December 2021
WNCOS December 2021 monthly newsletter
Happy Holidays WNCOS family and friends! We have some exciting news about an in-person meeting on Sunday, December 12th. Please be sure to read the details regarding the date, time, and location. It has been yet another frustrating year for us, with little opportunity to have in-person meetings along with our inability to bring in incredible speakers. We have high hopes for 2022 and are counting on the new year to bring us some better news with regard to the pandemic. Please stay tuned and watch for details as right now we are unsure about our schedule of events next year.
In case you have not heard the news or figured it out on your own, we are not anticipating hosting the Asheville Orchid Festival in April of ’22. Far too many variables, unknowns, and anticipated problems. The board has discussed this and we’ve all agreed that it would be too risky across the board. Masks would be required, we’d likely have to tightly manage the number of attendees inside the building at every moment, and our vendors and exhibitors would also be at risk. We have spent years and years perfecting our festival and the overall manner in which the event flows. Having such a large event, and all that comes along with it, we felt it would just be too risky and difficult to contend with the issues. So, at this time we are focused on how we can hopefully have routine in-person meetings in 2022.
Sunday, December 12th at 2:00 pm we will be having an in-person meeting on the campus of UNC Asheville. Same location on campus where we have held some meetings in recent years. We are excited to see everyone in person and are asking everyone in attendance to wear a mask as the virus is evidently picking up steam again here locally. Lots of plant giveaways are planned, so we hope you all will attend and come take home something new to grow. We won’t be having a big food spread and meal like we always have done in previous years, but we’re encouraging you all to bring in a dessert or a snack. If you’re bringing something, please label it and let us know any important details. We will provide drinks in our WNCOS cooler. Additionally, we would love to have a strong showing of your blooming favorites with an orchid show and tell. Time permitting, we’d like to give all attendees an opportunity to re-introduce themselves and tell us a little bit about what you grow and collect. We have several new members, and we’ve all been away from one another for too long. This gathering will serve as a nice opportunity to again get to know one another and all the talent we have embedded in our club. We have a really strong and diverse group of orchid growers, collectors, and breeders in the group. Please mark your calendars now and plan to attend.
December Meeting Details: Sunday, December 12th at 2 pm.
UNC Asheville, Rhodes-Robinson Hall Room 125. If you have not been on the southern side of the UNC-A campus recently, they have made some traffic flow changes. If you drive up University Heights from W.T. Weaver, you take a right at the top of the hill and then take the first left which is the opposite end of University Heights. Then, you drive all the way back to the Zeis parking lot (P26) on the map. I plan to be there extra early and put out signage in an effort of helping anyone confused. Parking should be no issue on a Sunday afternoon.