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THE GROWER ON CALL FOR DECEMBER IS JULIE
RATHBUN, 843-0223
Growers with Internet access are encouraged to
use the Questions and Answers link on OSA’s web
site. The URL for our web site is:
http://welcome.to/orchidsocietyaz
NEXT OSA BOARD MEETING: The next scheduled
Board Meeting will be Sunday, November 29, 1 p.m.
at the home of Jane and Pete Heckel, 1345 W. Nido
Ave., Mesa. This is a combined meeting of retiring
and newly-elected board members. All board
members should plan to attend!
Jane and Pete have also graciously volunteered
to hold an OPEN GREENHOUSE on the 29th. Pete, who
can now add ace "greenhouse builder" to his list of
many accomplishments, will conduct tours of their
new greenhouse while the board meeting is in
session. Hours for the Open Greenhouse are from
1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Members and interested persons
are welcome. Maps to the Heckel residence were
available at our November 5th meeting, but for
those who need directions, call 839-6696. [see page
4 for detail directions to the Heckel’s home — ed]
NEXT OSA SOCIETY MEETING:
The next regular society monthly meeting will be
Thursday, December 3rd, 1998, held at the Valley
Garden Center, 1809 N. 15th Ave., Phoenix, Arizona,
(phone 252-2120). The meeting, open to all plant
enthusiasts, will start at 7:00 p.m. Don’t forget
to tune up your bidding techniques since this
meeting is the annual auction.
THANKS TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE NOVEMBER MONTHLY
MEETING PROGRAM
Again, many thanks to Ron and Shirley Norman for
transporting Bob and Kerry Dressler from Tucson to
Phoenix for our meeting. Also Natalie Warford for
hosting the Dresslers during their stay in
Phoenix. Thanks also go to Richard Hendricks for
donating orchids. As you may know, he had moved to
California, we hope he moves back soon.
Norma Kafer
THANKS TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE NOVEMBER ANNUAL
SHOW
We would like to thank everyone involved in the
planning, production and cleanup of the November
show. To Bob (Pele) MacLeod for his incredible
erupting volcano, to Candy Pelz and Cathy Nelson
for their creativity and to Lou Remeikis for
engineering the education presentation. Thanks to
Norma Kafer and Jim Gordon, Joe Freasier, Joe
Civello, Julie and Fred Rathbun, Ann Cherny, Jane
and Peter Heckel, Nancy Burnett and Scott Emerson
for their hard work in setting up the wonderful
displays and taking them down on Sunday. Thanks to
Ron Norman, Joe Freasier, Joe Civello, Ken Gettys
and all who loaned blooming plants. Special thanks
to C.W. Moody and all the businesses and members
who contributed props. Also, thanks to Anne Connor
for her Ikebana demonstration and Michelle Gomez
for her graceful dance. Thanks to Sally and Steve
Grass for their assistance with the raffle table.
To Willie Stimmell thanks for your guidance,
encouragement and plain hard work. Without the team
effort of all our membership we could not be
successful.
OSA would like to thank the Maricopa County
Assessors Office employees for their generous
donation of funds to be used in our school
education programs. Peggy Stejskal and Keith Mead
- Show co-chairs.
MORE NOVEMBER SHOW ACCOLADES AND INFORMATION ON
THE DECEMBER MEETING
WHAT A SHOW !!!
I cannot even begin to tell you how impressed I
was with our “Tropical Explosion of Orchids” show.
The show plans were well planned, well executed, and well received
by everyone who strolled through the Valley Garden
Center. Our members showed up enforce to help
create the ambience that welcomed our visitors.
There is not enough room in this newsletter to
thank all our members who contributed not only
items for our displays, but volunteered valuable
time and energy to help. You know who you are, and
so do many others, and I want to personally thank you and commend
you all for a job well done!
I also wish to acknowledge and thank the
businesses who so unselfishly assisted in our
endeavor. Gary Petterson (a recent speaker to our
Society), of Gardener’s World, loaned the
beautiful trees that filled our display areas.
Amy Little, of The Little Plant Company, who none
of us have ever met, graciously donated the ferns
and other non-orchid plants which gave such a
beautiful backdrop for the display of blooming
orchids brought by our members. The plants
supplied by The Little Plant Company were groomed,
polished, and perfect! I wish my house plants
looked like that!
There were four other businesses who greeted us
with open arms when it came time to ask for their
help. C.W. Moody loaned us a number of accessory
items to “dress up” our displays. Southwest
Gardener generously provided the delightful
tabletop water fountains found in special spots
around the rooms. Lights, Etc. donated for our
use, and for our December Auction, four florescent
grow-lights. The florescent lights were utilized
in one of our educational scenarios, showing how
orchids can be grown under artificial lighting.
This educational display looked very professional
due to the Budget Restaurant Equipment &
Supplies, Inc. loaning the Society a shelving unit
in which to set up the plants and lighting. Please
consider patronizing these businesses when you need
something they can provide. Their support for our
Society has been appreciated and it is OUR turn to
support them.
