Re: Speaking out about AIS Matters
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: Speaking out about AIS Matters
  • From: J* K* <k*@swbell.net>
  • Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:50:40 -0700 (PDT)
Betty,

The Emembership is actually a "real" membership with all of the rights
and 
privileges of the traditional membership that's been around a long time -
the 
only difference is that Emembers do not receive a paper copy of the
Bulletin.  
So, if a person who is (or wants to be) a judge has only an
Emembership, that's 
just fine.

The AIS Bylaws were amended as of May 30,
2011 recognizing emembership as a type 
of membership. Here's the wording of
Article III, Section 2f of the amended 
bylaws.

Electronic membership shall
be the same as other
forms of memberships with the exception that an 
emember
shall not receive the bulletin in a printed
form but shall have access to it
electronically. This
e-membership may also include other electronic
services
which are unique to it. Members may
choose to have both e-membership and
another
form of membership to receive both printed and
electronic services.
Holding two types of
membership shall not duplicate voting privileges.
E-members shall also receive the new member's
packet and other information
electronically.
Electronic-membership shall be renewable
annually"
 
We
certainly hope that the traditional membership continues to be a popular
options for existing and new members, but there are some who want to have both
types of membership (such as I do) so that they can access iris register, past
issues of bulletins, etc., while other members prefer electronic
communications.  
 
As for loss of revenue when regular membership switch to
emembership - it's 
somewhat mitigated by the lower cost of printing fewer
bulletins - one of the 
largest expenses AIS has.
 
Judy
________________________________
From: Betty Ann Gunther
<bettyg@cybermesa.com>
To: iris@hort.net
Sent: Mon, August 20, 2012 11:16:10
AM
Subject: [iris] Speaking out about AIS Matters

I would like to speak out
about another AIS matter.
I agree that there are problems here and there in
the AIS, but in general, I am 
a great fan of attending the society's
conventions and receiving the 
publications.  I haven't done very well with
Florentine Silk since the first 
year I bought it, but I always thought that
was just me.  Maybe not, but, in 
general, Dykes Medal winners and Wister
Medal Winners etc. grow like weeds for 
me.  I have a glorious bunch of
Queen's Circle and many others.  And I am from 
New Mexico which is far from
the ideal iris environment.
    And I admit the pricing of E-membership and
AIS membership has caused a bit 
of a stink in my club.  I think it is, oddly
enough, the name E-membership, that 
caused all the trouble.  In the past I
have always joined both the AIS and the 
Iris Registration.  This year they
raised the price of the IR and included 
more.  I didn't really care much
about the electronic copy of the bulletin 
because the paper one is so lovely,
but I thought it was a good thing to not 
have to save the bulletins for year
after year.
    The problem comes from the name E-membership.  That name made
people think 
it was a reduced price membership which I don't believe it was
intended to be.  
For instance, I am sure a judge must still be a member of
the AIS and that an 
E-Membership will not do.  But people thought of
E-membership as a membership 
and now want the E-Membership to be everything
the AIS membership is.  The real 
reason -- I am guessing-- for the
E-Membership is to make a little more money 
for the expansion of AIS's online
presence which I believe is a good and even 
necessary thing, if we are to
survive as an organization.
    And as I understand it, reducing the price of
AIS Membership was never what 
the society intended since it is having
financial difficulties.
    I would like to commend AIS for thinking in a more
modern way. Recently I 
have discovered that when I do a Google search, I
often hit our Iris Wiki.  This 
is a very good thing because the information
in it is far more accurate than 
what I used to get when I did Google searches
for an iris. The wiki is 
completely free to all and is financed by money we
get from dues and 
E-membership I suspect.
    Why should I care about other
people who aren't members getting free 
information about iris?  Well, because
it could very well be a source of new 
members which is the life blood of
AIS.  Not everyone knows there is an Iris 
Society.  The wiki makes that clear
and it mentions that it is built by members 
and tells people how to join the
society.  It is great advertising for us as 
well as a useful tool.
    I
speak as a person who came to the AIS because of its web presence.  I 
could
not find my local iris society because it didn't have much of a web 
presence
and wasn't listed in the phone book so I joined AIS and went to the
Convention.  Not only was I bowled over by the magnificent flowers, I met up
with the members of my local iris society, of which I am now a member.  I
believe it is in our best interests to reach as many possible members as we
can.  This wiki, and other AIS projects, are no doubt financed by both the
E-Membership and the AIS dues.  It seems to me starting the E-Membership was a
far better option than raising dues.  That way, people who don't want to spend
the extra money, don't have to, but those who do can.  And the price is only
$5 
more than the old IR membership.
    The only problem I see with it is the
name.  It would probably be better to 
call it the Electronic society --like
the Tall Bearded Society -- or the 
Research Branch or some such so people
won't think it is a membership.
    I have belonged to many membership run
organizations and I think the AIS, 
with a few glitches here and there, does a
wonderful job.  And I don't do very 
well with some Dykes Medal winners
either.  The solution might be to recruit 
more members and judges in your
area, though I can't help but think people 
living where bearded irises grow
best will always dominate the AIS just because  
of their numbers -- just as I
suspect most of the members of the Louisiana Iris 
Society live in or near
Louisiana.  And Louisiana irises don't grow for me in 
New Mexico, but I don't
mind that.
      Sorry to be so long winded, but I just thought the AIS needed
to be given 
its due.
Betty Gunther
Los Alamos, New Mexico
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