RE: plant societies vs. dwindling memberships

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Just over 10 years ago I started gardening and irises were my first
craze. I joined up lots of iris societies, and now I'm life time member
of a couple of them.

A few years ago I joined another society, the Pacific Bulb Society,
which is absolutely amazing. They're bulb/seed exchange is simply
incredible.

And this year I find my interests diversifying even more.... carnivorous
plants & gesneriads (think African violets & their kin). And now I'm
starting to understand why plant societies frequently complain about
diminishing memberships. It gets expensive!

I know I'm stating the obvious, and to so many of you this (all of you?)
this must be old news. But for the first time I see myself wanting to
join these new societies to learn about these new plant groups. And to
justify it, cutting back on ones I've been a member of for 10+ years.
Strange... I never expected I'd be in a situation like this myself.

The other thing that strikes me is how amazingly cool some other plant
societies websites are... and how I could take some of their ideas and
put them into my sites (SIGNA and ASI). Seed exchanges and plant sales
are definitely the trick to seducing new members and keeping old ones, I
think.

*Speaking of.............. please make lots of crosses and send your
seeds into SIGNA and ASI for their seed exchanges!*

Thanks!
Dennis in Cincinnati (where it might hit 90 today)