Reorganizing the BX
jnvkbarnes@nc.rr.com (Thu, 17 Oct 2019 17:05:09 PDT)

Dear Jane, If I should be fortunate enough to become BX Director
(actually, I prefer "Coordinator") many of the suggestions you have
put forth are consistent with ideas I have about how the BX (actually
I would prefer BSX to recognize that bulbs and seeds are received from
donors and distributed) would operate. I would be glad to share those
ideas with you. In response to your survey, I have provided answers to
your questions below. Thanks for your ideas. John

-----------------------------------------From: "Jane McGary"
To: "Pacific Bulb Society"
Cc:
Sent: Thursday October 17 2019 7:30:22PM
Subject: [pbs] Reorganizing the BX

The Board of the Pacific Bulb Society is contemplating reorganizing
the
Bulb and Seed Exchange (BX) in order that it will function more
efficiently. This is in response to complaints by members and the
excessive demands placed on previous managers. We would like your
input
as we consider possible changes, particularly limiting the periods of

donation and ordering, rather than continuing the current spontaneous

flow of donations and order processing. We are also considering ways
to
ensure that orders are distributed more fairly among members, rather
than by the present “first received, first served” procedure.

A prominent source of complaints has been in the handling of bulbs
and
seeds that will not remain viable in storage for more than a week or
so
– seeds that germinate immediately even if not sown and watered, or

bulbs that have perennial live roots even though they are considered
“geophytes.” Responses to this problem could include barring such

material from the BX, setting up a separate “ephemeral” system
with its
own manager, or having members wishing to exchange such material
communicate directly among themselves through the list and avoiding
the
BX and its payment system.

The seed exchanges operated by various plant societies include such
features as giving priority to orders from donors and limiting the
number of items that one person can receive. We should also consider
whether these procedures are relevant to PBS.

We look forward to your input! Thanks in advance!

1.1. Do you participate in the BX frequently, occasionally, or never?
Frequently

2.2. If you never participate, why not? n/a

3.3. If you do participate, what problems, if any, have you had with
the BX? None, but erratic nature has been a challenge

4.4. Do you obtain bulbs, seeds, or both from the BX? Both, prefer
seeds

5.5. Do you pay your BX shipping charges promptly upon receiving the
material? Yes

6.6. If you donate to the BX, at what time(s) of year do you send
items? When material is available

7.7. If the BX occurred at a few specific times of year, what times
would best suit your needs? I would prefer a biweekly schedule

8.8. Do you donate plant material to the BX that cannot be held in
storage for more than a week or two? If so, what kind of material? No

9.9. If you specialize in plants that cannot be held in storage, are
you
willing to exchange them directly with other members rather than
going
through the BX? Yes, probably not appropriate material for BX
distribution

10.10. Do you think that donors should have priority in having their
orders filled? If not, why not? May actually occur now informally???
I would not favor this, but distribution of donated material needs to
be equitable and not on a first-come-first-served basis. Some people
(me included) do not check emails on a constant basis.

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