Questions for Youngish Orchid Growers

[RenéeS]

1. How old are you? 25
2. How long have you been growing orchids? about 9 years
3. Are you in school or working? Student
4. Are you a member of your LOS? No

If your nearest LOS...

1. had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? yes
2. had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? Depends on the subjects
3. had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? Yes, think I might.
4. had a flickr group would you join it? don't do flickt
5. had a twitter account would you follow them? no, don't do twitter
6. had their own forum would you participate on it? I would.
7. had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? yes
8. sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? No

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

1. offered free membership for students? yes
2. offered free membership for anyone under 30? ayes
3. received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
4. received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
5. received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes..
6. offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? I might.

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...

1. a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting. 8
2. a good selection of raffle orchids 7
3. weekend meetings 4
4. more young members 8
5. knowledgeable members 9
6. friendly members 9
7. interesting presentations 10
8. an extensive orchid library 7

Please feel free to offer any specific reasons why you haven't joined your LOS or why you continue to be a member of your LOS.

In the LOS near me most members are 60 and up. Since I'm 25, that age difference seems too great for me to feel at ease.

[Sandrilene]

Answers:
How old are you: 23

How long have you been growing orchids: I tried once about 9 years ago and didn't really have a clue what I was doing then moved a bunch of times and now that I am older and more settled decided to try again having a lot more information about them.

Are you in school or working: Right now neither, I'm getting ready to move a short distance in about a month I'm looking into college and will also probably be working once I figure out exactly what I'm doing (school is the more important thing to figure out right now of the two, my husband is currently supporting us).

Are you a member of your LOS: No because I am moving very shortly and before this I have been out of the country for about 2 months and only started maybe 6 months ago I'm not really sure, plus I didn't know that they existed til very recently.

If your nearest LOS...


had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? Yes
had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? yes

had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? yes
had a flickr group would you join it? Probably if that is free (I haven't used it before).
had a twitter account would you follow them? I don't use twitter Tend to pick one social site and stick with it, mine is facebook.
had their own forum would you participate on it? Yup I am pretty much logged into this one while I'm awake I get up and do stuff around the house randomly but I stay logged in.
had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? If this is something free or very cheap yes, I try to read everything I can find that is related to orchids.
sold on craigslist would you buy them? Yeah if they were affordable at the time and I had the space.

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

offered free membership for students? yes
offered free membership for anyone under 30? yes
received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries?yes
received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries?yes
received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries?yes
offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens?yes

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...
a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting 6
a good selection of raffle orchids 7
weekend meetings5
more young members 6
knowledgeable members 10
friendly members 10
interesting presentations 8
an extensive orchid library 9

Please feel free to offer any specific reasons why you haven't joined your LOS or why you continue to be a member of your LOS. Once I move I will look into what is available this way and if its affordable and people are friendly I will probably join. Depends on when the meetings are because my husband and I only have one car.

[gerneveyn]

1. How old are you? 29
2. How long have you been growing orchids? 6 years
3. Are you in school or working? grad student
4. Are you a member of your LOS? yes

If your nearest LOS...

1. had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? yes
2. had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? maybe
3. had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? yes, but I don't use facebook much
4. had a flickr group would you join it? maybe
5. had a twitter account would you follow them? no
6. had their own forum would you participate on it? yes
7. had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? yes
8. sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? maybe

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

1. offered free membership for students? yes
2. offered free membership for anyone under 30? yes
3. received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
4. received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
5. received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
6. offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? yes

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...

1. a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting 8
2. a good selection of raffle orchids 6
3. weekend meetings 5
4. more young members 5
5. knowledgeable members10
6. friendly members10
7. interesting presentations 10
8. an extensive orchid library 8

[minneSNOWta]

The following is a survey for youngish (<40 yrs old) orchid growers regarding their nearest Local Orchid Society (LOS). As the publicity person for my society I figure the answers might be helpful for the leaders of societies. Thanks in advance for your participation!

1. How old are you? 23
2. How long have you been growing orchids? 1 year
3. Are you in school or working? Working at a University Greenhouse as a volunteer and also was an intern
4. Are you a member of your LOS? In the process, haven't paid

If your nearest LOS...