Again, thank you all for your assistance in
making our annual show a success!
COME & HAVE FUN AT THE DECEMBER MEETING
With the addition of so many new members since
last December’s meeting, I’ll fill everyone in on
what this holiday meeting is all about. First, let
me start by asking that everyone bring an edible
contribution to the refreshment table. Our
December meeting has an expanded buffet-type
refreshment table. We already have received enough
volunteers for bringing the beverages.
The December meeting (12/03/98) is our “Live
Auction” night. We ask for donations from the
membership of items relating to orchids, or orchid
plants, which are auctioned to the highest bidder.
The bidding is very friendly and all you have to
do is raise your hand to bid the next higher amount
for the item(s) you want. The Orchid Society of
Arizona will accept checks, so do not let the
amount of cash in your pocket limit your bidding.
There are always some fun and unusual items on the
auction table. Note: There will be no raffle at
the December meeting due to the auction.
The purpose of this “Live Auction” meeting is
not only a fundraiser for the Society, but also a
wonderful way to socialize with each other in a
very relaxed atmosphere. Once you have attended
one “Live Auction” December meeting, you will never
want to miss another one! As always, guests are
welcome to attend and participate in the bidding!
I look forward to seeing everyone on December
3rd. I hope you all can bring some goodies to eat,
and some goodies to donate to the auction - and I
hope everyone goes home with something they bid on.
This is a nice way to celebrate the holidays and the end of the
year.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU!
Lou Ann Remeikis 1st Vice
President
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
Wilella Stimmell
REGARDING THE NOVEMBER 29 BOARD MEETING &
OPEN GREENHOUSE
Directions to Jane & Pete Heckel, 1345 W.
Nido Ave, Mesa. From US60 (Superstition Freeway)
exit at Alma School Rd (Fiesta Mall exit) and turn
South. The first major street is Baseline Rd. Cross
Baseline Rd. The next light is at Medina, go past
Medina and make a right turn on at the first street
on the right. This is Meseto, there is a church on
Alma School Rd. on the right just before Meseto.
Continue on Meseto to the stop sign (a short
distance). Turn left on Patterson. From Patterson
make the first left turn. This is West Nido and we
are the first house on the right as you make the
left turn. It is a red slump block front with two
palm trees on the corner. Also we have a large
Night Blooming Cirrus cactus that needs to be cut
back. It has beautiful large white flowers that
bloom only for one night. It's easy to grow and
needs little care. If you would like to have a
piece, please call us at 839-6696. We hate to throw
anything green away.
A large audience of members and guests in
attendance at our November 5th meeting, was
privileged to hear Dr. Robert Dressler's
presentation on the orchids of Costa Rica. Several
members brought copies of books Dr. Dressler had
written, and he autographed those volumes. For
those of us who have admired Dr. Dressler's immense
contributions to the large body of work that exists
on the classification of the orchid family and his
field work in Costa Rica and Panama, his appearance
as a featured speaker at an OSA meeting, was
gratifying.
Special thanks is due Natalie Warford for
serving as hostess for Robert and Kerry Dressler
and to Ron and Shirley Norman for transporting the
speaker and his wife to our meeting. A large
selection of orchids and orchid-related items was
featured on our November raffle table. Donations
were received from the family of the late Bernice
Ehrlich, from OSA, and from members Phillip Liu,
Carrie O'Brien, Bonnie Scott, and me. Thanks to all
donors and ticket purchasers for continuing to
generously support our fund-raising raffle.
Your 1999 Board of Directors was elected during
our November meeting. The slate as presented by the
Nominating Committee, was accepted by acclamation.
There were no nominations from the floor. As of
January 1, 1999: Catherine Nelson, President; Lou
Remeikis, 1st Vice President; Norma Kafer, 2nd Vice
President; Jane Heckel, Secretary; Keith Mead,
Treasurer; Shirley Engberg, Trustee with term
expiring 12/00; Maura Roberts, Trustee with term
expiring 12/00; Kathleen Luther and Peggy Stejskal
are returning Trustees whose terms expire 12/99.
The Editor is appointed by the President. Cathy has
reported to me that Ken Gettys will continue to
serve as Editor through April, and Nancy Burnett
will serve as Editor beginning with the May issue.
I will serve on the 1999 OSA Board as Immediate
Past President.
On October 17, 10 OSA members and one non-member
spouse (Gary Remeikis) assembled at Suz Cramer's
house, and the dismantling of OSA's greenhouse
commenced. Bob MacLeod and Scott Emerson brought
the most "serious" tools for the job. Thanks to
Leith Plunkett for the loan of his monster truck!
