District I ---------10 clubs, ------------129 members

District II ---------23 clubs,------------600 members

District III --------12 clubs, -----------427 members

District IV ---------9 clubs, -----------210 members

District V ---------18 clubs, ----------689 members

District VI ---------27 clubs, ---------926 members

District VII --------15 clubs, ---------381 members

District VIII ---------8 clubs, ---------229 members

Many of our Districts have lost garden club members and clubs and other Districts have had strong growth. Making the Districts more evenly divided with members would be more equitable, but we can never be totally equal in numbers. Dues refunds to the Districts from LGCF are computed on the number of members in the District. Each District is responsible for having a Fall Meeting and a President's Meeting and even though copying and printing costs are greater when a District has more member clubs, the cost of the meetings would be somewhat similar. A more equal division of the member clubs would mean a more equal share of dues refunds. Also each District is responsible, in their turn, to host a Convention and to have a member on the Executive Council. A more equal number of members would insure a greater work force for hosting a Convention and more interested, qualified and talented members to hold offices. If the LGCF would re-district, we would not want to follow the current Congressional District map. Distances traveled to meetings would need to be a main consideration.

The amendment was approved at the 2006 Summer Board meeting; this section now reads:

Article IV - Districts
Section 1. The State shall be divided into Districts to be determined every ten years after study by the District Directors and Organizational Study and Policy Committee and approval of the Executive Council and Board of Directors.

Rationale:
Having no specific number of Districts nor prescribed boundaries would allow the Districts to divide or merge, etc. after study by those who would be directly affected by such a change. There would not need to be change unless it is deemed necessary but if the proposed amendment is not passed, we are locked into the eight Districts and their boundaries.

If the LGCF should re-district by merging or dividing then all of the District number designations would probably need to change. It may be more agreeable to name the Districts instead of numbering them. This could either be geographical, such as Southwest District, Capital District, Northeast District, etc. or some other type of name could be chosen.