Letter to AOS

[quiltergal]

Our local society holds it's monthly meetings at a retirement home. Need I say more?

[kiki-do]

I joined AOS last year and got a packet and the magazine. I would love to go to the headquarters and enjoy more for what we pay in membership dues, but I can't. I haven't been on the new site because of errors twice when trying to log on previously.
I never found the old site easy to get around, however, I will give it another try because of all that's been said here.
I think the important thing about joining a group is to feel a connection with them. It's hard when there is no interaction.
I'm glad they are reaching out to young people and I hope it evolves into something more fun.

[Undergrounder]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Our local society holds it's monthly meetings at a retirement home. Need I say more?

exactly..

[CodiMN]

Wow, I'm thankful the MN group meets at Bachmann's! The location itself is a huge garden center, has a few orchids for sale and has a great bruch cafe right in the midst of the plants.
The OS meetings are held in a large meeting room, with coffee and food/mingle time. There are plant swaps, plant judging and orchid growing fun stuff. Meetings are once a month. There are usually over 50 people there! We are all given laminated clip-on name tags, so we're able to greet each other by name.
I found out about the group thru this orchid festival they do in conjunction with the St. Paul Winter Carnival a few years ago. While at the orchid festival, there were many younger people and families that enjoyed the orchid exhibits all around the zoo greenhouses. The orchid society members were stationed all around to help answer questions and all came off as really friendly and approachable, I guess that's another reason why I decided to join. I had had this lingering desire to learn more about orchids, but thru this festival I really got bitten by the bug...which is why I'm hear on the OB today.
Sharing ideas is really important and helps us grow our orchids, as people and as societies (not necessarily in that order! )

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Our local society holds it's monthly meetings at a retirement home. Need I say more?

Ummm, yes you do....I imagine that they supply the meeting place at little or no cost. If you can find a better site within the same cost frame, then get involved and suggest it. Believe me, it is much easier said than done! I have been searching for a new Judging Center site in the Puget Sound area that is affordable and fits our needs well and frankly it is very difficult.

Please, rather than complaining, come up with solutions and ideas that work for everyone. In my experience, being critical is much easier than coming up with ideas such as the author of the Letter to the AOS. Member Societies are affiliated with the AOS, but are independent operationally from the AOS. Any local problems should be addressed locallly rather than waiting from a solution from Florida where they are not involved other than local orchid shows.

[quiltergal]

My point was that all some members have to do when the meeting is over is walk down the hall to their room. At 53 I was easily the youngest person at the last meeting I attended. Hardly attractive to the younger set. I'm not railing at AOS. Just pointing out that how local societies function (or not) influences how many prospective orchid hobbyists see the AOS. I don't expect them to do anything about it. Nor do I expect the local society to change unfortunately. I would love to be more involved but when you are regarded with suspicion and as an interloper it sort of kills the desire.

[Phantasm]

You do make a good point about local societies doing a better job to invite more diversity in their membership. Having the meetings in a retirement home is okay for bring in extra old folks but the group will not be viable long term. Perhaps the problem is more acute at local levels than nationally.

I don't want to get into Society politics, but that can work in a positive or negative manner. It often depends on a few people doing all of the work while most just expect to be entertained. There are always many more followers than leaders in a volunteer organization.

It is much easier to connect with people when you force yourself to initiate the relationship. I find that usually people tend to stay to themselves. It's so much easier said than done. Another approach is to bring a friend(s) or spouse to the meeting. That helps to break the ice, and if it doesn't work you still aren't talking to yourself.

[Singingirl96]

I'm 30 and I'm also an orchid lover.... I gotta tell ya, I did feel a little out of place at the last show I went to.

Oh, and btw, I wouldn't talk about the AOS society website anymore, the recently updated it, and as a webdesigner by trade, it looks pretty nice.

[Rhonda_in_FL]

I think the thread is on to something...meetings at retirement homes? Bickies & tea? Maybe AOS needs to consider what societies look like and start developing something at colleges with horticulture programs?

The website is going to be terrific if anyone under the age of 30 knows it's there. That was my big beef with AOS several years ago--the site was firewalled by my school district because of the forum. I could see the need to protect kids from a public internet forum (look at us!) but saw no reason all the educational material was unavailable. That baffled me.

[Blondie]

Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know that I have a stat counter on my blog and between today and yesterday, 500+ people read my letter to AOS. Most of my regular blog readers are probably baffled because I usually write about less serious things and cats and dumb things I'm up to. But wow, what a turnout for the orchids.

GO ORCHIDS!!!!!!!