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Want something printed in the newsletter? E mail it to nwos_news@nwos.org no later than the 25th of the month. |
December 2004
DECEMBER MEETING December 13, 2004 Potluck and Travels to Madagascar The December meeting is our annual potluck with several great events happening (see story below). We will also enjoy a presentation from Melissa Whitman, one of our 2003 scholarship winners. Melissa’s research involves orchids and has had her traveling to Madagascar. Specific details were not available before we had to print, but it promises to be a fascinating look at orchids in the wild. Beginner's program: No beginner's program this month. Plant Table: Bring your best plant to compete for the Schoenfeld Trophy (see story below). Sales Table: Members may bring up to 10 plants to sell. Raffle: Win a new orchid for your collection. COMING UP The 2005 speaker schedule is in the works. Got a suggestion for a speaker or program? Contact Jay Perez at at jay98116@comcast.net or 206-818-4363. DECEMBER CELEBRATION Happy holidays! This year at our annual holiday party there are presents for everyone—every member receives a free plant as a gift from the Society. These are quality plants purchased for this event, not cast-offs. Each member will get a randomly-selected bagged plant—open the bag and see what you have, then you can keep the plant you got or trade with another member for something else. We’re asking everyone to bring a finger food, salad or dessert to share for our holiday potluck. Beverages, coldcuts and utensils are provided by the society. We will also award the Schoenfeld Trophy for the best blooming plant. All you need to get the trophy is to bring in one blooming plant that you think will blow all the others away. Plants will be accepted for entry until 8 p.m. so clean up your best plant and bring it in. NWOS FALL SHOW A SUCCESS
WOW!!! Anyone who came to the Fall Orchid Show and Sale November 13 and 14 had a lot to see there! The sales area was packed with gorgeous flowers and interesting little things for everyone. The show area was exquisite. Everyone did a great job putting in beautiful displays. The volunteers were wonderful and friendly to our guests. All who helped made this a magnificent event. I want to thank all of our volunteers. As you know we can not function without you. Each day was smooth and calm this year. You all did so much work! And it was a good time. I also want to thank all of our vendors, including our members who sold plants. I hope your sales were good and the holidays are better with the extra cash. It seemed that most of our vendors did pretty well this time, and all of them were in good spirits. It is such a treat to hear them talk to customers. They all know so much about their wares. Our dragon display was the centerpiece of the show, with it’s smoking nose and sparkly scales. Jamie and I worked on it nearly every evening for 6 weeks, with the final touches put together on Thursday before the show! It used a fog machine with an intermittent timer that controlled the frequency and duration of the fog blasts. Jamie piped it through the nostrils. The children who came to the show were fascinated by it and soon discovered that the nostrils were fun to blow into. One kid (4 years old) spent more than 20 minutes playing with the dragon. His mom was grateful because she was able to look at the other displays in peace. We are currently storing the display in Jamie’s garage. We heard some whisperings of taking it to another show. Who knows? If anyone knows of a theatrical group or some other interested party that wants a paper-maché dragon, please let Jamie or I know. It was great while it was in our show, but it is too big to store for long. The final totals are in, and we did better than last year in sales. I will let Christine report the final numbers to us all at the next meeting. By then we will have the expenses, too. What a whirlwind! Now that it’s over we have to start thinking about the next event. Sign-up sheets will be available at the next meeting for the Northwest Flower & Garden Show this February. We will be hosting the Orchid Hotel and we need people to help with that. Right after the NWF&GS we have our Spring Sale at Sky Nursery March 19th and 20th. The Mother’s Day Sale will come next on May 7th & 8th at the Center for Urban Horticulture. We are going to be asking for a lot of help, but it is for our society’s financial health and the ability to have good speakers and great times with orchids. Why else? See you around the sign-up sheet table! Robin Kemph 2004-05 ROSTER If you did not pick up your copy of the 2004-05 NWOS Membership Roster and Handbook at the November meeting, it should arrive in the mail within the next week. If you do not receive one, please contact Brian Anderson at bca.home@comcast.net or 206-818-4364. An addendum page with last-minute additions and corrections should be included with the roster. Those of you who picked up your roster should have received the additions page as a PDF attachment to your December e-mail. If the attachment did not come through or you have trouble with it, please let me know and I will mail you a hard copy. 2005 AOS CALENDARS
KBCS FUND DRIVE THANKS The Northwest Orchid Society helped raise money for KBCS radio as phone volunteers during their recent pledge drive. Thank you to Eunice Hanke, Julie O’Donnell, Mary Nichol, Judy Vincenzi, Dennis Notman and Jamie Notman for participating. Extra thanks to Jamie for suggesting and organizing this effort. NORTHWEST FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW RUNS FEB. 9-13, 2005 The annual Northwest Flower & Garden Show will take place in the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle February 9-13, 2005. NWOS will have a small presence at the show, primarily running the orchid hotel. There will be sign-up sheets for the show at the December and January meetings. Working a three-hour shift at the Society’s Orchid Hotel will get you into the show for free (tickets are $19 if purchased at the door). Only a couple volunteers are needed for each shift, so space is limited. Members who can’t make it to the December meeting and want to reserve a specific time to work should call Kathy Murray at 425-257-0583 (evenings and weekends) or e-mail her at kandmmurray@verizon.net. WHAT YOU MISSED We know everyone can’t make it to every meeting, so in an effort to keep members better informed about what is happening in the Society, the secretary will provide a synopsis of the last general meeting and board meeting. NOVEMBER GENERAL MEETING (Held November 8, 2004) A great presentation from member Michael Corn on how to build your own greenhouse. Corn and his wife, Cathy Tuttle, decided to replace three small greenhouses with one 16' x 36' greenhouse they would build themselves. Of course, it took a lot more time and money than originally planned, but it was worth the effort and still cost less than hiring professionals. We got to see the progress step-by-step and picked up some helpful tips, the most important of which was probably “pick up a pencil before a hammer” (have all the details planned out before you start work). Michael will gladly share the notes from his presentation with anyone interested, look in the roster for his contact information. Andy Wright made his debut as our new plant table emcee and, although he had surprisingly little to work with, did a fabulous job. Among the notable plants were some terrific bulldog Paphs from Daniel Kerr. Remember, if your plant has a bloom on it, we want to see it! The joy of a blooming plant is always best shared with others who appreciate it. NOVEMBER BOARD MEETING (Held November 2, 2004) The board appointed two new trustees—John Burke and Sheila McConnell—to fill unexpected vacancies. The treasurer reported that the Society has earned $1,545 so far this year plus $356 from the October auction. The board has appointed a membership committee to brainstorm ways to sign-up new members, improve the beginner’s programs, and help member retention. The Society agreed to create a new trophy to honor the late Rebecca Tyson Northen. At her daughter’s request, the trophy will be to honor the best miniature orchid and will be awarded in conjunction with the Schoenfeld Trophy at the December 2005 meeting. A nominating committee was also formed to seek new officers for the 2005-06 board. The next board meeting is January 4, 2005. If you have ideas you would like the board to consider, please e-mail jerry@hoffmeisters.com. Brian Anderson WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Larry Larsen Peter Maunsell IMPORTANT DATES FEBRUARY 9 - 13, 2005 FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2005 MARCH 19 & 20, 2005
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There are still a few AOS calendars left and they will be available for purchase at the December meeting for $10 (tax included). Make a great gift and you won’t find them any cheaper. (Retail price is $11.95 plus tax and shipping.)