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36 



The Florists' Review 



August 17, 1916. 



THE SECRETARY ON THE 

 SOCIETY'S ACTIVITIES 



IT is pleasing to be able to report 

 that in point of membership our 

 society is stronger than a year ago. 

 This condition should incite gratifica- 

 tion, the more because our convention 

 of last year was held in a city remotely 

 west, and our gathering this year takes 

 place in a city almost equally remote 

 to the south. Our convention last year 

 was the means of our securing a large 

 and valuable addition to our member- 

 ship, our rolls at the close of 1915 

 showing ^n increase in the state of 

 California alone of 112 members in 

 good standing. There is every reason 

 to believe that the convention of this 

 year will result also in a substantial 

 influx of members. 



The following have sent in one or 

 more names for membership from 

 January 1 to July 1, 1916: 



Secretary's oftico 61 



W. J. Keimel. olrector 40 



R. C. Kerr, vice-president 10 



Florists' Telegraph Delivery 14 



C. L. Baum, director 7 



Frank Stelnbach, state vice-president 6 



J. J. Hess, state vice-president 3 



J. H. Pepper, state vice-president .3 



Lon Foster, state vice-president 2 



H. C. Neubrand, state vice-president 2 



American Dahlia Society 2 



W. R. Nicholson, state vice-president 1 



George Schulz, state vice-president 1 



J. R. Van Bochove.^ 1 



J. A. Peterson f 1 



A. A. Nlessen 1 



M. Mills 1 



Charles Plumb 1 



George Hildenbrand 1 



Florists' Hall Association 1 



Robert Shoch 1 



The Annual Conventions. 



Our conventions continue to hold the 

 interest of the trade at large, and 

 friendly competition for the honor of 

 taking care of a convention is still 

 keen, as may be judged from the fact 

 that there are likely to be several invi- 

 tations for the 1917 convention. 



There is noticeable, however, gen- 

 erally throughout our ranks, a desire 

 to eliminate much of the entertainment 

 which has of recent years character- 

 ized our conventions. Our member- 

 ship is now so large that the attend- 

 ance at some of our gatherings is 

 much too great to allow the extension, 

 of the hospitality which many cities 

 would consider as befitting the occa- 

 sion, and the expense and work in- 

 cident thereto are necessarily such as 

 to deter many cities from attempting to 

 assume the role of host. Our hosts in 

 the south have recognized this senti- 

 ment and have established a precedent 

 which is worthy of continual observ- 

 ance, by cutting out all extravagant 

 entertainment and arranging a simple 

 yet most en.ioyable series of trips and 

 functions, which shall not in any way 

 tend to diminish the attendance at 

 our business sessions, or through ex- 

 pense create a burden the carrying of 

 which might prove embarrassing in 

 many ways. 



Proposed Changes in By-Laws. 



At the present convention the so- 

 ciety is to act upon several changes in 



our by-laws affecting the policy 

 hitherto followed in the conduct of our 

 affairs. These changes have been thor- 

 oughly considered by our executive 

 board and endorsed by that body as 

 tending to the better and more equit- 

 able conduct of our work. 



It will be noticed that through the 

 affiliation plan now incorporated in our 

 by-laws our executive board is greatly 

 increased in size, lending greater 

 strength to its deliberations and work. 

 It should be the object of many more 

 clubs and societies to so increase their 

 membership in this society as to enable 

 them to obtain seats upon our board, 

 and thus extend the usefulness of our 

 organization and increase the value of 

 its work along horticultural lines. 



The establishment of the committees 

 on convention garden, proposed bureau 

 of collections and credits, publicity, 

 and American products may naturally 

 be expected to result in action which 

 should prove highly conducive to the 

 general welfare of the trade. State 

 vice-presidents, by explaining the work 

 expected of these committees, should 

 be able to induce many florists not at 

 present conversant with our work to 

 join our society. . 



Increasing the Membership. 



