I'm staying out of this except for one thing, http://homepage.mac.com/dotbarnett/G...nuary%2009.pdf Scroll on down to top of Page 8, an exerpt from Dr Eric Christenson which seems to adress your question directly! :((

Thanks for the address Ross, it was an interesting read.

Molly: you make an interesting point about judging, but I wonder how many participants in an orchid show know how judging actually works. How often do judges explain why the decisions about plants were made, and how they came to their conclusions? Yes, the process is explained to student judges, but why not to everyone else? I also wonder how many AOS members understand the difference between ribbon judging and AOS judging...
Eric: I fully agree, loyalty is a two way street, I find it unfortunate that the members of the organiztion are not consulted before changes to the organization are made. If we are truly supposed to have a voice, then let us use it to voice our pleasure and our displeasure.
Adam

I joined in 1977 and was a member until 2003. I did not renew my membership for 2003 and have not regretted it. That was not long after the time the format changed and I agree (and agreed then) with what has been said: the overall usefulness of the periodical has declined and the price gone up to the point where I am no longer willing to put out the money. I agree also that the "user-friendliness" of the AOS has decreased and remember complaints about that back in the 1990's. It was an entirely different philosophy that drove the AOS in the days of Gordon Dillon and Richard Peterson.

I think that the best way to learn these things is to volunteer to be a clerk at an orchid show. I loved clerking every time I did it and you can learn so much just by listening to the judges discussing what they're looking at.

Hey Eric, I was really careful not to accuse anyone of anything, and I'm sorry if it came off that way. I understand that I'm late to the game, so to speak, so I avoided judging anyone's decicions. I agree about loyalty being a two-way street, but I was speaking to my loyalty to the OB not yours or anyone elses. Again, sorry if this wasn't clear. Here's what I said (note the last sentence):

[cut and pasted from my earlier post]: Maybe it's just my personal view on loyalty, but if the OB became obsolete due to another forum that meets my needs better, I wouldn't just ditch the OB for the new board. I'd give feedback and lobby for change and updating here at the OB. Just like the AOS we are member driven. What if everyone who wanted things a little different just left? It would no longer be the board we've come to love.

To initiate change, we have to participate, even when we feel underrepresented or disenfranchised (but only if we still care). How many of us just don't vote because we're not happy with our government? Silly huh, when you're unhappy is when your vote is needed the most. I totally respect anyone's choice to leave the AOS as we all have different motives and philosophies [end of quote]

Royal, you didn't say anything out of line...the above quote states it very simply.

Thank you

Whew! compared to 30 years of AOS membership i'm just an orchid infant, and i try to respect me elders. :)

:babyboy

For me there was about a ten year lapse in my membership. My original membership was ended just before they switched format with the magazine. I again joined a few months ago. Yes, I liked the older magazine better (it was a "bulletin" then). And I agree that the membership price is high. However, I would like to think that some of my money goes to conservation and conservation activities. If they save a few wild orchid species through their activities then, really, the magazine is just gravy to me. I support the AOS not for a silly printed magazine which may or may not interest me in a given month, but because they do remain a voice for the plants on the world scene. Yes, I'm naive.

Hey Royal,

You didn't push any buttons. It is just that sometimes loyalty means working from outside of a corrupt system. If you travel around the country you will find that many, many people who dropped their membership did it because of a sense of betrayal. They were loyal to the AOS and the combination of Lee Cooke and Rob Griesbach changed all that. Sadly the current powers that be simply stonewall and will not address past abuses.

It was "participation" outside of the system that finally got us out of Vietnam.

Eric