CONNECTICUT – The Flower Lover’s Prayer
Our Heavenly Father, as the flowers turn their faces to the sun, so our hearts turn instinctively to Thee, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. The blessings Thou hast showered upon us are more than the leaves of the forest or the drops of dew that freshen the flowers at night.
On the pathway of life may we never lose the fragrance that rises from the thought of Thy watchful care of us. In our fellowship with one another, keep us ever gentle, patient and forebearing, pure in thought, kindly in word, helpful in deed. May we learn to see Thy hand in life’s joys and sorrows and may no winter storms obscure the light of Thy love.
As flowers die and pass out of sight only to blossom again in springtime beauty, so teach us to look beyond the mortal to the Immortal where joys are unfading and blessings Eternal.
Mrs George E. Kirsten, President 1940 – 1942
MASSACHUSETTS
Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the mutual interests and good Fellowship which our Garden Club Federation affords us. Our common objectives bring us into close communion with Thy Divine Power which surrounds us with nature and beauty in all its manifold forms. We pray that in our humble way we may be able to propagate and enhance the riches which nature has so bountifully bestowed upon us. We pray that the elements upon which man is so dependent will be generous in their contributions to our endeavors. We ask Thy guidance in the continuing success of our member clubs and state organization. May we progress to a higher plane of horticultural education and achievement and a true appreciation of Thy goodness to us all. Grant that our bonds of friendship and understanding may grow stronger with each passing year.
Mrs. E. Carl Baker, President 1949 – 1951
MAINE – A Gardener’s Collect
Let us, 0 God, look to the tree and the flower for the beauty and serenity of orderly living. As each in its season, depending wholly on Thee for development arrives at perfection, so may each of us in simplicity and trust, work out the divine pattern of her being. And help us to achieve in living, 0 God, the same harmony and loveliness that we strive for in gardening, exemplifying in both the beauty of holiness.
Mary Carpenter Kelley, 1938
NEW HAMPSHIRE
To the Glory of God and in grateful appreciation of His manifold expressions of beauty, we, The New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs, proudly acknowledge our horticultural stewardship; and humbly seek, by faithful service and undeviating purpose, to be worthy of our ancestor conservationists, who preserved for posterity the myriad bounties of nature, and to emulate those early horticulturists, who, through experiment and continued endeavor, increased and developed them.
Let us ever be mindful of our heritage, considering it a sacred duty to protect and conserve those natural resources so generously loaned to each of us for the infinitesimal span of a lifetime. Let us remember that the vision of beauty, the urge to create it, and its ultimate appreciation lie deep in the heart of everyone. And let us learn, 0 God, that only through increased knowledge and patient perseverance comes eventual success.
In our design for daily living and in our constant association with others, let us reflect the order, harmony and loveliness of our gardens. And let us rejoice in the faithful recurrence of the seasons, knowing that each brings its own abundant and diversified glory. So may we draw courage and inspiration; realizing that we all, in our individual spheres according to our given capacities, may make lasting contributions to the goal of horticultural achievement, now and forever, down through the ages.
Helen Hussey Champlin, NCSGC President 1945 – 1947