The June meeting was held at the Cal State Environmental Studies Area – where the club has established a succulent garden. As usual, we had plenty of good food and good people at the meeting. It was also the first opportunity for some of our newer members to see the garden in person. We were pleased to have the Skillin family back in town for the meeting, it’s been a long time since Terry, Paul, Julia, and Anna were part of our group. Because they had been an active part of this club for such a long time, Paul Skillin and Jennifer Cooley were given some scholarship money to help them out as they head off to college.

The weather was nice and the garden looked good. Let’s hope that this visit to Cal State has gotten us in the spirit to put in more effort to get this garden looking even better when work resumes after the heat subsides. Let’s not forget what a great opportunity Cal State Bakersfield has provided by letting us establish this garden.

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This past meeting was really great, thanks to all who showed up, it was nice to see you again. The awarding of the scholarship was really awesome; it's like my old family sending me on to college. That brings me to something else I owe the club: thank you all for being a second family for me. I don't know how it could be that something like cacti and succulents could bring together such a great group of people, but it did. The group of people who comprise the club is unlike any other group I have seen or been a part of, and I will always cherish the memories which came from being a part of the club; from the intellectual discussions that I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else (partly because hardly anybody anywhere else would know what a Lithops was), as well as the great trips we once went on (for example the great Baja Trip). I always looked forward to all the club's events, and I am very proud to be a recipient of the club's scholarship.

Thank you all for your kindness,
Paul Skillin