Joining the AHS does have lots of benefits. You will be invited to join robins where you can communicate with other people that share your interests. You will receive 4 Daylily Journals annually full of information about daylilies. For your membership fee, you will receive a voucher for free daylilies. You will receive your regional newsletters. You will be placed on the AHS Membership list and unless you exclude your information, you will receive catalogs from the various growers, introducing their newest introductions. I personally have never felt inundated with them. And AHS just started delivering a Newsletter via email; very nicely done I might add. Most of the people that run AHS are volunteers, and they work for AHS because of their love for daylilies and the people that love them. Please give them a little more patience than you would someone doing this for pay. I currently belong to a local club which charges a membership fee. The membership fee barely covers the cost of making an annual yearbook and postage costs. If the local club holds a Flower Show, AHS will support the effort but does require that half the Club members be AHS members. I am considering joining a second club and feel the information I get from the meetings and networking with other members to be invaluable. I have also been able to meet most of the noted hybridizers at the Club meetings. So if you're interested in Daylilies, you can't beat doing both! Ed

i presume that a renewal would add on to whatever is left on your previous subscription ... if any .... just insert a note with your $$$ and ask if you missed any journals... and if so .. you would be glad to pay for it... or ask them to back date your subscription and send the missing journal ... this isn't some conglomerate who cant answer a simple question .. just some person sitting in the kitchen volunteering their time to the society ... and most likely extremely willing to enable your addiction ... good luck ken

Why do you think you'll get beat up?? Puzzling. Questions are good. I don't know about your particular club, but clubs in general are run by volunteers. It helps to remember that. If your club is particularly active and has a lot going on, then there are folks who are working hard to support it. I belong to three clubs because there isn't one particularly near me. For me, I enjoy the company of others who are just as into daylilies as I am. I appreciate the opportunities to hear and learn from speakers. By 'free', most club meetings are free and that includes speakers. However, depending on the speaker, he/she may have traveled some distance and someone needs to pay for that. Generally, clubs have something to offset the expenses or have sales or auctions to raise money...just so members can enjoy more of these things. It all goes back to the club, but, really, what's free? Someone somewhere is paying....one way or another... Many speakers ask only for expenses and often donate plants (to be auctioned) to offset those expenses. It benefits everyone and often enables members to purchase very expensive plants at bargain plants. (This for some of those who see pricey plants and think they can't afford them...also, some clubs have programs where members can earn credits to be used toward buying plants....which is a very good reason to join a club....pool resources, work a bit for the club and come away with some fine plants...) But, the bottom line is you get out of it what you put into it. I suppose there are some who get benefits others have provided, but for the most part....like anything, a lot depends on your attitude. Banquets are usually a fun activity. Members share a nice meal and hear a good speaker. People usually like these type of things. And, again, most speakers bring really nice plants along. This is generally appealing to daylily lovers. (Most hotels don't provide free food...grin...so, expect to pay for your meal...) I'm sure there are a few bad apples around, but really, most folks have good hearts and do a lot to promote their favorite flower. The AHS doesn't promote businesses. Many daylily people reach a point where they would like to recoup a bit of their investment and eventually sell some...so, there are all types of businesses (daylily-wise). Being a member of the AHS means...as far as I know...that you love daylilies, have a desire to learn as much as you can about them and enjoy the company of others who feel the same. As to costs for events, I find they are quite moderate for what is provided. Often, this is because of the hard work of club volunteers who help keep the club's finances in good order. There can be bad experiences in anything you involve yourself in...but, on the whole, my positive experiences far outweigh the bad ones. As to plants, some plants are better than others. Some people are better growers than others. Like anything, you need to learn where the best suppliers are for you. There are many fine growers who provide wonderful plants. That's probably why you hang out here...to find some of those...and that's fine. As to that, the recommendation is always to try to see a daylily in person. If you have growers within driving distance, jump on the opportunity to see the flowers in bloom. Go to the AHS website and find a display garden in your area. Oh...and clubs are for everyone...wherever you are on the daylily circuit. I think I recall seeing, by the way, the info for the regional in Wisconsin this past year. It sounded wonderful and if I lived nearer, I would have loved to have participated. Lilyhemmer is coming up here and the price is very fair for the number of speakers, a dinner (banquet)...and, of course, an auction. Hotel expense is only is you don't live close enough to drive. Our region is large and wherever a meeting is held, some folks will have a long drive. I don't know that I've ever paid for a tour...only as part of an event...and I don't begrudge that. It's an enormous undertaking to put on these tours and have the gardens look superb. Mostly, the fees are to pay for buses to ride on...which is so nice. Often, gardens that are on tour are not open to the public and so it is a rare to chance to see them. If you intent is to get free plants...well, there are, I suppose, plenty of opportunities for that. I'm overwhelmed with plants, so I relish just choosing certain ones, at this point. In sum, for me...the benefits are great and I recommend joining a local club and the AHS.

