AIS: Bored yet? Part IV

From: Irisborer@aol.com

Jay Hudson did a wonderful job in presenting the financial report and planning
a budget that balanced!  The previous Treasurer, Bonnie Nichols, was becoming
overwhelmed in her paying (real life) job and so Jay agreed to take on AIS
Treasurer.  For those who know Jay and Terri Hudson, they are two of the
neatest people you'll ever meet.  We are so fortunate in this Society to have
such a great pool of folks to draw from. And this appointment was inspired,
IMHO.

Now... I told you I had some good news - and this is what it is:  The Board
has decided to move forward in their progress toward an Electronic R & I!!!!
This is where we stand - - -  Many of  you know that a couple of years ago,
Howard Hughes of Michigan got tired with the lack of progress on an electronic
R & I and just sat down one morning and started typing.  When the dust
cleared, he had entered over 40,000 cultivars into a database..... every
single cultivar ever registered... along with hybridizer and type.  He
furthermore entered completed data in on 60% of those cultivars!!!  (Just read
one page of one of those R & I books sometime and you'll be as slack-jawed as
I was when I first learned this).  My region was so impressed, as a matter of
fact, that they immediately voted to make a donation to AIS restricted to this
purpose (not a bad idea if you want to help a pet project along....).  ANYWAY,
there has been discussion since that time on the best approach to take - and
we were losing momentum - until NOW!

The AIS Board has decided to print out a very limited sample of Howard's work,
to be available in Oklahoma.  This first run will be an INDEX, rather than a
complete registration... but will be a giant leap for mankind towards the
dream of an electronic database of Registrations & Introductions.  The Index,
as I understand it, will be a listing of every cultivar - along with the
hybridizer and registration year.  The cultivar can then be referenced to the
proper registration book for more complete information.

Now... understand that the Board will have to take a look first to make sure
this can be released.... but the desire is there and God willing and the creek
don't rise, you should be able to purchase a copy in Oklahoma!!!   (Suggested
price will be in the neighborhood of $10... depending on the cost).  Beyond
that, a committee has been appointed to study the next step and I have to say
that I think we're on the way!

Now before I release you all to continue with your lives.... I'd like to share
with you the Statement of Goals that Clarence Mahan presented on Sunday
morning.  He said that he's given a lot of thought to what he'd like to
accomplish in the next three years... and I liked it so well, I took it down.

Clarence hopes for 5 things:

1.  Better communication - in all aspects of AIS
2.  A better AIS Bulletin - as our 'face' to the world
3.  More support of the hybridizers and growers
4.  Improvements in the AIS Library
5.  Increase in membership (including an increase in affiliates)

He expanded on each goal, and it's obvious to me that his hopes come from the
heart and are not lofty or self-promoting... but rather speak to the future of
AIS.  I told him I intended to put this on the Iris List and he was glad.

So... this is the Board meeting in a nutshell and from this point of view.
You should know that this entire exercise takes about 16 hours.... we met from
8 pm - 11 pm on Friday, 8:30 am till 11 pm (!!) on Saturday and 8 am till 11
am on Sunday.  I fully expected to be face down in my folder by mid-afternoon
on Saturday but it really is interesting and I stayed up way past my bedtime
with no problem at all.  You should also be proud that you have people willing
to do this - at their own cost, for your benefit.  

My trip back to the airport was direct and without scenic detours <BG>

Kathy Guest, who is happy for whatever input anyone would like to offer... but
again, please send said input privately unless you think everyone would like
to hear it.
in East Aurora, NY

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