I belong to 3 local clubs. At one there is a grab bag table. $.50 gets you a young plant. At another there is a sales table and, again, for $.50 you get a young plant but this time it's your choice. The 3rd has a raffle table. $1 gets you a numbered ticket and the 1st number called get a choice of plant or donated supplies and on untill all donations are gone. In all cases this is a way to earn cash for the club. Of course, if you attend regularly and make known the plants that you are looking for, someone will help you find them. The best place to find new varieties is at a local show and sale and spring is the best time.
Jude

At my local club, we all try to bring leaves or starter plants. Leaves are 25 cents, really small starters and suckers are $.50, and a more established plant is $1.00. The money goes to the club treasury.

At the other club, leaves, etc. are simply shared with whoever wants it with no cost.

As far as etiquette, don't bring anything that is unhealthy! Bring snack size baggies and a marker to put leaves in for safe travel.

Club members recognize that someone that is just starting out won't always have a lot of leaves to share. Share what you can, and you'll find others doing the same.

My best advice if you join the club is to offer to serve on committees or as an officer. You will get out of it what you put into it.

Go and enjoy.

Barbara

Thanks.

There is indeed a show (I believe in May) but I thought I would check out the club in the meantime. I'm sure anything they have will be something I don't have. I do have some named Optimara violets I could bring.

I'm pretty sure I don't have any pests, but maybe it's a good idea to wipe the leaves down with rubbing alcohol before I offer them to trade? Some of these pests are nearly invisible, and the last thing I want is to infect someone else's plants.

At my local club meetings people often bring plants to sell, for up to $3. The money goes to the person selling the plant here. Sometimes people bring free leaves as well. We have 2 annual sales, and a show that earns money for the club, as well as a raffle during each meeting.

Hi,
Joining a club is a great start to growing AV's and increasing your collection. Each club will generally do something different. One club may sell leaves and plantlets to increase the size of their treasury while others may just bring in plants and leaves to share for no cost. My advice to you is to join a group and get involved. You will find that most growers in the clubs are generous and willing to share. Before you know it your collection will be too large and you will start to donate your excess material also. One other thing to look for is at a clubs annual show when people break down and remove their plants from the show tables. Many of us strip down their plants before bringing them home and I have picked up many leaves of plants that I saw and wanted from other members ar that time.
Fred in NJ

Fred said:

Joining a club is a great start to growing AV's and increasing your collection. Each club will generally do something different. One club may sell leaves and plantlets to increase the size of their treasury while others may just bring in plants and leaves to share for no cost.

The club that I belong to does not sell plants at club meetings. The only plants sold are at plant sales held twice a year. But believe me there are plenty of plants and leaves that are offered during meetings for free. And if you know of someone in our club that has a particular plant he/she is usually more than happy to share a plant or cutting.

Larry

Hear, hear -

if I am repotting the violets - I will have bunch of leaves to discard - and if I know it is a rare variety - I will definitely bring them to share.

And I sure second Fred and Larry -especially Larry - he is a President of our club anyway - so I need to support the Boss. Pleasure of growing violets is so much more if you can share your hobby with buddies...

yep - there are munchies - and there is a program - and there is mini-show - and there is "society bureaucracy" - we call it business - there are decisions to make - and hopefully in an efficient way so it won't take too much time from the PLANTS.

Barbara is right - everybody needs to contribute - a bit or a lot - the clubs are not that huge - and we all need to help in some way so there are programs and munchies and shows and minutes are recorded.

But it is fun. Most of the time. Even when you are tired like a dog working on the Show.

I.

You're so right about clubs Irina. If there is one thing that club members like to do besides growing and showing their violets, it's eat. I belonged to the Bergen County AVS years ago and there was always coffee, tea, cake, cookies and snacks for socializing after the meetings. At one point the men in the club took over one meeting a year and that was hot dog night. Believe me when I say you will never go hungry at a violet club meeting, at least the ones I have belonged to.
Fred in NJ