The sides and roof of the greenhouse were loaded
onto the back of Leith's truck, and the
worker-caravan proceeded south on 7th Ave. to Norma
Kafer's house. (Norma is our new greenhouse
custodian.) We had traffic backed up on 7th Ave.
for about a mile, but motorists NOT a part of our
procession, were very patient with us. Nothing fell
off the truck! Thanks to all workers for a job WELL
DONE!
Thanks to Joe Freasier and Wayne Baker for
hosting an Open Greenhouse on November 1 and for
permitting us to hold OSA's board meeting at their
home. We appreciated the smorgasbord Joe and Wayne
laid out for us, but it is not necessary for the
host(s) of an Open Greenhouse to go to elaborate
lengths (and expense) to feed the greenhouse
viewers.
OSA's WEB SITE! Our member/web master, Jim
Johnson, reports that our web site has had visitors
from 50 countries! Our web site also averages 14
visitors a day, and 2000 surfers have accessed our
web site since we ventured into cyberspace. Jim is
constantly "tweaking" the pictures in our Photo
Gallery, and they look fabulous! (That little
cyber-elf knows which version of browser a surfer
uses to access our site, the resolution of the
surfer's monitor, and which operating system AND
version a visitor is using! I've always wondered
whether there was a "Big Brother" watching me.
It's Jim!)
A TROPICAL EXPLOSION OF ORCHIDS was an
OUTSTANDING show! If you missed it at the Valley
Garden Center on November 14 and 15, you missed
something VERY special! Bob MacLeod built an ACTIVE
volcano! Bob can build anything! We also had live
entertainment on BOTH days of the show, which was
VERY popular with men (women and children enjoyed
the HULA DANCER, as well, but...our eyes did NOT
bug out!). On Sunday, OSA member, Anne Connor,
Professor in the Shogetsudo-Koryu School (Japanese
School of Floral Arts), conducted an Ikebana
demonstration utilizing orchids in the floral
arrangements. (The arrangements were subsequently
auctioned to members of the audience.) Anne's
demonstration was also very popular, but for the
men in her audience, for an ENTIRELY different
reason than they enjoyed our hula dancer!
Keith Mead and Peggy Stejskal served as able
co-chairs for our show, but their job was surely
made more palatable and not as burdensome as it
would otherwise have been by the participation of
so many OSA members who understand that a
"Hollywood production" requires the assistance of
MANY workers. It was gratifying to see so many of
our newer members present themselves at 8 a.m. on
FRIDAY THE 13TH!, and they came prepared to work
the ENTIRE day setting up our vignettes. Employed
members requested time-off from their day jobs to
participate in the activity on Friday. Also, this
year, three members who had no previous experience
with sale plants for our show, demonstrated that
they are highly capable plant-tenders. (Peggy's
kitchen was "operation central" for the first load
of plants we unwrapped. We made a giant bark mess
from one end of her kitchen to the other! Jane
Heckel is truly impressed that her "small"
greenhouse can accommodate a LOT of plants! And
Norma Kafer was rather sad to see all the lovely
plants in bloom, leave her custody!)
Special thanks is due a non-member for his
invaluable assistance. I'm unsure whether Julie
gave her husband a CHOICE about helping us, but
Fred Rathbun made several hauling trips to the VGC,
and kept us laughing (and working) with a seemingly
endless storehouse of jokes. Thanks, Fred!
We have several themes in mind for next year's
November show. Decisions! Decisions! All of the
themes have wonderful potential. However...by
POPULAR REQUEST, members want CANDY PELZ, who was
the master-mind of our vignettes this year, to be
1999 show chairperson! One of our members described
Candy's creativity as "awesome", and other members
agree (as well as visitors to our show)!
AND FINALLY: It has been a distinct privilege
and pleasure to have served OSA as your President
for the past four years. From the outset, I viewed
my position as that of a catalyst for the valuable
community service course OSA had set for itself. A
great many members freely assisted me, and I could
not have done the job without you! In the near
future, I will continue to serve you as Immediate
Past President. I will NOT be less actively
involved in OSA. My devotion to OSA is lifelong!
However, I hope I will now have time for a personal
life and can attend to matters I have deferred
handling for FOUR YEARS. My husband, Fred, has been
EXCEEDINGLY patient with me these past years (there
were many times when he had no clean clothes, no
food on the table, and an absentee spouse for much
of the time), and I thank him for indulging me.
However, you should know that the REASON he was so
tolerant was two-fold: he knew how much I enjoyed
orchid activities AND he personally believed that a
service-oriented group such as ours, is unique
among orchid societies. He was and is pleased that
I am an integral part of OSA.
I know that you will give your full cooperation
to our new President, Cathy Nelson. You generously
assisted me, and Cathy expects us to continue our
"tradition" of widespread support. If she calls on
you to chair a committee, and it's at all possible
for you to do so, say "yes"!
SEE YOU AT THE DECEMBER 3RD MEETING!
We've ordered in plants for our major
fund-raising auction because...sales were so brisk
at our November show that we sold out of several
genera!
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