AlXiUST IN, 11I21 



The Rorists' Review 



33 



^,.( tUt; lust f?rt'at show of our society, 

 ji.ld in Philiulelphia, in addition to 

 wliicl' there were many free admissions. 

 Then! is another show to be held 

 11, xt .sprinfi in Cleveland. The city of 

 (i.vohind is building a fine auditorium, 

 v^-Iiich it is intended to open formally 

 ^vith that great fifth national show. 

 T' .' exhibition building will be by far 

 tii, finest and most suitable we 

 li:.'.e ev(!r used for our purpose. It i.s a 

 li, ivy undertaking, involving an ex- 

 |M ise of around .$70,000, and the cost 

 \\i nld be even greater were it not for 

 tl, painstaking work, and for the time 

 ;ii,.l energy, all so freely given by the 

 ,'( Miinittees chosen to serve you. It re- 

 in, ins for those not on committees to 

 sliiw l)oth interest and appreciation, 

 liiiili of their fellow members and of 

 our exhibitions, by wholehearted help, 

 wiiich alone can make this coming show 

 till' greatest horticultural event ever 

 In 111 anywhere at any time. By so 

 licljiing you assist both the society and 

 vciiirselves, for it is a valuable enter- 

 jiiisc and a worth-while endeavor to put 

 oui- (irofession and our society promi- 

 111 utly before the people of our country. 



Membership. 



There is a campaign under way to 

 .Idiible our membership before January 

 1. I feel this would be an easy thing 

 tl) do if commercial horticulturists of 

 ail sorts realized that our industry 

 needs to be fully organized in order to 

 l<i('P the pace set by other industries. 

 Our membership must be heavily en- 

 larged if we are to carry on in a sat- 

 isfactory manner and to begin to fulfill 

 some of our high aims for the future, 

 .iiid to do the great work we are ex- 

 IH'cted to undertake. The special mem- 

 liirshij) committee for this drive is giv- 

 ing us a great deal of its time, and 

 it needs and deserves the active assist- 

 .imc of all members in making this 

 iam]i;ugn a success. Surely, we all 

 realize that we definitely owe :i i)art of 

 iiur time and energy to ])ublic service, 

 .mil we cannot do l)etter than to plunge 

 ill and ])ush along ;i iiiovenu'ut that will 

 viact to help all of us. If the society 

 li:id done nothing more for commercial 

 liorticulture than sjiread broadcast its 

 now fnnutus slogan, "Say It with FIow- 

 iis," it would ))e entitled to the active 

 supjiort of every florist in America. Let 

 •viTv one of us return n part of this 

 lii'Mcfit by becoming a living and fight- 

 in;,' slogan, "Say It with Members." 



Heineml)er _ also our trade exhibits, 

 Ui'tten up by men and companies who 

 \vork, not alone for money profit, 

 'lii'Ugh this they naturally expect, and 

 tiiini us whom they serve so well, but 

 "lio are also imbued with a love for 

 tlieir work, which often makes them 

 uivi> more than they get. You will 

 ;'L;vei' with me that these pcojjle wlio 

 "'Nliibit with us are entitled to our 

 I'l^ronage, both because of real deserts 

 ni.il because their efforts are a strong 

 1" h< to us. 



1 should like to be able to tell you, so 



/ "' could know of it as your ofiicers 



' "w of it, about the hard and faith- 



' I work done by your chairmen of com- 



tees to further the interests of your 



■ i'^ty and, therefore, of all of us. "But 



"' will not permit and good men 



'tiler work for praise nor care much 

 ' . it. 



The Workers. 



"•'iJur .ittention is cilled to the vari- 



ous committee work so faithfully exe- 

 cuted by men who give time, eniTgy 

 and often their own money in order to 

 acquire the feeling that they have done 

 something for their brothers. Mitch of 

 their work will be handled in special 

 reports during our sessions here, and 

 you are asked to give these committees 

 the only return they want, your active 

 interest in the work they are develop- 

 ing for you. Attend these special ses- 

 sions, approve the measures you favor 

 and express your opmiitxns in construc- 

 tive comment whenever otMjasion arises. 

 Your ofiicers are your servants a!id can 

 do better for you when they kh()W' your 

 wishes. This animal meeting is the best 

 place to tell us of them, and every mem- 

 ber should do this real duty. 



We must not overlook our obligation 

 to, and appreciation of, tlie horticultural 

 writers and publishers. Without their 

 unselfish and sympathetic cooperation 



so freely given, the progress of our so 

 ciety must have been much slower. We 

 needed these people and they rose to 

 our need. 



I especially want to call to your at 

 tention the attractive program prepared 

 by tlie ladies' branch of our society. 

 They have many plans, a consideration 

 of which will make your visit to Wash- 

 ington more th;in a profitable one, als'i 

 a most inspiring and j)leasant one. 



