Re: Bulletin and Editor

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Thank you   Gary, you posting to AISDiscuss was thoughtful, constructive and
very well crafted.
     Cheers!
     Jeanne
In a message dated 1/18/07 3:14:54 PM, in2iris@yahoo.com writes:


> 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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> Pat Randall <patannran@msn.com>
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