Greater St. Louis Iris Society Minutes
Sunday, March 7, 2010

At 2:00 p.m. president Jim Morris called the meeting to order in the Garden Room of the Missouri Botanical Garden with 28 people in attendance. He introduced our speaker, Dana Brown of the Malevil Iris Gardens in Lubbock, Texas. She presented a Powerpoint show of photos and diagrams illustrating the types, OG (Oncocyclus) R (Regelia) of Aril Iris; their genetics and hybridization with each other and with B (Bearded iris). With photos of the flowers and plants she pointed out the identifying characteristics of the various pure or hybrid possibilities. Since the arils are native to countries with Mediterranean climates, they grow well in California and other areas with dry summers, but can be difficult to keep alive where rain falls all year round. The members received the program with great enthusiasm. Those who are currently growing arils/arilbreds had many comments and questions.

The president opened the business meeting at 3:00 p.m. Nyla Hughes asked if everyone had received a copy of the last GSLIS Newsletter. She asked those with e-mail to be sure she had their correct internet addresses.

Minutes

Nyla Hughes moved and Judy Watters seconded a motion that we accept the minutes of the October 25 and December 6, 2009 general meetings as printed in the January 2010 GSLIS Newsletter. The motion passed. Jim Morris then read the minutes of the GSLIS Board meeting held January 24, 2010 in which a deficit budget was approved for presentation to the general membership.

Communications

GSLIS received letters from Peter Raven, Sharon Mertzlufft and Jim Cocos of the Missouri Botanical Garden thanking us for our 2009 gift to them of $8,000.

Lynn Williams, Donations Secretary of AIS, sent thanks for our donation of $1,000 to the AIS General Fund.

Glenn Kownen, Executive Director of the Circle of Concern, sent thanks for the canned goods collected at our 2009 Christmas party and donated to their pantry.

The City Academy sent a letter/brochure acknowledging our gift to them.

Riley Probst and Tom and Rita Gormley e-mailed thank you responses for the GSLIS Life Memberships awarded them this January by the Board. The Gormleys sent photos of their new house and yard in Florida.

Karen and Ray Jones, AIS Exhibition Committee, e-mailed that they had received the 2009 show reports and were processing and distributing medals and Exhibition Certificates to all AIS affiliates as rapidly as possible with completion planned for the end of March, 2010. Editor Judy Keisling sent us the GSLIS affiliate copy of the January 2010 Region 18 Bulletin.

Announcements

Dr. Peter Raven of Missouri Botanical Garden sent a letter announcing that because of his retirement, the MOBOT Board of Directors has hired a new president, Dr. Peter Wyse Jackson. Dr. Jackson arrived in St Louis on March 1 and will begin his tenure September 1, 2010.

The Illinois AIS Region 9 Bulletin announced that its Spring Membership meeting will be held Saturday, March 20, 2010 in the Rochester Community Center in Rochester, Illinois.

The Greater Kansas City Iris Society will hold a Judges' Training Saturday, March 27, 2010 at the Trailside Center, 9901 Holmes, Kansas City, Missouri.

Lunch will be served at noon and the training will begin at 1:30 p.m.

The Tulsa Area Iris Society will host two programs on median irises taught by Paul Black of Brooks, Oregon. The first will be Thursday, March 11 at the Tulsa Garden Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma, (918) 746-5125. The second will be three hours of Judges' Training Saturday, March 13, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The registration fee is $10.00.

For information contact Philip Stonecipher, 45577 W. 46th Street South, Jennings, OK 74038-2512, home phone (918) 865-2686, cell phone (918) 605-9704, e-mail sarah_stonecipher07@yahoo.com
or contact Paul W. Gossett, 129 East 33rd Place, Tulsa OK 74105, (918) 853-6204 e-mail pwgossett@juno.com.

Bob Skaggs invited members to attend a Judges' Training session sponsored jointly by the JEFFCO, Mineral Area and SEMO iris societies. The one-day training will take place at Mineral Area College in Farmington, Missouri on October 16, 2010 with registration starting at 9:00 a.m. Training starts at 10:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. The fee is $20.00 per person and includes lunch. For further information, contact Adrian Wills (573) 243-5640 or Bob Skaggs (314) 706-3701 or on the web robert.e.skaggs@wildblue.net.

Treasurer's Report

Judy Watters presented the March 4, 2010 Balance Sheet with total assets of $18,251.28, and the Profit & Loss Statement with income of $128.72 and expenses of $654.40 for Net Income of ($525.68). Jean Morris moved that we accept the Treasurer's Report subject to audit. Debra Pratt seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Judy then presented the budget proposal for 2010. Budgeted income was projected at $5,670.00 with planned expenditures of $7,310. A deficit of $1,640 is expected to be covered by Iris sales. She compared the new budget to the similar budget and actual figures from 2009 when the shortfall at year-end was only $123.00. Jean Morris moved and Nyla Hughes seconded that we accept the 2010 proposed budget. The motion passed unanimously.

Jim Morris told us that our web site had not been functioning for a while because the server's invoice was sent to him instead of Judy Watters. The bill has been paid and the host team has been asked to send future invoices directly to the Treasurer.

New Business

Jean Morris announced that she has AIS iris calendars left and they are still for sale.

Jim Morris announced that the GSLIS early iris show on April 24 will be chaired by him. Assignments will be listed in the Show Schedule. The mid-season iris show May 8, 2010 will be co-chaired by Debra Pratt and Kim Peterson who both volunteered at this meeting.

Jean Morris informed us that the early show, "The Greatest Iris Show on Earth" will follow the design theme used by the Daffodil Society. She urged members to prepare designs and assured us that extensive help is available. Jean has a simple system for making a design and the AIS web site www.irises.org has a design tutorial link. The design theme for the mid-season show will be "At the Movies," written by Robin Gosnell.

The winners in the door prize drawings were:
Beardless                                         Mary Broida
Tall Bearded                                    Margaret Kelly, Region 9 guest
Tall Bearded                                    Bob Squire
Tall Bearded                                    Debra Miller
Median                                            Kim Peterson
Median                                            Camilla Kotrba
2010 new introduction*                   Christie Schicker
New Aril Introduction*                    Nyla Hughes
*The last two were gift certificates from Malevil Gardens.

Nyla Hughes moved and Debra Pratt seconded that we donate $25.00 to AIS in memory of Roy Epperson, the AIS President who died in January of this year. The motion passed unanimously. The new AIS officers are now President, Judy Kiesling; First Vice President, Jill Bonino; and, Second Vice President, Vacant.

The president adjourned the meeting at 4.00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Broida, Secretary

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