Re: Decline is not innevitable

[MORRISJE1@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/2/2009 9:05:26 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
hager@aredee.com writes:

The  
food has to fit the dish. When you order a 16 ounce rib-eye, you expect it  
to arrive on a platter--not a salad plate.



Quite humorous!  But we should sell the sizzle, the size of the  platter 
doesn't matter.
The famous restaurant Durgin-Park in Boston serves hubcap sized prime rib  
on regular sized plates.  I like my prime rib hanging over the plate.  
 
While all this conversation is interesting, fun even, we should be spending 
 time on a meaningful mission statement (only two people commented) and 
setting  attainable goals first before we make changes just to be making 
changes.  
 
If pictures are worth a thousand words (our movement to more pictures and  
more color pictures and a website redesign speaks to that), then blooming  
iris plants are worth ten thousand words, and grass roots affiliates speak to 
 that with their programs, shows, garden tours and sales/auctions.  There  
are many good irisarians in clubs who will never become AIS members and 
anything  we do probably won't change that.
 
In Region 18 we started with a newspaper type bulletin in 1947, converted  
in Dr. Hugo Wall's term as RVP in 1959 to a "bulletin" size.  That was  
maintained until the "Fall" 1988 issue converted back to 8-1/2 x 11" size.   
This lasted until the "Fall" 1990 issue which came out in the "winter" and  by 
which time the uproar of protest at the publication size crescendoed and  
resulted in firing of the editor and a reversion back to "bulletin"  size.  
When I had become Region 18 editor in 1982, I was so  brash as to change the 
cover in 1983 and never heard the end of it.   The new editor in 1984 
reverted back to the old cover which held until we  conducted a design contest and 
changed to the current cover in "Spring"  1999.  Change is hard to foster in 
any organization, liberal or  conservative. 
 
I agree with Clarence Mahan, Terry Aitken and Hal Stahley, three wise past  
presidents of AIS who have all been through this many times.  But  
meaningful change based on goals and plans is  good and something to be attained.  
Bob Pries has done a fine job  of bringing new thoughts and proposed actions 
to the attention of the  Board.  That has been exciting.  I know we haven't 
made as many  changes as he would like or maybe that we need, but there have 
been more in the  past five years than I can remember in any comparable 
period.  Gosh, just  think back when RVPs weren't even invited to attend Board 
meetings until  1972!  The general membership wasn't encouraged to speak 
until much  later.  Keep plugging Bob.  Decline is not inevitable.    
 
Jim

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