In this connection I would invite 

 state, vice-presidents to cooperate 

 mord' closely with the secretary's office 

 in the work of extending our member- 

 ship. While the secretary during this 

 year has sent out numerous appeals to 

 florists in the different states, neces- 

 sitating considerable expense and much 

 labor, the response has not been as 

 great as expected. The influence of 

 our state representatives should be 



highly effective in this work, especially 

 when exercised in a personal way, and 

 any assistance the secretary is able 

 to give in furthering it is at all times 

 available. Although, through the 

 growth of the society and the exten- 

 sion of its plans, the work of the sec- 

 retary's office has been greatly in- 

 creased, requests from other officers for 

 assistance in their work will have im- 

 mediate and cheerful attention. 



Mothers' Day. 



Considerable interest has been shown 

 by our members in the work of the 

 International Mothers' Day Associa- 

 tion, which is headed by Miss Anna 

 Jarvis, the originator of Mothers' day, 

 and a substantial fund has been ra,ised 

 for the use of Miss Jarvis in the prose- 

 cution of her work. It is to be re- 

 gretted that the movement to raise a 

 fund had inception with more than one 

 organization, but it may be that the 

 organizations acting aa sponsors for 

 the fund may another year arrange 

 matters so that the work of all bodies 

 may be in harmony. 



While our trade exhibition this year 

 is most commendable, it has suffered 

 somewhat in its extent owing to dis- 

 tance from eastern markets, with re- 

 sultant high transportation charges. 

 The great European war, too, is -still 

 responsible for the diminution of ex- 

 hibits of the novelties of foreign manu- 

 facture which for many years have 

 helped our displays. 



The National Flower Show. 



Our National Flower Show, which 

 was inaugurated at Philadelphia last 

 March, proved to be a huge success. 

 Chairman George Asmus, of the Na- 

 tional Flower Show committee, in the 

 report which he will make to the con- 

 vention, will deal with the work in- 

 cident to the preparations for the show 

 and the results accomplished. The 

 society is to be congratulated upon 

 having for the fourth time success- 

 fully organized and carried out an ex- 

 position showing the advance of horti- 

 culture . in America, an exposition 

 eclipsing all predecessors. 



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IN view of the impossibility of hold- 

 ing a majority committee meeting at 

 Philadelphia or since that time, the 

 chairman wishes to submit the follow- 

 ing: J. H. Pepper was engaged, under 

 the supervision of Secretary Young, as 

 per the instructions of the directors of 

 the Society of American Florists. Mr. 

 Pepper wrote and disseminated numer- 

 ous articles for Mothers' day, Memorial 

 day and for special features, such as 

 new roses, carnations and other meri- 

 torious commodities. These were dis- 

 tributed to the leading papers of the 

 country and responses from the edi- 

 tors showed that a great many of them 

 were being used. 



It soon became evident to the chair- 



Prom the report of John Toung, secretary of 

 the Society of American Florists, presented at 

 the Houston convention, August 15, 1916. 



This Is the report of Irwin Bertermann, chair- 

 man of the committee on publicity, presented at 

 the Houston convention of the Society of Ameri- 

 can Florists, August 15, 1916. 



man of the committee that, as the 

 matter of publicity was such a big 

 undertaking, it was better to go slowly 

 and not waste any funds of the parent 

 organization. Mr. Pepper; submitted 

 numerous plans for national advertis- 

 ing, but as many of them were neces- 

 sarily expensive, it was deemed best to 

 submit the whole thing to the com- 

 mittee once more for maturity. The 

 start that has been made by our na- 

 tional body is certainly along good 

 lines. There cannot be too much pub- 

 licity or too much thought given this 

 important topic, but the amount spent 

 must compare with the returns gained 

 therefrom. 



Of course every particular line of 

 business thinks it ought to be exploited 

 directly, but is it not true that if any 

 one line is exploited, the others are 

 sure to benefit in proportion? Many 



