Bulb Garden and various topics of member importance

[Robin Hansen]

Good Morning,
 
Although only one member to my knowledge has noticed, the last issue of the Bulb Garden, Vol. 20 Issue 2, was mis-numbered. It should have been Vol. 20 Issue 1.
 
Vol 20 Issue 2 will reach you by the end of this year as it is now in layout.
 
I'll take this opportunity to remind you of some important details:
 
1.    PBS dues are now up for renewal since PBS is on a calendar year. Those payments are encouraged to be made via the PBS website. Please do not use PayPal directly but go through our website.
2.    As always I welcome new authors and articles for our journal. Please contact me directly and remember, don't be concerned with spellings, or other minor details. Those will be sorted out before publication. Just sit down and write about what you know best, whether it's one plant or several, a trip you've taken (now that we can fly a bit) or an article on propagation, concern about cultivation or what you've learned about bulbs. We like to see a mix of topics that cover hardy bulbs, South American or South African, etc. so don't hesitate to write about something not available at your local garden center or specialist nursery. You nurserymen are also encouraged, now that the days are shorter, to sit down and put your thoughts on paper (metaphorically or otherwise).
3.    We do have openings from time to time on the PBS board. If you think you have a little time and would like to volunteer, let us know. For most board members, that really only involves quarterly Zoom meetings and perhaps an occasional committee meeting. We keep our meetings to an hour or so. You do not need to be a guru of bulbs, but some knowledge is best.
4.    Let's all save Arnold some time and pay our invoices when we order bulbs or seeds and not six months later. Most importantly, indicate on your payment the number of the exchange. If for example you have an invoice for $16.00 but pay $20.00 and don't write down something like "$16.00 for Exchange xxx plus a $4.00 donation), he may assume you are renewing your membership.
5.    Once again, a reminder: if you have a significant credit because you've donated seeds and/or bulbs, you may use that credit to pay for a year's membership for another person...
6.    And lastly, a gentle reminder that if you are in arrears for bulbs or seeds, at some point your requests for bulbs or seeds may be denied if not paid immediately when notified. Our society is a 501(c)3 organization and is run by volunteers. We have a unique membership structure that involves making seeds and bulbs available to members multiple times a year. I can't think of another plant society that does this, so please, support PBS by paying your invoices in a timely manner.
 
Carry on and please accept our grateful thanks for your continued support of our unique society.
 
Best regards,
 
Robin Hansen
President, PBS

[Sylvia]

Renewal via PBS website took me to "Forbidden" when I clicked on Buy Now.

Happy to use PayPal directly or credit card but can't seem to reach either option.

Thank you,
Sylvia Sykora

[David Pilling]

I had someone else report "forbidden", we discussed it a little, but did not get to the cause.

If you look on Google, it is a common problem:

https://windowsreport.com/error-403-forbidden-paypal/

The solution one sees "clear the browser cache" is not pleasant. I would be happier switching to a different browser to make the payment.

From my point of view, I need to know more. It does not go wrong for me, and plenty of payments are successful.

[Robin Hansen]

Sylvia, Please contact Arnold Trachtenberg directly. If this continues to be a problem, you may need to pay by check. Sometimes using a different browser (Firefox, for example) might be worth a try or accessing at a different time of day... Hopefully David can find an answer.

[Arnold]

Hi Sylvia

Your payment for membership renewal came through just fine.

[Robin Hansen]

So, Arnold, what you're saying is that in spite of the error Sylvia received, her payment went through?

[David Pilling]

Robin - I also saw the payment come through - I assume Sylvia had another go - being an optimist, another go after reading my advice (same as your advice).

I do not think that having got the "forbidden" message the payment would go through, it seems early on in proceedings.

[Arnold]

Yes, Sylvia's payment went through.  She may have not realized her transaction was completed.

[David Pilling]

Causality comes into play, Sylvia's message on here 9:41, payment 10:37.

[Sylvia]

Golly -  all of your comments make me blush to think I sent a "help" message immediately instead of giving things another try after signing off and logging back in a bit later.  I'm sorry for taking up your time.   It taught me - and perhaps others - a lesson, one my mother-in-law practiced with her car: get out, give it a kick, walk away and come back later in a better mood.   Voila, it starts up like a charm.

Thank you to all of you,
Sylvia