Re: AISDiscuss Storefront Update

[Robt R Pries <rpries@sbcglobal.net>]

It sounds like the book offer is going well so far. I
would like to point out a couple of things.

In no way was there any intent to slight Clarences
book. Bill Shears book came at an earlier time when
the AIS budget was not a concern. The offer presented
was intended to provide the maximum benefit we could
arrange for members without tying up AIS funds. I
would caution that even though the budget report came
through in the black after we initiated this offer,
before we knew that, there is still reason for
concern. The present treasury reflects an extremely
successful Portland convention and we will probably
not have such for another decade. AIS lost another 300
members and we will see fiscal constraints into the
future. Although I would be delighted if we stocked
Iris books in inventory I am not sure that is the best
use of funds. This offer tried to maximize the benefit
to members while minimizing the stress on the
organization. Clarence has made an offer to subsidize
inventory out of his own pocket. This is a very
generous offer but I doubt that this will happen with
future authors. It seems to me that AIS has to be able
to function now and in the future with a program that
can be repeated. I agree that people want things now.
But we have a long way to go before we are optimizing
our benefits. Ideally the book along with other
storefront items should be able to be ordered and paid
for over the internet and the order processed and
mailed that week. But we are not there yet. Presently
I think we are doing the best we can within our
limitations. 

The timing of the offer is a legitimate criticism, in
that the ad appeared before we constructed the
discount offer. But sometimes a thought doesnt come
in a timely manner. As soon as the idea was initiated
it was pursued with due diligence. Some might have
said we missed the chance and no one would have had a
discount.

--- CEMahan@aol.com wrote:

> To Members of the AIS Board:
> I would like the Board to reconsider the way it is
> handling my book. When  
> people order a book, they want to receive it--not
> wait for a month or two before 
>  it arrives. To order 50 books and stock them would
> initially cost a little 
> over  $2,400.  I would not have thought this
> excessive for AIS, but if the 
> Board  thinks it is I would be more than happy to
> finance the cost myself if that 
> is  the problem. 
>  
> The 50 copy discount is 45%. But if the Board only
> wanted to stock 10  copies 
> so there was no large stock, Krieger would give a
> 40% discount, which  would 
> be $52.50 per book. This would, if 10 copies were
> ordered, result in an  
> initial inventory of $525.00. Surely AIS could stock
> 10 copies for future  orders.  
>  
>  
> When I was president I proposed that AIS stock Bill
> Shear's book and sell  
> it. The Board approved.  We obtained maximum
> discount and sold it at  near cost 
> as a service to members.  And we had to reorder to
> more than  once. 
>  
> I did not write my book to make money. I wrote it to
> tell the early  history 
> of garden irises and the people who brought the iris
> into our gardens. I  
> would believe, considering the goals and purpose of
> AIS, that this is something  
> worthy of support. I am sure that no one intended it
> to be this way but right  
> now I am feeling decidedly unsupported. I ask the
> Board to reconsider this  
> matter. 
> 
>
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