AOS Membership.

[Dorothy]

Gollymissmolly -

"What would happen if you could access technical information directly from experts in AOS through the forum? I don't know but I do know that asking Suzy Q about technical issues on this or any other internet forum is tempting fate because results are questionabvle at best and downright dangerous to both you and your plants at times."


Oh? You do know? How?
I don't believe, no .. I know it is NOT 'tempting fate' referring to knowledgable people who have experiences just as valid as any AOS member or society. I have learned so much at OB and will continue to do so. There is no 'perfect' way to grow, care, maintain and propagate orchids and everyone's input has a place and more importantly, is of great value on whatever level it may be.
I find that kind of superior attitude keeps people from joining .. Why would I want to be, no less pay to be with a group of people who thinks they know it all? .. That is the beginning of close mindedness! and the isolation that keeps the society distant from the rest of us who love to grow orchids for pleasure not just for status.
With that type of mindset .. I'd rather expend my time, share and exchange information and experiences with those outside any society.

"I repeat what I said earlier at some risk to myself. These on-line forums are nice social sites but they are not substitutes for reliable information. There are all kinds of visitors to these sites that pretend to be something they are not and no way we can sort them out. In another plant interest I know of one admittedly crazy person who regularly hands out advice on issues that even the most experienced hybridizers do not pretend to know."

So you judge everyone else by one person?
Or is that just signs of paranoia?
And who is to say whether or not someone else's experiences may eventually become the norm in the future. Isn't that how one learns?

"If you don't have any competitive spirit that makes you want to show the world that you can grow orchids better than anyone else on earth that is OK. You have a right to your mediocre feelings and I mean that sincerely."

I don't need to show the world that I can grow a better orchid ... I do it for my own pleasure and for the pleasure of those around me. In fact, I have a great passion not just mediocre feelings.
So get off your high horse and come down to Earth with the rest of us.
Maybe then some of us would consider societies such as the AOS!

[littlefrog]

Non-AOS members pay more than AOS members for an award ($60 vs $40, I think?). Although that is hardly a problem, and I suppose if you got three or four awards at a show you could just join the AOS for a year to cover your costs...

As as judge (and PhD, although that isn't really relevant) in the AOS, even I find many annoyances. I've never tried the members only section of the website, I have enough other ways to satsify my internet addiction. In my opinion, the website is poorly designed and even more poorly implemented, even I could do better than that... I've never been to the palace of Delray Beach, and if I get there once or twice in my remaining lifetime I'd be surprised. I'm not at all supportive of that facility, we could go back to the days where we ran the AOS out of an office (or an office suite, maybe) and I'd be quite happy. I've offered my pole barn, but they didn't respond.

But, the AOS does do some good things too. We fund orchid research (I'm on the research committee), and orchid conservation, among other things. Not with as much money as I would like, but we don't have infinite money to spend. If it is a good project that needs to be done, we will fund it regardless of the cost. Main thing limiting more research support is that we lack good grant applications to fund (there were some pretty awful ones this year, and maybe two good ones). So, write a grant.

The magazine goes through phases... It is pretty good this year so far. It has been pretty bad in previous years. Again, it is a volunteer organization and nobody gets paid, so if you want to see something you care about in the magazine, write an article. I'd actually be supportive of a fund to pay contributors, similar to most other publications where the article authors are paid for their work (free-lancers). That would increase the article pool and no doubt the quality, but we'd have to find a way to pay for it. I like the inclusion of Lindleyana in the magazine, before it was a separate publication with very limited exposure.

And I think the judging program is important even if you don't get (or care about) awards. If there was no other reason, it ensures a pool of dedicated (we get paid in the high 6 figures, unfortunately every figure is a 0) and knowledgable orchid experts. Some are more expert than others, that is true. But we are all more than eager to help (and teach) where we can.

Rob

[Rhonda_in_FL]

It is so hard to really put all of what I'd say on this subject into a forum reply. Of those that know me from other forums, any would certainly say I am a staunch 'pro' AOS-er. As others have said more eloquently than I have time to wordsmith, there have been some rocky spots.