An update from Don... AHS Online Auction 2012 We are staged to begin this year's event starting on January 14th and will run through January 28th. Many donations have been submitted with more promised to arrive soon. Do not miss out on this year's fun. It will be another chance to have winter hosta fun, see great photos of plants that are sure to entice your interest, and know some will be hard not to bid in hopes of ending up the winner come the close of bidding! Once again this is a team effort. Bob Axmear has graciously allowed s to use the Hosta Library, the First Look team is on board for technological support, Jojo and I have been busy with descriptions and photos. A sneak peak of some of this year's unique offerings is available on the American Hosta Society's web site as well as the link to access the auction page. Pay it a visit. Read the article from this year's Online Journal. If you plan to participate in the AHS Online Auction, and we hope you will, you need to be registered. Registration can be completed through the AHS home page link provided or the Hosta Library home page. Go to the AHS home page. http://www.americanhostasociety.org/ Or go to the Hosta Library and use the Hosta Library to register. Use the Hosta Library Auction page to register. When using the Hosta Library to access registration click on Hosta Library Auction found on the home page about half way down. Look for the red arrow pointing to the link. You can not miss it. http://www.hostalibrary.org/ Both auctions use the same database for registrations. Registering in one location will have you registered in BOTH. The Hosta Library Auction is in the process of a makeover. Over the years many hundreds of visitors have registered under many ID's and the files had gotten to be too large with many of the registered IDs never being used. In a housecleaning measure, Bob Axmear, owner of The Hosta Library, has cleared out all of the old files and IDs and passwords. Bob is asking that anyone who wishes to use the Hosta Library auction to reregister with your old or new ID. He has asked that you not use someone else's ID and take it as your own. Those that already completed the process of reregistering are ready to go! Those new or that have not reregistered will need to register before participating. Here are the simple steps to register or reregister: 1. Access either auction pages as explained above 2. At the bottom of any page there click on NEW REGISTRATION 3. Fill in the info with valid information and the Email address you wish to use for auction notifications. 4. Click register me 5. A temporary password will be Emailed to you. 6. You can keep that password or 7. Go to either auction page and click on CHANGE REGISTRATION and use that temp password as your current password and fill in a NEW PASSWORD. 8. Click on CHANGE REGISTRATION and you are done. You are set to participate in the AHS Online Auction Jan. 14 - Jan. 28, 2012. Even if you were registered in years past, you will need to register again. Please keep a record of your auction password somewhere you can find it. AHS members, make sure you take a moment to check the old printed Membership Directory and send any changes in your email address, mailing address, or phone number to Sandie Markland IF you have not done so already. The AHS is getting ready to print and mail out a new version soon! If not a member yet, there is no better time to jump in and start receiving the benefits that current members have been enjoying. You will be given access to the latest Online Hosta Journal without delay - who doesn't like immediate gratification! Access the following link to update your membership info or become a new member. Directions for membership are included or click on the link near the bottom of the page to send membership information corrections to Sandie: http://americanhostasociety.org/Membership.html