On Monday September 2nd the IOS hosted its first meeting of the new season.
Unfortunately, with Coldplay performing at Croke Park, many members couldn’t reach the destination.
However, several people were there and we were joined online by members virtually.
The evening began with a statement from the new Furman David Morse on detailing his ambitious plan for this and next year 2025.
The evening began with a statement from the new chairperson, David Morse, detailing his ambitious plan for this and next year.
Welcome everybody to this year‘s new session of the Irish Orchid Society
The past year saw a re-invigoration of the society and the welcome return of many valued members. We have a full committee and although it has yet to meet, we will be meeting soon.
In the year ahead I have an ambitious agenda with a few key events I want to get done.
Firstly the mundane: From suggestions and discussions I’ll be proposing some changes to the constitution. These will be submitted to the Hon. Secretary and voted on in March. The proposed changes/additions are
- That there be set a minimum and maximum size of the committee.
- That a quorum can be made up of people in attendance in person and virtually on line.
Secondly: we will have a trip to the continent to visit some botanic gardens and orchid nurseries in the spring.
Third: The IOS will host an Orchid Show here in the visitor centre in Early March, this will be a weekend long event and include talks, exhibitions, displays of orchids and it will be open to the public.
Fourthly: we will have a stand at Bloom 2025. I’m meeting with the head of the organisers on Wednesday next week.
My fifth task: I want to see a planned set of trips to areas to view wild Irish orchids, this will include an April visit to Bull Island, an August visit to The Burren, and one or two others. I will also be organising a visit to the Herbarium Library, which believe me is an absolute treasure house of botanical art and literature.
Finally I’ll be making contact this month with colleges to offer all students studying botany and horticulture free membership of the IOS while they are at college.
Following on from this, people briefly discussed the options, especially for a trip to The Burren.
Next the Lughnasa Raffle prizes were handed out to members attending that had won one of the six orchids that were prizes. The remaining prizes can be collected from the National Botanic Gardens by contacting Vice-chairperson Marie Hourigan.
Finally Plants were submitted for our first orchid show and judge of the year.
The winning orchid presented by Patrick Marshall was Phalaenopsis (Doritis) pulcherrima alba
This is the rarer white form of Phalaenopsis pulcherrima.
Runner up was an unnamed Oncidium Alliance Hybrid presented by Tom Petherbridge.
The winner received a copy of Orchid by Dan Torre.
The next meeting is on Monday 7th October and I hope it will see the welcome return of Guatemalan Botanist Challen Willemsen speaking to us from his cloud forest homeland about his trip to Peru in May of this year.