1. Call to order by President Doug Needham at 1:00 pm
2. Introduction of guests and new members since last meeting. Number present: 26 in person and 2 online current members and 0 guests. Welcome 35 new members! In May we were fortunate to welcome 9 new individual members and 12 new family/household members.
Doug Needham reported that OOS did well with both the OOS Exhibit at TOS “Orchids Wild & Wonderful” Show, April 15–16, 2023 and the OOS Exhibit at OOS “Orchid Kicks on Route 66” Show, May 6–7, 2023. The Society won both “Best Society Tabletop Exhibit” and “Best Tabletop Exhibit” at the Tulsa Show, and took “Best Society Tabletop Exhibit” and Orchid Digest “Best Exhibit” at our OOS show. Thank you to Catherine Chance, Bill Parker, Gerry Holland, and Doug Needham for your wonderful displays!
Thank you, OOS Members, for Hosting Kansas Orchid Society! The May 21, 2023, Picnic and Tour of The Needham Glasshouse was a fun success.
3. Grower Tips: Vice President John Spencer did not present growers tips this month because the guest speaker presented a number of useful tips during today’s program.
4. Approval of March 19 meeting minutes: Marinel Kelley motioned, and Angela Teeter seconded, to approve March’s minutes with unanimous approval.
NOTE: No meetings were held April or May. The April meeting was suspended so members might attend the Tulsa Orchid Society’s show. The Kansas Orchid Society/OOS Picnic was scheduled in lieu of May’s scheduled meeting.
5. Old business: There was no old business to report this meeting.
6. New business: There is no new business to discuss nor brought forward from the floor this meeting.
We have many reports to update us on activities since March!
7. Treasurer’s report -Carol Ash, Treasurer: Instead of the usual end-of-month Treasurer’s Report, Carol Ash gave a report encompassing the months of March, April, and May 2023. The total monies reported as $33,443.00. Visuals were presented of the finances. Motion for approval by was made by Catherine Chance and second by Johnita Turner. Those present and online vouted unanimously to approval the report.
8. Committee Chair Reports:
a. Membership Committee Report: Jessica Nelson, Chair
Committee members: Carol Ash, Gerry Holland, and Doug Needham
Jessica Nelson reported the OOS membership has grown to include
35 Active Individual Memberships
24 Active Family/Household Memberships (51 persons)
5 Active Honorary Lifetime Memberships
3 Honorary Annual Memberships (non-voting)
91 Active Members
After the wonderful membership news, Doug Needham apprised members of the passing of long time OOS member and former Treasurer, Calvin Allen Koch, Jr. Allen lived in Oklahoma City for many years and enjoyed caring for his dogs (Max, Milo and Mr. C), raising beautiful flowers, along with collecting rare crystal and unique jewelry. He had recently moved to Anadarko, in 2021, to be closer to family. Allen was 71 when he passed away March 18, 2023, and was laid to rest in a private service.
b. Programming Committee Report: John Spencer, Chair
Committee members: Mike Friday and Doug Needham
John Spencer reported the program lineup for the upcoming meetings currently appears as follows:
July Meeting: Brassia Orchids by Eric Sauer, River Valley Orchids
August Meeting: Water Quality Clinic
September Meeting: TBD
October Meeting: TBD
November Meeting: This meeting will include a greenhouse tour along with a program, topic TBD
December Meeting: Christmas Holiday Party held at Johnita Turner’s beautiful home. Thank you Johnita!
c. Show & Sale Committee Report: Jana Butcher, Bridget Andoe, and Marinel Kelley, co-Chairs
The chairs reported the two-day May Show and Sale was a great success. Major points from this year’s show:
i. 680 curious orchid visitors were welcomed and engaged during the two day event!
ii. 35 new members were registered during the show!
iii. Vendors had an enormously successful show. Two of the vendors almost sold out!
iv. The show earnings are better than “break even”, more details to be presented when final calculations are completed.
The OOS May 2023 show personified the OOS’s mission “to educate and foster the appreciation of orchids and their culture.” A huge thank you was relayed to all members who helped make the 2023 OOS Show and Sale a huge success!
