The Rake & Hoe Garden Club of Westfield NJ was founded in 1952 and became a fully affiliated member of the Garden Club of New Jersey in October of 1954. Administrative records were saved by fiat, but informal records, such as newsletters, survived thanks to individual members who save memorabilia. The Garden Club now has a funded archival program, and important records are scanned and made available for digital access through this portal.

To learn more about the Rake & Hoe Garden Club, go to https://www.rakeandhoegc.org

Click on "Search the Archives" to search all categories

Click on the individual magnifying glasses below to search records in that category

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Contents include: listings of committee members and past presidents, upcoming programs and special events, service projects, and awards. The annual membership roster, which appears in the print edition, can be viewed online as a password-protected file under Membership.

CLICK HERE to access the password protected Yearbooks records

The “monthly” newsletter is published from September through June, which is the club’s administrative year. Newsletters document community activities, committee projects, awards, special events, and environmental concerns. New issues are added monthly; missing issues are added as available.

CLICK HERE to access the password protected newsletters

These files document the club’s two major fundraisers. They include programs, “schedules,” memorabilia, and photographs. Coverage of these events can also be found in recent newsletters, as well as in publicity folders.

Compiled by the club’s Historian, each album photographically documents the wide range of club activity, from featured speakers to committee projects, month by month throughout the year

The Rake & Hoe Garden Club has created numerous publications for informational and fund-raising purposes. “The Trees of Westfield” has been the single biggest publishing project. The brochures document significant areas of the community service provided by the club.

This category currently holds the minutes of Board meetings and General meetings. Other types of administrative documents may be added. For each year, minutes of Board meetings are listed before the minutes of General meetings. Gaps in the listings generally indicate weather cancellations. The pdf names should be read in this way: Examples: 1977-01-10 [January 10, 1977 Board meeting]; 1977-01-19 [January 19, 1977 General meeting].

CLICK HERE to access the password protected administration area

Membership Directories or “Rosters” are published annually in each Yearbook. For privacy issues, the digital files are password-protected in this category.

CLICK HERE to access the password protected membership records

The award-winning Junior Gardeners Program was begun in 1956. They are mentored by adult club members, learning gardening basics, artistic crafts, plant identification, etc. They assist with the clean-up at Shadowlawn Park, where they have created and maintain a Butterfly Garden.