as 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



August li), lOO'j. 



Albert McCuIIough. 



(Chairman Coimnittee on President's Reception, S. A. F. Convention ) 



liata. ol)tiiinabl(\ I rccdiniiiPinl Ilnit our 

 secretary he instiin-tcil in ;isk t'nr lliis 

 information in tlic name nf this sociriy. 



Tiie work of coMiiniltrts is often niaiie 

 liardcr heciinsc it is tlio cnstoin to luako 

 them eonsist ot tlircc or more mcmlicrs, 

 and to have thr inrnilicis hail from dif- 

 ferent sections. My iudymeiii is that 

 for many jmrposes only one man slniuhi 

 be appointed on a coniniittee. except sncli 

 iroinmittees as are exjiected tn dii their 

 work dnrin^f tlie time <pt' the cnn\ention. 



Have it tiniroiiyhly undeivt I ilial tlie 



committeeman can temporarily call to his 

 assistance any other niendier or nnndun' 

 of memijers, imt that wherevci he i^oes 

 he is thi^ committee ainl iloes not need to 

 await the action ot any other tnemlier. 



'J'he secretai\ <if tlie Miciety and the 

 president ouLlhl 'o lie kept adxi-ed of the 

 proeress lirin^ made li\ all cdmmitteos. 



WlieTi it can 



ne(Mls ami their strength, with yreat re 

 suiting Ix'nefits to tiorists generally. 



Sports at Convections. 



Tin' tnatter of sports at onr conven- 

 tions has been referred to by many of 

 my predecessors. J :ini tirinly of the 

 opinion ttiat any (dean, healtlifnl sport 

 is a yooil thiny for any man who gives 

 the iiHist of his time to \\(irk. I-Jowiing 

 ami shooting contests have enongii of an 

 attraction so tiiat they often tnrn tiie 

 scab' atid bring to the c(iii\(>iition some 

 men who otliervvis(> A\(inld not attend. 

 Local bowling (dnl»s do much to bring 

 the tiorists of a community together and, 

 in the enjoyment ot i-onlests n\' skill, 

 petty i|narrels are forgotten, so that a 

 t'liendly feeling generally exists among 

 those attemling. 



'J'he tinn; has gone by. it it ever was, 



ni.e wiiliiMit intcrt'ei'ence I when a man must be a io\\c|\- in ordt 



with the wiirk ot' the commillee. stich ' to enjoy or parti(djiate in a trial of phvsi- 

 )»rogress shouht be lepoited tu the track; ! <al skill. 'I'liesi- mattets must be kept 



iress l)y t he secietary. 



'J'he ihirisis ot' llliiini-. h;i\e sm-cerded 

 in L;ettin^ snb-.iantial n cM^niiidii from 

 the legislature, with an appriijiriation 

 that jiermits the maintenance (jt' a tin- 

 rists' department of the State l-ixpeiiim'ht 

 Station. A like result could duubtless l,e 

 obt.'iined in other sl.ates if th(> llorist- 

 there WDiked for it as energetically as 

 did the thnists of Illinois, (iur retiring 

 se(rrctary. Mr. ]?udd, has taken a keen 

 personal interest in this movement, ami 

 I suggest that if he w(>ie made a com- 

 mittee of one to follow np this win'k. the 

 trade at largc^ might be induced to pull 

 together for greater recognition of their 



in their |iidper place and iini be .allowed 

 to interfere with oi- o\ei>h;ido\v the c(ui 

 \eiition its(df, but, as ;ir ]iresent conduct 

 ed. I look ujion them as both useful and 

 desirable. 



There is tniich in this address whirh is 

 n<d new, but has betni urged by my pic 

 decessors. 1 olfer no ajiology t'nr again 

 jn'essing these things upon ymi. hut if 

 yon will take the time to re\ iew our aii- 

 nutil reports you will find many useful 

 suggestions that have been brought for- 

 wanl by other presidents and which 

 would make this address too long if I 

 were to review them here. 



Piofore closiTig I wish to assure tlie 



members of this socdety that not mvs. ■ 

 alone, but the tiorists of Colorado ab. 

 keenly appreciate the recognition v , 

 have given them by the selection of n 

 of their number to preside over this en 

 vention. At the close of our last cn 

 vention, Colorado had seven names e 

 rolled as members of the society and s. 

 dom more than one or two have been i 

 attendance at the convention. At ti 

 present time Colorado has over for' 

 members enrolled and many are here 1 

 day. 



That her thanks have taken this sui 

 stantial form is largely due to the ui 

 tiring energy of N. A. Benson, sta' 

 \ ice-president. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



[Tlic fcillowinj,' is tlie report of Soorota 

 W. N. Kudd, read before ttie Society of Amt;r 

 can Florists, In convention at Cincinnati, Auj;u 

 17 to 20, 1909.] 



Starting out with bad conditions an 

 dismal prospects financially, greatly ii, 

 creased general interest in the societ ■ 

 since January 1, and the conseqnen 

 large acca'ssions of new members and re- 

 instatement of old ones in default, h!i\. 

 converted what looked almost sure to b. 

 a year of stationary or backward condi 

 tions into a decidedly successful one. 



From the financial point of view, the 

 convention at Niagara Falls was ;i de 

 cided failure. ^lany causes led to thi~ 

 Of course, the general business depres 

 sion through which we had passed had .> 

 strong effect, and it is doubtful whethei 

 a very successful convention could Iniv 

 been held last year at any place. Th. 

 writer believes, however, that it is :i 

 serious mistake to hold conventions ni 

 tliis society in any location where tlier. 

 are not large trade interests. In th- 

 first place, we lose the enthusiastic work 

 of a good, strong body of local florist-. 

 The differenct! between conditions in tin- 

 respect at Niagara Falls and what the\ 

 are here, will, I am sure, be noticed b\ 

 every member who attended both con 

 ventions. In addition to that loss, whici: 

 is so great that it can hardly be over 

 estimated, there was the lack of drawing 

 power to our members. The bulk of th' 

 florists in this country are not wealthy 

 men, but they are shrewd, prudent busi 

 ness men, and the trip to the conventioi 

 for them must be sliown advantageon- 

 to the highest degree in a business way : 

 and unless they can have added to th- 

 pleasures and the advantages of the con 

 vention proper, a chance to examine au'i 

 inspect greenhouse establishments, sue 

 cessful retail flower shops, wholesale is 

 tablishments and other like sii|)pleinei! 

 tary things wlii(di they ;dl consider <•' 

 great v.-ilue to them in a business wa\ 

 many will not feel justified in giving tie 

 time and going to the expense of. a trij 

 to the ('(mvention. In short, many m 

 our members do not care enough i'f 

 scenery tr) pay much money for it, and r 

 seems to your secretary that never agaii 

 unless conditions are exceptioiiiil. shoni 

 this society go to outlying cities lik' 

 Niagara I'.alls or Ashevilh'. At Niagar 

 b'alls we only received fifty new meir 

 bers. while the writer will be disap 

 pointed if we do not add I'.'O to our mem 

 iiership roll at this pl.ace. Fortunatelv 

 the nationtil llower show was an even' 

 which attracted great interest (in fac' 

 I think by it wo lost the attendance or 

 a good many people at the Niagara Fall- 

 convention ), and we were, during th' 

 jtrogress of the show, enabled to take ii 

 nearly as many new metnbrrs :is at Ni 

 agara b^'alls. 



