--- In i*@yahoogroups.com, ChatOWhitehall@... wrote:
> This is just nonsense, of course. People who hybridize for a living may be obliged to bear the facts of commodification in mind,
> but the mission of the Society is to educate, not dance to the tune of the vox populi.
That was quite an unkind rejoinder, and has little to do with the point I was actually making - that awards only make sense when there is meaningful competition. The society's mission to educate can be fulfilled in many different ways, and bestowing awards is not always the most appropriate one. If only 2 or 3 irises of a given type are introduced each year, how does having an elaborate awards system for them educate anyone?
Tom
