Kenni Judd wrote:
K -- Maybe I'm missing something, but would it really be that difficult for
AOS to arrange with RHS to receive a copy of the grex registration (directly
from RHS) when a provisionally-awarded plant is named? Or at least to
provide some written instructions to the exhibitor, with the provisional
award? Kenni



Well, actually, yes it would. How's the RHS gonna know the AOS has
given out a provisional award and needs the new name? Plus, who's
physically gonna do that work? On a daily basis? Me? You? Sit and
wait for an email from the RHS, where someone on that end has to sit and
wait until the check (cheque) clears and the name can be typed up? Then
send it to you or me. Then we then have to retype it into whatever
format we need so the information is useable for print, webpages or
whathave you? Send it to the web master for the webpage, and
disseminate it to Wildactt or Orchidwiz or Bronstein for his program??
Get real.

Hence the need for award programs that are updated frequently. I go to
the RHS site and download the .pdfs for the new registrations, but those
are just 'lists' until I see a plant that I need to know about. And
even then I don't look at them. I look a plant up in Wildcatt or
OrchidWiz. Failing that I look in the Fisher's Bishops, or (last
resort) the index of the latest AQ.

I've been tracking the provisionals for the Pac Central for a year and
its a real pain in the ass. IMHO there's a very few exhibitors who
follow up in a timely manner and even *then* the process seems to take a
year before you see the award published in the AQ and the exhibitor gets
their slide etc. Its not like exhibitors are your employees where you
can hound them every second. "Did you get your work done?? We're on a
dealine you know. You're not being a *team player*, you're dropping the
ball. This is going to delay your award...." You can't do that.

The judges have their own lives, exhibitors have their own lives,
paperwork gets handled as soon as possible, and chased after whenever
you feel like taking on a challenge - like I don't have enough of that
in my life already. By that time, the glow of having gotten a award has
faded, the process becomes "work", and the exhibitor has enough of that
in their lives aleady, so they stall and whine and say they don't want
the award after all. But the photos have already been taken, the film
processed and money has been spent on their plant, so someone's gotta
pay for that. Its maddening.

There's enough blame for how f*cked up the system is on BOTH sides of
the street. A pox on both our houses.

Maybe we should just stop giving awards...

K Barrett