SWROGA 2005 Memories

SWROGA 2005 Memories

On April 15, 16, and 17 of 2005, the Orchid Society of the Ozarks had the honor of hosting the spring SWROGA Business Meeting and Show, an event that turned out to be a landmark affair that far exceeded even our own expectations!

After the two years' worth of preparation that was involved, OSO members finally saw their labors rewarded with the turnout of 185 show registrants / hotel guests from 14 states, plus the twenty-odd additional people who also ended up attending and staying at the Embassy Suites in Rogers, Arkansas, where the show was held. Free and open to the public, the Show drew well over a thousand visitors.

Speakers included Dr. Norito Hasegawa: "Latest Directions in Paphiopedilums," and Prof. William P. Rogerson: "Cattleya Species and their Culture."   Both talks were so well attended that standing room only remained in the lecture hall.


World-class exhibit space in the Pinnacle Ballrooms provided the setting for the 45 truly outstanding displays, and the 60 AOS Judges in attendance with clerks had their hands full giving each of the nearly 1000 show entries their due. Trophy winners were ecstatic over the unique and original hand-blown glass trophies the Society had specially comissioned for the event!

 

Show "Great Grand Champion" went to Phrag. China Dragon 'Windy Hill', owned and grown by Marilyn and Brian LeDoux, Windy Hill Gardens, Labadie, MO. Marilyn's plant took four trophies alone--an outstanding accomplishment.

In addition, 23 plants were nominated on Friday night to receive AOS Awards of Quality. Between those 23 and the eight additional plants entered at the Great Plains Judging Center Monthly Judging the following morning, six plants and growers received well-deserved recognition for excellence.

The show's Auction and the Jewelry Raffle netted $5,406.00 for the SWROGA Research Fund, and the eight vendors onhand-- Oak Hill Gardens, Orchidabelia / Woozworks, Orchid Konnection, Paphanatics, River Valley Orchidworks, Roberts Jewelry, Southwest Orchids and Windy Hill Gardens-- were very well-pleased with their sales.

We want to thank the Embassy Hotel Staff for their magnificent performance--we were inundated with compliments on the Hotel accomodations, food, and service, and we especially want to thank those Orchid Society of the Ozarks members who rose above and beyond the call of duty to help create an outstanding and memorable SWROGA Show. We truly appreciate all you folks have done!

We have a right to be proud of the event given it was the first big show we've hosted, but we owe a great measure of gratitude to the 185 registrants who traveled great distances to make the event the success it was. Without you, all the planning and coordinating in the world would have amounted to scant little. We thank you all!

Below is a terrific slide presentation of the 2005 Spring SWROGA, cEnjoy!