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July 18, 1922 



The Florists^ Review 



21 



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TEXAS CONVENTION 



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LONE STAB FLORISTS MEET. 



In Banner Convention. 



Adapting the title lately given the 

 <'ity of Dallas, in which their eighth 

 annual convention was held July 5 to 7, 

 Texas florists this year described their 

 gathering as "the convention of the 

 hour." It lived up to the appellation 

 by exceeding all records of the state 

 association in point of attendance and 

 excellence of program. When one con- 

 siders how conspicuous has been the 

 success of the Texas conventions, year 

 after year, he will appreciate how high 

 a mark this year's gathering set. 



There were about 300 in attendance, 

 mostly from Texas cities and towns, 

 though there was a considerable sprin- 

 kling of prominent members of the 

 trade from other states, some from as 

 far away as the Pacific coast, on the 

 west, and the Great Lakes, on the north. 



The trade's display, too, was the larg- 

 est in the history of the organization. 

 Supply house and greenhouse equipment 

 manufacturers were glad of the oppor- 

 tunity to get in contact with trade in 

 this section of the country and consid- 

 ered the proximity of the S. A. F. con- 

 vention in August no deterrent from 

 excellent business on this occasion. 



Entertainment. 



Since the spirit of these gatherings 

 is one of their most important drawing 

 cards, the entertainment provided for 

 \isitors was exceptional, even more ex- 

 (■('])tional than in preceding years. On 

 the evening of the first day of the con- 

 vention, July 5, a reception and dance 

 was held on the roof garden of the 

 Jefferson hotel. Tliere was a big at- 

 tendance and everyone enjoyed himself, 

 or herself, in meeting the leaders of the 

 association and the distinguished speak- 

 ers, and in dancing until a late hour. 



On the evening of the second day, 

 the representatives of the allied trades- 

 men who staged exhibits furnished the 

 entiTtainment for the visitors. This 

 was likewise well attended, proving a 

 notable success. 



On the closing day, a bancjuet was 

 held at the Jefferson hotel, where the 

 room provided was filled to overfldwing. 

 Kobert ('. Kerr presided with his cus- 

 tomary felicity and called upon various 

 members of the trade, who responded 

 with ajtpropriate remarks. 



Officers Elected. 



On the closing day it was voted to 

 hold next vear's convention at Waco, 

 Tex. 



The officers for the ensuing year were 

 elected as follows: 



President — James Pegbie, Shreveport, 

 La. 



Vice-president— Tom Wolfe, Jr., 

 Waco. 



Secrctarytreasuicr-Wise Adkisson, 

 (ireenville. 



Director,s — Verner J. Davis, Fort 

 Worth. 



The Opening Session. 



The convention was called to order at 

 -:•!<> p. m. July ") at the Fair Park 

 Coliseum, Dallas, Otto Lang presiding. 

 A prayer was ofTered bv the Rev. 



Thomas F. Harper, of Dallas. The ad 

 dress welcoming the visitors was made 

 by City Attorney Galloway, of Dallas, 

 in behalf of the mayor, on vacation in 

 the Rocky mountains. J. W. Begbie. 

 of Shreveport, responded in a happv 

 vein. 



When the welcoming remarks and re- 

 sponse had been completed, President 

 Verner J. Davis presented his address. 

 In this he said: 



"We have met to hold our eighth an- 

 nual convention in the city of which all 

 Texas is proud, the 'city of the hour.' 

 Another year has slipped back behind 

 us. We have gone through trying times. 

 The business world has been standing 

 upon an uncertain brink, but I am 

 happy to say that the clouds of business 

 depres,sion are rolling away, and the 

 one bright spot in all this uncertainty 

 is that the florists' industry has risen 

 above most lines of business and has 

 felt this depression to a small extent. 

 This should put new energy, new hope 

 and new ambition into each and every- 

 one of us. We should go 'forth with the 

 confidence that success awaits each of 

 us in the line of endeavor that we have 

 chosen. 



' ' To our friends I want to say that 

 we are proud of this great and wonder- 



ful state of ours. We florists in Texas 

 are living on the frontier of the flo- 

 rists ' industry of this great country of 

 ours. Opportunity constantly walks up 

 and down our great state, and success 

 awaits every man and woman who pins 

 his or her faith to the future of Texas. 



' ' There are those who still believe 

 that Texas cannot successfully grow her. 

 own flowers, but to the observing men 

 God has written a message that cannot 

 be misunderstood. Across Texas from 

 the Rio Grande to the Red, out upon 

 these great rolling plains of ours, ex- 

 tend hundreds of miles of the most 

 beautiful wild flowers that can be seen 

 anywhere in the world, many of which 

 have been domesticated and are being 

 used in the florists ' shops all over this 

 country. And God has even gone far- 

 ther; He has tried to show us the secret 

 of their growth. The past spring He has 

 sent an abundance of rain, and Texas 

 is heavily laden with bloom. Occasion- 

 ally He sends a year with no rain, and 

 Texas has no wild flowery. This proves 

 to me that, with Texas soil, an abun- 

 dance of water and good common sense 

 is all that is needed to produce all the 

 flowers that Texas needs. 



"This association of ours has been 

 growing by; leaps and bounds, and today 



Verner J. Davis. 



(WIio I'rcsiilcd Last Week lit Te.\as Floilst*' Blggi^t <'i>nvcntl<i 



