Re: REF: iris program

On Dec 13, 2007, at 5:47 PM, ChatOWhitehall@aol.com wrote:

> You may wish to consider that they have worked very hard on developing 
>  their
> program and might enjoy getting out and giving it to groups as part of 
>  their
> personal AIS experience. As for widely available, I believe they have 
> been
> most willing to travel, and have even presented it to an international
> audience in Australia.

I in no way have any desire to trespass on the Lowe's program details 
or to impede their lecture pursuits.  If they do not wish to share 
their program with the AIS slide committee, they are certainly under no 
obligation to do so.  They are, however, invited to do so if they so 
choose and see merit in so doing.

The reason I agreed to volunteer on the AIS slide committee is because 
I am eager to see a wide variety of educational and entertaining 
programs available to clubs large and small, as well as to individuals, 
internationally, and economically.  I would like to some day see a 
broad library of program topics on CD accessible to large iris clubs 
with substantial treasuries and to tiny local garden clubs with program 
budgets of $10 per meeting.  In fact, I want to ESPECIALLY make these 
programs available to small, financially struggling garden clubs 
because that is where we will find the gardeners with budding iris 
interest (or perhaps even not yet budded) - our potential irisarians 
and future AIS and Section members.

These small, local garden clubs will not be flying the Lowe's or anyone 
else cross country to do an hour program on irises, but they might rent 
or buy an AIS CD program to show at a meeting.  If it's a good program, 
they might even go out and buy some irises, might join an iris society, 
might enter an iris show, might save a critically endangered historic 
iris from the abandoned homestead down the road, might, might, might 
...

> I just think it might be well to consider  whether AIS
> needs to cover ground that is already being adequately  addressed.

I doubt if the AIS could cover any topic related to irises that hasn't 
been covered by one, one dozen, or one hundred people in talks to 
garden groups around the world.  Should AIS, then, abandon its mission 
to educate the public about irises altogether?  Or should the AIS, 
instead, recognize the value in offering as wide a variety of 
educational programs as possible, knowing that no two programs will be 
identical even if some of their information does overlap - knowing also 
that promotion of irises through such programs benefits all of us who 
love irises, one way or the other.

>  I'd be most
> unhappy if it turned out someone had started to develop a  program 
> similar to
> one I had worked hard on and enjoyed giving as part of my AIS  
> member's duty
> to educate.

That's truly unfortunate.  Are you suggesting that only those clubs and 
societies who invite you personally to speak at their meetings should 
have access to the information, or even to similar information, to that 
presented in your programs?
>
> Not to mention it is probably not wise to create an  unfortunate 
> impression
> of tailgating.

The impressions of those who might consider the AIS Educational CD 
project to be tailgating are not the impressions that concern me.  I am 
interested in impressing the gardening public with irises, pure and 
simple.  I have no intention of tailgating anyone.  I intend to drive 
forward with fresh eyes, fresh formats, and expanded availability and 
promotion of the Genus Iris in all its glory to as broad an audience as 
possible.

Laurie

---------------
laurie@lfrazer.com
Shadowood - http://lfrazer.com
The Irises of Shadowood - http://lfrazer.com/iris/
Wallplates With Panache - http://lfrazer.com/wallplates/

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