1 want to extend my sincere thanks 

 to those who have so ably supported us 

 by committee service or by any readi- 

 ness to help, and in this I am sure J 

 am joined by every officer, as well as 

 every member. May we always set a 

 high mark for achievenu'iit, as these 

 men have, to the end that our Society 

 of American Florists may ac(|uire al- 

 ways new fame and new brilli;im-y, as 

 an organization meaning nuich to hor- 

 ticulture. 



SECRETARY YOUNG BUSY. 



Summarizes Year's Activities. 



Again I am able to rei)ort the closing 

 of a most successful year for the soci- 

 ety. There has luicn a notable increase 

 in our annual membership, for the 

 greater i)art of which credit must be 

 given to the membership drive insti- 

 tuted by our executive board, whose 

 committee will make a separate report 

 to the convention at this session. Since 

 the Cleveland convention and up to 

 August 1 of this ye;ir, we have taken 

 in 474 new annual members and eight 

 life members. A falling off in the influx 

 of life members was, naturally, ex- 

 pected, owing to the doubling of the life 

 membership fee and the great influx 

 last year induced through the an- 

 nounced withdrawal at a certain date of 

 the old fee. Our total membership 

 August 1 was 3,794, of which 1,.")17 are 

 life members. Of course, the annual 

 list contains the names of some who 

 have not yet paid their l!)2l dues, but 

 in the last year or two a greater inter- 

 est has centered upon the society's 

 work, with a conse(|uent lessening of 

 the number of lapses, so that our mem- 

 berslii]) record m;iy be considered to be 

 most encouraging. 



I am hajipy to report that several of 

 our state vice-presidents this year have 

 done notable work in increasing interest 

 in our organization, work which we 

 may ho]ie will ]>rove to liave been per- 

 manently effective in the extension of 

 our nuMubership territorially. 



Financial Statement. 



In the o])inion of the executive board, 

 as expres.sed at its .January meeting, 

 there existed a necessity for retrench- 

 ment in the exjienditures of the society. 

 in order that the balance between in- 

 come and disbursements should be on 

 the side of the former, and the board's 

 recommendations in the circumstances 

 have ])(>en carried out to the fullest ex- 

 tent. The budget system has been 



ItfP'Tt of Socrolar.v .lohii Ydiiiil'. prt'sintoil at 

 Ilic S. A. F. coiiventlun at WusUingtoii .VuRiist 



adopted, ;inil the board has apjtroved a 

 budget to cover expenses and appro- 

 jiriations for the current year. A new 

 system of bookkeeping on the card prin- 

 ciple h;is been installed in the secre- 

 tary's office, through which the ac- 

 counting of the secretary and treasurer 

 must necessarily .agree in every respect. 

 Each month the chairman of the finance 

 committee and the jiresident of the so- 

 ciety have rendered to them a financial 

 report showing the transactions for the 

 month and the balances as they stand. 

 It is ;i matter for congratulation that 

 today .-ill funds .ire intact, and each 

 fund has on deposit the exact amount 

 credited to it. The following is the 

 secretary's financial statement froni 

 .r.-inuary 1 to August 1, I!)l21, supple- 

 mentary to the statement presented to 

 the executive board at its annual meet 

 ing in .January hast, which appears in 

 the board's minutes, printed and circu 

 lated at this session: 



riKNERAL FIND 



.Vmiiial (liips, lUJi; .■< l.'i.OO 



Annual iliics. liljl 4.."iSh!(Hi 



Annnal ilnps. liii'O ,3.">.".0(> 



Annual iliips, IHlit m.Od 



Annual (Imps. 1»1K 12!o0 



.\nnii.il (lues, litl" eioo 



Aniitnil tntal $ .".,a31.(Vi 



liifp nipuibers' liMtlons 3 (Xi 



.Npw nipnibers' fpcs ],l7-i!(Kl 



Advpitisins in .jciiirn.il tWU.iMi 



Sparc .It Wasliiiit'tiin rnnvcntiDn 2.387. L'.". 



Siiins at ponvpnliiin 3»i.oo 



IntiTPSt 787/Jl' 



''""t^'l $ .'.30LM7 



rKK.MANKNT FIND. 

 Life nipmbprsliip j •rj.-,.oii 



.NWriONAI. Pir.I.U ITY FIND. 



Siiliscriptions $2s.in:i.r.!t 



DcaliTs' liplps !rJ3.(l.'i 



MIIKviard signs o 4^^.-, ,h7 



'"••'■•'•'<t '.'.'.'.'.'. " 33A\ 



''■"'"• ^L.^^CO-J 



The details of this re])ort will ai)pear 

 in the report of the auditors. 



Without encroaching upon the re 

 port to be made upon the membership 

 drive, I think I should mention the fact 

 that through the generosity of one of 

 our ofllcers. who made a personal con 

 tribution of .$.100 for the purpose, th<- 

 expenses of the drive, as far as the 

 society is concerned, were largely offset. 

 Could a better example of lovaltv to 

 our organization be cited? 



