Thoughts on SX/BX
Mike via pbs (Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:45:06 PDT)
Bob,
Thank you for sharing some insights with the group on improving the process
of the SX/BX holistically. You bring up some great points………
This is a volunteer position that only one person can tell us how it should
be carried out based on some guidelines from the mgt. team….in 2021 and
beyond.
I think it’s great that more people are sending in more plant materials to
share. We have to acknowledge that growth and allow the subject matter
expert to improve the process. The mgt team took a long time to select
Luminita… I believe she has done an amazing job in an environment of change
all around us.
I’d like to hear from Luminita and not ideas scrubbed by anyone….
Understanding how we could improve the process for her. In her words…the
board selected a very capable person. I believe we all are willing or
should be to help her make the SX/BX better…for all.
It’s interesting at work all of us are evaluated on ability or willingness
to accept new ideas….it’s generally viewed in a positive manner…As parents
we send children to school to learn new ideas. Building upon their past
experience….
The good news is…it’s shipping bulbs and seeds….nothing cutting edge
even….how about the adoption of best practices based on the experiences of
not a rookie but a veteran bulb/seed shipper in 2021….not one other person
has that credential. Commercial folks nope….they do it their way based on
their company and profit margins….so Luminita is the person who can share
the information
A “State of The BX/SX” I guess.
Believing that the quarterly meeting notes give us this, is not realistic
or even relevant. It’s time to let the capable and fair minded person
running the program share with us how we can improve the entire process.
One more thing a special note of thanks to all who have shared seeds and
bulbs during the last few years that I have personally chosen. I’ve
learned a lot raising the plants you have enjoyed and shared. What a great
concept to base an international
group around. Sharing the bounty of your personal success growing plants
with others.
Respectfully,
Mike
San Diego
Zone 24…..”The Goldilocks Zone” not to hot not too cold….but a little water
would be nice.
On Wed, Sep 15, 2021 at 10:46 AM Robert Lauf via pbs <
pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote:
As we approach another exchange, perhaps it would be useful to think about
how we do this and, importantly, how we MIGHT do it to make it easier on
Luminita or whoever does it in the future.
Who decides how many exchanges to have per year? Is this decided by the
Board? Is the decision completely arbitrary or does someone actually
consult with Luminita to see what would be easier at her end? Would it be
better to have a few huge exchanges, or better to have more frequent
exchanges with fewer items in each? I have no idea, but I'd think Luminita
could tell us because she's actually doing the work, and her opinion should
carry a lot of weight.
What is the policy regarding disposition of excess material? If someone
donates a huge amount of something and there aren't many takers, do we
donate the excess to other societies with overlapping interests? If not,
why not? Has the membership ever been asked about this? Has Luminita ever
been asked? Do we expect her to plant, store, or otherwise keep excess
material alive until another exchange? That, to me, is unduly burdensome
and too much to ask. I for one would be happy to donate on the condition
that Luminita has complete discretion to dispose of leftovers as she sees
fit in any noncommercial way. Sharing with other societies seems like a
great way to build bridges if it doesn't add too much work.
All too often I've seen local societies waste away because the few
volunteers are treated so badly and worked so hard that they burn out and
leave. Patting someone on the back is necessary and needs to be done
often, but it isn't sufficient. The volunteer should be given the respect
and discretion to do the job their way because what worked for the last guy
might not work for the next. "That's how we've always done it" is rarely a
formula for good management when volunteers are involved. It implies that
we stopped learning or are just too arrogant to consider new ideas. There
is always room for new ideas and room for improvement.
For me, the SX/BX is about the single most valuable thing PBS does, so we
should always be thinking about how we do it and how we might do it better.
Bob E TN hoping for some rain tonight
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