Dear Leo: I think a lot of us feel somewhat abandoned by the AOS. There are still some good programs such as judging and sanctioning of shows and the magazine is certainly not a total loss. However, I think many long time growers feel a bit like the VICTIMS OF ADULTERY. Here they (we) have supported the AOS for 10 or 20 or more years only to find that large amounts of money spent on landscaping and the constant rebuilding of the greenhouse for 'tourists' (then why didn't they build it in Orlando?) goes on willie nillie while the project to scan and make searchable the AOS Bulletins back to day one seems to be languishing (promised 3 years ago!) and that they think the future is with beginners and that we (long time members) don't count for a whole lot. What are they thinking. The magazine is too expensive for most beginners to even contemplate. In Canada if you want it in a timely fashion you have to pay first class postage (the Hawaiians are in the same boat) as well as the high membership added to the exchange rate (better than it was a few years ago). So it runs about $8-10 an issue--at that rate the partial focus on being a coffee table picture book wears pretty thin awfully quickly. But Bravo to adding Lindleyana. To be fair to Jim Watson, if people don't send him articles, he can't publish them. We all have a responsibility for that. I have thought for sometime that all the special interest groups and particularly their newsletters dilute the amount that is available: eg the paph groups, encyclia, phal, Odont, Oncidium, pleurothallids, etc. all encourage their co-members and friends to send them articles and photos on a personal basis. And of course they do a great job of promoting their own focus but in publications that are not widely available, that do not offer back issues, etc. The one thing you have to admit about the Orchids magazine is that it is widely available and back issues are not that hard to buy. But perhaps the AOS should and maybe they are already doing it: monitor all these and ask people to rewrite a bit, add add more photos etc and publish. Then dare I mention it: the feud with Eric Christensen--who is a contributor of much wonderful taxonomy and useful articles---we need more people who are actually doing something constructive in the orchid world irregardless of their 'party' manners. I do not believe that it is or ever has been part of the AOS mandate to feud with anyone---that has got to stop. I think most people view it as an organization that should distribute and collect information on orchids and culture and support activities related to that such as the judging program. Selling orchids out of a member supported greenhouse to tourists in competition to local vendors who are long time members and supporters of the AOS is not part of that. Providing landscaped grounds for locals who may not even be members of the AOS for weddings, etc is not part of that. It is supposed to be a national/international organization, not a local one. But then I have always been more interested in the the contents of the book than how fancy the cover is. The headquarters are fancy cover and a financial albatross. Jean in Nova Scotia
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