When needs must, Richard, when needs must.

[corky]

Ooops

Edited August 3, 2014 by corky

[FredG]

.Maybe i am weird

 

Surely not Corky. If you were weird you'd be making double posts on here and you'd never do that would you.

[corky]

Hehe

[Guest paul y]

You don't have to identify yourself on Facebook, its as anonymous as you want it to be, there are dozens upon dozens of group relating to cp growing, I have stopped asking cultivation questions on here as with Facebook I can have a discussion with internationally renowned experts directly.

The trade boards are better with access to much rarer plants seed etc than I have seen advertised on here.

The cps have a Facebook page which is in no way used to the societies advantage.

I recently advertised les's open day on there and whilst it didn't affect his turnout, I know for a fact a lot more people were aware of it than through here or the cps.

Give Facebook a go for carnie loving you won't be disappointed and will wonder why you didn't join months back

Paul

[corky]

Cheers Paul i will have to check it out.Just didn't want the gaffer to find out i blag days off work to polinate a drosera flower;-)

[mantrid]

I am a secret plant addict and not ready to come out on facebook .I like the fact i can conseal my id on here and don't want some people to know my interests and don't really want people from here knowing all about me either.Maybe i am weird

you can be as public or private as you like on face book. you dont even need to use your real name, I dont as I have a bit of a mistrust of facebbook and all this data they have on people

[mobile]

Some of the Facebook CP pages are ok, but others just seem to be full of pictures with 'likes', with next to nothing with regards to discussion.

[Ian Salter]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Carnivorous-Plant-Society/239177632798955

:)

[Guest paul y]

why do the cps spend so much money printing and posting the plantas carnivoras when it would cost so little money to just make it availably digitally or even on their website members only section?

what was the stamp cost on the last post out?  go digital, spend the saved money on a cps nursery, use your many contacts to fill it with desirable plants, sell them on ebay and make the cps lots more money

hundreds of pounds spent on a little magazine will in a few years bring in hundreds of pounds in sales.

just saying

paul

[SoLongFairWell]

I like getting mine in printed form.

[corky]

I like getting mine in printed form.

so there:-)i also like a old fashioned stuff you can flick through and take to the bog in the morning.Supose in the end i will get with the times And have a tablet on me lap Edited August 3, 2014 by corky

[mobile]

Don't know if it's still available, but CPS members used to be able to choose between getting printed copies or online. I think the online membership was cheaper? Could read it on the CPS website in PDF version, as well as all the back issues.

[dennisB]

Hi

 

just a few points:

 

The current membership of the society is 373 (up 10% on this time last year).  20 years ago it was over 600 and no doubt the decline is due to the availability of information on excellent sites such as CPUK which is affiliated to the CPS but is a separate entity.  I was talking to the chairman of the Heather Society at this year's Gardener's world show who told me that their membership had fallen from over 2000 in the 80s to around 200 now.

 

Only about 20% of members could be considered "active".  (ie they hold or attend open days and society meetings, are committee members, volunteer to help out at society events  etc).  Apart from the committee only 1 member helped out at the NEC show, only 1 member attended last weekend's field trip in Dorset.  We run committee elections each year and give members the opportunity to stand for any of the committee posts - no-one ever has.  The only two changes to the committee in recent years have been the new journal editor  and the creation of a new Partnership Officer post to develop relationships with universities, botanical gardens the RHS etc.  The latter was a newish member who had an interest/expertise in this area.

 

The society would love to have more members in the frozen north but we have a dilemma - do we put on events where member's live or where we don't have members?  We have moved the end of season meeting to Birmingham  from Wisley but attendance is quite low.  Only one person north of Mike King holds an open day.  We had a stand at the RHS Tatton Park a couple of years ago.  No-one local volunteered to help out which meant that the considerable workload fell on two committee members who live on the south coast who had to give up a week of their holidays and incurred extra cost to the society. 

 

The only problem that I have had with seeds from the seed bank was with nepenthes, which as someone else said are best shown fresh.  If people have a problem with germination please let Sheila know about it.

 

The society's aims include conservation of plants and their habitats, promotion of plant cultivation and education.  We are currently working with English Heritage to reinstate the bog and re-introduce native CPs at Down House (Darwin's home), we did an event at RHS Wisley earlier this year which had a large plant display and plant sales in aid of the conservation fund and another is planned for next year at RHS Rosemoor.  Committee members have given over a hundred talks for garden clubs in recent years.  The society hosted the European CP event at Chester a couple of years ago and we intend bidding for the ICPS world event in 2016.  We would like to do more but we all have jobs and family lives too.

 

In the end the only way we will get more members in the north and elsewhere is if member's get involved.  To misquote from JFK - ask not what the society can do for you but what you can do for the society.

 

Sorry for the rant.

 

Dennis

[Nigel H-C]

Not a rant at all Dennis, all valid points and you highlight the issues faced by us and other societies. If only members were as vocal when it came to article writing as they are on here!!!

 

I remember well the pleas from the chairman of the day for articles for the journal in the '80's and nothing has changed in that respect. Do we really just want to look at photos of Drosera intermedia in every issue? Of course not, but to facilitate change we must do more rather than sit on the sidelines.