1. had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? Subscribed
2. had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? I watch Orchid Web's videos, who told me about the club
3. had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? Not a hardcore facebooker
4. had a flickr group would you join it? What is flickr?
5. had a twitter account would you follow them? I don't twitter and like it that way
6. had their own forum would you participate on it? Yes
7. had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? RSS feed?
8. sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? Yes

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

1. offered free membership for students? Yes, students are poor!
2. offered free membership for anyone under 30? Could be offensive to the older people
3. received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
4. received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
5. received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
6. offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? Heck yeah!

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...

1. a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting 8
2. a good selection of raffle orchids 5
3. weekend meetings 2
4. more young members 8, not enough young people even know what orchids are!
5. knowledgeable members 10, with age and experience comes wisdom
6. friendly members 10, no need for haters!
7. interesting presentations 10, why fall asleep?
8. an extensive orchid library 7, local supply in my area is low


I notice that my local club does not have any orchid dealers in the area and must commute at least 3 hours. The home improvement stores sell those noids or whatever and this got me thinking. I may consider opening up a small-scale sustainable nursery that will sell orchids and other things. Soon I will be graduating with a Biology B.A and an Environmental Studies minor.

[jrodpad]

So there's way more youngsters than I would have guessed. Here goes:

How old are you? 32
How long have you been growing orchids? about 2.5 years
Are you in school or working? working
Are you a member of your LOS? no
If your nearest LOS...
had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? yes
had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? yes
had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? no
had a flickr group would you join it? yes
had a twitter account would you follow them? no
had their own forum would you participate on it? yes
had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? yes
sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? yes
Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...
offered free membership for students? no
offered free membership for anyone under 30? no
received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? yes
On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...
a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting 8
a good selection of raffle orchids 8
weekend meetings 10
more young members 2
knowledgeable members 10
friendly members 10
interesting presentations 8
an extensive orchid library 5
Please feel free to offer any specific reasons why you haven't joined your LOS or why you continue to be a member of your LOS.

I have not joined my LOS because they schedule their meetings at a time that doesn't work for me. I would LOVE to become a member, but I wouldn't get to participate if I joined.

[tcrane]

Just noticed this thread, and while I don't think of myself as 'young' - well, I'm one of the youngest people (I believe) who goes to meetings at my local society! I'm in San Francisco, and was surprised to see so few people in my age bracket.

1. How old are you? 32
2. How long have you been growing orchids? 1 year - I used to be into succulents and switched over.
3. Are you in school or working? partially employed, was unemployed for a bit.
4. Are you a member of your LOS? Not yet, finances are tight, but they are welcoming to people attending meetings without being members, thankfully.

If your nearest LOS...

1. had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? yes
2. had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? yes
3. had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? yes
4. had a flickr group would you join it? Yes. I love flickr!
5. had a twitter account would you follow them? yes, but I rarely check my twitter feed.
6. had their own forum would you participate on it? Possibly, but only if it's as active and useful as this forum.
7. had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? yes.
8. sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? hmm.. probably not. I am lucky to be in an area with a number of growers and nurseries, but I can see this being a useful resource for people in less urban areas.

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

1. offered free membership for students? yes, or discount.
2. offered free membership for anyone under 30? That doesn't seem entirely fair to paying members.
3. received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes!
4. received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes!
5. received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries? hmmm... yes!
6. offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? That would be great.

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...

1. a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting - 8
2. a good selection of raffle orchids - 8. I've really expanded my knowledge and growing experience with some orchids I've won in the raffle.
3. weekend meetings - 4
4. more young members - 8. Although, I really do appreciate the advice and knowledge of members with a lot of experience and resources - ie. large greenhouses, etc.
5. knowledgeable members - 6
6. friendly members - 10
7. interesting presentations - 9
8. an extensive orchid library - 6

I mainly haven't joined due to financial reasons, but I plan on doing so as soon as possible. I've found people at the Sf Orchid society very welcoming and friendly, especially since I've now been attending regularly.

-Tristan

[zxyqu]

1. How old are you? 26
2. How long have you been growing orchids? 2 years
3. Are you in school or working? Graduate School
4. Are you a member of your LOS? Not Yet

If your nearest LOS...

