March 2023
MISSOULA IRIS SOCIETY MARCH MEETING
POTLUCK MEETING SATURDAY, MARCH 4 AT 6:00 P.M.
LOCATION: 1603 42ND AVENUE, the home of Anne Bowman
DIRECTIONS:
From Rosauer's on Reserve Street and South Avenue proceed west on South Avenue.
Travel to the Target Range School where you will turn right off South Avenue onto Clements Road.
Travel North, go past the Dairy, thru the 4 way stop where North Avenue crosses Clements. Proceed to the next street, Mount Avenue, and turn left.
Proceed to 42nd Avenue, turn left and the house is on the right.
Call 406.370.1696 if you get lost.
PROGRAM: Can you see your iris under the snow? “Did my iris survive the winter”?
PRESIDENTIAL RHIZOME DRAWING: At this meeting we will be drawing for the months of December, January, February, and March. Lots of good chances to win a new iris for your garden.
Delane Langton and his wife Jane are working very hard on the American Iris Society National Convention to be held in Billings in 2025. It is going to be exciting.
AUDIT OF THE TREASURER'S BOOKS: On February 9, 2023, Mitch Hall, Steve Hesla and Gary Clark audited the treasurer's books. The treasurer's books were found to be in order.
A BOARD MEETING was held February 16. See the minutes from the meeting included in this newsletter. The minutes contain upcoming events for the Missoula Iris Society.
SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2023, MISSOULA IRIS SOCIETY ANNUAL IRIS SHOW: The iris show will be at Southgate Mall by the East entrance of Scheels. Set up will be Friday, June 9, and the show will be Saturday, June 10, 2023. More information to come as we get close to the date.
The Missoula Iris Society Annual Iris Show schedule has been submitted by Anne Bowman, iris show chairman. Gary Clark and Betty Ann Gustafson worked with Anne on the schedule. Judy Blunt will be updating the schedule and it will be sent to the American Iris Society show chairman for approval.
JUDGES: If you need training hours check out the American Iris Society Website for information on links to judging classes. There are judges training classes from January and February on Historic Iris on the Show Bench, Aril and Arilbred Iris, and Judging Bearded Iris as Garden Plants.
LIST OF GARDENS: PUBLIC AND IRIS MEMBER GARDENS: A request has been made by a member for us to provide a list of gardens in the Missoula area. If you would like to be on that list, please let me know.
Magic Valley Iris Society in Twin Falls, Idaho are having their annual iris show May 27, 2023, at the Twin Falls Reformed Church. It will include a class training.
TREASURERS REPORT:
Checking account balance as of 2/1/23........ $ 1118.80
Deposit of 8 memberships in Feb. ......................80.00
February 20 balance .....................................$ 1198.80
Memberships have been trickling in slowly as of today, Feb 20. As of today there are 31 members who have renewed their 2023 memberships. Another 10 have paid through 2024 and 2 others are paid through 2025 as they have sent me memberships twice. Thanks again to all. Betty Ann and I soon will begin to update the listing and current data so we can hand out a current listing for your use. If anyone has new information, please let us know. Thanks. Swede
MISSOULA IRIS SOCIETY BOARD MEETING of February 16, 2023
The board meeting started at 2:00 pm at an open meeting location in Southgate Mall. Present were President Betty Ann Gustafson, Vice President Anne Bowman, Treasurer Swede Gustafson and Secretary Deborah Belden, Ron and Donna Dowell and Cindy Davis.
Betty Ann, Swede and Anne had just come from the bank. Anne is now the second signatory on the account, along with Swede.
Swede said that Gary Clark, Steve Hesla and Mitch Hall did an internal audit of the M.I.S. financial account and it was in order.
The savings account has about $6500, and the checking has about $1200.
Betty Ann went through the meeting schedule for the next year.
March 4, 6 pm. Potluck. Location to be determined. We cannot meet at the Church, as it has other commitments that day.
April 1 Monthly Meeting. Any meeting ideas?
May 6 Monthly Meeting. (Ron and Donna celebrate 63 years!) Meeting ideas?
May 20 Median Show. Will the medians be blooming, or shall we have a garden tour?
June 3 Monthly Meeting. Discuss Iris Show. Possible Ice Cream Social
June 9-10 Annual Iris Show at Southgate Mall
The show will be on the carpeted area by the Scheels store, where the Winter Farmers Market is located.
Per the MIS bylaws, the Vice President is the Show Chair. Anne Bowman has chosen the theme - Sunshine on my Shoulders, songs by John Denver.
AIS must approve the program. Anne, Betty Ann and Judy Blunt have created the program and will send it in. The Mall will charge $250 for the use of the space.
Friday evening - set up at 7 or 8 pm.
Saturday - access the Mall at 7am, take down show at 6 pm.
Lunch - will be provided for the Judges.
MIS will need help with Clerking. Need to make ribbons.
Saturday - 7 pm the group will meet for dinner. Location TBD.
Cindy Davis will be the head judge for the show and will be contacting our Missoula Iris Society judges.
Cindy will ask Delane Langton from Billings to be a guest judge, and perhaps give a 2-hour class in the garden?
There is about $600 in a separate bank account to pay for judge expenses. The money is from the $5 per class fee that members pay when they take a judging class.
July 8 Monthly meeting. Make plans for iris sale.
July 20-21 Possibly dig iris at members yards who wish to donate.
July 23 Dig Iris at the Fort, clean and clip iris for sale.
July 26-27 Clean, clip and sort iris.
July 27 Finish work on iris, load iris, stone soup.
July 29 Iris Sale at Fort Missoula, 9 am to 1 pm. Pizza and chicken afterwards.
August No monthly meeting
September No monthly meeting
October 7 Monthly meeting. Submit 2024 Budget, Nominate Officers.
November 4 monthly meeting. Approve Budget, Elect Officers.
December Holiday Party.
We need program ideas for these monthly meetings. Any suggestions? Any program leaders?
Our meetings are scheduled for 6 pm. Should the potlucks be moved to an earlier time?
Upcoming Fort Garden Projects
The garden will be closed for 3 days for the new walkway to be seal coated. The contractor has not set the date, it is weather dependent, but Swede will request they not seal coat while the irises are in bloom.
A project for August is to create a raised bed for the Dyke iris. The Dyke irises will be dug up, blocks and soil will be placed to create the raised bed and the Dykes replanted.
Betty Ann is putting together items for the AIS convention in Dallas. She will take the items to Billings for Delane Langton to take to Dallas. She has bought a bottle of Ten Spoon wine, 2 mugs with Iris on them, a tea pot and will buy a bottle of Hidden Legend Mead from Victor, MT. Debbie Belden donated 2 iris themed mug rugs.
The AIS convention will be in Billings in 2025. The Billings Iris club will need our help.
The meeting adjourned at 3:30 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Deborah Belden
Secretary
PRESIDENTIAL RHIZOMES: Presidential Rhizome winners: September: Anne Bowman, October: Donna Dowell, November: Shirley Hall