Hi, K: RHS knows the AOS gave out a provisional award when I send in a
registration, because I put it on the form. One more line on the form would
let them know who at AOS to notify, or at least which judging center (where
somebody should be checking mail at least a couple times a week). RHS
already has to send me back the registration; a cc to the appropriate AOS
person would add maybe 5 seconds to the RHS person's job? and should give
the AOS person the info needed to get the award "on track." [Which might
make a couple extra lines on the form, but really shouldn't be an
insurmountable challenge.]

But failing that, I would certainly make sure the right AOS person got a
copy when I got mine -- had I been told in either case who that person was
.... or even that I needed to.

I didn't say anything about disseminating the award info to commercial
database producers like WildCatt or OrchidWiz. I was talking only about
communication between RHS and AOS, and between AOS and the exhibitor.

I think that reducing the delay in the process would make your job easier,
not harder. Kenni

"K Barrett" wrote in message
...
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