JARS v60n4 - From the Executive Director

From the Executive Director
Laura Grant
Toronto, Ontario Canada

Once again the membership renewal season is upon us. Your membership chairs play a valuable roll among the chapter volunteers. By renewing your membership now, you can help them meet the renewal deadline of November 15th set by your Board. The membership in the American Rhododendron Society with its colorful quarterly Journal makes a wonderful birthday or a Christmas gift to your friends and family members.

Our IRS 501 (c) 3 status makes the American Rhododendron Society tax exempt right up there with church, science and literature. Donating to the Endowment, General or Research funds helps us fulfill our mandate as a not-for-profit organization.

This year we are proud to have donated funds to the Humboldt Botanical Gardens Foundation for acquisition of species rhododendrons for their temperate garden. The Tyler Arboretum received funds for the purpose of propagation of significant rhododendron taxa of the Dr. John C. Wister Rhododendron Collection. And finally the US National Park Service of Great Smoky Mountains National Park was a recipient of an ARS endowment grant for the purchase of a vegetation mower. It is to be used to remove the encroaching vegetation to preserve the well-known hybridizing swarm of azalea species at Gregory Bald.

Many chapters continue to participate in public garden shows and spread the information about rhododendron culture. This not only fulfils the Society's purpose but also provides valuable education especially to a novice gardener. Young couples with their busy lifestyles want low maintenance garden plants. Rhododendrons, properly planted, are ideal year round, low maintenance plants.

Our office is here to help you attract new members by providing free on-line information, brochures of rhododendron and azalea culture, the brochure "An Invitation to the Wonderful World of Rhododendrons and Azaleas" as well as back issues of the ARS Journal. Please plan your chapter's events early and contact our office to order your supplies.