Mabch 8, 1821 



The Florists^ Review 



29 



^ ONE YEAR'S WORK 



CHIOAOO'S BIRTHDAY BANQUET. 



Allied Florists' Annual Meeting. 



Celebrating the completion of one 

 year's work in cooperative advertising, 

 about seventy-five members of the 

 Allied Florists' Association of Illinois 

 banqueted at the Hotel Bandolph Feb- 

 ruary 28 and were joined later by fifty 

 others in a review of the twelve months ' 

 achievement. Of first importance were 

 the report of ofl&cers and the election of 

 directors to succeed the retiring trio. 

 They were all reelected, Eric Johnson 

 for the wholesalers, A. Lange for 

 the retailers and Peter Pearson for 

 the growers. Great interest was mani- 

 fested in the showing on the screen of 

 the advertising and reader publicity 

 secured by the association in the past 

 year. 



Subsequently there was a discussion 

 of the association's aims and policies 

 that was enlightening to those present. 

 Joseph Kohout brought out the fact, by 

 inquiry of the secretary, that the grow- 

 ers were contributing the larger amount 

 toward the campaign under the assess- 

 ment plan. In this connection Joseph 

 Pollworth urged that the wholesalers be 

 furnished correct and up-to-date lists of 

 members. A plan to accomplish this 

 has already been begun. Walter Amling, 

 up from Pana for the meeting, urged 

 using the same method to get mem- 

 bers as is used to get business, 

 namely, advertising. Peter Pearson, in 

 a spirited speech, described the benefits 

 members were deriving and could de- 

 rive. C. Clemenson related the objec- 

 tions raised by retailers who were not 

 members. 



Decide on MembersMp Drive. 



It was finally decided to launch a 

 membership drive, such as was con- 

 ducted a year ago, in an effort to bring 

 the list of retailers to 100 per cent. The 

 plans for the drive were left with the 

 board of directors. 



August Poehlmann related incidents 

 in regard to the success of advertising 

 in other lines of business in order to 

 show the possibilities before florists. 

 Having contributed $3,500 to $4,000 to 

 the campaign in the twelve months just 

 past, he believed the investment a pay- 

 ing one. 



Before adjourning, the meeting 

 passed a vote of thanks to the board of 

 directors for its hard work during the 

 past year and commended the secretary 

 for his efforts. A vote of thanks w^as 

 given Paul Weiss for the splendid vases 

 of Premier from the Premier Rose Gar- 

 dens which decorated the tables. 



The chairman, upon motion, appointed 

 the following auditing committee: H. 

 N. Bruns, chairman; H. B. Kcnnicott, 

 C. Clemenson, W. J. Keimel and Leonard 

 Geiger. 



Secretary Tells Story. 



The story of the year's work was 

 told by the secretary in his report. 

 Treasurer W. J. Smyth 's report was the 

 same as that given by the secretary's 

 figures as to receipts and disbursements. 

 Mr. Swenson said: 



"It is. just a year since the Allied 

 Florists' Association had its beginning. 

 The average member probably does not 

 realize the extent of the association's 

 progress in this brief time, nor does he 

 comprehend the extensive activity car- 

 ried on by the association. This report 

 will give you some idea of the splendid 

 progress and what has been accom- 

 plished. 



"March 2, a year ago, the records 

 show that we had a membership of 342 

 wholesalers, retailers and growers. To- 

 day the association has 450 members, 

 represented by signed application, 

 showing a healthy increase of ninety 

 members. Of this number no resigna- 

 tions have been reported from whole- 

 sale or grower members; seventeen 

 resignations have been reported from 

 retailers. 



Every Florist 



" Has hit upon Ideas 



that have made Money 



for Him. The Spread 



of such Ideas through 



the Trade makes Progress. 



^ 



GIFTS' 



Is the medium for spreading those 

 money-making ideas. Tell the trade 

 about yours. Contributions on any 

 subject relating to the trade are 

 always welcomed by the Editor. 



