>Some people don't want personal contact, or they are very >choosy about the
people who contact them. There are many >reasons for this, not the least of
which is security for one's >own personal collection.
Many clubs meet in neutral territory, i.e. not at a member's home: The
National Capital Orchid Society meets at the Arboretum, numerous wildflower
clubs in and around DC meet at public gardens or nature centers, etc. Even a
local community center would be a possibility.
>Regarding a newsletter, I think that very quickly there will be >a dearth of
material submitted for publication. Nice of you to >volunteer your
writer/publisher talents, though.
In the publishing biz, newsletter frequency and page count is dictated by the
supply of information. A quarterly or semi-annual publication schedule with a
few pages (4, 8, etc.) could easily be filled with classifieds, growing tips,
announcements (like the annual Cheltenham Bog open house in Suburban Maryland
(nice S. purpurea I'm told), or when the Droserae are blooming in the
Cranesville Swamp, etc.) A feature on a local grower or plant would fill
space and be useful (and the grower's address could be left off for privacy,
etc., etc.)
And referring to the comparatively paltry cp collection at the U.S. Botanical
Gardens, I was referring to the conservatory display ... being the only thing
open to the public, that's all that really counts in my book. Private
collections may be nice, but they don't do me or the public any good, you
know?
Hope that allays your concerns, Perry, and whomever else may be watching this
thread.
Jay Lechtman
L235@aol.com