to approve the installation of a Blue Star marker. And in both cases they told him “well, go ahead and approve it!” He returned home and did just that. The Blue Star Memorial will be dedicated in September 2008 when the 100th year of flight commemoration takes place at Fort Myer.
District IV - Audrey Whitney
Central Atlantic Region Award of Honor
For over forty years, Audrie Whitney has been participating in garden club activities at both local and National Capital Area levels and has been actively engaged in a variety of gardening, landscaping and environmental projects. Her enthusiasm is infectious and her willingness to share her knowledge of gardening has encouraged many novice gardeners over the years.
She was a founding member of the Woodley Gardens Garden Club in 1967, serving as President, Vice President and spearheading many club and civic projects over the years. She redesigned the Bicentennial Garden at Rock Terrace High School which was planted and is maintained by the Woodley Gardens Garden Club and she currently serves as its chairman.
At the National Capital Area level, Audrie has served as chairman of the Landscape Design Study Course for four years and also served as an instructor. She was President and Vice President of the Landscape DesignCouncil and has been a popular speaker providing over 200 programs over the last 20 years to garden clubs in the metropolitan area. She is a Master Landscape Design Consultant and a Gardening Council Consultant. For many years she has been a judge for Keep Montgomery County Beautiful.
Audrie has been a volunteer guide at the U. S. Arboretum since 1975 and served as chairman of their Guide Training Program. She is now the liaison between the Arboretum and the NCAGC.
In 2006, Audrie was given the Rockville Good Neighbor Award for her many volunteer activities, helping to beautify the city and raise awareness of environmental concerns.
Audrie was also chosen for the Award of Honor by the NCAGC and the Central Atlantic Region. All Regional winners are automatically National winners, a fitting reward for all of Audrie's hard work over the years.
Audrey receiving her Award of Honor from Marilyn Whitmore, Director of the Central Atlantic Region of NGC
