Region 14

The American Iris Society

Standing Rules

(Revised and Adopted October 18, 2008, with prior revisions April 29,2006, October 22, 2005, October 25, 2003, April 29, 1995 and April 23, 1994)

1. All local iris societies and affiliates organized within the geographic area of Region 14 with the purpose of pursuing the aims of the American Iris Society and Region 14 shall be considered active participating groups of the Region.

2. The Region shall provide local affiliates hosting regional events with guidelines and informational support for those meetings.

3. The Finance committee shall be responsible for all Regional fundraising, which may include Summer Auction(s), beardless and bearded rhizome sales, raffles, etc.

4. The amount of the RVP’s annual allowance shall be set at the annual budget meeting, subject to the financial condition of the Region. Changes in the amount of the allowance require a majority vote of the Executive Committee present at the meeting.

5. The RVP will respectfully request a minimum of $3.00 per member of each affiliate on an annual basis based upon their membership roster for the purpose of supporting the operation of Region 14. The date of July 1, was accepted as the date to transfer money from the affiliates to the Region.

6. The transfer from one RVP to the new RVP will take place effective with the approval of the new RVP’s appointment by the AIS at their Fall Board Meeting.

7. The bulletin will be numbered according to the calendar year, rather than by season.

8. Regional meeting minutes shall be printed in the Regional publication issue following each Regional business meeting.

9. The Region’s secretary shall keep an up-to-date version of the Standing Rules as part of her records. It is the responsibility of the secretary to see that the Standing Rules are given to all new Executive and General Committee members and to new presidents of local societies. The Region’s Secretary (policy chair) will be in charge of extracting policies affecting the Standing Rules, notifying the Executive Committee and keeping a file.

10. A summary of the annual financial statement shall be printed in the first publication issue following the annual budget meeting. Copies of the complete financial statement shall be provided to the Executive and General Committees and all Society Presidents. Additional copies will be sent to any member sending a SASE to the Treasurer.

11. At the end of a an RVP’s term or the treasurer’s term of office, there shall be a review of the treasurer’s books made by two qualified persons selected by the new RVP and approved by the Executive and General Committees of region 14.

12. There shall be a Finance Committee, consisting of a Chair, Treasurer, member of the board of directors, Bulletin Advertising Manager, and a member at large.

13. All fund raising projects held at a Regional event shall be under the direction of the Finance Committee and are subject to the approval of the RVP. When a fund raising event at a Regional event not chaired by the Region’s Finance Committee, fifty percent (50%) of all net proceeds shall be remitted to the Region’s Treasury.` ``

14. There shall be a Judges’ Training chair, responsible for keeping records of judges, and, together with the RVP, for selecting the subjects, places, and times for at least two regional judging training sessions per year; if possible, one should be a garden session.

15. There shall be a Historian who shall keep a file of the Region’s historical records, including publications; and shall keep a scrapbook about Region activities and members for display at Regional meetings.

16. The Awards and Trophy Chair shall be responsible for the purchase, engraving, display, and presentation of Regional Awards and shall be in charge of counting ballots for trophies so awarded.

17. The terms of office of all appointed committee chairs of the Region shall expire on the last day of the current RVP’s term of office. The new RVP can appoint new chairs, or can make reappointments according to their needs and desires.

18. There shall be at least $500.00 placed annually in the scientific budget as a line item for research projects.

19. Region 14 shall award a $500.00 scholarship with the intent of promoting an interest in iris and related fields. There shall be a scholarship chair and five committee members responsible for recruiting applications for the Region 14 scholarship, to be awarded to a deserving graduating high school senior or college student. The award shall be given to a student demonstrating an interest in iris activities within Region 14 or a student pursuing a career in horticulture, floriculture, landscaping, nursery production, or related fields. In the Fall of each year, application forms will be made available. An announcement shall be published in the Region’s bulletin and on the Region’s website. In any given year if, in the judgment of the Scholarship Committee, there is no qualified candidate, the Committee may elect not to give a scholarship. Monies will not accrue from one year to the next.

20. The Awards of Region 14, including garden, show, and individual, may be changed by a vote of the general membership. The guidelines for existing rules are as follows:

I. During a calendar year, Region 14 can present awards in four areas:

a. Garden awards in conjunction with the Spring Regional.

b. Show awards in conjunction with the Spring Regional.

c. Show awards at the Fall Regional.

d. Honorary awards to individual members of Region 14.

II. Definition of a Region 14 hybridizer:

a. At the time of the award, the hybridizer must have resided within Region 14 for six or more months.

b. Hybridizers moving out of Region 14 cease to be considered a Region 14 hybridizer six months after they move; this definition includes any and all varieties and seedlings of that hybridizer.

c. In the event of death, the hybridizer will continue to be considered a Region 14 hybridizer regardless of the point of introduction of any and all remaining varieties and seedlings.

