Susan Erickson wrote in
:

The question is what does your society or one you know well do to
raise funds? This is not asking each member to pay dues or kick
in a donation. How do you get enough money each year to hire
speakers and pay their airfares?

Denver has a Spring show which is for the purpose of raising
funds for the Society's year. The real purpose is a sale of
plants by the society to the general public rather than a show
and vendors for the members to buy from. We get about 200
blooming plants in March, mostly Phal. some dendrobium and some
mixed intergeneric or cattleya. These plants have sold at $20 or
3 for $50. most years. This gives us enough space for the
expenses of the show (judges and helpers food, sales tax, &
shipping) and a profit to run the society on. Because shipping
can eat a large part of the profits, we have to watch the overall
cost delivered.

The President's Contest: The President picks a cross and buys
about 20 unbloomed seedlings. These are sold in lunch bag
disguise at $10 a plant. The first bloomed plant is awarded $50,
$35 for the second, and $15 for the third. The cross is not
identified until after the first is bloomed. Then the hybrid's
name is announced and tags become available for all plants
purchased. Some years this contest goes into the 2 year. So
this year many of the plants were in spike. 3 bloomed within a
week of each other. Which is first is still debated.

Monthly we have donations from members of divisions, AOS
magazines or books. These are sold at such a discount that the
income is insignificant. The society allows members to sell
plants at tables in the back of the meeting room. The speaker
may or may not also be there with a collection to sell. We like
it if they do bring things. We have only one commercial gh
locally.



SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

Though I may have missed it the one thing I didn't see is an auction where
society members donate plants to the auction. You know those divided
plants, excess from com pots that you have to many of or just ones your
tired of looking at. Our society also gets venders to donate and the
botanical garden also donates. Of course all plants must be free of bugs
to go into the auction and they are all checked by selected members. Lat
years auction lasted over 5 hours. This year was the smallest auction I've
ever attended but had many more great plants, it lasted over 4 hours with
plants going from $3 to $95. That means there's buys for beginners and the
experts alike.

Grow well and bloom magnificently
dusty