May 7, 1914. 



The Florists^ Review 



15 



TEXAS FLORISTS GET TOGETHER 



MEET AT WACO AND ORGANIZE STATE ASSOCIATION 



.^1 

 •I* 



|ONE STAR florists to the 

 number of seventy-five were 

 present at Waco May 4 and 

 5, when a state organization 

 was perfected. It was the 

 largest gathering ever held 

 by members of the trade in 

 Texas and, in addition to starting a 

 movement for the general good, was the 

 means of extending personal acquaint- 

 ance and stimulating the spirit of co- 

 operation and general helpfulness that 

 is at present sweeping through the craft 

 in all parts of the country. 



The meeting was called at the in- 

 stance of the Houston Florists' Club 

 and a committee on organization for 

 the state, composed of the following: 

 Eobert C. Kerr, state chairman, Hous- 

 ton; T. J. Wolfe, Waco; J. B. Baker, Ft. 

 Worth; Henry Greve, Dallas; C. H. Sted- 

 ing, Galveston; Chris Hauser, San An- 

 tonio; Chas. Alff, Jr., Austin; H. O. 

 Hannah, Sherman; I. M. Johnson, Geo. 

 M, Cosh and Henry Kuhlmann, Jr., 

 Houstpn. The business sessions were in 

 the Elks' Club, which had been hand- 

 somely decorated, as had the headquar- 

 ters at the State House hotel, by Wolfe 

 the Florist, Inc., of Waco. 



The Objects. 



Aside from the for- 

 mation of a perma- 

 nent organization, the 

 committee had 

 planned a number of 

 subjects for discus- 

 sion and special ac- 

 tion at this time. The 

 most important things 

 that it was planned 

 to accomplish may be 

 briefly siSnmarized as 

 follows : 



To institute an an- 

 nual flower show, 

 which will be the 

 largest of the kind 

 ever held in the 

 south, every florist in 

 the state having a 

 part in same. 



To start a move- 

 ment to have the 

 state legislature ap- 

 propriate $50,000 for 

 experimenting on the 

 problems that con- 

 front commercial 

 growers of cut flowers. 



To organize a state- 

 wide advertising cam- 

 paign to increase the 

 demand for flowers 

 and plants. 



To discuss and out- 

 line a plan by which 

 local florists can co- 

 operate and work to- 

 gether for their own 

 good. 



To regulate Sunday 

 and holiday eloping 

 hours. 



OFFICERS ELECTED 



President 

 Robert C. Kerr, - Houston 



Vice-president 

 V. J. Baker, - Fort Worth 



Secretary-Treasurer 

 George M. Cosh, - Houston 



Press Representative 

 L. T Tackett, - Fort Worth 



Educational Director 

 E. J. Kyle, - College Station 



To appoint a committee to look after 

 the trade 's interests in freight and 

 express rates. 



An elaborate and detailed program 

 had been prepared, which was followed 

 with exemplary fidelity. 



Formal Organization. 



The formal organization of the gath- 

 ering into a permanent body to be 

 known as the Texas State Florists' As- 



Robert C. Kerr, of Houston, President Texas State Florists' Association. 



sociation occurred on the afternoon of 

 Monday, May 4, when a constitution 

 and by-laws were adopted and Eobert 

 C. Kerr, of Houston, who had been the 

 prime mover in the affair, was chosen as 

 the first president. Other oflicers named 

 at that time were: 



Secretary and treasurer — George M. 

 Cosh, of Houston. 



Press representative — L. J. Tackett, 

 of Fort Worth, 



Educational director — E. J. Kyle, Col- 

 lege Station. 



Directors— T. J. Wolfe, Waco; H. O. 

 Hannah, Sherman; John Mc Adams, Fort 

 Worth; E. P. Brown, Dallas; F. C. 

 Suchy, San Antonio; Herman Kaden, 

 Gainesville. 



Later in the day Fort Worth was 

 named as the place for holding the 

 meeting in 1915 and W. J. Baker, of 

 that city, then was elected vice-presi- 

 dent, it having been agreed that the 

 office should go to the city that got the 

 convention. 



Houston was selected as the best city 

 in the state in which to try the experi- 

 ment of a big flower show. 



The dates for the convention and for 

 the state flower show were left to the 

 board of directors, to 

 be determined as the 

 association's best in- 

 terests indicate. 



T. J. Wolfe was 

 elected as an honor- 

 ary vice-president in 

 recognition of his 

 work prior to the 

 convention and his 

 hospitalities extended 

 when the members 

 visited the Wolfe es- 

 tablishment, one of 

 the largest in Texas, 

 May 5. W. W. Seley, 

 John C. Bay and Mrs. 

 Walter L. Reese, of 

 Waco, were made 

 honorary members of 

 the state association. 

 It was voted that 

 the Texas State Flo- 

 rists ' Association af- 

 filiate and co-operate 

 with the Texas State 

 Nurserymen 's Asso- 

 ciation 



Standing Committees. 



Before adjourn- 

 ment President Kerr 

 named the following 

 standing and special 

 committees: 



Legislation — Sam 

 Dixon, Houston; H. 

 O. Hannah, Shermltt; 

 J. B. Baker, FbTt 

 Worth; H. B. Beck, 

 Austin. 



State flower show — 

 T. J. Wftlfe, Waco; 

 G e r ^B M. Cosh, 

 Houston; Henry K 

 Greve, Port Worth; 