III. General Conditions for awarding Region 14 six Garden Awards at the Spring Regional:

a. Awarding of any or all of these awards is based upon eligible seedlings or varieties being in bloom at the Spring Regional.

b. If there is not an eligible variety in one or more of the six garden awards areas, it shall not be awarded at the Spring Regional.

c. The Chair of the Regional should appoint a committee of no less than three members to count the ballots.

d. Before the announcement of the awards, the awards lists will be reviewed by one or more members of the Executive/Awards Committees and any ineligible irises will be removed from the awards list.

e. The expenses involved with the six Garden Awards will be paid by Region 14.

f. At the following Fall Regional, the winners of each of the six awards will be presented with keeper awards; expenses for those awards are the responsibility of the Region.

IV. Region 14 garden awards at the Spring Regional:

a. Knopf Cup: Region 14 Seedling Award

1. To be awarded to the best seedling, can be numbered or named.

2. The seedling cannot be introduced at the time of the meeting.

3. Eligibility is restricted to Region 14 hybridizers.

b. Out-of-Region Award

1. To be awarded to a numbered seedling or a named variety from a non-Region 14 hybridizer.

2. There is no restriction as to point of origin so long as the hybridizer is outside of Region 14.

3. If a named variety, the award is restricted to an iris introduced within the last five years (including the current year’s introductions).

c. Cotillion Cup

1. To be awarded to the best current introduction as seen blooming at the Spring Regional.

2. Restricted to Region 14 hybridizers.

3. Official proof of introduction includes listing in catalogues, ads, or other materials offering the iris for sale to the public.

d. Clara B. Rees Cup

1. Award restricted to a Region 14 hybridizer

2. The iris must be introduced.

3. Current year introductions are not eligible.

4. The award is restricted to an iris seen blooming at the Spring Regional in a clump. A clump is defined as three or more stalks in bloom at the same location.

e. Melrose Award

1. To be awarded to the best beardless iris seen blooming at the Spring Regional.

2. The iris may be a seedling (named or numbered) or an introduced variety.

3. There is no restriction of time of introduction or place of origin.

f. Jim Gibson Cup

1. To be awarded to plicata or visual plicata seen blooming at the Spring Regional.

2. The winner may be a number seedling or a named variety.

3. Named varieties are restricted to irises introduced within the last five years, including the current year of introduction.

4. There is no restriction to this award as to type of iris.

5. Should there be questions as to whether the seedling or variety is a plicata or visual plicata, the chief executive officer of the Region p[resent at the Regional shall poll the members of the Executive Committee at the meeting and their decision will be final.

g. Hager-DuBose Memorial Cup

1. To be awarded to the best bearded, other than tall, iris, as seen blooming at the Spring Regional; this included: MDB, SDB, IB, MTB, BB and Airl-Med.

2. There are no restrictions as to the point of origin, it is open to all hybridizers.

V. Show Awards at the Spring Regional:

a. Hosting affiliates may hold a seedling show at the Regional.

b. Hosting affiliates may hold a complete iris show in conjunction with the Spring Regional.

c. If holding a complete show, AIS rules will apply.

d. If holding just a seedling show, the show will have five areas of awards. Any of these awards do not have to be given if there is nothing worthy in an area, or there are no entries in an area. The five areas are:

1. Best Median

2. Best Tall Bearded

3. Best Beardless

4. Best Aril or Arilbred

5. Best Seedling of Show

e. The expenses involved with the ribbons, rosettes, and trophies for seedling shows will be paid by Region 14.

f. In the event the society hosting the Spring Regional has a complete iris show, only the expenses involved with the ribbons, rosettes, and trophies for the seedling part of the show will be paid by Region 14.

VI. Show awards at the Fall Regional:

a. Hosting affiliates may hold a seedling show at the Regional.

b. Hosting affiliates may hold a complete iris show in conjunction with the Fall Regional.

c. If holding a complete show, AIS rules will apply.

1. Best Median

2. Best Tall Bearded

3. Best Beardless

4. Best Aril or Arilbred

5. Best Seedling of Show

e. The expenses involved with the ribbons, rosettes, and trophies for seedling shows will be paid by Region 14.

VII. Honorary Awards:

a. Region 14 can institute honorary awards for its members based upon the recommendation of the Executive and General Committees of Region 14 and the adoption of any proposal by the membership at a General Business Meeting.

b. Formation of the Honorary Awards Committee

1. The awards committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the RVP for any Region 14 awards.

2. The committee shall consist of three members and a chairperson.

3. The functions of the Chairperson are to manage the process of nominations and deliberation, to ensure that the members conform to the guidelines set forth for the qualification of nominees for the award, and to conduct the voting. The chairperson does not vote on selecting the awardee except in the event of a tie vote. The chairperson shall be responsible for obtaining the award plaque and for writing the inscription for the plaque. The members of the committee shall be consulted as to the wording of the inscription.

