A demonstration and a celebration

Islamabad : The Floral Art Society Magnolia Chapter meeting was held in Serena with a teaching demonstration by one of the doyens of the society, Farhat Zaman, the title of which was, "Pictorial Nature.”

She demonstrated in detail the step by step process of collage work using twigs, dried plant seeds, flowers, bark, etc., while with her guidance four members, namely Shakila Khalil, Farah Khursheed, Sarwat Aslam, and Parvana each made a collage using onion and garlic peels, dry fruit shells, etc. Members applauded and appreciated their efforts and the event turned out to be a fun-filled occasion along with a great learning experience for all.

The meeting also included the celebration of the success of Magnolia members in two national events which took place recently. The FASP Lahore Chapter celebrated its 25th anniversary in which members from all the six chapters participated and took part in the competitions; workshops; outdoor activities; a night of fun and a fundraising gala, so the fact that the Magnolia Chapter’s talented members bagged twelve prizes was celebrated.

The second event was that FASP Karachi Chapters, Jasmine and Gardenia, celebrated the 50th Anniversary of FASP on March 26th. The FAS began its activities as the Karachi Floral Club (KFC) in Karachi 50 years ago, initiated by Maria Lavengham, Shahida Khan, Kaukab Shabaz, and two others, of which two founders - Shahida and Kaukab - were present on this auspicious occasion.

The three-day event had competitions; demonstrations; a gala fundraiser and hosted dinners and lunches at the beach. Magnolia again shone brightly as it bagged quite a few awards including the trophy for the ‘Best in the Show.’ It was quite an emotional moment as one of the members, Huma Ehsan, received her trophy from the two living legends.

This Trophy is named after Maria Lavengham, who before returning to England asked the others to sell her emerald ring and make a trophy to be awarded as a prize in flower arranging. It was named after her and is given for the ‘Best in Show’ only.