The ARS & You
Volume III, no. 6

Page One: The News:
Page Two: Views:
Page Three: Re-Views:

Page One: The News:

• Free ARS Trial Membership:  July marks the one-year anniversary adoption of the Free ARS Trial Membership Initiative in which any new member of a local rose society receives a FREE 4-month membership in the American Rose Society.  This membership includes 2 issues of the ARS magazine, the American Rose, an ARS member ID card providing free or discounted entry to over more than 200 gardens and arboreta, and discounts of up to 30% with ARS member benefit partners.  Access to the ‘Members Only’ section of the ARS website permits perusal of the four quarterly bulletins covering everything from exhibiting to Old Garden Roses.  The only thing necessary is for the local society to give the ARS Membership Director, laura@ars-hq.org, the names, addresses and telephone numbers and email addresses of new members of local societies.
• Great Rosarians of the World—East:  June 5 to June 7, 2009. Marilyn Wellan, past president of the American Rose Society, and Stephen Scanniello, current president of the Heritage Rose Foundation, are the 2009 honorees.  The events include a free reception and book signing Friday afternoon at the Horticultural Society of New York, and a $125 per person dinner at Opia Restaurant, a Saturday symposium including a panel on Rose Growing, lectures by the honorees and the presentations of the award medals at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and Sunday garden tours.  For information and reservations, contact  Pat Shanley: pshanley@aol.com.
• Nor’East Mini Retail Sales Closure: Beginning on Tuesday, May 26th, Nor’East Miniature Roses will discount all of their roses 50% to clear out their inventory. The retail segment of their business will end on June 30th.  For detailed information, consult the Nor’East website at www.noreast-miniroses.com.  Nor’East Miniature Roses has been the primary source in recent years for the roses of Harm Saville, Frank Benardella, Ralph Moore, Wendy White and Dee Bennett.

Page Two: Election Information:
How to Find your Unique election ID number:  The number is listed on the second line of the mailing label on the May/June issue of the   American Rose, immediately preceding the expiration date of your current membership.  It may be a combination of any numbers up to five digits.  This number is necessary in order to vote electronically from the ARS website.

There is a sample magazine label shown on the voting page.  Your unique election ID number is your ‘electronic’ signature.  If you do not use the correct unique election ID number, your vote will not be counted.

It is requested that the number be entered on mail-in ballots.  Mail-in ballots require a signature in order to be counted.  The deadline for voting is noon, Central Daylight Time, July 31, 2009.

• Voting Acknowledgement:  Laura Pfender, Membership Director of the American Rose Society, suggests that if you do not receive an acknowledgement of your electronically cast vote shortly after voting, check the ‘Suspect e-mail’ folder in your mailbox options.  If you still cannot find out whether your vote counted, check with carol@ars-hq.org to be sure.
• Did you know that local societies cast a vote in the Triennial Elections?  Based on custom and usual practices, each local chapter and affiliated society in good standing received a ballot and a unique election ID number with the May/June issue of the American Rose.  Either the Board of Directors or the current president is empowered to cast the ballot of the local society in the contest for ARS Vice President, or any of the relevant Regional or District director races.

Page Three: Re-Views: Election Statements.  The ARS & You posed four questions to Jolene Adams and Robert Martin, Jr., the candidates for election to the position of ARS Vice-President.  The questions are listed below with the answers of the respective candidates.

1.  At the local society level, there is occasionally animus expressed toward the American Rose Society.  Have you encountered this phenomenon in your long service to the ARS and do you think it needs addressing?  If so, how?

Jolene Adams: Yes, I have run across this occasionally and I have noticed that it is not only at the local society level - many prominent members of ARS also voice their concerns when they speak with others about ARS. Much like any other volunteer organization, I don't think these folks are seriously bent on harming ARS. Sometimes people find it a challenge to constructively voice valid concerns in a way that does
not impact the society we love in a negative manner. I like to energize people who see an area for improvement or a problem that needs attention by turning the conversation to one of positive feedback that helps the organization do better. By turning the
conversation into a 'what can we do to fix this?' sort of discussion it empowers our membership with the tools necessary to make this society the best it can be. You see, I believe we are all part owners of this society, and when people take positive ownership of the issues and concerns they see, good things happen.

