Around 40 members attended this year’s AGM held on 4 September. Two new Board members were elected – Rachel Vogan and Aaron Keown. Amendments to the CHS rules were passed to dispense with membership cards, allow the co-option of the immediate past-president to the Board and to change the quorum from 5 to “a majority of currently serving Board members”.
Kowhai Awards were presented to Andrew Tainui, Merilyn Henderson, Bob Henderson, Annette Hill and Leonie Jackson in recognition of their valued involvement in a variety of CHS activities. Two new awards were introduced: ‘Outstanding Horticulturalist’ presented to Michael Coulter, Phil Ducker, Jeremy Hawker, Freda Hunter and Eiji Kawada and the ‘John Taylor Award for Leadership in Horticulture’, presented to Neiel Drain who accepted it by acknowledging Taylor’s tremendous contribution to horticulture in the city.