Re: CAT: TALL TALK
- Subject: Re: CAT: TALL TALK
- From: R* S*
- Date: Sun, 14 Mar 1999 11:01:03 -0600
From: "Ruth Simmons" <ruth@sonetcom.com>
THANKS to Walter Moores for his kind comments on TALL TALK. Our cover for
this issue was done by a kind offer from Rick Ernst, Cooley's Gardens. He
offered to get the cover done when he had his color catalog run. So he
contacted several commercial growers and they contributed on the project. It
did not cost the TBIS any money. I keep a cover by my computer & when I get
low or depressed, I can remember there are kind & generous people out there.
Phil Williams and Ron Mullin are chiefly responsible for getting the
wonderful articles and it is a joy to work with them. I feel privileged to
do the typing on the newsletter. Phil is a pro at proofreading. His positive
attitude of leading TBIS and bringing out the best ideas in people is great.
The Tall Bearded Iris Society is just what we have been saying we are. We
want to promote the distribution, cultivation, hybridization and development
of tall bearded iris.
I feel the American Iris Society is an umbrella for all classes of iris. It
may have been founded as a tall bearded iris society. But it has now
branched out to embrace ALL classes. And to say it is a tall bearded society
is an insult to the other classes of iris.
At the spring AIS Board Meeting in Denver an advisory committee was formed
to study the proposal of the TBIS petition to the AIS Board to become a
Cooperating Society. This committee met and reported back to the Board that
TBIS should reconsider several aspects of their petition. Scott Aitken (who
was not at this board meeting) reported to the IRIS TALK list that Phil
Williams, TBIS President, was present and took the information back to his
board. This statement was untrue and misleading. EVERY member of the TBIS
Board except one was indeed present at that board meeting and heard the
advisory committee report for themselves. Phil met with the TBIS Board in
Denver and they drafted the short reply to the AIS Board thanking them for
their consideration. Several TBIS members tried to meet with this committee
but were turned down. Not one person on that committee tried to discuss any
of the TBIS petition with the TBIS President.
TBIS has said from its very beginning, it wants to reach all people
interested in tall bearded iris. The present AIS Bylaws prevent a person
from being a member of a section unless they belong to AIS. At the fall '98
AIS Board meeting, a committee was appointed to study section membership and
necessary AIS Bylaw changes. Bobbie Shepard is the chairman of this
committee. If you have any thoughts pertaining to this, you should contact
her. She will be reporting back to the AIS Board at the spring meeting in
OKC.
Most of the people involved in TBIS have long been associatted with AIS. Ron
Mullin, TBIS Business Manager, has held almost every office in AIS and can
quote you bulletin page # on reference to sections and cooperating society
information. Phil Williams, TBIS President, was the Editor of our AIS
Handbook for Judges & Show Officials (1985). Phil was awarded the AIS
Distinguished Service Award in 1997. Kitty Lack , TBIS Director, has given
years of her life helping her husband, C.J. is selling AIS Publications. I
could go on down the list. But bottom line is: TBIS only wants its fair
share of the family table. They respect the other sections and cooperating
societies. They are not trying to cut the table legs off. A lot of folks can
tell you what TBIS should or should not be doing. But most of these folks
have not been to any meetings or formation of TBIS.
Now what I would like to do most, is spend my time & energy on enjoying
iris.
This is the end of my Sunday sermon and I will now put my flak jacket on.
Ruth B. Simmons
AIS Secretary
TBIS Editoral Staff
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