Re: Are plant societies on the verge of extinction?

["Robert Pries " <101p@rewrite.aisboard.org>]

I have been a member of the British iris Society for a very long time. Over the last year I have seen the problems they have been having and have offered several times to help in anyway they thought I could. The main problem seems to be no one willing to take on the key roles in the organization. The immediate past President took to position just to allow time for someone else to be found and after no one showed after 4 years just announced he was stopping. The organization no longer carries out trials at Wisley. Anne Blanco White a past president and now in her 90s has stepped in trying to hold things together but it seems there are just not the people to fill the jobs. When I read the draft obituary for the society I actually thought it true until the author said otherwise. I spoke to Anne this summer and she seems to be hanging in there with the traditional stiff upper lip. Unfortunately there does not seem to be much we can do to help. -BP



----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne Messer" <6d200f2f1@rewrite.aisboard.org>
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2016 5:25:52 PM
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Are plant societies on the verge of  extinction?

Another question raised by the British Iris Society condition:  Is there
anything we might do that would help them?  We've talked about
possibilities for helping Affiliates at risk,.  Would there be any of these
possibilities that would apply to BIS?  I don't think we can provide people
for officer positions; but, if they could find those, are there ways we
should partner with them?

The other example that comes to mind, and I don't know the history of why
and how it occurred, is the Canadian Iris Society.  The members became part
of various AIS Regions.  Would there be something along these lines,
probably a separate Region in this case, that should be considered?  I know
we want to work with the international iris community, and this might be
one way of approaching it.

Regards,

Wayne Messer
wrmesser@gmail.com



On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 3:32 PM, George and Janet Smith <
4f80107e1@rewrite.aisboard.org> wrote:

> I have been a member of Fresno Iris Society for 26 years and have watched
> it slow down a bit the re-emirge.  HOWEVER, we are still strong in
> membership for 2016 AND 2017 - our 50th year.  Because we continue to help
> folks understand irises, love them, educate them and have a great time at
> our meetings.  Average age 40+.  We are getting even better and next year
> - great!
>
> Janet Smith
> California
>
> > Thanks David; your link worked.
> > I read the article and it reminds me of a post I made to the AIS board
> > almost ten years ago which I called the sky is falling. Just like Chicken
> > Little I still feel like I have not been taken seriously. I believe plant
> > societies can exist in the future but whether they do is up to the
> > decisions they have been making now and the planning that they put in
> > place. I suspect the society as we know it will not persist. But I do
> > believe new paradigms are possible. I believe too often I have heard
> there
> > is nothing we can do, its inevitable. I do not believe that. I can think
> > of things that I proposed ten years ago that if they had been in place
> > would probably have made our membership levels twice what they are now.
> > Sadly we are so slow to respond that we miss many opportunities. I am
> sure
> > that as our membership declines, a smaller organization could be more
> > nimble. But it is sad that we loose so much potential that could be
> > realized now. My conclusion is that AIS will not exist as i!
> >  t is at present in the near future, If we do not plan for a new concept
> > we will not exist at all.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Cupps" <4c4be50f1@rewrite.aisboard.org>
> > To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
> > Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2016 2:49:40 PM
> > Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Are plant societies on the verge of
> extinction?
> >
> > In case this link comes through broken for you, here's another smaller
> > link:
> >
> > http://bit.ly/2gmZ3DA
> >
> > David Cupps
> >
> >
> > On 11/17/2016 2:47 PM, andi rivarola wrote:
> >> Are plant societies on the verge of extinction?
> >>
> >> b
> >> https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/
> 2016/nov/17/are-plant
> >> -societies-on-the-verge-of-extinction?utm_source=dlvr.it&
> utm_medium=twitter
> >>
> >> The above article is scary to read, but I'm sharing with you with the
> >> hope
> >> that it will have the opposite effect on all of us involved with AIS.
> >>
> >> bThoughts? Feelings?
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> *Andi Rivarola*
> >>
> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >> <aissecretary@irises.org>
> >> The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
> >> http://www.aisboard.org/lists/aisdiscuss/
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To sign-off this list, send email to the AIS Secretary
> > <aissecretary@irises.org>
> > The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
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> >
> > --
> > Bob Pries
> > Zone 7a
> > Roxboro, NC
> > (336)597-8805
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To sign-off this list, send email to the AIS Secretary
> > <aissecretary@irises.org>
> > The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
> > http://www.aisboard.org/lists/aisdiscuss/
>
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-- 
Bob Pries
Zone 7a
Roxboro, NC
(336)597-8805

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