RE: 2013 AIS Convention
Hi All
The Orchid Society is going through the same process as AIS. Budget cutting
and size reduction.
The problem is not the people. It is the transition to the e-world and how
we adapt. I don't see that anybody (other flower organizations) has the
answer - yet.
They (AOS)did hire a very expensive "manager". On the local level, there is
now resistance to joining national because of the wages that this guy is
being paid. Throwing money at a problem does not give you a solution.
Yes, we are primarily a volunteer organization and a good one!
Terry
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-aisdiscuss@aisboard.org [mailto:owner-aisdiscuss@aisboard.org]
On Behalf Of Janet Smith
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 11:41 AM
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] 2013 AIS Convention
Executive Director-----
I -- Janet Smith -- am a wildlife rehabilitator- fully trained.
National Wildlife Rehab Assn. hired an executive director - fully
qualified (Masters Degree) - energetic - hard working gal with lots
of ideas! She also had lots of bosses - BOD who twisted her every
which way but loose. Members who gave her fits and ---- in two years
she left. Frustrated, angry, all her hard work demolished. Though a
nice idea, you are asking someone qualified to volunteer --- by all
the reading of AISDiscuss subjects - we can't get anything done now
-- how will one more person change that???????
Back to the corner.
---- Original Message ----
From: aistreas@earthlink.net
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] 2013 AIS Convention
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:09:16 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
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><P>Or we go to a shorter Convention where we only have garden tours
>for say one day...One large garden with guests. One day for the
>Board Mtg. One day for Section mtgs, and one day for garden
>tours. One banquet at the end for the Awards Dinner. In a
>way more people might come and participate in the Board and Section
>mtgs this way who otherwise would just come for the three days of
>garden tours...Obviously this would be less expensive and less
>work. There could be JT training and the Silent Auction on the
>first evening, the Geek Dinner on the second evening, the Awards
>Dinner on the third. Four nights hotel for Board
>members/Committee Chairs/RVPs instead of as many as 7.
>Doing a smaller scale National might encourage Clubs/regions to host
>one who now feel overwhelmed at the thought of a Full
>Convention. </P>
><P> </P>
><P>I think there would be fewer people coming to a Convention if it
>is just meetings. There would be fewer RVPs and Section
>officials and this is the only time of year when we get more people
>together which supports discussion and interaction. Some
>Regions don't do a Region garden tour every year either and some
>judges don't live in areas where other iris gardens are convenient to
>visit. If nothing else I think we need one meeting time/place a
>year for judges to see plants. </P>
><P> </P>
><P>As for the idea of an Executive Director....having a central
>coordinator working full time to keep track of all of AIS areas of
>operation could be tremendously helpful...if we could get someone
>with background and knowledge of AIS operations to do it full time
>with no pay??? The contract fees we currently pay for the
>Managing Editor, Editor, Design & Layout Position,
>Registrar/Recorder, Webmaster, and MemSec add up to around $29,000
>per year as it is.</P>
><P> </P>
><P>Jill </P>
><P> </P>
><P> </P>
><P> </P>
><P>Then on even numbered years we could plan the week long Full
>convention like we have now with all meetings, JT and guest
>gardens. <BR><BR><BR></P>
><BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px;
>MARGIN-LEFT: 0px">-----Original Message----- <BR>From:
>MORRISJE1@aol.com <BR>Sent: Mar 26, 2010 10:22 AM <BR>To:
>aisdiscuss@aisboard.org <BR>Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] 2013 AIS
>Convention <BR><BR><ZZZHTML><ZZZHEAD><ZZZMETA content="text/html;
>charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv="Content-Type"><ZZZMETA content="MSHTML
>6.00.2900.3660" name="GENERATOR"></ZZZHEAD><ZZZBODY
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><DIV>
><DIV>In a message dated 3/26/2010 6:52:13 A.M. Central Standard Time,
>hager@aredee.com writes:</DIV>
><BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px;
>MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"
>color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>Paul,<BR>As the "organizational
>gadfly", I believe the difficulty in finding a <BR>location for the
>AIS convention is structural. Except for your expertise in <BR>lining
>up conventions and assisting the host organization, the input from
><BR>the AIS is minimal. Putting a convention, regional or "mini"
>convention <BR>together is a monumental task with a very steep
>learning curve. Each step is <BR>critical and requires the
>participation of able and willing volunteers. Add <BR>to that all the
>fiefdoms that exist with the AIS and the sponsoring <BR>organization.
>It doesn't take long to figure out that when we ask a Region <BR>or
>Club to host a convention, we are asking someone to walk through a
><BR>minefield blindfolded.<BR><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
><DIV></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>Dennis, (and all)</DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>You make some good points as a gadfly. It is a huge task
>to chair and run a Convention for AIS. Been there, done
>that. It does take willing volunteers -- several of them in the
>hosting affiliate/region. And the length of the conventions has
>become expensive, both in time and cost to the attendees.</DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>Of the "successful" organizations you mention, how many are
>non-profit? Or non-career, non-professional
>organizations? I know lots of successful for profit,
>professional career related organizations. I once ran a
>one-week long professional career convention in Chicago with
>attendance of 8,000 people. The hook was professional career
>and the potential to improve your self in your profession.
>People will pay for that. Will iris people pay for flower
>conventions? I understand that Wisconsin's goal is 400
>attendees (about 10%). The largest AIS Convention attendance I
>have discovered was 827 in 1959 in Oklahoma City when our membership
>was 8,000, so that was again about 10%.</DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>I have always been optimistic about AIS and guess I don't see
>the "fiefdoms" you are referencing. Unless you are referring to
>the Sections and Co-operating Societies who do have their special
>focuses and agendas.</DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>AIS does need to do more Strategic Planning and make the changes
>to adapt to the modern world. Talking about it is important but
>we need some sort of action plan for the future. And the
>consideration of an Executive Director as suggested by Jerry Coates
>is something that DID work for a while when AIS had 8,000
>members. The AIS Executive Offices were administered out of
>Memphis, TN by two or three people in the early 1950s, then from
>1957-1977 with one full-time paid person in St. Louis. It ended
>with AIS almost going bankrupt as the membership started a long term
>decline in numbers. We are now at 4,000 members and I don't
>believe we have anyway near the funding to consider a full-time paid
>director.</DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>However, in the short-term I would like others' opinions about
>an Educational Convention, no guest planting, possible optional tours
>to existing gardens, or not, and a shortened length of time for the
>convention. We have this short-term problem that needs a
>solution first. I await comments. Please don't get hung
>up on a paid director for now. </DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV>Jim M.</DIV></FONT></ZZZBODY></ZZZHTML></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY>
>
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