Bulletin and Editor

[gary white <in2iris@yahoo.com>]

Greetings,
  I am sending this message again.  I sent this originally a week ago, and again on Monday of this week, but neither posted.  So, here it is again.....better late than never, I suppose.   It was interesting hearing that Bruce's message also did not post the first two times.  Anyone else have problems with this?   Anyway, here it is, and hope it makes it through this time.
  Gary
   
   
  Some observations about the bulletin, editor, possibilities:
   
  1)  Regardless of who is the editor or what the current issue is, there will always be constant praise and unending criticism about the Bulletin.  And, probably there is both some truth and fallacy to the various arguments.  It's just human nature.  Now, having said that, I have both praise and criticism as well.  The fact is that the Bulletin is and will always be a work in progress.  It will never be perfect, nor should we expect it to be, but it can always be improved.  On the positive side, the photos are wonderful.  It is a bright and cheerful publication, and Bruce, Terry, and Erica are to be commended on working their magic in that regard.  One only has to look back a few years to find much less color and brightness.  In the April 1996 issue, there were about 10 pages of color in the center of the Bulletin.  In April 2006, there were 30 pages of color!  However, the page count was virtually the same, 124 pages in April 1996 and 128 pages in April 2006.  The many
 additional pages of photos have resulted in fewer written articles. 
   
  2)  Having edited a local monthly newsletter for six years, I know how exhausting and frustrating the frequent deadlines can be, especially if you are not getting enough good articles, photos, etc from contributors to help you out.  I can appreciate Terry's suggestion that five years may be a practical time span for an editor.  After 6 years doing our newsletter, I was certainly ready to let it go, and our little newsletter was not in the same galaxy as the AIS Bulletin.
   
  3)  I think we are extremely fortunate that we have Terry as Managing Editor.  That fact alone will make the transition to a new editor (or guest editors) infinitely more palatable.   The society owes a huge debt of gratitude to Terry, and Barbara, for their continuing efforts and dedication to the Bulletin.
   
  4)  The Bulletin is the enduring face of the Society.  We MUST have an attractive, informative, and appreciated publication if we are to survive.  Its wonderful to have a great deal of information on the website, available at the click of a mouse (and I fully support the website expansion);  but website information, by nature and design, is ephemeral in the grand scheme of things.   The Bulletin, on the other hand, contains the permanent documentation of our focus, progress and history.  I agree with John, Clarence, and others.Articles such as Perry Dyers Contemporary Views should be on the website, but also in the Bulletin, at least in part.   I think this type of information is exactly what many readers are looking for.  And, it should not be limited to Tall Bearded information.  The Bulletin is for all irisarians and should reflect (and does) the beauty of all types of irises.  I also believe there is a need for more general interest articles;  on culture,
 companion plants, glossary of iris terms, basics of judging iris for purchase as well as for awards, how to groom an iris (there was a reprint article from 1995 in the April 2006 issue), description and explanation of the AIS hierarchy, discussion of how an iris gets registered and introduced (there was an article How to Register And Introduce an Iris in the Jan 06 issue), primer on the different classes of irises, discussion of available iris references and book reviews, etc.   There are several hundred new members of the Society each year, and we lose many of those the following year.  There are undoubtedly several reasons for this, but one complaint I have heard (from some members who did not renew) is that the Bulletin has very little of interest for them as a new member.  Until they get vested in AIS or at least a local affiliate, much of the news and business has very little meaning or appeal to them.  And, a good percentage of the articles are too technical for them
 at that stage.  Indeed, many longtime members find a good number of articles too technical, or not of their interest.  Now, I certainly believe we need the research articles and pieces directed towards hybridizing, but most members are not hybridizers or scientists.   It seems to me that we should have at least one basic article in every issue that will appeal to new members and of interest to the majority of our audience.  As Bob Pries suggested, we need more balance in the Bulletin..articles that appeal to the experienced iris grower or hybridizer, but also articles that will keep the new and inexperienced Irisarian interested and looking forward to the next issue.   Now, to answer the inevitable question, YES, we all need to be thinking about what the membership wants and needs, and then writing those articles and sending to the editor.  These must be well-written, informative and illustrated as needed. 
   
  5)  I, too, support the idea of guest editors for a few interim issues until a new editor can be found, if those people can be located and enticed (coerced?) into it.  It may not be an easy task to locate those both willing and capable of taking on an issue.    I also agree with the recommendation that job descriptions and contracts need to be worked out for guest editors and for the permanent editor.
   
  6)  As for the business of the Society, I believe that we must continue to include it in the Bulletin.   It is an important part of our history and, as I mentioned above, placing it on the website is fine, but that is not a permanent record.  Ten or twenty or fifty years from now, one should have the ability to find records of the goings-on of AIS in 2007.  If it is only on the website, can we guarantee that it will be available at that time.  I dont think so.  But, if it is in the Bulletin, or in a supplement at least (another possibility, however controversial), we can say with certainty that the records will be extant.  If increasing the size of the Bulletin to include it and also increase articles per issue is necessary, then so be it.   Another possibility is to increase the format of the Bulletin.   I know this probably wont be a popular idea, but we should at least think about (even fleetingly, as it were) increasing the size of the Bulletin to 8.5X11 or perhaps
 something intermediate as 6.8 X 9.8 (the size of National Geograghic), etc.  
   
  Again, I think most AIS members (and non-members even more so) see the Bulletin as the primary (only?) bang for their membership buck, whether we agree with that view or not.   We must make it as appealing and informative as possible to all of our membership, both experienced and novice.
   
  Sorry for the length of this.   If you have read this far, thank you!
   
  Gary White

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