Robert Martin, Jr: I have infrequently encountered animus toward the ARS at the local society level, primarily from some who feel the ARS is not doing enough to support their local society. More often, I have felt animus among special-interest groups, some of the members of which have the mistaken view that they have to be against something in order to be for what they prefer. For example, I have met members of heritage rose groups who criticize the ARS because of a perception that it favors modern roses. Also, there have been organic gardeners who believe the ARS encourages the use of chemicals.

Scripture reminds us that a soft answer turneth away wrath.  The ARS is a diverse association of people who share only the common love of the Rose. If a lover of heritage roses expresses animus toward the ARS, I tell them of my affection for heritage roses and what those of like mind in the ARS are doing to increase interest in old garden roses and to conserve them for future generations. To the organic gardener, I explain my commitment to sustainable rose gardening. And, in every case I softly invite detractors to join the ARS – to put their love of roses to work among others of like spirit.

The truth is that the ARS is us - thousands of people who have come together simply because we love roses. All of us have a place in the American Rose Society. That is the message I have promoted throughout my 28 years as a member. And, it is the message that I will continue to promote as ARS vice-president and president.

2.  The structure of the ARS separates voting for office from the taking of office by three years.  Do you think there needs to be a reconsideration of the process of selecting officers in the ARS, with perhaps a move to direct election of the president?

Jolene Adams: On the surface, it would seem to be a good step - but the person who
is elected as Vice President has three years to get all the answers as to 'how', 'why' and 'what' the President does while in office.  Reading up on it right after the election and before the installation doesn't quite 'cut it'.  The Vice President needs to balance being a great leader while also supporting the President in the goals and aims of the ARS. On the surface, it may not seem like much is going on, but the role of a VP is not as high-profile as that of the President of the ARS.  A good President will have taken advantage of those three extra years as VP to study the problems the ARS is facing, communicate with all the committees and groups working to solve those problems, and have the necessary tools in place to create positive leadership choices for progress once they are in office as President.  I believe that by upholding the tradition that the VP take the time to 'grow' into being the President, that we create a better leader who truly understands all the challenges and opportunities the ARS has to offer.

Robert Martin, Jr:  I do not. We do have a direct election of the president; we simply require the president-elect to first serve as vice-president for three years. The value of that requirement depends on what the vice-president chooses to do. The vice-president serves on the 5-member executive committee along with the president. If the vice-president has a vision, he can initiate legislation to carry out his agenda during his term as vice-president. Legislation requires advance study by committees as well as consideration by the board. The board of directors meets but six times during the term of the president. Three years is simply not long enough for a president to complete any meaningful agenda, unless the groundwork is laid first. Also, the president appoints numerous committee chairs and editors. This requires advance thought and planning. As vice-president, I intend to do more than wait around until Jeff Wyckoff is no longer president. I have made platform commitments during this campaign; and I intend to get to work on each of them as soon as I am elected.

3.  Currently, membership dues provide for something over a third of the operations budget of the ARS.  Do you anticipate increases in dues in the foreseeable future?  If so, how can the effect be mitigated in the face of economic downturns, an aging membership, and decreased support for volunteer organizations?

Jolene Adams: Dues will inevitably rise as the years pass; this is a fact that many organizations face in a modern economy. But a large part of the work I have done for the ARS has been to help mitigate the changing economic factors of the years by coming up with ways to secure other income as well as ways to offset much of the rising costs of running our organization. That part of the job of VP may seem administrative and lack-luster compared to other facets of the role of being a good VP.  But solid finances are the backbone of every good organization and as a leader I take that responsibility seriously. One example of my work to save the ARS a significant amount of money through new technology is the savings we will see by offering the electronic election and a paper ballot in the bi-monthly magazine. The cash value I proposed in not printing separate ballots for every member, as well as not incurring extra paid staff hours for stuffing ballot envelopes, and not having those mailing expenses is expected to be about $16,000.00. I have many more proven examples of things I have done to save this organization money, increase volunteer hours and focus on the need to constantly recruit more workers detailed on my web site for anyone who is interested in learning more about my commitment to financial stability, my background in corporate  management and my solid leadership experience.

Robert Martin, Jr: Membership dues have always accounted for less than half of our income. While researching my book, I had occasion to go through over 40 years of ARS magazines. And, I read more than the articles on showing roses - I read the Presidents’ messages and examined the financials. I was struck by the fact that the percentage of ARS annual income from membership has not varied much over the years.

