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Las Vegas, Nevada was the site of the 56th annual meeting and show of
the National Chrysanthemum Society November 18-22, 1999, at the Circus
Circus Hotel and Casino on the fabulous "Strip". Hosted by the
Las Vegas Chrysanthemum Society and most ably and honorably assisted by
the Phoenix LVCS was surprised and overwhelmed to receive 148 out-of-state entries! Counting 268 local entries (by only eight exhibitors), a total of 416 exhibits were placed on the show tables to challenge the idiosyncrasies of the judges! But that's not all! There were 42 arrangements in the Design Division, and 25 exhibits in the Arts and Crafts Division. Now for the horticulture awards. Ruth Ann Waite won Sweepstakes in the NCS part of the show as well as ten other top awards. Ruth Ann also won Sweepstakes in the Las Vegas Mini Show, and two other top awards. Ernie Maddux won Sweepstakes Runner-up on the NCS side.
Other Las Vegas exhibitors winning top awards were: Paula Hannon, Frances Carro, Joyce Claeson, and last but certainly not least, Elizabeth Evans, our favorite octogenarian (87 years young).
You ought to join the National Chrysanthemum Society. The dues are only $20 and for that, you get quarterly journals, a Beginner's Handbook, and access to people who can teach you all you ever wanted to know about mums, and more. The 2000 national show will be held in Santa Rosa, CA and you are hereby invited to attend. |
Chrysanthemum Society and the Las Vegas Flower Arrangers Guild, an
alphabetized list of names compiled from registration, hotel
reservations, and judges and clerks acceptances revealed that 182
persons were involved one way or another!
We
were so very pleased that several out-of-towners won top awards with
mums they brought very long distances, some as far away as Maryland,
Bill and Carol Alderman of Crewe, VA, Jim Hackett of Orangevale, CA,
Joann Roberts of Hurst, TX, Shirlee Peters of Portland, OR, Jesse Terres
of Bowie, MD, Lou Hicks of Tiberon, CA, and Bill Loesch of Pasadena, CA.
These folks should be commended for transporting their blooms such
long distances, and winning top awards! In addition, Ted King of King's
Mums, Clements, CA, brought to Las Vegas three humongous cascades and
won the top NCS display award.
What
can you expect if you attend a National Chrysanthemum Society annual
convention and show? You can expect to see gorgeous chrysanthemums ... a
celebration for your eyes ... as one observer put it. You can expect to
hear lectures and attend seminars which can only enhance your knowledge
of chrysanthemum growing and showing. In Las Vegas, we presented a
lecture on insecticides by Dennis Swartzell of the University of Nevada,
Las Vegas, and another on Growing and Maintaining Garden (Cushion) Mums
In Landscaping by NCS Past President and mum guru, Ralph Parks. There
was an exam for those interested in pursuing the challenges of being a
mum judge, and there was a seminar presented by Joan Corbisiero and
Kathy Andersen, the NCS Judges committee chairs. You will be offered
tours of the area. Now in Las Vegas, you know what that meant. Tour
locations included the Bellagio fountains and conservatory, the Luxor,
the Stratosphere Tower, the Fremont Street Experience, the Ethel M
Chocolate Factory and adjacent botanical Cactus Garden, the World of
Clowns Museum, Cranberry World West, Caesar's Forum, Hoover Dam (where
visitors were allowed to ask any dam questions they wanted to) and a
Lake Mead Cruise.
A
fairly new addition to an NCS show is the Arts and Crafts Division,
where exhibitors may show their handiwork with the needle, the paint
brush, the camera, etc. The chrysanthemum motif can pop up in unexpected
places. Another fairly new event at an NCS show is the Silent Auction.
All sorts of items are donated, as long as they depict the
chrysanthemum. The proceeds of this event benefit NCS.