Connecticut Herb Association

The focus of the Connecticut Herb Association is to educate and share the diverse world of herbs with one another and our community.

CHAI logo

Connecticut Herb Association, Inc. (CHAI) was created by a group of enthusiasts with a simple desire to educate and share the diverse world of herbs with one another and our community throughout the state, as well as to create a local network of herb-related resources.

CHAI has a diverse membership from the practitioner, student, grower, educator, and shopkeeper to the gardener and novice. All of the members of CHAI intricately weave a web that forms together one bond, each member lending his or her own energies and expertise to form the organization we now have that reaches out state wide to educate and inform individuals and other groups about herbs and holistic modalities.

CHAI serves as a forum for exchange and discussion of matters of importance in the herbal community such as therapies, research, education, workshops, growing, retailing, wildcrafting, herbal supplies, as well as environmental, legal and legislative concerns impacting herbalism.

CHAI hosts events and gatherings around the state throughout the year. These include presentations by members and guest speakers, or visits to a shop, garden, farm or wild place where we can learn and share together the wisdom of all things green. As a member of CHAI you will have the opportunity to host an event or gathering in your region of the state.

CHAI MONTHLY MEETINGS ~ Open to anyone interested in herbs

WHEN: Tuesday September 9, 2008

TIME: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm ~ Social Gathering at 6:30

WHERE: Newington Public Library 95 Cedar St. Newington, CT ~ (across from the senior center). Since the library closes at 9:00 pm, the meeting will start sharply at 7:00

PRESENTATION: Stacey Munro, N.D. will be giving a presentation on Southwest Herbs. Prior to moving to CT, she lived in Phoenix, AZ. As a student at the S.W. College of Naturopathic Medicine, Stacy gained her knowledge of the desert plants.

MATERIA MEDICA:The featured herb of the month is cayenne. Please bring some information to share, medicinally or culinary, or any special way that you use capsicum.

RSVP is appreciated so we will have an idea of attendance

CHAI Events:

Nature Walks

Saturday, September 27 - Third in our series of three Nature Walks Local CHAI member Pam Quayle will lead us on a walk through the Bamforth Land Trust Preserve in Haddam. More information!

Lecture

Saturday, October 25 - Dr Jody Noe to lecture on Cherokee Medicine

Bring a potluck dish to share for lunch, as this will take place from 10 am to 2 pm. Location has not yet been secured. Current plans are to request a donation of $15.00 for non members, with the event being free for CHAI members. Details are being worked out, notices will be sent when finalized.

Membership Reminder: The membership year begins June 1. Renewals between now and June will be treated as a 2008 memberships. Click here for information and a membership form. Our membership chair, Pam Quayle reminds us that dues which were payable in June, are still being accepted by our Treasurer, Gail Nogas.

Notes From the Membership Chair Pam Quayle

Your membership entitles you to Member-2-Member discounts which are offered by several of our business members. The list of members that offer the discount will soon be on the 2008 directory of members in the members only area of the website and the password will be sent to you. The directory will be on the website sometime in September.

Our organization is all volunteer and therefore is only as strong and exciting as our members make it. We hope that you will participate and share your experience and knowledge with the rest of us. Some of the ways you can do that are:

• Write an article for the newsletter. It is published four times annually, mailed to members and is available on our website. Please respect that the work to put the newsletter together is done by busy volunteers - edit and run a spell check on what you write before sending it off.

• Join a committee.

• Organize or host a program.

• Send information on programs you are sponsoring or other events that would interest our members for inclusion in the newsletter, egroup or website.

• Share your ideas of speakers or programs that you would like to see or present. What herbs or topics would you like to see discussed at the monthly meetings?

Our website is www.ctherb.org

Our eGroup is http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CHA/

Contact information for all officers and committee chairs is on the website and in the newsletter. Please contact us with any ideas, comments, questions or concerns. I hope to see you at an upcoming event.

CHAI Needs You

There are many opportunities and challenges in store for the membership in 2009. It may well prove to be a very auspicious time...new beginnings, new ideas, perhaps even new directions, but always the same mission! As our November annual meeting rapidly approaches, so does the time to select our officers for the coming year, as terms expire in December. Gail Nogas has agreed to maintain her current position as Treasurer and Michele Maclure, our Vice President, has offered to accept the position of President. Thanks to both of these hardworking ladies for their time and dedication.

Currently, the positions of Vice President and Secretary are awaiting candidates for the coming year. Please email either Michele: michelemaclure@hotmail.com or Gail: sagewand1@aol.com if you are willing to serve. Please be mindful also, that several committees will need willing staff, and some will need chairpersons.

The next issue of the CT Thymes will be the last one for this editor. Certainly someone out there is willing to take on this responsibility. Also, Sandy Gallup wishes to turn over the responsibility for the mailings to someone else. Email Carole Miller at topmost@worldnet.att.net

©2001-2008 All Media - Connecticut Herb Association, Inc. - P O Box 310491 - Newington, CT 06131