President's Letter

November 2025

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The holidays are almost upon us.  Looking forward to learning about vandas at our November 16th meeting and then paphs at our Holiday Party on December 7th.  More details in the newsletter and website.

 

Our October meeting was great with a mini-class by Nancy Kline on the history of orchid collecting, an amazing show and tell table,  and Tim Culbertson from California talking about parvisepalum paphs.  We learned a lot.  Thanks to Nancy and Carolyn for making both talks happen.  Carolyn Bolton helped arrange a multiple societies speaking engagement for Tim.  He spoke at 3 other societies that week.  Wow! It makes it financially feasible to bring him in helping with the travel costs.

 

More thanks to Kim O’Toole for selling the raffle tickets at the meeting and Mary Lou Kosis, Carol Panza, Dan Thompson and Carolyn Bolton for their raffle donations.  And even more thanks to Jeanne Shuff and Christie Jennings for selling the extra OSWP shirts.  As always, thanks to our members for bringing such great treats for us to snack on, overseen by Lawrene Neel.  It truly takes a village.

 

We hope to see you at our Sunday, November 16th meeting at the Spartan Center.  It will be filled with orchid sales plants from Kim Fedderson, show and tell plants from our members, a mini-class, business meeting, speaker’s presentation and of course coffee and treats!  The Center opens at 12:30 and mini-class at 1PM.  The main meeting is at 2PM and we are finished by 4PM and out by 4:30.

We hope you can join us.

 

Get involved!  Now is the time to see how you can help with our 2026 Orchid Show in the South Hills at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  The show will be in April, because of a hotel booking issue.  Our show will be 4/9 – 4/12, open to the public 4/11 – 4/12.  Let our show co-chairs, Kathy McCafferty, Lawrene Neel and Mary Ann Pike know you would like to get involved.

 

Happy Growing and remember to Think Orchids!

Gary VanGelder and Demetria Marsh