Re: I.C.A. Birthday Party Tour

The only memorable thing Oral Roberts ever said was;

"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still"

If a hosta grower (anyone who grows hosta) is not willing to register that
hosta then they cannot be forced to register. I.C.A. will only create 2
camps divided on this issue.

If this campaign by some to overthrow the I.C.A. is successful then what
will we do when those currently in power or those who are in power later
attempt to institute another program at the executive level.

Let me describe a couple of things that will happen: 
1 We won't fight as hard because we'll be tired.
2 Those in power will be better at exercising that power.

The I.C.A. is not the problem, it is the power of the offices of the AHS.
Take away the power, vote and live with the result until it comes up for
vote again. Debate and vote, debate and vote and evolve on an empirical
path to a better place.

>Robins,
>
>It's at least a year old now. But is  that what   we want? I say NO!
>
>What is I.A.C?  It is a policy/program dreamed up but one or more people
>to do something....get hostas registered at all costs.
>
>WHY was it dreamed up? Who knows? Probably because a new President
>thought  he must have a new direction...somewhere to go. The "reason for
>being"  of the I.A.C. may be that the American Hosta Society is the
>Registration Authority for hostas ...so let's get all hostas registered!
>Come Hell or High Water! Register or else! say the rules which become
>the new hosta invironment. Clean out all of the hostas not registered!
>Don't sell them! Don't take photos of them! Don't write articles about
>them! Don't take them to Hosta Conventions...we don't want them even if
>you give them to us! You can't sell them at vending tables, you can't
>buy them...not even in your rooms! We are MINIMIZING them, haven't you
>heard? We are "HONORING" those who obey the new rules we made up. Don't
>anyone say it out loud but we are Not Honoring anyone who doesn't obey
>the rules...in fact, this may actually be like dishonoring those  who
>might get out of line and not wish to obey the rules. Thus by the rules,
>we have re-created a new Society WHERE THERE IS NOT SOCIAL JUSTICE. It
>is no longer democratic. It is no longer even "AMERICAN". The opposite
>of social equality is snobbery. Now we have a Society  that is split
>down the middle...with those who want social justice on one side and
>those   who don't allow it on the other. Shall we name this side the
>Unamerican Registered Hosta Society? and the side which believes  in
>democratic principles the American Registered/Unregistered Hosta
>Society? That is what we will have if we redesign our policies to fit
>our new, but faulty  notion that registration is more important than the
>Society itself.
>
>Could more benign policies have been developed  to get 100 percent
>cooperation from members? A big YES. More benign means to establish an
>environment where things happen freely on their own because our
>membership supports things that make common sense....like an open
>Society where there is freedom of choice and  a high level of
>volunteerism. Good ideas and improved proceedures is what we need and
>want...in an atmosphere where cooperation is natural, not an atmosphere
>of rigid rules which punish members if rules are not followed. We want
>an atmosphere where information flows freely and quickly to benefit
>all...an atmosphere without conflict...an atmosphere of friendship.
>
>Instead , the I.A.C. has created what we don't want. It has stiffled
>cooperation, volunteerism, friendship, freedom of choice and creativity.
>These characteristics have fled to other activities outside the AHS in
>the form of individual databases, pixlists, Hosta Photo libraries, sport
>wheel committees, list servers and other volunteer groups which are
>filling vacuums left by the restrictive environment created by new,
>faulty AHS policies. If the AHS wants these talents back, it must alter
>the environment to make it more friendly.
>
>As a Society, we took the wrong turn. Our Board of Directors has not
>served us ( the membership) well. But it has done well for "us" , the
>royal us, meaning the Board. Time for slamming on the brakes....
>screeching to a panic stop. Get out the roadmap. We are lost. How do we
>find our way back to where we were? Where did we make the wrong turn? I
>remember...at the intersection of IAC and the AHS Robin, both with their
>restrictive rules and lack of social equality. We must find our way back
>to democracy within the Society.
>
>(to be continued)
>
>Jim Hawes
>
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>
Butch Ragland So. Indiana zone 5

"Conflict is as addictive as nicotine, alcohol, drugs, etc.
I'm sorry to report that cooperation is not."
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