Re: AIS: membership

I joined AIS and have loved it ever since.  Matter of fact, I subscribed to a
LIFE membership this year.  I truly enjoy the AIS Bulletins and the
storefront, and the people involved in AIS and our region.  The ads in the
back of the bulletin are a helpful resource, the photos of the new intros all
in once place, the articles by hybridizers the news and announcements, and the
articles written about each garden at the convention, the symposium, the
winners of awards, I just eat it all up.  I also enjoy the electronic
checklists and names lists.
AIS also keeps my finger on the pulse of the iris world nationally, and
internationally, as well as the future generation.

Even though there is a lot of information online about irises now, I still
enjoy the benefits of the AIS organization (including IRIS-TALK, IRIS-PHOTOS)
and wouldn't want to give it up.

I am afraid that if people think that they don't need to renew or join the AIS
membership because of all the information they can receive elsewhere, that
maybe AIS will start to charge or discontinue the IRIS-TALK and IRIS-PHOTOS,
or make it for members only.  I don't really know, but John would have a
better idea.  Still and all, the email lists here do perpetuate the knowledge
of irises to the public, which is a goal of the Society.

As for the iris shows mentioned... I have never entered an iris show with the
competition in mind, and I have won some wonderful awards, including Best
Specimen of Show, Best Design of Show, Best of Section, the Bronze metal, and
numerous red, white, and blue ribbons.  I have always entered the show with as
many stalks as I could in order to have plenty of bloom to educate the public
in irises. With that in mind, it doesn't matter what else I got.  Although it
was a THRILL beyond to have won some of the top awards.

One thing I found interesting and fun was to enter a bunch of stalks and then
clerk the show.  You get to hear all the judges discussing the stalks and hear
what they say about your stalks.  Since I am in training to be a judge, it was
very helpful too.

It is very hard to keep a straight face though, if two of your stalks are the
only two left in order to pick the Best Specimen of Show....

Patrick Orr
Phoenix, AZ  Zone 9
USA


----- Original Message -----
  From: Linda Mann<l*@volfirst.net>
  To: iris- talk<i*@hort.net>
  Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 4:24 PM
  Subject: [iris] Re: AIS: membership


  I joined AIS because I saw an ad in Schreiners' catalog and at the time
  was <starved> for information about my favorite flower.  There was no
  local club, and I didn't know about iris shows.

  With all the iris information and fellowship available online now, I
  don't know whether or not I would see benefit of joining either AIS or
  other iris organizations.  "Local" club meetings are too far, no direct
  route to get there, through fairly heavy traffic and they meet in the
  evenings.  I hate to drive, especially in the dark, & it's over an
  hour's drive.

  Already being a member of AIS and TBIS, I like being part of these
  larger groups, I know a lot of members, either in person from our
  regional winter potluck meetings or from online discussions, and back in
  the pre-internet days, from very small but encouraging amounts of
  correspondence - notes on plant orders, especially from Jim McWhirter
  and later from Keith Keppel when he moved and lost so many of his
  seedlings in the new climate.  These parent organizations are where the
  truly iris obsessed have a home.

  I don't enjoy competitive shows, but others thrive on them.  I'm
  starting to dread getting things dug for our annual rhizome sales, but
  we have to support the shows somehow, and it is fun to hang out with the
  club members at sales and educate new enthusiasts.

  I'm not sure where the lit candle is in all this?

  --
  Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
  East Tennessee Iris Society
<http://www.korrnet.org/etis<http://www.korrnet.org/etis>>
  American Iris Society web site
<http://www.irises.org<http://www.irises.org/>>
  talk archives:
<http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/<http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>>
  photos archives:
<http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/<http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos
/>>
  online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com<http://www.irisregister.com/>>

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