President's Message, by Connie Bailie

I would like announce to the membership that most of the positions advertised as being open are now filled with the exception of the Newsletter committee.

First let us welcome back members who have returned another year to volunteer for key job positions such as Alex Challis as Program Chair. Our programs have been excellent and we're extremely fortunate to have Alex take this position for a third year. Also welcome back to Wendy Frisch as Publicity Chair and who was responsible for our great coverage in the AAOS in the AA News and the AA Observer the last year, and Duane and Laura Duman who had excelled as Hospitality Co-Chairs last year. Let's not forget our Show Chairs Lynn O'Shaughnessy and John Lewis. Although their efforts usually go unnoticed to those of us who don't travel to other shows, never the less, their dedication is commendable and their efforts lend an important tie to other societies. Harry Winter and Glenn Lehr, along with Alex Challis will co-ordinate their efforts to make available plant supplies and other orchid related materials to the membership on a regular basis. Bill Brudon and Louisa Pieper will continue as our historians again this year as they collect photos, news clipping and other memorabilia for that one important date when someone in the future asks "who were the AAOS members of the past and just what did they do to have such a great club".

Welcome back to Christa Janecke as librarian again and who will be joined by three new librarians Dianna Borel, Rob Loechel and Don Fishel. By having four librarians the job of transporting books to the auditorium will be less of a burden, and also, with four librarians the library need not be shut down because of an absence. They will not only be responsible for making the library function for the membership but will have input on the Library Committee along with Alex Challis, Neal Foster and Library Committee Chair Glenn Lehr. Be sure to thank them all for their commitment and be sure to let them know if there is anything you would like added to the library.

And last but not least, our new Membership Chairperson Joanie Quinn who will be in charge of keeping the roster up to date. Please thank Joanie when you next see her for taking on this responsibility. Also, please welcome our new librarians for this year

Now for the Newsletter Committee - we need help! Neal estimates that doing all the work he put into producing the quality of newsletter we have come to enjoy and expect it has typically taken him 30 hours. That's a tremendous amount of time and commitment for any one person. There are areas of the newsletter that can be farmed out such as: writing short articles, collecting plant table slips and generating a Plant Table List and also generating Show Ribbon List; proofreading; getting the newsletter printed; the mailing process (folding, stamping, taking to the post office). Neal will continue to write the recaps and Alex Challis will take on putting the newsletter together (he did a great job of the last newsletter didn't he!) but help in these other areas is needed greatly to reduce the load. Please call if you can help out in any of the areas mentioned. Be a part of one the most important aspects of the AAOS!