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The American Iris Society Region 4
Region 4 of the American Iris Society - 60 Years of Excellence
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Region 4
In the
fall of 1958, Claude C. O’Brien and about a dozen people from
Greensboro and High Point met at his home to undertake the
organization of our Region 4. Our Region has grown from around
200 members that hardly knew each other, to a Region of nearly
500 members between 1958 and 1965.
At the same time, they began the
publication of News-Cast (now called Newscast), a top-rated
Regional Bulletin.
Our oldest affiliate is the Charlotte
Iris Society which began in 1948 and continues today 71 year
later.
Our shortest affiliate tied between two
chapters, The Blueridge Iris Society (2000) and the Iris Society
of Roanoke (1963) which lasted less than a year.
Currently there are eight (8) active
affiliates. The affiliates are active with Iris Shows, Plant
Sales, Picnics, Plant Exchanges, Training for Judges and new
members.
Thanks to the internet the Newscast is
seen worldwide in full color and averages 143 downloads per day
(52,195 hits per year) world-wide.
We have had 21 Regional Vice Presidents.
There have been five (5) RVPs from Maryland,
five (5) from North Carolina, nine (9) from Virginia, including the
current RVP, two (2) from West Virginia, and none from the District
of Columbia.
Three Region 4 RVP went on to become AIS
Presidents; Claire Barr was AIS President from 1993-1995; Clarence
Mahan was the AIS President from 1999 – 2001; E. Roy Epperson was
the AIS President from 2008 – 2010.
Region 4’s has spawned 79 hybridizers over the entire 60 years who have registered almost 1,500 Iris with AIS ranging from 13 of them registering 1 Iris to almost 400 by Don Spoon. Two members have received the Hybridizer Award, Lloyd Zurbrigg in 1992 and D. C. Nearpass in 1995. Of those Iris registered and introduced 3 have earned the John C. Wister Medal, 4 have earned the Williamson White Medal, 1 has earned the Cook-Douglas Medal, 2 have earned the Caparne-Welch Medal, 1 has earned the Founders of Signa Medal, 2 have earned the Randolph Perry Medal, 1 has earned the Morgan-Wood Medal and 1 has earned the Walther Cup. There have been numerous Award of Merits, Honorable Mentions, 3President’s Cups, 1 Franklin Cup, 1 Ben Hager Cup. The Region currently has a number of commercial gardens Diversity Acres, Draycott Gardens, Griffin’s Den, Iris Hills Farm, Roan's Gardens, Roots and Blooms, and Winterberry Iris Gardens which offer a wide variety of Iris.
Region4 is Dedicated to activities related to the study, propagation and culture of the genus Iris: to stimulate and foster interest in horticultural pursuits, conservation and protection of these plants; to cooperate with other organizations, public and private, in the scientific and horticultural education of all those interested in learning any phase of the genus Iris. A large part of that is the Region 4 Newscast. We have had 17 Newscast Editors with some being editor for a single issue to the longest lasting 12 years and is still part of the Newscast Editorial committee
.