 

Which reminds me I have an article on the tuberous Drosera which I need to send in.

 

Come on guys, put pen to paper, even if it's a single page as we all have the occasional triumph which would be of interest to other members. It doesn't have to be a thesis or anything too technical, and of course the most off-putting aspect of writing is thinking that others will think you're stupid. Overcome this perceived threat, as that's what it is, and you'll be fine.

 

Nigel HC

[mantrid]

The society would love to have more members in the frozen north but we have a dilemma - do we put on events where member's live or where we don't have members?  We have moved the end of season meeting to Birmingham  from Wisley but attendance is quite low.  Only one person north of Mike King holds an open day.  We had a stand at the RHS Tatton Park a couple of years ago.  No-one local volunteered to help out which meant that the considerable workload fell on two committee members who live on the south coast who had to give up a week of their holidays and incurred extra cost to the society. 

 

The problem these days regarding the attendance of events and meetings is petrol costs. When I was a student I wouldnt think twice about making a 100 mile round trip to the beach or the mountains. Now I have an income I will only make journeys if absolutely necessary.

[dennisB]

Hi

 

the CPS operates a system whereby members can volunteer to share their email address with other members.  One of the aims of this is to enable members to share travel costs.  If you are a member and interested, please contact me at [email protected].

 

cheers

 

Dennis

[mobile]

Come on guys, put pen to paper, even if it's a single page as we all have the occasional triumph which would be of interest to other members. It doesn't have to be a thesis or anything too technical, and of course the most off-putting aspect of writing is thinking that others will think you're stupid. Overcome this perceived threat, as that's what it is, and you'll be fine.

 

I think part of the issue is it is far more common nowadays for people to submit such on forums, blogs, Facebook, etc. Indeed I have had a couple of articles published in the journal a number of years ago, but now I almost exclusively use some form of online format. Online not only allows you to publish information but also receive comment and provoke discussion.

[Nigel H-C]

Hi Mobile,

 

Exactly, but there has always been a reluctance on peoples part to submit articles, even before the internet when we had to wait with baited breath for the journals and newsletters to hit the mat like junkies awaiting a fix.

 

Nigel HC

[ada]

I agree with lots of what has been said above.

I was reluctant to write for the journal because i was new,no-one wanted to hear what i had to say,it was only for recognised growers,but i now realise we all can have an imput.

As Carl says now we write on here to get a discussion going,not just post a picture for someone to "like".

I too liked to take the written article to the "bog" but now it can be a tablet (should that be on facebook)

But i still think the point is being missed,dispite all the write ups on here,the cps site facebook or where ever,the computer is killing open days,its not petrol or people in the north not holding open days,its people who can't be bothered to get off their arse and go to open days.

I go to a few each year,its the best way to meet people,face to face. Talk to people face to face,they won't bite.

Yes, i have plenty to say on here,i also have plenty to say at open days.

It might be an age thing,younger people tend to use new technology but won't speak face to face for some reason.

I have offered to let anyone visit my collection at a time suitable to both parties and a few have taken this offer up,

if i can help i will,but most of it has already been written and rewritten time and time again.

ada

[mobile]

It might be an age thing,younger people tend to use new technology but won't speak face to face for some reason.

 

That's true in general everywhere. I went out for a meal with my wife on Saturday and there was a family two tables away from me who spent all of their time on their phones and I don't think they spoke with each other at all.

[linuxman]

That's true in general everywhere. I went out for a meal with my wife on Saturday and there was a family two tables away from me who spent all of their time on their phones and I don't think they spoke with each other at all.

I agree Carl, I see it every time I go to the pub. Why virtual friends are better than real ones I can't understand.

[corky]

I agree Carl, I see it every time I go to the pub. Why virtual friends are better than real ones I can't understand.

well if your at the bar virtual friends are much cheaper

[Mike King]

It is a sad reality that open days and field trip outings are dwindling and more and more people are staying behind their tablets and pcs. There is a certain magic in open days and the CPS meetings and I remember a lot of teenagers when I first joined in 1979 at Earl's Court road. I think also apathy plays a large part in the dwindling membership when it comes to renewal, but I feel we need a society parallel to the forum as we need a presence in gardening shows etc to make the public aware of the plants in general and their conservation status.

[dennisB]

Hi

 

I agree totally with Mike's points.

 

In addition to the Gardener's World Show at the NEC, the society has put on plant exhibitions, plant sales and talks at RHS Wisley and the Eden Project which are likely to be repeated next year.  We are also doing a CP event at RHS Rosemoor next year.  We are liaising with Bristol and Exeter Universities about future projects and have close ties with Winterbourne Gardens in Birmingham where Mitch Raymond has done so much to develop their CP displays. 

 

The thing is that all of these developments have been undertaken by committee members with some support from a very few members.  We need more of our members to participate, to suggest and be willing to help at new events if we are to make further progress.

 

cheers

 

Dennis

[SoLongFairWell]

I'm willing to help with anything in Ireland.