RE: Mission Statement

["Lynn" <irislynn@willitsonline.com>]

Hi Dennis,

I am not on this committee, but I agree that providing a network for...is
too limiting.  How about "...to provide the gardening community the eduction
and exchange of information about irises..."

Lynn Williams

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-aisdiscuss@aisboard.org [mailto:owner-aisdiscuss@aisboard.org]
On Behalf Of R. Dennis Hager
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 5:24 PM
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Mission Statement


Thanks, Jim--and back to the mission statement.

"The mission of the American Iris Society is to provide the gardening
community a network for the education and exchange of information about
irises, their appreciation, conservation, registration, culture and
science."

I find this draft of the mission statement lacking in substance. The AIS
should do more than provide a network. It should take an ACTIVE role in the
study, protection and promotion of the genus.

Dennis Hager


----- Original Message -----
From: <MORRISJE1@aol.com>
To: <aisdiscuss@aisboard.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 6:27 PM
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Decline is not innevitable


> 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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