Southwark / Queen Village Community Garden, Est. 1976
311-333 Christian Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Mailing Address:
Southwark / Queen Village Community Garden
℅ Queen Village Neighbors Association
P.O. Box 63763, Philadelphia PA 19147

Mission Statement:
Southwark / Queen Village Community Garden (SWQVCG), created in 1976, is a space for public gardening, creating and connecting communities and nurturing bio-diversity. Southwark / Queen Village Community Garden is managed as a garden park by the Neighborhood Gardens Association / A Philadelphia Land Trust and by the gardeners.

BY-LAWS

I. MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
1. First priority will be given to Queen Village Residents: Delaware River to 6th Street; south side Lombard St. to the north side Washington Avenue.
2. Applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis. Order of the waiting list is determined first by residency and then by date of application. The Garden Chair(s) maintains the waiting list. The waiting list will be maintained through March of the following year.
3. Applicants are accepted according to plot availability. Current gardeners have first preference to apply for a vacant plot. Unless approved by the membership, no household may have more than one plot. The Garden Chair(s) will maintain the plot list. Only the Garden Chair(s) may assign or transfer plots.
4. Registration fee per plot is set by the membership of the garden. The membership fee is $15 and $10 for seniors of age sixty or older.
5. Each gardeners is required to pay a registration fee, sign the SWQV by-laws and, if required, the Neighborhood Gardening Association (NGA) agreement and register for two weeks of watering duty. Each gardeners is to renew his/her membership annually by completing the above requirements at the March meeting and in any event no later than the close of the April meeting. A gardener will be bound by these by-laws until the gardeners renews his/her membership or his/her membership ends.

II. MEETINGS
1. Meetings are held on the second Monday of every month frp, 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, except the months of January and February. If the second Monday needs to be cancelled, the meeting will take place on the second Tuesday of the month.
2. Location of meetings October through March will be at an indoor site; from April through September, meetings will be held in the Garden.
3. Each gardener must attend at least five meetings per season, March through November of the same year, to retain membership.
a. Attending less than five results in one warning.
b. Absence: any gardeners unable to attend at least five meetings due to issues outside of his/her control must inform his/her Row Captain.

III. CLEANUPS
1. Regular garden clean-ups are held the Saturday following a garden meeting.
2. Each gardener must attend at least five regular clean-ups each season to retain membership. Gardeners are expected to attend special clean-ups as part of his/her membership.
3. For those who cannot complete five regular cleanups a task list and sign up sheet is posted in the garden shed. Gardeners are to record his/her completed tasks and time to be counted towards the regular clean-up requirement on the sign up sheet. Two hours of tasks equal one regular clean-up.
a. Attending less than five regular clean-ups or equivalent task time results in one warning.
b. Absence: any gardener unable to attend at least five regular clean-ups due to issues outside of his/her control must inform his/her Row Captain.

IV. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
1. Officers are elected to a two-year term at the March meeting. The holding of an office is limited to two consecutive terms.
2. Each gardener gets one vote.
3. The officers are: Chair(s), Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary and Recording Secretary.

V. ROW CAPTAINS
1. One or two gardeners per row will be appointed by the Chairs to serve as Row Captain(s) for a term of two years.
2. Row captain duties include:
a. Making sure each gardeners on his/her row keeps his/her garden plot free of weeds and debris and paths are clear and weed free.
b. Making sure no items are stored in any path (except watering cans).
c. Notifying gardeners in your row without email service of all meetings, clean-ups, and other activities by phone.
e. Resolving gardeners concerns and grievances of bringing them to the attention of the officers if unable to resolve.
f. Coordinating and leading one clean-up per season.
g. Reporting the general health of the row to the Chair(s) on a regular basis.

VI. GARDEN COUNCIL
1. The officers, Row Captains, and the immediate past Garden Chair(s) will constitute the Garden Council.
2. The Garden Council responsibilities are set forth throughtout the by-laws.
3. The Garden Council will serve as the by-laws committee.
a. A quorum of five committee members is required to pass any by-law recommendation or revision.
b. By-loaw amendments may be proposed by any gardener at any membership meeting or given to any officer for consideration by the committee.

VII. GARDEN CRITERIA
1. Each garden plot must be cleared and planting begun no later than May 2 or the plot will be forfeited.
2. Each gardener is responsible for mulching, weeding and clearing his/her plot and the paths surrounding it. Each gardener must chip the paths bordering hi/her plot.
3. Each gardener is responsible for maintaining the ‘health’ of his/her plot by removing noxious or invasive plants, sickly plant material, rotting plant materials and/or pest infested plants. Any gardener receiving notice from his/her row captain, the inspection committee or Garden Council of unhealthy conditions in his/her plot must clear the unhealthy conditions within five days of receiving the notice. Plots with serious infestation may be cleared at the discretion of the Garden Council or inspection committee.
4. Absence: Any gardener unable to maintain his/her plot due to circumstances beyond his/her control must inform the Garden Chairs. If you require temporary substitute gardener that is not a garden member, you must request permission from the garden Chairs. Temporary gardeners must abide by the garden by-laws and the NGA agreement.
5. Gardening activity and plant growth must be restricted to each individual’s plot.
6. The Garden Council will determine if any of the common gardens produce, materials, or supplies may be donated or sold. All proceeds will be turned over to the treasury for benefit of the garden only.
7. Harvesting of Common Areas: The Chair of the Orchard Committee will determine the harvest dates of all common area fruiting plants and will notify the membership of harvesting days. Each gardener may pick only enough fruit for a sampling. Please don’t be greedy.

VIII. INSPECTION COMMITTEE
1. Consists of at least three members of the Garden Council, including a minimum of one current officer.
2. The committee will conduct inspections in May, June, July, August, and November to ensure that all plots and aisles are clean, healthy, and free of weeds, infestation, and hazards. Additional inspections may be conducted at the Garden Council’s discretion.
3. The committee will issue a warning to a gardener whose plot or aisle area does not meet criteria and will also notify the appropriate Row Captain. Gardeners are expected to reply immediately to such a warning and make arrangements to have the garden back to standards within five days of the warning.

IX. GENERAL RULES
1. As part of the community, gardeners are invited to participate in garden activities and preparation for special events, such as: Garden Judging, Fundraisers, Festivals, Holiday Party, Special Projects, and Fall BBQ
2. Grievances should be brought to the attention fo the Row Captain. The Row Captain will attempt to resolve grievances and will convey unresolved grievances to the officers for resolution.
3. Removal of harvesting of any beneficial creatures from the garden is prohibited. No digging of worms.
4. Use of non-organic or synthetic pesticides or herbicides by individual gardeners is not permitted. The Garden Council encourages and prefers gardeners to utilize organic and natural gardening methods.
5. Gardeners may not climb trees except at the direction of the Orchard Committee.
6. Gardeners may not disturb, damage or tend to other gardener’s plots unless specifically invited.
7. Guests and children must be accompanied by a gardener and obey the garden by-laws.
8. Pets brought into the garden must be restrained on a leash, kept out of plots and the person responsible must clean up after the pet.
9. Illegal activities within the garden, by a gardener or his/her guests, will result in the gardener’s immediate expulsion.
10. Violation of any of the garden by-laws will result in a warning.
11. Any gardener who does not satisfy the Membership Requirements or receives two warnings is eligible for dismissal. A dismissal requires a majority vote of the current Officers.