4. Initial appointments and replacement appointments shall be made by the Region 14 Vice-President. If a member has to be replaced, the term of the appointed replacement shall expire at the end of the unexpired term. If a vacancy occurs in the chairperson position, the senior member of the committee shall be advance to the position of chairperson.

5. Notwithstanding Paragraph 17, the committee members shall serve for a term of three years with the following exception: at the time of the initial installation of the committee, one member shall be appointed for a one-year term, a second member for a two year term, and the third member for a three year term. The initial chairperson shall be appointed for a one-year term only, and will cease to be a member or chairperson thereafter. Thereafter the terms of the committee members shall be staggered so that only one member’s term expires each year. The member whose term expires that year shall become the chairperson for the following year. Terms of service shall begin at the same time as the RVP takes office. Once having served, committee members or chairpersons are not eligible to be appointed again to the committee for a period of two years from the end of their previous service. For members appointed to fill an unexpired term, service of 26 or more weeks shall be considered a full term.

6. The three members shall be selected from different areas of the region. No two members may be from the same area. The chairperson will necessarily be from the same area as one of the members. Those areas are defined as North (Sacramento north to the limit of the region), South (south of Sacramento to the limit of the region, and Nevada) and Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay area (Carmel to and including Marin and east to Interstate 5, not including Stockton or Modesto).

7. The deliberations of the committee shall be confidential to the committee and shall not be disclosed to anyone outside of the committee. Any member disclosing any part of the deliberations to anyone outside of the committee shall be replaced as soon as possible.

c. Actions of the committee

The committee shall meet prior to each Regional Spring and Fall meeting in a timely manner to consider nominations and decide on award recommendations. Such meetings may be conducted via US Mail, electronic mail, telephonic conference, internet web conference, or face-to-face meetings, at the discretion of the committee chairperson and with the concurrence of the committee members.

d. Region 14 has one honorary award as of 1994. This award is the Larry Gaulter Lifetime Achievement Award.

1. When possible, the Larry Gaulter Lifetime Achievement Award shall be made at the Spring or Fall Regional meetings. No more than one award shall be presented at any particular meeting.

2. The committee may make the following recommendations:

Not to make an award in any given year.

To make an award to one or more individuals during the year.

3. The committee chair shall accept nominations for consideration for awardees from any member of the region.

4. The expense of the award shall be the responsibility of the Region.

5. The award shall take the form of a plaque that becomes the permanent possession of the awardee.

6. The committee chairperson shall inform the RVP of the nomination. The nomination shall be kept confidential to the committee and RVP until the award is made.

7. Qualifications of awardees for the Larry Gaulter Award

i. The Larry Gaulter award may be awarded to an individual, firm, or couple that have made a significant, long-term contribution to Region 14. A Larry Gaulter awardee shall have demonstrated an exceptional dedication to service to Region 14 over a long period of time. The award is meant to honor those individuals that have demonstrated exceptional service over a period of 8 years or more.

ii. Service to local clubs, iris shows, judges’ training, other local activities and the general promotion of irises may be considered, but only as an adjunct to primary service as defined below. Service at the National is not to be considered.

iii. Service to the region is demonstrated by (but not limited to) any of: service on regional committees, as regional committee chairs, as regional officers, on the executive or general committee, and service in conjunction with Regional or Regionally sponsored shows and meetings.

21. In order to protect and ensure the deliberative process when Executive Committee decisions are made via electronic means the following applies:

I. Full delineation of the topic (item) under discussion shall be presented by the Region 14 RVP via electronic mail to each and every member of the Executive Committee

II. Any member of the Executive Committee who wishes to do so shall present his/her comments by electronic mail to each and every member of the Executive Committee. Unless otherwise specified by the RVP, these comments must be transmitted within seven (7) days of the initial electronic call for discussion and input.

III. The RVP, or designee, shall formulate the proposed motion and transmit it by electronic mail to each and every member of the Executive Committee. A second for the motion shall be requested by the RVP.

IV. A member of the Executive Committee shall second the motion within 48 hours, restating it and transmitting it electronically to each and every member of the Executive Committee.

V. Each Executive Committee member shall copy the full text of the seconded motion and vote YES or NO and submit that vote by electronic mail to each and every member of the Executive Committee. The vote shall be transmitted within 48 hours unless otherwise specified by the RVP.

VI. The RVP shall tally the electronic votes and transmit the results to the Executive Committee.

VII. Approval of a motion discussed and voted on by electronic mail shall receive a majority vote (RVP votes only in case of a tie).

VIII. Results of the motion and vote shall be submitted to the Region 14 Membership for ratification.

22. Judges’ Training sessions to be held on a Regional date will only be approved for sessions taking place at the Regional.

23. All officers of Region 14 shall be AIS members in good standing.

24. All members of the Executive Board and Committee Chairpersons must serve with decorum, as befitting a representative of Region 14.