August 28, 1913. 



The Florists' Review 



15 



AFFILIATION: fe 



se A PLEA FOR UNITY 



THE history of affiliation in our na- 

 tional society has not been a suc- 

 cessful one. Present and past lead- 

 ers have tried in vain to amalgamate 

 the scattered interest, but we cannot 

 stand still, we must advance; so when I 

 come before you with an old topic, but 

 on new lines, I ask you to consider it 

 carefully. Don 't be hasty in your judg- 

 ment to condemn. Everyone who is in 

 the profession should try to see his na- 

 tional society strong and able to take 

 care of all our interests. The merging 

 of the membership of the florists' clubs 

 does not touch a special interest. It 

 does not interfere with the workings of 

 a rose society, carnation society or 

 others, but the interests would blend 

 nicely together, as most of the members 

 of these independent societies would 

 then be members of the S. A. F. as well, 

 and if properly handled the merging 

 should prove a boon to the florists' 

 clubs as well as to the S. A. F. 



Influence of Florists' Clubs. 



March 29 an article by me advocated 

 the merging of the florists' clubs' mem- 

 bership into the fold of our national 

 society. I said then I was surprised 

 that the florists' clubs had not been 

 merged into the S. A. F. long ago, as 

 that seems the easiest and best way of 

 starting affiliation. I think I can say 

 to you without contradiction that the 

 florists' clubs are the direct offspring 

 of the national society, and therefore 

 we owe her something. 



The oldest club in the country, the 

 Philadelphia club, was started to enter- 

 tain the national society. After this 

 was successfully done, the most of the 

 public-spirited and wise got together and 

 thought best to try and keep together 

 those men who had got acquainted by 

 this time, and to form a permanent club 

 on the same lines as the S. A. F., but 

 locally only, and they won out. It was 

 not long before other good and true men 

 in the large cities took up the good 

 work started in Philadelphia. Florists' 

 clubs were started everywhere over the 

 country. Who will estimate the good 

 these florists' clubs have done to our 

 profession t Again I will say, and I 

 think without contradiction from you, 

 that if these florists' clubs had not come 

 to life, our profession would not have 

 attained the high standard it has today. 

 Well and good so far. 



Holding the Members. 

 Now, fellow members, I do not believe 

 that there is one among you who will 

 not agree to this, that there is strength 

 in concentration of effort. Here we are, 

 members of the S. A. F., joined in con- 

 vention to uplift and advance our pro- 

 fession. Once a year we come together 

 from all over this great country to coun- 

 sel. The most of us have not seen each 

 other or heard from each other for a 

 year, and in many instances for several 

 years, because often one cannot get 

 away to come a long distance to attend 

 the convention. Years go by, and one 



An address by A. Farenwald. of Roslyn, Pa., 

 delivered before the Society of Aiiierioaii Flo- 

 rists at the Minneapolis conTention, August 22, 

 1913. 



loses interest in the doings of our na- 

 tional society. That is only natural. 

 Now, this loss of interest of the indi- 

 vidual member is what keeps our na- 

 tional society from growing to dimen- 

 sions it should long ago have attained. 

 Not that the individual member was 

 not able to attend the convention, but 

 to keep his interest alive is the vital 

 question. If we can do this, he will be 

 with us always in spirit, if not in per- 

 son. At present he pays his yearly dues, 

 and he receives the proceedings of the 

 convention, and thereby can keep him- 

 self posted if he reads it. But how 

 many dof The trade papers bring an 

 account of the whole transaction and 

 the essays as well, but that about ends 

 the direct influence of the S. A. F. for 

 a year with most members. With flo- 

 rists' clubs it is different; they meet 

 once a month to bring their members 

 there to listen, to think and to enjoy. 

 That holds their interest. By merging 

 with these clubs, we can bring the same 

 interest to bear on the affairs of our 

 national society in these monthly meet- 

 ings. That would keep the interest 



alive. We could discuss and digest af- 

 fairs long before we meet in our yearly 

 convention, when we will have a proper 

 understanding of what is wanted of us. 



Fluctuations of Interest. 



No more striking illustration can I 

 bring before you of what it means to 

 come in contact with the members and 

 hold their interest in our convention, 

 than by showing you the records of the 

 S. A. F. of the last three years, regard- 

 ing membership fluctuations in the states 

 where the conventions were held, New 

 York, Maryland and Illinois. Illinois 

 had in 1910 seventy registered mem- 

 bers; in 1911, the number was seventy- 

 four; in 1912, when the convention was 

 held in Chicago, it jumped to 195. 

 Maryland in 1910 had thirty registered 

 members; in 1911, when the convention 

 was held at Baltimore, the number in- 

 creased to sixty-nine; in 1912, it fell 

 back to forty-seven. New York's mem- 

 bership stayed around 130 to 170 for 

 several years; in 1910, it jumped to 238 

 when the convention was held in Roches- 

 ter. Last year it dropped back to 220, 

 on the downward grade again. These 

 figures prove beyond doubt that we must 

 get closer together and keep in touch 



A.dolph Farenwald, the Great Affiliator. 



