2001 Show
When "Where It All Began" was selected as the theme for the NCS 2001
Convention and Show in Morristown, New Jersey, the planning committee felt,
after 60 years, it would be fitting to have a homecoming of sorts. At that
time, no one could have ever imagined that just a month before our happy
event, a new way of life would begin in America.
The tragic events of September 11 prompted the show committee to discuss the
possibility of cancelling the meeting and show. However, it was clear from
the outset that NCS members intended to live life as usual -- to come to
Morristown by plane, car, whatever, but to attend. In actuality, there only
three cancellations of convention registrations. The two bus tours into New
York City left the hotel with all the seats in the busses taken. The weather
was perfect with bright sun.
The four chapters - Chrysanthemum Society of New Jersey (CSNJ), Hunterdon
Chrysanthemum Society (HCS), Long Island Chrysanthemum Society (LICS) and
New Jersey State Chrysanthemum (NJSCS) had agreed to co-host the show. It
did not require much thought to conclude that none of the four chapters
could manage a show alone.
Chapter Teamwork
While the chapters had always supplied judges for each other's annual
chapter shows, they had never participated collectively to any event before.
The way co-hosting was achieved may be of interest to other chapters who may
want of participate in a national show but are unable to do it alone. It was
very interesting to see how well the duties of organizing and running a
national convention were shared, and it is important to note that this was
not only a new but a rewarding experience.
NJSCS worked with Nancy Strong of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum to set up the
facilities including an outside tent to accommodate the entries for the
show. A logo with the outline of New Jersey superimposed on a chrysanthemum
was created and prominently displayed. The Arboretum offered their
facilities for the show at no cost and full cooperation.
HCS members were responsible for greeting guests as they arrived at the
reception desk. HCS also arranged for the entertainment which was a female
melody quartet who cleverly worked mums into their routines.
CSNJ provided their tubes and bases for staging the blooms as well as
conducting the silent auction. CSNJ and NJSCS agreed to be available for
placement and not only arranged but were the guides for the tours.
LICS was well represented in performing the master of ceremonies duties that
kept the meeting moving at a pleasant pace. The chapter handled the
collection and summarization of the awards for presentation at an efficient
pace. LICS had accepted the responsibility for classification and the judges
chairs early in the planning period. NJSCS arranged for the meeting rooms
and breakfast and dinner at the hotel. Various areas were handled
effectively because each chapter assumed its responsibilities which
contributed to the overall effort.
The Maplewood Garden Club assumed the entire responsibility for the design
division of the show. There were many unusual arrangements - from the
pedestals to the table arrangements and the miniatures. The juniors in the
youth division outdid themselves. The twenty-five junior exhibitors did a
terrific job using containers they purchased at garage sales throughout the
year.
A Wealth of Blooms
Classification and placement were challenged as there was 453 individual
entries. A count of blooms, excluding design, bonsai, garden varieties and
garden stems, was a total of 712. However, more impressive than the count
was the quality of the entries. Some 54 judges awarded 42% of the disbud
entries blue ribbons, of which 14 received gold ribbons.
No attempt will be made to give a complete list of trophies and receivers of
the awards. Instead, the approach is to provide the results of best of or
purple ribbons in narrative form that may be more interesting.
David Eigenbrode created a very impressive display of over a dozen vases and
baskets. Each contained about 12 or more blooms of a cultivar that
individually were blue ribbon quality. The best single bloom was also
awarded to David Eigenbrode for Golden Splendor as well as having the best
single or semi-double, Domingo, and the best anemone with First Light. His
entry of Kimono was the best new introduction and his display was not only
the best display but was the object of most photographers.
Herb Elliott of Long Island also submitted a display that presented a
variety of cut blooms, container grown and garden variety plants. Chris Huhn
of Hunterdon, joined Herb in exhibiting another display in the yellow and
white tent that consisted of 100 garden variety plants and several container
grown disbuds. John Capobianco of Long Island prepared an exhibit on growing
bonsai and received a best in section and best educational exhibit.
While Tony Dorman, Sid Simon and Jesse Terres did not exhibit displays, they
could have combined their entries for an outstanding display of sprays. Tony
Dorman had the most blue ribbon sprays including a single of Coral Rynoon
and a basket entry of Hilo. One of the sprays he has developed may be in
King's catalogue in the future. Sid and Debbie Simon were awarded runner-up
in the new introduction section with Whiteout.