I do not favor an increase in membership dues. I believe our dues are already at the point where many people – particularly in this bad economy – have concluded they cannot afford to continue as members. Increasing dues further will, in my judgment, actually reduce total income by further reducing our membership.

We need to be more imaginative in finding sources of income. For example, advertising on our website has been long overdue. Every one of the ARS magazines I looked at had advertising in it. So what has been the big deal about using our website for the same purpose? We also need to increase our efforts to obtain donations and grants.

Finally, we need always to live within the income we generate. In this regard, we are fortunate to have an excellent manager, our executive director Jeff Ware, who is conscious of our financial condition and has done what has been needed to keep us in the black. I am confident he will continue to do so.

4. What personal strengths do you bring to the office you will eventually hold, the presidency of the American Rose Society?   How does your perception of the position and your own strengths promise success?

Jolene Adams:  I am a very level-headed person with a background in management. Having worked for many years in an academic environment and also for a large research firm, I bring proven marketable skills for progressive change. My peers have reviewed me as having many leadership qualities and strengths such as managing the 'big picture' while not losing sight of the important details and they have applauded my ability to proactively solve problems after gathering input and consensus. Our greatest wealth as an organization is our membership and the many years of real-world skills and experience they bring to our society. Members often have related to me that they felt good that they had an opportunity to have a say in whatever decisions needed to be made.

I have a record of accomplishment for the many years I have served the ARS, and the tangible results of my success can be seen on many levels of our organization. As a committee member, I have been there to help open up communications between the headquarters staff and the members of our organization. I have brought better understanding of the structure and various rules and regulations of the organization to the membership through mass e-mailings, the ARS web site, and articles in American Rose. I have reviewed the shipping and handling charges and persuaded the staff to reduce them.  There is more listed on my web site at www.jolene4vp.com.  The combination of my many years of service to the American Rose Society, my real-world leadership and executive management experience, and my solid foundation in administrative know-how will be a strong asset for the ARS. I feel my marketable skills will help our organization survive the tough challenges of declining membership and the economic problems besetting our members, and bring in new members through focus on different demographics.

Robert Martin, Jr:  My greatest strength that I will bring to the office is that there is nothing about roses that does not interest me. That is a double negative but it emphasizes the positive – my extraordinarily broad interest and experience in all things pertaining to the Rose. You can see this most clearly by examining my biography at my website at www.bobmartinarsvp.com.

Of the qualifications listed, I think the most important is that I am an educator and communicator. I have been a featured speaker at 14 national conventions, as well as conventions in 17 of the 18 districts. I have given programs at innumerable local rose society meetings and seminars. My written output includes over 500 published articles, as well as my 512-page book, “Showing Good Roses” which Peter Schneider called “one of the best rose books I have ever read.”

As a communicator, I do more than invite rosarians to talk. My programs and articles are highly informative and typically entertaining. I also tell you what I intend to do. As I have said repeatedly in this campaign, “Leadership requires a vision”. Unlike my opponent, my website sets forth a detailed platform in essays that describe a vision of where I think the ARS ought to be going.  You cannot measure success unless you define goals. I have done that and ask for your support to reach those goals and your vote for vice-president of the American Rose Society.

This concludes this special Election issue of the ARS & You.  Don’t forget to vote before July 31, 2009.

__________________________________________________

ARS & You is archived - links are on the left menu bar.

The Local Society Relations Committee welcomes comments on the contents and character of this publication. There is a listing of committee members on the ARS website at ARS Committees, as well as complete archives of the ARS & You listed here on the left menu bar

Opinions expressed in this monthly email are not necessarily those of the American Rose Society or its subsidiaries. 

To respond to items in this ARS & You, please write to any committee member of the Local Society Relations Committee:

Jim Delahanty, Chair jjjzdelahanty@earthlink.net
Dr. Karen Barnes barneskw@yahoo.com
Bob Bauer bobbauer@worldnet.att.net
Ted & Linda Burg ldburg@yahoo.com
Pat Shanley pshanley@aol.com
Janet Sklar janetsklar@sbcglobal.net
Dave Steever greenrosedave@aol.com

Items and articles in this publication may be freely adapted by members of the ARS for educational purposes. Please give proper citation.