Re: Building an Iris Club (was:Enjoying the list in Nebraska)

In a message dated 97-03-06 02:51:07 EST, you write:

<<  Sad to say, our group is down to a very 
 struggling 9 members.  We've lost several the last couple of years.  Have 
 any of you in local societies faced this challenge?  Any advise?  >>

Here is one idea.  If there is a gardening column in a local newspaper, the
best investment an iris club can make in my opinion is 1) contact the garden
writer and tell them about your local society, your Region, and AIS.  2) Have
the club pay for the garden writer's membership in AIS. 3) Furnish the garden
writer information he/she can use in the column 4) Ask the garden writer if
he/she grows irises, and tell about a couple of your favorites---and offer to
give him/her a start of each 5) Be direct in asking to have a few article on
irises (and about AIS and the local club)  offering to help provide
information  6) Ask the garden writer to put information in the column when
you have a show or a local iris sale. 7) Invite the writer to attend a local
iris club meeting---and make sure you have a top-notch program with slides if
he or she comes and do not let the club conduct more than a few minutes of
business stuff at such a meeting. Don't bore the garden writer. (You will
note that some of my suggestions involve what might be interpreted as
"bribery".  Well, this type of "bribery" is how businesses succeed in the
U.S.) 

Oh, yes, call the garden writer with some interesting information on irises
every month or so.  One area that garden writer will jump at is reblooming
irises----include the names and sources of cultivars that rebloom well in
your area (such as, dare I say it, VIOLET MUSIC!)  [Yes, I continue to be
shameless, but I know that this cultivar reblooms well in Nebraska because it
was a numbered seedling at the Omaha AIS convention and I got reports that
the year before the convention it rebloomed in every garden where it was a
guest---that is one of the reasons I decided to register and introduce it.]  

If there is no gardening column in a local newspaper, call the newspaper and
offer to write an article or two on irises (or if you don't feel up to the
writing, find someone in the local club who does).  This will work with
smaller local newspapers because they operate on a tight budget and are
always looking for fillers.  And also funish a few good pictures with any
article.  Hope you find this helpful.  

Clarence Mahan in VA
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