HIST

	As an idea for a program of your local club, what we enjoyed at the 
Siouxland Iris Society last Saturday evening might be worth 
considering.  Larry Harder, who's a member of our club (so handy to 
have a guy like him available!), presented a slide show that had a 
really nice twist to it.  Instead of simply showing us slides of 
iris, which he can do at the drop of a name because he has 1000s of 
slides, Larry made this a show in 2 parts.  The first was historic, a 
series of slides of all the presidents of the American Iris Society, 
dating back to its beginning.  What made it more interesting was his 
comment that he knew or had at least met all except the first 3 
people.   Following this, Larry showed us slides of a large number of 
hybridizers, including some now deceased,  must have been 35-40 of 
them at least, maybe even more, and after each person's picture he 
showed one or two of their introductions.  This was really neat, 
because we got to see a face to go along with the name, in many cases 
so familiar a name that it is almost a household word.  Larry also 
commented on a number of the iris, most of which he grows or has 
grown in the past, so we learned how they performed in at least one 
garden in our area.  Often others of us had some personal knowledge 
about it, too.  For me, an additional point of interest was that 
among the hybridizers Larry showed us were at least a couple who are 
contributors to the iris-l.  Saw Rick Tasco, also Clarence Mahan (and 
Clarence's SUKY, which has been mentioned often here--beautiful on 
the slide.)  It was a thoroughly enjoyable program, even nicer than 
just seeing the flowersas we learned about another dimension of 
irisdom.  I like that very much.
	Larry mentioned he had done this program in Missouri, I can't 
remember the name of the place but it wasn't a familiar name to me.  
So there were no Missouri hybridizers in the show on purpose, as he 
figured the viewers knew those people and their work.   I don't 
suppose most of your clubs have the money to bring Larry in just for 
this presentation, but maybe you have somebody closer who could do 
the same.  Our club was enthusiastic about it.

Arnold Koekkoek


Arnold Koekkoek                         Home Ph. (712) 722-0724
Assoc. Prof. of History                 Off. Ph. (712) 722-6326
Dordt College                           e-mail koekkoek@dordt.edu
Sioux Center, IA 51250
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