PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE EVENING OF TUESDAY 13 MAY 2025 FROM 6:30 – 9 PM with THE JACKSONVILLE ORCHID SOCIETY (JOS)

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:
1 – MAY PROGRAM – HARRY MCELROY ON GROWING CYMBIDIUM IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA
2 – RAFFLE TABLE – Purchase your tickets for a chance on quality orchids… Cheap!
3 – SHOW TABLE – Please bring your blooming orchids for friendly judging.
4 – MEMBER ORCHID SALES ARE WELCOME
5 – MEMBER SILENT AUCTION OF TWO ORCHIDS IS ALLOWED
6 – MEETING START TIME IS 6:30PM

PLEASE NOTE: Member Orchid Sales are Welcome!

EVENTS:
Doors will open at 6:00 PM and the meeting will begin promptly at 6:30PM. Prior to the start of the meeting, please buy your raffle tickets.

MAY PROGRAM – JOS Member Harry McElroy will discuss growing Cymbidium orchids in Northeast Florida.

Harry grew up as a basic farm kid, loving to grow things like alfalfa, wheat, potatoes, lettuce, sugar beets and beans. He studied at Idaho State College Aviation Maintenance School where he became an Aircraft Mechanic. He decided to join the Air Force, working first as a mechanic on the R4360 aircraft engine then 6 years as launch crew on the Titan II ICBM. After 8 years in the in the USAF, he spent 32 years as a Field Engineer with Sikorsky aircraft and traveled the world teaching and assisting customers with technical and maintenance problems on the company’s helicopters. Around 1978 he bought his first orchid, Cattleya “Bow Bells”, followed by many more. He left them behind when assigned in 1983 to the Philippines later returning to California with a Vanda and Phalaenopsis collection in boxes and a beautiful wife. During the next 10 years, many Cattleyas and miscellaneous species were added. His collection of cymbidiums began in earnest. Following a move to Stratford, Connecticut, Harry and his orchids settled in Jacksonville in 1991. His interest in cymbidiums really took off in Connecticut, thanks to a mentor who was a past curator of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, a Plant Cytologist, cymbidium expert and a prominent scientist who wrote a lot of what we know about plant genetics. Harry says–Most of us will find our greatest joy in growing a species that we know the most about. No longer just one of my collection, cymbidiums are the most important of all the plants I own and I will never tire of learning more. Some of the other plants in my collection get neglected but not the cymbidiums.

RAFFLE:
A variety of plants will be available for the raffle table. Don’t miss this chance to pick up different genera of orchids to add to your collection at a good price.

MEMBER ORCHID SALES ARE WELCOME
Please contact JOS 1st Vice President Eric Cavin to reserve your spot for orchid sales. He is available by email at [email protected].

SILENT AUCTION:
Individual JOS members may offer up to two (2) orchids for Silent Auction at this meeting. See the Silent Auction Plants Seller link below for additional information.

NOTE:
If you sell your orchid or closely related product as an individual sale or via Silent Auction at a JOS event, you must elect to donate either 20% or 100% of the selling price to the JOS.
All member plant sales and silent auction sales must settle with Treasurer Christine Peterson that night. Minimum of 20% of all sales paid to JOS.

SHOW TABLE:
Please bring your blooming orchids for friendly judging. Novice growers are especially encouraged to participate – this is a friendly way to start showing your orchids in a category reserved for the new grower.
Be sure to see the links below for more information and supporting forms.

LOCATION:
Mandarin Garden Club 2892 Loretto Road Jacksonville, FL 32223

OVERVIEW:
The Jacksonville Orchid Society meets on the second Tuesday of each month (except in May and December) at the Mandarin Garden Club at 2892 Loretto Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223. Guests and visitors are always welcome! If you decide to join after coming to a few meetings, membership is $35.00 for a family and $25.00 for individuals.

CHRONOLOGY:
6:00-6:30 PM Set up, vendor plant sales, silent auction, raffle ticket sales, snack 6:30-8:30 PM Business meeting/announcements/WORKSHOP
8:30 Silent auction
9:00 PM Adjourn

GENERAL:
Our General Meeting is a good time to ask questions from our expert growers and get tips for what to do when there is a problem. We cover a wide variety of topics including species and hybrids that are good to grow in this area, identification of pests and diseases, watering and fertilizing, and where to grow your orchids.
Individual JOS members may offer up to two (2) orchids for Silent Auction at this meeting. See the Silent Auction Plants Seller link below for additional information.

LINKS:
Links to JOS Sales Forms, Show Table Instructions, and interactive Show Table Forms are available below.

Member Orchid Sale Form – (https://jaxorchidsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JSO-Member-Sales-Form.pdf) – This is the form used by JOS members to sell individual orchids.
Silent Auction Plants Seller Sheet – (https://jaxorchidsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/JOS-Silent-Plant-Auction-Form_071617.pdf) – This is the form by which JOS members can place their plants for Silent Auction.
Show Table Entry Form Instructions – (https://jaxorchidsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ShowTableEntryFormInstructions-1.pdf) – This document provides background information about the Show Table Entry Form.
Show Table Entry Form (Interactive) – (https://jaxorchidsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ShowTableEntryFormInteractiveRev1.pdf) – This is an interactive version of the Show Table Entry Form.