Based on the star symbols used on the service flag, the term “Blue Star” has come into use in the United States as a reference to having a family member in active military service. The first garden club in America was founded in January 1891 by The Ladies Garden Club of Athens, Georgia. On May 1, 1929, 13 federated states became charter members at an organizational meeting in Washington, D.C. In 1935, the National Garden Clubs established headquarters at Rockefeller Center in New York City. A permanent headquarters building in St. Louis was dedicated May 10, 1958. They organize, support, arrange, and deliver educational and school programs along with a variety of resources to support horticultural and environmental activities. They sponsor many networking opportunities and special projects in which members can participate in order to be of service and help communities on a local, regional, national and international level.