QBARS - v33n1 Report of American Rhododendron Society Research Foundation

Report Of A.R.S. Research Foundation
For the Trustees
Alfred S. Martin, Chairman ARS Research Foundation

Contributions to the Research Foundation of the A.R.S. have continued but at a somewhat disappointing rate both as to the number of contributors and the total amount. At the present moment, the total amount of funds of the Foundation is $24,997. This total includes the following:

Individual donations - 1975 through Sept. 1978 . . . . . . . . $19,287.00
Chapter donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,434.00
Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . 2,276.00
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  $24,997.00

This report is slightly revised from the one given to the National Board on October 28 to include an extremely generous donation to the Foundation in the amount of $2,000 from the New York Chapter. We are sure that no one will object to this revision.

We had all hoped to have a broad base of support for the Foundation but this currently has not developed. Fifty one percent of the total funds received have been contributed by 10 members of the Society and twenty-one percent of the funds by 30 additional members. In short, 72% of the funds received have come from less that 1-1/2% of the Society's total membership. There have been a total of 256 contributors to the fund and about 5% of these have been from foreign countries. Less than 7% of the total Society's members have evidenced any financial support for the Foundation and only 16 new contributors have come forward during the past year. One encouraging factor has been the fact that almost universally, members who made three-year pledges are continuing to make payments toward their pledges.

We hope from this point forward to have a report from the Foundation to the membership in each issue of the Quarterly. Hopefully this will allow us not only to report progress to the membership but perhaps stimulate a broader base of support since we will hope to have something concrete to report concerning the contributions of the Foundation to research activities.

At the Board meeting, some members indicated that there was a little confusion through the general membership concerning the relationship of the Foundation to the Society and also to the Species Foundation. There is, of course, no direct connection between the Species Foundation and the A.R.S. Research Foundation although we do hope to work cooperatively on some projects when it concerns the general interest of both organizations. We hope to shortly have an announcement of a joint project. The relationship between the Foundation and the Society is a little difficult to explain. Actually the Foundation was organized under a Trust Agreement in March of 1976 between the Society and the Trustees of the Foundation. The Trustees do act independently of the Society in their roles as fiduciaries of the Foundation. There are six Trustees now appointed for three year terms each. The terms of two of the Trustees expire each year in March. All Trustees are appointed by the president and the Board of Directors of the A.R.S. It has always been contemplated that research projects would be suggested to the Trustees and priorities decided for the Trustees by the Research Committee of the A.R.S. although they could in fact operate independently under the terms of the Trust Agreement.

For the sake of clarity, the names of the Trustees and the expiration dates of their terms are as follows: