Potomac Valley Chapter Awards Bronze Medals
At its March 18 meeting of 1979 the Potomac Valley Chapter proudly presented the Bronze Medal to George Ring and to Colonel Ray and Jane Goodrich. George, Ray, and Jane have been so active in chapter affairs since they helped to found it that a recitation of their efforts would practically constitute a history of the chapter.
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| George Ring |
GEORGE RING
George has served as President, Vice President, and as a member of the board of directors. He is an enthusiastic grower and hybridizer whose contributions of plant materials add much to the annual auctions. His entries in the truss shows also add much to their success, particularly in 1979 when he was the Sweepstakes Winner. George organized and chaired the Gable Study Group and has contributed much to the knowledge of the work of Gable and of contemporary hybridizers. George is also busy in National ARS affairs, writing for the quarterly Bulletin, participating in the Breeders Roundtable, and serving on the Board of Directors. He is especially busy of late with his duties as Chairman of the 1982 Convention Committee.
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| Jane and Ray Goodrich with Chapter President Don Hyatt. |
RAY AND JANE GOODRICH
Ray and Jane are involved in virtually all chapter activities, from publishing the newsletter to running the seed exchange. Their knowledge of the genus is such that they are frequently invited to serve as judges at truss shows, including the 1978 National Truss Show in New York. They are avid growers and hybridizers, with a collection which is particularly strong in Gable rhododendrons. Their truss exhibits have won many awards including Best in Show, Best new Hybrid, and the Sweepstakes. Their hybridizing efforts involve many parent plants and include
R. maximum
for its hardiness and late bloom. Ray and Jane are more than generous with their plant material, whether in a visit to their garden or at the plant auctions, where Ray usually helps as an auctioneer. They worked on the Gable Study Group, contributed to "Hybrids and Hybridizers," and have spent many long hours at the Smithsonian and elsewhere gathering information for their revisions of the collection numbers for J. F. Rock's field trips. The results of this labor were published in the Bulletin in the Summer 1976 and Spring 1978 issues.