Going forward, Jana Butcher suggested possibly increasing the show attendance by using social media to make folks in our social communities (like Facebook Communities) aware of the show. Another suggestion was made to contact senior living centers to make them aware of the OOS show so they may add it to their activity calendars.
d. Investment Committee Report: Jana Butcher, Chair
Committee members: Doug Butcher, Mike Friday, and John Spencer
Jana Butcher recapped the investments made in March and April, 2023.
The following is a list of those investments:
$3000 invested in OOS General Fund CD
$5,016.41 invested in RROS-OOS Horticulture Scholarship Fund CD
$15,000 invested in Arvest Wealth Investments—Russell 2000 ETF VTWO
Jana stated that rates are increasing, and it is a good time to invest the $5000 in additional OOS General Fund CD(s). The investments will be purchased in coming months.
e. Conservation Committee Report: Mike Friday, Chair
Committee members: John Spencer
Nothing to report from the Conservation Committee this month.
f. Website Committee Report: Doug Needham, Chair
Committee Members: Bridget Andoe, Gabriel Guerrero-Savage, and John Spencer.
Doug Needham indicated a need for assistance with two areas of the OOS website. The needs are:
i. two to three individuals to write quarterly blog posts covering topics of orchid culture.
ii. a member to photograph the “Show Table” orchids displayed at the monthly meetings and post the images to the OOS website.
Doug will train volunteers to upload documents and images to the OOS website.
Ensuing discussion among members highlighted the expertise of Bill Parker as well as other members who each have a wealth of experience and knowledge. Bill has graciously consented to creating blog content. New member, Angela Teeter, volunteered her time to help prepare materials and documents for uploading to the blog. Others were encouraged to create and submit content for the quarterly blog post. If you have a topic of interest and would like to write a post, please contact Doug Needham. Thank you, Bill and Angela for you time and expertise!
Bridget Andoe has stepped into the position of “Show Table” Photo Blog photographer over for the past several months, photographing the beautiful orchids brought by members each month to post to the OOS website. Thank you, Bridget, for having done this in the interim! As we move forward, this position will be shared between Bridget Ando and Kim Kyker. Bridget is willing to continue photographing the orchids. and Kim will post the images to the OOS website. Thank you both volunteering your time for this task.
9. Affiliate Reports:
a. Great Plains Judging Center – Catherine Chance, Jana Butcher, and John Spencer:
Catherine Chance reported that seventeen plants were judged and 9 were given awards. One award was to our very own Doug Needham. Doug’s Phragmipedium humboldtii ‘Fortuna’ AM/AOS was awarded an AOS Certificate of Cultural Excellence.
b. AOS Representative – Gerry Holland: Nothing to report at this time.
c. SWROGA – Bill Parker: Bill Parker reported the date has been set for the SWROGA Fall show. The show will be November 4, 2023. See OOS Calendar of Events for details.
d. Orchid Digest Representative – Bill Parker had nothing to report this month.
e. OKC Council of Garden Clubs – Johnita Turner stated that the OKC Council of Garden Clubs has ceased meeting for the summer to give everyone the chance to be outside gardening. Carolyn McCabe completes her 4-year term as Council President this month. Michael Kowalchyk is the incoming President of OKC Council of Garden Clubs.
10. Other Reports: There were no other reports this month.
11. Adjourn Business Meeting at 2:42 pm
12. Refreshment Break — Thank you, Hospitality Hosts!
13. Auction and Raffle – This month the Raffle was moved ahead so members might have a chance to win a division of the two large orchids to be used for repotting during today’s presentation. Keith Warren conducted the raffle for the divisions as well as several additional plants brought by OOS members. Thank you to all who donated plants for today’s raffle.
14. Program /Presentation – Vice President John Spencer introduced long-time member Brian Truong, our speaker/instructor for this Sunday’s presentation. Brian brought, not only his orchids, but his valuable skill of orchid repotting to the group today. A short presentation of when it is wise to repot various types of orchids and the correct choice of media to use was followed with hands on repotting of either orchids brought by members or of raffled won divisions of two very large plants. All members jumped in and either repotted orchids or shared their repotting tips and skills with the less experienced in the group. Thank you for a wonderful program, Brian. Thank you also to all members who helped repot orchids.
15. Show and Tell Table – Many beautiful blooming orchids were brought to today’s meeting. Thank you to those who showed their plants and described the plants’ culture.
16. Adjourn – Doug Needham adjourned meeting at 3:45 pm.