Stimulating interest at the local level

In response to a request for ideas about running an iris club.  Here are
my thoughts on experience here in Ottawa.

I am expected to take over as president of our local rock garden society
in a couple of weeks.  I have not been a member for too long but have
been impressed by its success.  These are it major features:-

1. it meets the first Saturday in each month in the afternoon from
September to May inclusive

2. it has two plant sales a year, spring and fall, where there is an
auction of the rare plants before the open sale.  The auction can raise
quite a lot of money - $175 for one seedpod of a flowering tree which
was to be sold as a whole and was finally sold as in two seed batches. 
($17 a pair!).  Now, some of the buyers are bringing back the seedlings
for the auction.  The sale is a bit of a bun fight and is over in about
1.5 minutes.  We label each pot with a coloured stick in order to speed
up the collection of money.

3. each meeting is divided into a talk followed by a coffee break and
then a show-and-tell with or without official business.  the latter is
kept to a minimum with our AGM lasting no more than 15 minutes.

4. much of the success is because we have excellent speakers who come
from around the world. We pay them very little and one of the executive
puts them up during their visit.  Some are paid by the North American
Rock Garden Society to tour the continent.  For example, a Welsh expert
on mountain plant ecology is coming in early August. Why does the AIS
not do the same thing.  The result of having excellent speakers is that
our membership is growing very rapidly - about 250 now - and they travel
a long way to attend.  In fact, one couple come from the US to all
meetings, which is about an hour and a quarter.

5.  During the coffee break, we have a free library, coffee, etc.,
cookies, and a raffle.  The latter is important as it raises about
$100/meeting. (5 tickets for $2).  The raffle is for things that have
been donated by the members, eg plants, and by nurseries, shops, etc.

6. The funds are good, despite the short time the society has been in
existence.  The raffle brings in nearly $1000/year and the auctions
nearly $4000.  Membership is $15-20 for an individual or a couple.

7.  we undertake a lot of free publicity for our meetings.

8. finally, we maintain the local rock garden in the Department of
Agriculture gardens.  This is quite a chore as the government has cut
the budget dramatically and the staff, particularly the people who know
what they are doing, very heavily.  We weed and try to find a way to
improve the overall management but this is difficult as the government
cannot decide what to do over the long term.

These are the main features of an excellent society which has generated
an active and enthusiastic membership.  I am hoping to develop new ideas
to build on this base and would welcome any new ideas that would be
worth trying.

Ian
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