Goodgolly is clearly informed on the new direction of AOS and her information is certainly current. The spring meeting was just finished days ago, so I expect she was either there or knows someone that was. I was there and I can say it was certainly full of excitment and enthusiasm for the future.

For those that have had negative experiences with the organization in the past, I would say that it is clear to me that the board of trustees acknowledges past mistakes and are making it their mission to turn the ship around.

I have talked with Carlos on several occasions in the past six months and know that he runs full tilt 24/7 to accomplish the goals he and the board have identified. The new COO, Jim Jordan, is amazing. His enthusiasm is exciting to be around--without specifying a person to blame on some of the issues we've all disagreed with, Jim is on a mission to make the organization into a vital, dynamic asset to the country. Jim even answers his own phone!

I am one of the fortunate that live in the vicinity of the AOS Visitors Center. The most common misconception around the country is that South Floridians were happy with the AOS...sometimes you read in the forums that the society has become a 'South Florida Society, not an American Society' THAT IS NONSENSE! We were irritated/unhappy/disconnected/dissatisfied too! That building was something near Morikami that wasn't worth the effort. Our issues with the building were adding to the dissatisfaction with the organization. Believe me, there is nothing further from the truth--that building was salt in the wound.

As a result of the 'disconnect' between the local societies and the AOS admin, the South Florida Leadership Council was developed. The presidents/AOS reps from the local societies started meeting and collaborating on solutions. It took several face-to-face meetings just to organize the complaints! That was a couple years ago and the complaints have started to fall off the list, one by one. Now the group is collaborating on issues to strengthen their home societies, benefit their members and incorporate the AOS in the solutions. In turn, AOS has benefited from societies being involved in AOS, more people in the area are joining/rejoining, and the Visitors Center is becoming the hub of orchids again. This is an oversimplified description, but in this setting It wouldn't make sense to go on and on.

Goodgolly has referred to the regional centers...the SFLC was the model and the inspiration for these centers. It has been so successful, the trustees have committed $$ and manpower to developing these regions across the country. They want the organization to be run from the bottom up instead of our (unsuccessful) efforts to run from the top down. No longer are the decrees coming from the mount on high--they want the individual members to have a vehicle to guide the organization. These regional centers are key to that change. I think the old model has been in place for so long that people didn't take this last survey seriously.

Do I blindly follow the AOS? NO!
Do I believe you're either part of the problem or part of the solution? YES!
My message to anyone is to watch and see--and be part of the solution! Be ready to be pleasantly surprised!

[dennis]

what would be nice is a option to sign up for a month or two to see how it really is, then if you enjoy it you can stay if not you are not out much. me i am in for two years because i thought i was going to get the best top notch advice. i do go to the forum and read but have never really been given any sound advice on any post. i know thier forum is slow but there are alot of highly intelligent growers on there that just will not take the time to help out someone new. the only person i would say i see everywhere offering his knowledge is ray

[Rhonda_in_FL]

As nice as a monthly membership might be, I am certainly glad I wouldn't have to keep track of it all.

I don't belong to any other national organization that would offer a monthly membership tied to an 80 page magazine, scholarship funds, affiliated societies, support staff, global judging system, etc. Imagine how difficult that would be to budget for and support?

[goodgollymissmolly]

Rhonda,

Thanks for your informative, first-hand account of current AOS plans and progress. Hopefully information like you shared will come from others as well.

In response to your speculation that I might have been at the recent meeting, the answer is no. However, I think that's important because everything I know (or think I know) came from reading ORCHIDS. That proves that one can stay informed through the magazine.

[Rhonda_in_FL]

They are making unprecedented efforts to communicate with every single member. Everything that happens in the organization is public (and easily accessible.)

Carlos is using space in the magazine each month to keep everyone very informed. For the old ex-AOS'ers that quit because of the closed door politics, this is a perfect example of the new outlook and the effort to revamp.