A Season of Change

March is a month of transition. It sits between what was and what’s next. In many ways, that in-between feeling reflects where the New England Rose Society is right now.

But this is not the first time this society has faced a season of change. Just two-and-a-half years ago, my sister Lauren and I were voted in as President and Vice President during a challenging time for the New England Rose Society. At the time, we had no understanding of what it meant to be leaders of a rose society, we just knew we wanted to help. For that initial year, everything was a first: first time putting together a program, first time co-chairing a rose show, and attending our first Founders’ Day. We were learning as we went.

The one thing that was constant was the support of this community.

From Treasurer Maria Connell’s guidance during our first three-person board meeting, to Mike Fuss walking us through how to run a rose show, to Dave Cannistraro piling us into his truck to pick up roses for our fundraiser, and the enormous amount of encouraging words along the way, the membership has always shown up for one another—and it is what has carried us through.

Now we are budding into a new season. As Lauren takes on her new role as Yankee District’s Director, she will be building relationships with more members, modernizing more societies, and hopefully, helping to revive the entire American Rose Society.
As NERS’s new President, I hope to maintain the momentum we started, expanding NERS’s programming to more places—not just in the Greater Boston Area—and share the love and beauty of roses with all New Englanders. I’m also excited that NERS Secretary Valentina Nardini is stepping into the role of Vice President. She has already made a lasting impact on NERS through our branding and by building our new website, which has helped modernize how we operate. I’m looking forward to working closely with her in this next chapter. I look at our board members, committee leaders, Consulting Rosarians, volunteers, and all of our members—and I am so proud to be part of this incredible group of people.

The New England Rose Society is in a season of growth. But the one thing that we will always have is this supportive community—not just fellow rosarians, but friends.