What Is the Purpose and Mission of the Garden Club of Honolulu?

The Garden Club of Honolulu (TGCH) is a Honolulu-based garden club founded in 1930 whose stated mission is "to conserve, protect and preserve our natural environment through learning, teaching and action." Its broader purpose is to stimulate knowledge and love of gardening, horticulture, floral design, and nature photography, and to promote and participate in restoring, improving, and protecting the environment through programs and action in conservation, civic improvement, and education. It is a member club of the Garden Club of America (GCA) and sits in GCA Zone XII, which covers Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.

Mission and purpose, as stated by the club

The club's own materials draw a line between its mission and its purpose:

In practice, that means the club's activity is not limited to gardening for its own sake. It pairs horticultural and design interests with conservation and civic improvement work, and it frames education — both learning and teaching — as part of how it pursues environmental protection.

How it connects to the Garden Club of America

TGCH is a member club of the Garden Club of America, and membership in TGCH includes membership in GCA. The GCA's own stated purpose is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, to share the advantages of association through educational meetings, conferences, correspondence, and publications, and to restore, improve, and protect environmental quality through educational programs and action in conservation and civic improvement.

Because of that affiliation, TGCH members are connected to a national network rather than an isolated local group. The club is placed in GCA Zone XII alongside Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.

What the club says it does

Based on the club's stated purpose, its activities fall into a few recognizable areas:

• Gardening and horticulture — building and sharing knowledge of plants and growing practices.
• Floral design — the arrangement and presentation of plant material.
• Nature photography — documenting the natural world.
• Conservation — programs and action aimed at protecting the environment.
• Civic improvement — participating in the improvement of shared spaces and the wider community.
• Education — learning, teaching, and public programs that carry the mission outward.

Membership: what the club states

Membership is by invitation, and the club states specific conditions:

• An invitation to membership requires three current, active TGCH members' sponsorship.
• A candidate must show interest, involvement, and commitment to the club's mission and purpose.
• Members are required to attend meetings and participate in club activities.

So this is not an open-signup organization. If you are considering it, the practical starting point is relationships with existing active members, plus a genuine record of interest in the club's areas of work. The club's site does not state dues, fees, or an online application process, so those details would need to come from the club or a sponsoring member directly.

Who this is relevant for

• Honolulu-area residents interested in gardening, horticulture, floral design, or nature photography who also want conservation and civic work to be part of the picture.
• People looking for a GCA-affiliated club in Hawaii, since TGCH membership carries GCA membership.
• Anyone researching the club's mission before deciding whether to pursue sponsorship — the mission and purpose statements above are the clearest statement of what the club expects members to commit to.