Re: SHOW: Opinions needed for informal poll

From: "Sterling Okase" <sterling_o@hotmail.com>

>From: JEM300@aol.com
>
>Hi Listers,
>
>I am going to my local iris club meeting tomorrow night and we are 
going to be
>discussing shows.  Specifically, limiting entries.  When in Colorado I 
did an
>informal poll of a few folks from around the country to see if entries 
are
>limited in their shows.
>Unfortunately, I did not take notes but recall many of the people I 
asked said
>their clubs DID limit entries.  

Hi Linda, our local iris club the King County Iris Society does not 
limit the number of entries that one can bring to show. A typical show 
for us will have 200+ stalks on exhibit. How many is too many? 
Typically, it takes the judges (we usually have 4 - 6 judges) a couple 
of hours to complete the rounds.
 
>although it is certainly nice for the public to
>be able to view many irises all in one place, some exhibitors 
habitually bring
>well over a hundred entries!  I find personally that these entries are 
not
>groomed as they should be and some are really not "blue ribbon" stalks 
anyway.

I suppose this sort of thing happens at any flower show. My thought on 
this is that having a full, eye-catching show with some lesser quality 
stalks is far better than having a small show with excellent show stalks 
on every variety. It may be tough on the Judges (especially if they 
haven't eaten and are hungry...*ha ha*) time-wise, but having a full and 
colorful show certainly has drawing power. Seasoned irisarians such as 
ourselves will know which varieties have not been groomed properly or 
does not exhibit show stalks or excellent flowers but the general public 
(whom I feel we are really having the show for) will not see these 
things. They see beautiful orchid-like blooms that they MUST have or 
MUST know more about. And we gain sale dollars and new members this way.

>Also, I feel limiting entries makes it more fair for all the 
exhibitors.  Not
>everyone has the time or acreage to grow 800 varieties and the same 
people are
>always the medal winners and it is discouraging to some exhibitors who 
bring
>maybe 5 very excellent entries.

I think chances are pretty good that every club has a few members with 
time and acreage to load the show and win the top awards often. 
Personally, I am not one of them but I give them a run for their money 
with what few entries I can scrounge up out of my tiny city lot. In the 
five or so years that I have been showing irises, I have won Queen 
twice, the Silver Medal once, the Bronze Medal once and I always manage 
to place several varieties on the Best of Section table. Win or lose, I 
always enjoy myself and share a great deal of comraderie with the other 
exhibitors, even the ones that bring a van load of irises that are not 
as good as mine....*tee hee*.... I always threaten to sprinkle aphids on 
their entries so I can win the Silver again, after all......my name IS 
Sterling!!!

I understand the reasons other clubs have for limiting entries but I 
personally feel it's censorship to some degree and perhaps will 
discourage some exhibitors from showing new, historic or interesting 
things merely because it is not perfect, show quality specimens. 
Exhibitors who are slighted or intimidated  by other exhibitor's 
quantity might perhaps find other ways to participate that are less 
stressing.
 
Just some views from an Iris Maniac,
Sterling (not Innerst)
Seattle, WA. Zone 8
AIS, KCIS, HIPS and MIS
sterling_o@hotmail.com


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Help support ONElist, while generating interest in your product or
service. ONElist has a variety of advertising packages. Visit
http://www.onelist.com/advert.html for more information.
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index