Re: RE:AIS SYMPOSIUM

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Not to dampen enthusiasm for the TBIS to do the current AIS Symposium, but 
one of the first things TBIS thought was important in promoting TBs was to 
create an "America's Choice" Symposium.  TBIS members are mailed a "ballot" 
to mark the varieties that they believe are outstanding perennials.  To 
qualifiy, the varieties need to be in commerce for at least 5 years, and the 
individual member needs to actually grow the variety.  The ballot also 
contains space for individuals to comment on new and noteworthy varieties 
grown by the member which the member would like to bring to the attention of 
gardening public and other members.  The results are tabulated and given to 
the editor of the publication, who utilizes the choices for an article in the 
publication.  The editor will often note if a variety has votes from a given 
geographic area (which are weighted in the voting).  Thus, a variety with 
votes all from one area may actually finish behind a variety that has fewer 
votes from a variety of climates.  

Repeat winners, after a certain period of time, are grandfathered out, and 
are placed in a "Hall of Fame" of TBs.  

There was a time when the Iris was America's favorite perennial.  However, as 
the Daylily Society has grown by leaps and bounds to, maybe, 12,000 members, 
and with the AIS having fewer members than a decade ago (7000), it would be 
hard to say that the iris is America's favorite perennial.  It was hoped that 
with "America's Choice" we could promote certain named varieties of TBS, and 
bring them to the attention of the gardening public as noteworth perennials 
in an effort to increase the general popularity of our favorite flower.  The 
Editor releases a press release to national gardening magazines and other 
sources when the results are tabulated.  

Another reason for the "America's Choice" ballot was that the AIS awards 
system, although having many merits, with recent changes, was not functioning 
as well as it could as an effective method to screen out varieties that did 
not perform well nationally as garden perennials that could be universally 
recommended to the gardening public.

Therefore, it is unlikely that TBIS would adopt the type of symposium AIS 
currently uses.  But I am sure that the TBIS would have no objection if the 
AIS wanted to utilize the America's Choice winners on a more-inclusive AIS 
Symposium.  This is unlikely because the current symposium feeds from the AIS 
awards system, which the America's Choice does not.
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