September 2021 Newsletter Link
Please submit your Orchid Show & Tell pictures to Lynne by Monday October 4th: lynne.murrell@outlook.com

    RSVP to the Oct. 5th Member Meeting

Guest Speaker: Chaunie

​Talk Title:  A walk-through of getting your orchid judged

You might believe that in order to have your orchids deserve an AOS flower quality award or a cultural award you must be a master orchid grower with hundreds or even thousands of orchids.  Totally not the case.  We are going to cover the steps to deciding if you should enter your orchid for AOS judging and what to expect when you have one of your orchids judged.  Who are those people judging your orchid?  Why would you want to have AOS awards?  Why would you want to buy seedlings whose parents have AOS awards?  How will understanding judging criteria make you happier with choices you make of plants to add to your own collection?

Chaunie has been growing orchids for more than 20 years and has killed more orchids than she currently owns.  That is a lot of experience!  She grows a wide variety of orchids in a 8’ x 16’ greenhouse heated with two electric space heaters while;.p personally trying to save PG&E from bankruptcy.  There is a mix of species and hybrids in the greenhouse - all loved equally.  She is a four or five year member of SFOS and a long time member of Peninsula Orchid Society where she has been a perpetual board member as well as occasionally assisting with the Peninsula OS newsletter and has served is as show chair four times.  

Chaunie was recruited to join the Pacific Central Judging Center (PCJC) after some of the judges noticed that she worked like an Iditarod sled dog.  Judging centers have administrative duties just as orchid societies do.  She photographs some of the awards for PCJC and is sometimes proud, sometimes embarrassed to see her photos in Orchids magazine.  You would think photographing something that can’t run away from you and doesn’t have to have a pleasant facial expression would be a slam dunk.  Oddly, it is not.
Meeting Timeline

6:30 PM 
In-person only PLANT ENTRY for AOS JUDGING

7:00 PM
Announcements

7:15 PM
Show & Tell - (both in-person AND virtual by ZOOM)

8:00 PM
GUEST SPEAKER feat. Chaunie
​Talk Title:  A walk-through of getting your orchid judged
followed by the "Opportunity Table" - a chance to win $20 gift certificates to redeem for orchids from Tiny Jungle in Daly City and for in-person attendees, live blooming-sized orchids 

MORE:
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Show & Tell:
Everyone is encouraged as always to share orchids they have in bloom with the group in-person OR by sending pictures to share ahead of time:
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Please send your Show and Tell pics to Lynne by email (lynne.murrell@outlook.com) by NO LATER THAN the day before the meeting to give her time to prepare.

Additional Show & Tell Guidance:
You can help Lynne optimize the show and tell experience by selecting your top 3 plants to share so we have time to get to everyone’s contributions - label your photo files – or include the names for her to do it for you – and particularly for miniatures, try to include one picture of the flower and one of the plant including a coin or ruler or hand in one of them to help us judge the size.

How do you win an opportunity plant?
Names of all attendees that are paid members of SFOS will have their name included once in the raffle ticket pool to be drawn at the end of the meeting.

1) You must be in attendance at the meeting.
2) You must be a paid member of SFOS - so pay your 2021 dues if you have not done so already

NOTE: You can have your name included in the raffle ticket pool more than once, IF:
You RSVP by calendar or email by noon on the day of the meeting
OR
You participate in Show & Tell by sending photos or video clips in advance by email as outlined above
OR
Prepare and give a brief skills session talk (5-15 min) - any orchid related topic of your choice - but these need to be confirmed in advance - so please let us know if you want to do one at an upcoming meeting.