1. had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? Yup
2. had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? Probably would glance, but how to videos on orchids seem like they would be too simplistic and not applicable to all chids/envt's/situations
3. had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? Not a facebook stalker
4. had a flickr group would you join it? Pics are nice
5. had a twitter account would you follow them? Nope
6. had their own forum would you participate on it? Yuo
7. had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? Yup
8. sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? Sure

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

1. offered free membership for students? YES
2. offered free membership for anyone under 30? YES
3. received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
4. received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
5. received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
6. offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? Yeah

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...

1. a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting. 8
2. a good selection of raffle orchids. 5
3. weekend meetings. 10
4. more young members. 10
5. knowledgeable members. 10
6. friendly members. 10
7. interesting presentations. 6
8. an extensive orchid library. 7


Well being a student it's always tough to delegate proper time, finances, and other things to your hobbies, and as such the Atlanta OS just hasn't been available. However, in the future I dont see this being a problem, provided I graduate

[marydaniellesantos]

1. How old are you? 19
2. How long have you been growing orchids? 6 years
3. Are you in school or working? Working
4. Are you a member of your LOS? No...

If your nearest LOS...

1. had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? Probably not.
2. had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? Yes.
3. had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? Yes
4. had a flickr group would you join it? No
5. had a twitter account would you follow them? No
6. had their own forum would you participate on it? Yes.
7. had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? Probably
8. sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? Probably

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

1. offered free membership for students? Yes
2. offered free membership for anyone under 30? Yes
3. received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes!
4. received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes!!
5. received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes!!!
6. offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? Members allowing, yes.

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...

1. a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting 9
2. a good selection of raffle orchids 7
3. weekend meetings 10
4. more young members 7
5. knowledgeable members 10
6. friendly members 10!
7. interesting presentations 10!
8. an extensive orchid library 10!

P.s I would love to join, but the nearest one to me is 3 hours away!!! Someone should create one here in Manhattan KS! I would join for sure! And I'm sure others would as well!

[Zdenglan]

The following is a survey for youngish (<40 yrs old) orchid growers regarding their nearest Local Orchid Society (LOS). As the publicity person for my society I figure the answers might be helpful for the leaders of societies. Thanks in advance for your participation!

1. How old are you? 31
2. How long have you been growing orchids?5yrs
3. Are you in school or working? working
4. Are you a member of your LOS? yes

If your nearest LOS...

1. had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? yes
2. had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? oh yes
3. had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? yes
4. had a flickr group would you join it? yes
5. had a twitter account would you follow them? no
6. had their own forum would you participate on it? possibly
7. had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? yes
8. sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? yes

Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...

1. offered free membership for students? N/A
2. offered free membership for anyone under 30? N/A
3. received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
4. received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? yes
5. received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries?yes
6. offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? deffo

On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...

1. a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting 6
2. a good selection of raffle orchids 2
3. weekend meetings 10
4. more young members 7
5. knowledgeable members 10
6. friendly members 10
7. interesting presentations 8
8. an extensive orchid library 9

[Lady_Vamp]

How old are you? 20
How long have you been growing orchids? About a year and a half
Are you in school or working? School
Are you a member of your LOS? Yes
If your nearest LOS...
had a monthly e-Newsletter would you subscribe to it? Yes (It has it and you receive it automatically as a member)
had orchid how-to videos on youtube would you watch them? Yes
had a facebook page would you become a fan of it? Yes (already did that )
had a flickr group would you join it? No (I'm not on it)
had a twitter account would you follow them? No (I'm not on it)
had their own forum would you participate on it? Of course!
had an RSS feed of orchid articles would you subscribe to it? Yes
sold orchids on craigslist would you buy them? If I like the orchids, yes, but I must say craigslist isn't that popular in Quebec
Would you be more inclined to join/rejoin your nearest LOS if they...
offered free membership for students? Yes
offered free membership for anyone under 30? Yes
received a 10% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
received a 20% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
received a 30% discount at local orchid nurseries? Yes
offered tours of their members' greenhouses/gardens? Yes
On a scale of 1 (least important) to 10 (most important) how would you rate the following items...
a good selection of reasonably priced orchids for sale at every meeting 8
a good selection of raffle orchids 5
weekend meetings 5
more young members 4
knowledgeable members 9
friendly members 10
interesting presentations 9
an extensive orchid library 8