A remarkable feat was accomplished by Jim McWilliam and his wife Joan. Jim
submitted 21 entries and all 21 were awarded blue ribbons, which were the
most blue ribbons by an exhibitor and runner up in the Sweepstakes and
runner up for best bloom. In addition, he received four purple ribbons for
best in sections and, of those, two earned golds. His wife, Joan had entries
in the design section and won both trophies awarded. It is not certain if
Jim got hungry or ran out of entry cards. However, when he went back to the
hotel, he left over a dozen blooms in the prep room that could have received
blues. They were sold to visitors on Saturday afternoon to the delight of
the visitors and the show treasurer.
Gene Mertes took the best single spray award with Kelvin Mandarin and the
best in brush or thistle with Cisco. It may be of interest for those who
grew Morristown to know that there were actually two different Morristown
cultivars as Ted King explained in the December issue of the Chrysanthemum.
Gene won best in Judges' section with New Jersey as well as runner up in
this section with Lone Star.
With all the huge Mt. Shastas that were in the vases and baskets exhibited
by Tony Dorman and David Eigenbrode, it must have brought a smile to Henry
Anderson's face to see the purple ribbon for best irregular incurve on his
entry of Mt. Shasta. Fellow members of Chesapeake, Martha Best had the best
quill with Honey and Anne Donnell Smith had the best entry of triple
reflexes with Courtier.
Jerome Donohue was able to gain a purple on his entry of Honeyglow in the
decorative group and Harry and June Wood's Carillon was awarded best pompon.
David Garvin's exhibit of Hatsaune in an upright form received best bonsai.
Bill and Carol Alderman had some good competition for their entry of Lone
Star but their entry received best in the unclassified section. One other
Lone Star bloom rewarded Amanda Barnhart with the Best Junior "C", while her
sister exhibitor in Junior "C", Sarah Longyhore, received a blue with
Rebecca Walker. Natalia Pepicelli was awarded the Best Junior "T" for her
entry of Derek Bircumshaw.
Ted Rice from LICS had the best container grown with an outstanding entry of
Red Delano and Joan Corbisiero, also from LICS, had the best tree and bush
form with Golden Allison.
Doris and Joseph Zurcher from CSNJ earned the most points and won the Silver
Medal Certificate for Sweepstakes. Jean Cooper of the same chapter, who
physically carried each of her pots each morning and evening to shade them,
was pleased that Derek Bircumshaw and Redwing each received a group trophy.
Joe and Helen Posluszny of NJSCS received best in cut garden cultivar stems
and Vickie and Ella Haver was awarded Garden Sweepstakes. Other members of
NJSCS who received purple ribbons were Frank and Karen Mastromano for Annie
Girl, Margaret and Ray Taylor for Kings Delight and Walter Nawolski for
Crimson Tide.
NCS Medal Certificates
David Eigenbrode received an NCS Gold Medal Certificate for his display of
cut stems. Silver Medal Certificates were awarded to John Capobianco for his
educational exhibit on growing bonsai and to Doris and Joseph Zurcher for
Sweepstakes. Bronze Medal Certificates were awarded to David Eigenbrode for
the Best Cut Disbud, Golden Splendor; Jim McWiliam for Best Multiple Cut
Disbuds, Doreen Hall; Gene Mertes for Best Cut Terminal Spray, Kelvin
Mandarin and Tony Dorman for Best Multiple Cut Terminal Sprays, Hilo. Herb
Elliott received a Bronze Medal Certificate for his display of containers
and cut stems.
Amanda Barnhart received the Junior Bronze Certificate "C", with Lone
Star and Natalia Pepicelli achieved the Junior Bronze Certificate "T" for
her entry of Derek Bircumshaw.
Kudos to Exhibitors
More important than the award winners, however, are all exhibitors who
should receive recognition and appreciation for their effort in bringing
blooms to exhibit regardless of receiving ribbons or trophies. An example of
this type of member is William Loesch, Descanso CS, who brought over a dozen
entries to the show in a box on an airplane. He did not receive a blue, but
when he accepted the charter for the newest chapter, he proudly announced
how pleased he was to receive four red ribbons for his entries. He earned
the respect of show chairpersons and many judges.
All 56 exhibitors contributed to the success of the show. These are the same
exhibitors who also make chapter shows possible and respond to the pleas of
show chairs for entries. For those who serve as show chairman of a national
or a chapter show, the most anxious day is the day before entries are due.
It is only when the exhibits begin to flow through classification table that
the concern ceases. This point was realized early on Friday morning at the
2001 show when the traffic of exhibitors with their blooms into the
preparation room put table space at a premium. All the exhibitors can take
pride in the large number of visitors who came and enjoyed the show. Our
visitors were more impressed with the all the entries than the ribbons. |
