2011 NALS Regional Service Medal Recipient
The Mid America Regional Lily Society (MARLS) awarded the North American Lily Society Regional Service Medal for 2011 to Ellen Mell.
President Don Kelley presented the award to Ellen on June 18th during the Annual Lily Show held at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Ellen has been a long time member of MARLS. She has been our Design Chairman for many years and has done a masterful job of handling this position. Every year she develops a creative and interesting design schedule for the show. As a member and judge for the Federated Garden Clubs, she knows many garden club members and recruits them, as well as our MARLS members, to enter the Design Section of our Show. As a result we have outstanding competition at our shows. The Design Section has proven to be a real attraction and crowd pleaser. She does the staging and obtains the services of accredited Garden Club judges to evaluate the designs.
Ellen has also presented workshops for our members to help us become more competitive in the design area; and is available for individual help and explanations of how to create an outstanding design and still stay within the rules of the show. She is always willing to share her knowledge and expertise. She has served as an accredited NALS judge and enters stems in the Horticulture Division of the Show as well as outstanding designs in the Design Division.
She is very reliable, creative, knowledgeable and a real asset to MARLS, making our regional society stronger and thus benefitting NALS. We would like to give Ellen recognition for the many years she has served our regional and feel she is a very worthy candidate to receive the NALS Regional Service Medal. Congratulations Ellen!