Just as your fuchsias are now growing and changing, so is the American Fuchsia Society. First, the AFS Board is planning a trial run with Skype, a voice and video over the internet that would allow more participation by remote Board members. With Skype, anyone can log onto their computer and join us for the Board meeting. Of course, you’ll have to fix your own lunch, unlike the actual meeting where the host fixes a delicious meal. We are hoping for a successful run and then we’ll be reaching into the far lands of AFS membership to participate in driving the AFS. The AFS web site has now added a Blog and a Forum. I encourage everyone to go to the AFS web site and register for the Forum. It’s easy. Register, then enter a discussion on one of the great topics already posted or start a new topic. The Forum is a peer-to-peer community – one where other fuchsia lovers and growers are just trying to make their plants grow and thrive and want to share their challenges, failures (even those) and successes with others. Checkout the Blog if you have any questions. I hope you’re taking pictures of your Branch activities. We will be publishing an AFS calendar this year. Each Branch can choose a month. So pull some pictures together from your meetings, special dinners, show, or sale and send them in (check the Bulletin for further details). Start now and you’ll be ready before the end of summer deadline. Let’s get to know all the Branches. One last note – I hope to see many of you at the “West Coast Wonders in the Fuchsia World”, Convention 2008, hosted by theNorthwest Fuchsia Society in September. It should be a terrifi c opportunity to renew old friendships, make new ones, share all things fuchsia, and enjoy the beauty of the Seattle area. I’ve made my reservations – have you?
Judy Bligh