The way they are written is not so 

 im|>ortant as the Ideas they convey. 

 Write as you would talk. 



"The account of receipts and dis- 

 bursements is as follows: 



RECEIPTS. 



Cash received $29,455.99 



U>an from bank 5,000.00 



Total $34,455.99 



DISBURSEMENTS. 



Advertising $25,682.87 



Executive salary, secretary and assist- 



""' 1,464.11 



Field man 515.24 



General expense: Office supplies, petty 



cash \ 974 32 



Interest on loan, stationery, etc ' 187 22 



Paid on note 4,OOo!oO 



■'■'"ill $33,823.76 



"Cash on hand amounts to $632.23. 

 It should be added that the collections 

 shown here, $29,455.99, do not represent 

 the entire twelve months. There is still 

 due some money from the plant growers 

 from December. All the receipts for 

 January have not come in, and those for 

 February, of course, are not due. About 

 $5,000, therefore, should be added to 

 the present figures of cash receipts to 

 indicate the year's total, which will be 

 about $35,000. 



Directors' Work. 



"I feel it a personal duty to acquaint 

 the members of the association with the 



facts regarding the splendid spirit of 

 your board of directors in conducting 

 the affairs of the association. There 

 have been nineteen specially called 

 meetings of the board of directors dur- 

 ing the year and six informal meetings. 

 Practically every meeting has been at- 

 tended by a full representation of the 

 directors. They have spent hours, some- 

 times staying away into the night at 

 these meetings. The volume of business 

 they have transacted at each of these 

 meetings would be a credit to their own 

 individual business, and the fidelity 

 with which they have safeguarded your 

 money and interests is worthy of high- 

 est commendation. At the beginning 

 of the season, they personally loaned 

 $5,000 to the association in order that 

 it should have a working capital. 



Advertising. 



"Forty-two different kinds of news- 

 paper ads were run by the association 

 during the fiscal year. As these ads 

 appeared in from two to six papers, 

 that means that 155 distinct ads have 

 appeared in the daily papers during the 

 year as follows: 



Advertise- Totiil 



ments (Mrculatii>n 



Tribune 34 14,280,000 



Daily News 28 11.200.000 



American 28 11,368.000 



Herald and Examiner 21 7,350,000 



Journal 19 2.204,000 



Post 19 1,007.000 



Miscellaneous media 6 400. 0(M) 



"The total circulation of the ads run 

 by the association has reached a num- 

 ber of people equal to almost one-half 

 of the population of the United States. 

 In addition to the newspaper advertis- 

 ing, the association has secured exten- 

 sive publicity through news matter 

 which has appeared from time to time. 

 The association has recently purchased 

 illuminating billboard sites, one of 

 which is already showing on Michigan 

 boulevard just south of Chicago avenue. 

 Another will appear shortly on Jackson 

 boulevard. All this advertising has 

 stimulated business materially and 

 aided in diminishing gluts. The first 

 advertising of the association told the 

 public flowers were plentiful again and 

 brought back many flower buyers who 

 had stayed away because of high prices 

 caused by scarcity. 



Special Days. 



"The Memorial day drive revived the 

 business for that day, which, as you 

 know, had been gradually falling off 

 each year. In spite of business depres- 

 sion in other lines, the opportune ad- 

 vertising for New Year's day and St. 

 Valentine's day made business for both 

 of these days exceptionally good. Every 

 retailer interviewed by the secretary 

 reports gains over last year. One re- 

 ports an increase of $1,100 on one day's 

 sales for St. Valentine's day. Eetail- 

 ers in the outlying districts, whom I 

 especially investigated, tell me they 

 show a noticeable steady business in 

 flowers for birthdays and anniversaries 

 over past years. They inform me that 

 people often refer to the advertising 

 and the familiar reminder we have been 

 using steadily, 'Whose Birthday Comes 

 this Monthf 



