Perspective

Daffnet,
After reading the excellent September 2008 ADS Journal I’d like to add a perspective to my good friend and that lovely lady Loyce that does such a great job on the Journal.
In an interesting article about the new daffodil show in Barco, North Carolina, there was a statement to the effect that if Clay had remembered to put in a class for intermetiates that the best in show would have won the intermediate award as well.
Over the years, I have been one the the ADS members that attend multiple daffodil shows and I have been accredited in winning my share of ribbons.  Maybe, more than my share.  However, I’m both an Engineer and in the Army, and Intelligence Officer.  I study show schedules like an intelligence officer and analyze them, therefore well in advance I know what they offer and what they are trying to do and it helps me decide what I am going to enter.  I also note the differences in the show schedules.  For instance, the Washington DC show schedule is a “no-nonsense” schedule that covers everything and is well done.  The Morristown NJ and the Atlanta, GA daffodil shows are taylored to the local growers and growing conditions meaning that they have a schedule that fits what their members show and grow. The Dallas show is designed to support local growers as well.  The Garden Club of Virginia Show is to support Garden Clubs.  Chamb ersburg, PA., is designed to be friendly to the showers.  The Upperville, VA show is scheduled as a “true” small show.  The Pie Eater’s show is truly unique and offeres a whole “new” concept of showing your “late” daffodils and having a fun doing it.
I didn’t forget to add the intermediates.  I planned a small show oriented around the fact that I would have many new persons to the daffodil showing world.  I used the Uppervill show schedule as my base, added a couple touches from Atlanta, a view of Morristown NJ, in that I didn’t have all the divisional collections of five.  Back to the Upperville small show, I purposefuly did not add intermediates and historics as I stuck with my concept of a “small” show.  But at the same time, I knew that I would have some “Youth” participation, so I added a comprehensive “Youth Section.”  And, back to the Pie Eater’s show I added a concept of giving a ribbon, in the spirit of fun, to the best “Unknown” daffodil in the show.  So, Loyce, LOL, I didn’t forget to remember.  I purposefuly left out the intermediates as they were not in my show plans.
However, for 2009, “Hold Your Horses,” we are adding both intermediates and historical daffodils.  Not to memtion, we are going to give away the “Wild” Goose award, again, for the best unknown daffodil entered in the show by a local person (Of course not to judges).
So laugh with me.  LOL.  Even though I have never been a show chairperson before 2008, I have influenced a number of shows by reviewing their schedules and offering suggestions.  The only hard part about putting the show schedule together was deciding what I wanted to do, and of course getting it Printed after Eileen Whitney did a nice editorial job on it. :-)
Remember, I’m smiling, even if my teeth are showing, I’m not growling.
Clay

Clay Higgins
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3 comments for “Perspective

  1. A very thoughtful perspective, Clay, and I forgot to mention the thing I appreciated the most–because of response to potential entries,
    you are going to add a vase of three, or three-stem, entry in Small Growers.
    That is an innovation to fit the case, and I congratulate your doing it.

    Loyce

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  2. Kudos to you, Clay, for making the show happen, for taking into account the local perspective, and for expanding their horizons!
    Becky that daffy girl near Nashville
    Becky Fox Matthews 2nd Vice President American Daffodil Society http://www.daffodilusa.org

  3. Thank you Becky.  As a long term member of the Washington Daffodil Society (WDS) and enjoying the benefits of their successful show, and an excellent template of a full show schedule I learned a lot about daffodil shows.  If you have never been to a WDS show, it’s almost like going to a National with wide participation and 1500 to 2000 blooms, you should try to make it. Quiet honestly, without all the individual help of numerous WDS members and former and present Presidents of WDS I would not have been able to pull it off.  Even with my right hand, Fran, doing all the work!!!
    Clay

    Clay Higgins
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