28 





The Florists^ Review 



August 17, 1916. 



San Francisco, but not by any means 

 so large as in'' preceding years. 

 This was inevitable. Most of those 

 who make large displays, year after 

 year, are located in the east. Their 

 best displays always are made near 

 home, or in a city wllfere the trade in- 

 terests are large enough so that the 

 exhibits can be sold to local buyers, 

 thereby saving the ^ilhibitors the labor 

 and expense of repacking their stock 

 for shipment. Under the circumstances, 

 that nineteen exhibitors, representative 

 of both coasts and the central cities, 

 should have sent displays must be 

 called a good showing. 



The convention garden, although it 

 continues a success, is proving some- 

 thing of a task. It was wonderfully 

 done at Minneapolis, but never since 

 has repaid the great effort put upon it, 

 partly perhaps because a location ad- 

 joining the con^pition hall has not 

 since been availalU^. At Houston there 

 are thirteen traSh exhibitors in the 

 garden, all but tyo of them from out- 

 side the state. It is a good showing, 

 distance considered. 



The OpeDius[ Ceremonies. 



The opening ce«^nionies were more 

 than usually interesting. It was some- 

 thing of an innovation to begin with 

 prayer; Vice-president Kerr introduced 

 Rev. W. S. Jacots to deliver the invo- 

 cation immediately after the call to 

 order. 



The mayor of Houston, Hon. Benjf 

 Campbell, was present in person to ex-'- 

 tend the greetings of the city and did 

 it as one who has had much practice. 

 He spoke of the strides Houston has 

 made in the last four years, and pointed 

 out that its progress on the aesthetic 

 floricultural side is keeping pace with 

 its progress in utilitarian directions., A. 

 J. Bossi, of San Francisco, was on the 

 program to respond to the mayor, but 

 was detained, so that Wm. P. Gude, who 

 never is at a loss for well rounded 

 phrases, was called on for this pleasant 

 duty. He assured'the city that with 

 all its grand shoeing, the beauty of 

 Houston is.osly in its infancy. 



When Mr. Kerr surrendered the gavel 

 to President MacRorie it was some 

 minutes before the applause subsided 

 and that gentleman was permitted to 

 proceed with the annual address, which 

 appears in full in this issue of The Re- 



view. At its conclusion a committee 

 consisting of Frank Stuppy, George W. 

 Hess, J. A. Peterson and E. G. Hill was 

 appointed to consider and report on its 

 recommendations. 



Getting down to routine work, the 

 reading of the minutes of the executive 

 board was passed, as they already have 

 been printed. The reports of Secretary 

 Young and Treasurer Hess and the audi- 

 tors were received and ordered printed. 

 W. F. Gude presented the report of the 

 Washington representative, of the tariff 

 and legislation committee and of the 

 Smith memorial committee, all of which 

 were accepted without discussion. The 

 reports of the state vice-presidents were 

 ordered printed without reading. 



Amending the By-laws. 



For the committee on amendments to 

 the by-laws, Theodore Wirth presented 

 the recommendations for changes al- 

 ready approved by the board of direc- 

 tors, printed in The Review for April 

 27 and included in the program sent 

 to members. All these were adopted by 

 a unanimous vote, without change and 

 practically without discussion. 



In brief, the first change provides for 

 the . selection of the meeting place two 

 years in advance, for the benefit of the 

 convention garden. The second change 

 is to have the directors elected instead 

 of appointed by the president. The 

 next change merely provides a proce- 

 dure for appointing "affiliation" di- 

 rectors without changing the system. 

 The next change makes the Washington 

 representative a member of the board 

 of directors. The method of balloting 

 at elections is prescribed, dividing the 

 membership list into four parts, so that 

 four sets of tellers can receive ballots 

 at one time and thereby shorten the 

 time members must stand in line. The 

 next amendment provides for standing, 

 committees on convention garden, on 

 publicity and on American horticultural 

 products. 



R. C. Kerr had given notice that he 

 would move an amendment authorizing 

 the board of directors to change the 

 date of the convention when the meet- 

 ing is to be held in parts of the coun- 

 try in which August is not the most 

 suitable time. This also was adopted. 



Next Meeting Places. 



John Young extended the invitation 



Convention Hall, Houston, Tex., where the S. A. F. is in Session. 



of -the New York Florists' Club to hold 

 the 1917 meeting in New York city. 



There was no invitation for 1918, 

 which year also was to be provided for 

 under the newly amended by-laws, and 

 R. C. Kerr recommended St. Louis. 



As there was no opposition, these se- 

 lections subsequently were confirmed by 

 formal ballot. 



President's Reception. 



The annual reception to the president 

 was held in the ballroom of the Rice 

 hotel during the evening of August 15, 

 where the balloting on convention cities 

 also took place. President MacRorie, 

 Vice-president Kerr, the officers and di- 

 rectors shook hands with all the mem- 

 bers and the families of the Houston 

 florists. There was music and dancing. 

 Refreshments were served. It was strict- 

 ly informal. 



Wednesday's Session. 



The early hours of the second day 

 we left open for the meetings of the 

 allied societies and only a short ses- 

 sion held for the consideration of the 

 report of the committee on president 's 

 address and to receive the report of 

 the committee on National Flower 

 Show. The president's recommenda- 

 tions were concurred in and the show 

 committee came in for warm congratu- 

 lations on the great success of the Phil- 

 adelphia show. The financial statement 

 appears in full in thia i^sue. 



The session closed with the nomina- 

 tion of officers, as follows: 



Officers Elected. 



W. F. Gude, of Washington, nom- 

 inated Robert C. Kerr, of Houston, for 

 president, and there were many seconds. 

 Other nominations were: 



Vice-president — A. L. Miller, Jamaica, 

 N. Y. 



Secretary — John Young, New York. 



Treasurer — J. J. Hess, Omaha, Neb. 



Directors — Frank Stuppy, St. Joseph, 

 Moi; W. W. Coles, Kokomo', Ind.; Geo. 

 W. Hess, Washington, D. C. 



The election took place at the ses- 

 sion next morning, but there was no 

 contest except for director, two direc- 

 tors to be elected. 



Miscellaneous. 



Many members eulogized the late Wil- 

 liam F. Kasting, than whom no pian 

 has worked harder or more intelligently 

 for the society, and a committee was 

 appointed to draft resolutions setting 

 forth the high regard in which he was 

 held. At a subsequent session these 

 were presented and adopted. 



Wednesday afternoon was degfoted to 

 an automobile ride through the^cITy, to 

 judging the trades' display and to the 

 convention garden. In the evening the 

 garden was formally dedicated, with ap- 

 propriate ceremonies, after which there 

 was a band concert in Sam Houston 

 park and a special movie show for S. A. 

 F. members at the Queen theater. 



Thursday morning the visiting ladies 

 were entertained at a natatorium, fol- 

 lowed by luncheon at the Rice roof gar- 

 defl. At noon the S. A. F, members were 

 guests of the Rotary Club at luncheon, 

 also at the hotel roof garden. In the 

 afternoon a trip was made to the San 

 Jacinto battle grounds, by trolley and 

 steamer on the ship canal. There was 

 a barbecue on the battle grounds, and 

 a variety of contests for members. 



The convention will close Friday with 

 a trip by trolley to Galveston for a dip 



