GOALS
The purpose of the program of Landscape Design of the National Council of State Garden Clubs from its beginning in 1952 has been to educate garden club members and the public to know good landscape architectural practice and to serve as guardians and critics of the natural and the man-made landscape. In 1958 Garden Club leaders and visionary educators in landscape architecture agreed the time had arrived for an educational program in landscape architectural design to be provided by National Council for its members in order to expedite attainment of the objective of this program. As a result, a series of Landscape Design Courses was planned and approved by National Council.
OBJECTIVES
- Develop a greater appreciation and love for the natural countryside which is our good fortune to have as our environs.
- Develop a greater sense of pride in our private gardens and the general environment.
- Make changes in our surroundings so that they will be more beautiful, useful, convenient, ecologically sound and more easily maintained.
- Stimulate interest in the phases of urban and suburban planning that affect all of our lives.
- Develop a large number of landscape critics to serve in the decision making areas of public life.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN CRITIC REQUIREMENTS
A member of National Council of State Gardn Clubs, after satisfactorily completing the series of four courses, may apply for a “Landscape Design Critic’s Certificate” which is signed by the President of National Council of State Garden Clubs. Action must be initiated by the person in conjunction with the State Chairman in completion of a series. It is not automatically done. State Federations may purchase from National Council Headquarters “Application forms for National Landscape Design Critic's Certificate.” This program has now been approved for credit under the Master Gardener umbrella.
Application for the “Landscape Design Critic”s Certificate” MUST BE MADE WITHIN SIX (6) MONTHS FOLLOWING the successful completion of the series of four courses. This application is the responsibility of the State Chairman of Landscape Design and must be signed by this chairman. This application must be processed by the chairman of the last course attended by the applicant and mailed to the National Chairman of Accrediting by the State Chairman.
The National Chairman of Accrediting check each application against the student's record card. It it is correct, the Accrediting Chairman signs it and mails it to the National Council Headquarters.
Landscape Design Critic's Certificated are mailed by National Council Headquarters to the State Chairman for distribution to the students. A Landscape Design Critic's Certificate signifies the satisfactory completion of the four Landscape Design Study Courses, but it not to be construed as representative of any professional standing.
The information learned in the courses is broad enough to motivate all people for creative analysis of the areas of responsibility, yet specific enough to stimulate localized action for the environment by informed, concerned citizens. Such informed persons are needed to serve intelligently s members of park boards, highway commissions, school grounds committees, etc.; to collaborate with members of the design professions in planning grounds of public buildings, parks and roadsides; and to use their influence with public officials to insist that competent professionals in landscape architectural design be employed to plan public outdoor areas.
RENEWAL OF THE LANDSCAPE DESIGN CRITIC’S CERTIFICATE
In order to maintain a Landscape Design Critic's Certificate, a Critic must renew it within five yars from the date of the Certificate. Refreshers may be taken for credit annually after the certificate is one year old. The certificate will not be renewed if the Refresher Course is taken after the Certificate is five years old.
To maintain a Critic's Certificate, a member must attend all lectures of Landscape Design Study Course, preferably courts IV, and have the registration card punched for each lecture of the course; or attend all lectures of an approved conference, forus or other approved educational activities that are compatible in scope to a regular course (11 hours). All approved programs for refresher credit must include a minimum of three hours on design. Certain academic courses taken in recognized professional curricula may also be used as refresher courses. Other than the regular Landscape Design Study Courses, all other programs must have the approval of the Chairman of Landscape Design for NCSGC. Such programs shall be requested ten (10) weeks prior to the date of the activity and be approved by the National Chairman of Landscape Design.
All courses and programs/activities which are to be submitted for refresher credit must be registered through National Headquarters following the same registration procedures as for a regular school ($10 fee). One copy of the program including names of participants must accompany the request and be sent to the National Chairman of Landscape Design.
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