I am surprised to see all the discussion on OGD about Orchids, the cost of advertising and the proposed increase.
First things first, what proposed increase? And to $60? It's bad enough at $46.50. And what will it be for people overseas: $100? But let's face it. Every judge and every affiliated orchid society HAS to subscribe to the magazine. The Orchid Digest, on the other hand, is a labor of love by a few individuals that actually contains pretty pictures AND lots of valuable information. The AOS magazine has gone from a magazine with something for everyone to a tabloid format for the illiterate novice: lots of large pretty pictures and pictorial "articles". A non-orchidist's dream? Every issue is a coffee table book of pretty pictures, simply reduced in size. Information? The AOS relies on the kindness of strangers, i.e. FREE articles. They can't afford to pay, so they say. Well, how does the Orchid Digest survive with such incredible articles? I say stop the money from going down the drain NOW and put it into the magazine! To most "members", the AOS is simply a magazine. Well, that magazine should be the best that it can be. Pretty is nice but good quality is even better! The high cost of a subscription (You can call it a "membership" but it's a subscription.) is due to the money-draining "Taj Mahal", although I think that the "Vatican" is equally applicable, with all that goes on in this "secret" society. At the last Trustees meeting (You can call it a Members Meeting but the AOS bylaws only provide for one Members Meeting per year.), the by-laws were changed by the Trustees, not the members. The members weren't even advised that the by-law change was on the agenda. Does anyone care about the members for anything other than their deep pockets? Maybe it's time for everyone (who cares about orchids) to join Orchid Digest and support a truly worthwhile organization. This is a gem of a magazine and is a steal. Has anyone noted the change to the AOS mission statement? It now states that one of its goals is to "Provide visitors to the Visitor Center and Botanical Garden with a positive, enriching experience". Sneaked that in, did they? The money-losing or is it money-draining Taj Mahal (or is it a simple palace?) is now a "necessity". How much does the AOS spend on this? There is no Education Director - can't afford it. Staff is at a minimum - they can't afford more. Close the place. It sure isn't Disney World - and NEVER will be! Many charitable organizations rent office space - it's relatively inexpensive. Most AOS members will never visit the "Taj Mahal" and really don't care about it. Why doesn't it have meeting rooms so that the Trustees could meet there? Ad revenue is probably down, although I am quite sure that it would rise enormously if the AOS's Orchid Emporium had to pay for their own ads. As for a comparison with Architectural Digest prices . . . What is their circulation? What is the demographic of those who read it? Many of the people who read AD would think nothing of paying $100 for an orchid (without a label) in bloom, which they will put in the trash when it is done blooming. Those who read the AOS Bulletin (now erroneously referred to as Orchids) will pay more for awarded clones and rare species, not the readers of AD. Just called the Orchid Emporium at 9:40 a.m. Eastern Time and got a recording that said they were closed but open between 9 and 5. Can't they afford staff to man this money-losing kachka emporium? Howard S. Ginsberg [demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type text/x-vcard which had a name of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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