Thanks to the organizing committee and all who attended, the Hamilton congress meetings and show were a grand success. The attendance, the discussion, the lectures, and the flowers on show all attested to a cross Canada interest in orchids and in a continuing cross Canada connection between Orchid clubs and societies. Those of you who did not attend, missed a great treat. As Ken Girard from Calgary was overheard to remark: "My, they feed you well here!" Minutes of the meeting have been distributed by the now ex-secretary who has volunteered to be our new editor: Annette Bagby. Annette will be looking for your contributions to this newsletter in the form of show announcements, news items, culture tips, equipment and plant sources. A word of thanks to our former editor Laurier Nappert who unfortunately had to resign due to a change in job.
The C.O.C. Education Committee under Peter Gaur in Ottawa is expecting to complete the first C.O.C. video tape program for distribution to member Societies this fall. So get your membership dues in to Nancy Tozer, and help us to help you and your fellow orchid enthusiasts across this country. Orchid conservation is certainly alive and well in Hamilton.
A number of us at the congress had the opportunity to view the Hamilton club's effort with the Royal Botanical Gardens in establishing a New World Orchid Species Collection at the Gardens. The club has been assisting the Gardens in gathering and maintaining an impressive collection of orchid species. I hope they can do a more extensive write up on their project for this publication. The Southern Ontario Orchid Society hopes to assist one of the Ontario Conservation Authorities with native orchid conservation through monetary assistance derived from show revenues, we would like to hear about other conservation efforts.
Please remember our Newsletter Name and C.O.C. Logo contest which was announced in our last newsletter. The deadline for submissions to me is June 1, 1990. I have not seen any entries yet.
Peter Poot
As I build up my files on the Orchid Societies across Canada I find that very few have meetings throughout the summer so it is with this in mind that I have set up the following schedule for 1990-91 newsletters: #5 Mid May 1990, #6 Mid September 1990, #7 Mid November 1990, #8 Mid January 1991, #9 Mid March 1991, #10 Mid May 1991. Hopefully this will give me the summer to arrange for articles to be written, and time for me to become more proficient on the computer.
At the Third C.O.C. as many of you know there was a request that there be more information in the newsletter regarding club events across the country. I have tried to supply some of this in this issue but could certainly use much more input. If upon reading this you find that the information printed about your club is incorrect or incomplete please write me, phone me or fax me the information.
Another request was made for the addresses of large and small growers across the country. This has been a little more difficult as I know from those small growers in our area that not all of them want or can handle so wide a publicity. In this issue I have only included those that I know have encouraged inquiries from coast to coast previously. I am in the process of making up a separate 'mail orders only', 'visits only', 'weekends only', 'club members only', etc. list which will hopefully be ready for the next issue.
I will contact people I know and have heard about to write articles for the newsletter of course but I hope that societies will encourage their membership to send in articles large or small, especially those on culture. Please send them to my address or FAX them to me at my home phone number in the evenings - the machine is turned on manually as it does not have a separate line.
Having got myself into this job without thinking it out fully as is my style, I have since sat down with pad in hand to write out the talents I bring to the job. Obviously heading the list is the talent for getting, myself into one fine mess after another - but I rather enjoy that one! The only other talent I could think of was a talent for detection! I love ferreting out information.
Since my talent list took up so little space I'll elaborate on how I feel my 'detection' may be useful. I have quite a good Orchid Library of my own and access to those of the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Civic Garden Centre. I revel in looking up old and new hybrids, when and where species were first found or bloomed, the cultural requirements or species etc. Also through my work I have built up some good contacts in the orchid world and delight in having an excuse to call with questions so. ........ .I would like to begin a QUESTION CORNER and promise to do my best to root out the answers. So, PLEASE mail them, phone them or Fax them, give me something to get my teeth into!!