Re: [AISdiscuss] Opps!! continued answer to Mahan

["William Plotner" <gardens@molalla.net>]

Dear Jean, Clarence, et all.

I for one have had our local club look into getting private insurrance.  It
has gone up drastically and a donation (or levy) to the local chapters using
the insurrance would be far cheaper.  Private insurrance for our shows and
sales would cost our locat $700.00 to $900.00+ each year so a levy of
$250.00 to $400.00 seems very reasonable to us.  I am sure that if other
chapters would look into this they will find the same thing.  The AIS
provides this a a service (a very important one) and I believe that the
chapters who use it would be willing to pay their portion just so long as it
does not become amney making program for the AIS.

All My Best

Will


----- Original Message -----
From: <CEMahan@aol.com>
To: <aisdiscuss@aisboard.org>; <AISdiscuss@aisboard.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 4:37 AM
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Opps!! continued answer to Mahan


> In a message dated 2/28/2006 12:29:06 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> PlankMail@aol.com writes:
>
> Thank  you Clarence for your kind words.   With attention to your
questions:
> #1 I know the information about how many  affiliates avail themselves of
> the insurance each year is available (an I  have it somewhere in my
computer
> --
> I will find it and let you  know).
> #2 Worry not -- the restricted accounts are not  being touched except as
> designated through or by their  restrictions.   Reserves are undesignated
> monies that have been  collected from things like donations to the general
> fund,
> etc.
> Sorry about my premature send!
> Cheers!
> Jeanne
>
>
>
> Dear Jeanne,
> Again, I commend you for your thoughtful, timely president's message. The
> issue of the cost of insurance and its impact on the future of AIS can
only be
> avoided by the Board at the expense of the viability of our society. The
> concept  of voluntary contributions is not a solution to this horrendous
problem.
> It  is a "Blanche DuBois concept" that puts AIS in the untenable position
of
> relying on the kindness of others.
>
> There seem to be two possible solutions. One is to terminate the
insurance.
> The other is to levy a fee for the affiliates who wish to be covered by
the
> insurance, and to name the affiliates who pay up in the policy. This
latter
> point is important to make sure those who do not pay do not  get coverage.
AIS
> would, under this concept, continue to foot the bill for the  national
> convention.
>
> I suggest that a letter be sent to each affiliate, asking if the affiliate
> would avail itself of the policy if it cost it $250 a year, $300 a year or
$400
>  a year. If a letter were sent with a suspense date of March 31st, the
> responses  would provide Michelle the information to see if the insurance
company
> would  lower the cost based on the reduced coverage. The information would
then
> be  available to the Board at this year's spring meeting to make a
decision.
>
> I would like to point out that there are some places where iris shows can
be
> held that do not require insurance, e.g. community centers, church halls,
> arboretums, park centers, etc. My personal preference is that AIS get out
of the
>  insurance business.  It is not as drastic a solution as it might at first
> appear.
>
> Regardless of where the show is held, the public will come if good
publicity
> is put out in advance of the event. The AIS insurance program could  then
be
> changed to provide affiliates that want to obtain their own policies  with
the
> names and contact of insurance companies that provide such insurance.  By
> dealing with a number of firms, we might even be able to get very
favorable
> rates for the affiliates who want the insurance.
>
> These are my ideas. I am sure others have other views. The important thing
> for the organization we all love is take action now and stop the drain of
funds
>  from AIS. It is money down the drain, and to continue the status quo
would,
> in  my view, be profligate and irresponsible.
>
> Now, since I have been on my soapbox long enough, I will give  you a
picture
> of the first iris ever bred by an American.  It is a photo  taken by Mike
Lowe
> of the iris 'Fairy' bred by Amasa Kennicott.
>
> 'Fairy'
>
> If you want to know more about this iris and Amasa Kennicott,  you will
have
> to buy my book, Classic Irises and the Men and Women Who  Created Them,
which
> is now being set in proof by Krieger Publishing Co.  [This is an unpaid
> advertisement].  Clarence
>
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