My observation of the AOS is that it's run by a closed group of individuals with little or no concern about the needs/concerns of the average orchid grower out there (with a few notable exceptions like Milt Carpenter). Raising the dues by a large amount will likely have the effect of decreasing membership so that there may be no increase in total revenue, and possibly even a decrease.
It is ironic, I think, that they are having this problem while many local orchid societies sit on very healthy "kitties." Of course, most of THEM don't have employees.
The presence of the Internet, I believe, has given the AOS much less comparative "value" for membership. In other words, because of the vast amount of "free" information out there, they have been disintermediated in orchid information much as travel agents have been in making flight and hotel reservations. Unless they can find ways to increase their services that customers are willing to pay for, they may have no choice but to decrease their costs.
Harvey Brenneise
East Lansing, MI
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