Back to the index
I just got back from the Greater Lansing Orchid Show where I helped
set up and clerked during ribbon- and trophy-judging. This was the first time I had ever clerked at
an orchid show. And to summarize my experience in a few words, I found it to be hard work,
wonderful fellowship, a lot of fun, good food, and most of all, a SENSORY OVERLOAD--so
many orchids, so many colors!!!
I saw the richest-colored blooms. After several times around oohing and ahhing, I pulled myself together enough to make out a wish list. Nothing a few hundred dollars wouldn't cure! An incentive for helping with setup is the opportunity to buy from the vendors without the hordes of people. Having the vendor's undivided attention has its benefits and gives you the opportunity to ask cultural questions they may not otherwise have time for, not to mention being able to converse in a relatively relaxed state. The best part of clerking is being able to beat the crowd. As soon your team is done, you have the opportunity to wander and look at your leisure. At 12 noon when the public was let in, it was like Grand Central Station. Clerking was an experience in and of itself. There were nearly 800 entries to be judged and 10 judging teams. Each team consisted of 3 judges and 3 clerks. Each team was assigned to judge particular classes (there were about 125 classes). The clerks in the team I was on were organized to both scout and place ribbons. First, we would scout out the orchids that were registered for a particular class. Once these orchids were located, we would return to the judges we had been assigned to work with, guide them to the appropriate exhibit, and point out the plants registered for that class. The judges would then scrutinize, compare, and briefly debate, then determine a first-, second-, and third-place for that class. Our job was then to go back and place the ribbons--that was especially gratifying when I knew the grower.
Clerking is a simple job if you (a) remember which exhibit to go to; (b) remember the exhibit numbering sequence in relation to the floor plan; (c) can spot the orchid(s) you're looking for among the 50 or more orchids in the exhibit, and (d) remember which orchids you're looking for. At eight o'clock in the morning I was, at first, a bit unnerved at this process. Of course, during this routine you try to discretely eavesdrop on the judges as they deliberate - fighting off the urge to ooh and ah and gape at the displays. This procedure actually got easier as we went along. For all the work, mental and physical, I would not have missed this opportunity. Perhaps, I'm a glutton for punishment. But just between us, I enjoyed myself.--Connie Bailie