Bill, you are so correct in a number of areas and Lloyd de Garmo is rightfully indignant. So are a lot of other stalwarts of the orchid world including Ernest Hetherington.
Ken, you may have been a Trustee for a short time but you are letting your personal distate for Lee cloud your recollection. You did after all make a strong pitch for his job when I was employed at the AOS! Lee and Merritt Huntingdon were adamantly opposed to the Delray Beach site. Fact! How could anyone come up with guaranteed accurate income figures for a startup operation as unique as the AOS Orchid Center. True, I think the CFO's total lack of commercial savvy was an impediment but did you not read Carlos Fighetti's excellent column in this month's Orchids magazine? Who could have foreseen the anazing changes in the orchid world that have occured since 2000. Not the officers of the organization that's for sure and there was tremendous wave of enthusiasm at the AOS in 2000. I know because I was there, day by day. So things changed. Well then the AOS needs to adapt and change too. In the military, if a battle plan failed did you abandon the fight or maybe it would have been wiser to change your strategy??? I have great confidence in the new President. I have no time for people who snipe from the sidelines. I have supported the AOS finacially as much as I can afford and have been disappointed in the past President's performance. In fact, a feel-good compromise candidate is always a poor choice in my opinion. California has been either ignored or woefully inept represenatatives selected from there for Trustees etc. Again the past President, in his ignorance of the Californian orchid scene did not listen to wiser minds. There are some bright financial minds in the current lineup and inevitably a few of the dregs of previous eras, but overall, the AOS is about as well-prepared as it could be to fight the battle it has embarked upon. How could any genuine orchid lover not wish them success or do bruised egos still sway over wishing what is best for the beautiful flowers that we would all seem to be so passionate about? Andy Easton _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
