SRGC forum member - informal poll

[Maggi Young]

Forum member since Nov 2006.

SRCG member on and off since 2003 (according to the journals on my bookshelf). I now have a 5 year membership to avoid the off moments! And I managed to sign myself up twice for 5 year membership - so I passed the "double" on to a dear friend!

 That is extremely generous of you, Chloe, I'm sure Graham (SRGC Membership Secretary, all round Good Guy and Busy Bee) would have given you your money back!

[Maggi Young]

How else would I know Lesley is almost due for her 50th anniversary, the mind boggles

So does mine..... she'll want a HUGE cake! 

 Just thinking, Lesley, that anniversary of 50 year membership will be in 2011..... year of the International Conference....... yippee!! A GIANT CAKE opportunity coming up!!

[ChrisB]

I was told about it by Sue Gill.  Then someone posted about a subject I am interested in, and Sue gave me the link.  After that I joined in and I see I have spent almost 7 complete days of my life here since.  Yikes!!!

[Roma]

I joined the forum in November 2007 but had been 'lurking' for a while before then.
It took me a long time to start posting, but after a bit of prodding from Maggi and much trial and error got started.  I won't say I've got the hang of it yet but I don't lose my post too often now.
I joined the SRGC about 1976 or 1977.  I remember I showed a few plants at the show in Aberdeen in 1977 not long before I applied for the job at the Cruickshank Botanic Garden.  It may have impressed Fred Sutherland enough to give me the job.  He retired soon after I started and left me looking after his beloved rock garden.

[fermi de Sousa]

I joined the Forum initially when I was active on Alpine-L so didn't have much spare time to particpate on the old Forum and didn't post much at all. When I dropped out of Alpine-L I started spending way too much time on the Forum!
SRGC was the first international group that I joined though I let my membership lapse whenI went overseas. I re-joined around the turn of the century (1999 I think) and have since become a joint Life Member (along with my partner, Will) so I'm in it for the long haul!

Maggi,
the idea of a Forum get-together (with cake!) at the 2011 conference is a definate goer!
cheers
fermi

[johnw]

I joined SRGC in 1961, same time as AGS.

I had no idea the SRGC was so progressive back then. Hope you got the toddler's discount.

johnw

[Anthony Darby]

May be a valuable excercise here, though, because it will show folks that you do not need to be a fully paid-up mamber of the SRGC to take part in the Forum

I'm a fully paid up mamber - er - member - and joined the forum early on. I find it a fantastic site and a terrific way of communicating with other enthusiasts, as well as showing off and seeing beautiful plants, wildlife and places of interest.

[TC]

I think I joined the SRGC in 1990 after being persuaded by my better half to do so - she having joined a few years prior.  My experience of clubs prior to this was that they were run for the benefit of the ruling cliques.  I found that the SRGC changed my opinion for the better. Members could not have been more helpful - even to people like myself who can kill plants with a look !
I heard about the forum at one of the plant shows and lurked for a while before I jumped in.  Instead of the confidence of youth, in old age, your "Ego" has all but gone and you can make postings that have little of practical value to add to any discussion and you don't care !!  The forum contributors are a tolerant bunch.
One thing that does impress me is the quality of the English used by our non-native English speaking members.  To post on the forum in something other than your native tongue requires a lot of courage  These people should be applauded for their contribution in taking this from a cosy parochial chat line to an international forum.

[Martin Baxendale]

For the record, the lot of you are babies. I joined SRGC in 1961, same time as AGS.

You beat me, Lesley. My first junior SRGC membership was in 1967 after I built my first small rock garden at our new house in Gloucestershire, aged 15, after moving down from Scotland. But I used to look at my parents' SRGC and AGS journals before that ad grew a few alpines in wooden tubs from the age of 12. My earliest SRGC memory is of visiting the Knox-Finlays' garden in Perth with my mother on a SRGC outing aged about 9 or 10.

I think I noticed mention of the web site in some SRGC literature and went to have a look out of curiosity.

[Katherine J]

I've found the Forum via Ian's Bulblog, about a year ago Seeing that I don't have to be an SRGC member, joined Forum and posted at the same time (I think  ). Nowadays I'm mostly lurking.
Joined the SRGC a little later. Since I don't have a real garden, I don't want to join much clubs (to many seeds to withstand  ), and I decided the SRGC was the best of all.

[Casalima]

You beat me, Lesley. My first junior SRGC membership was in 1967 after I built my first small rock garden at our new house in Gloucestershire, aged 15, after moving down from Scotland. But I used to look at my parents' SRGC and AGS journals before that ad grew a few alpines in wooden tubs from the age of 12. My earliest SRGC memory is of visiting the Knox-Finlays' garden in Perth with my mother on a SRGC outing aged about 9 or 10.

My almost 12 year old daughter couldn't really care a hoot about gardens and plants, but my 8 year old son knows lots of the faces and nicknames on the Forum, likes to have a look at the Bulb Log every now and then, and can possibly even identify a Galanthus ... There is hope 

And I rather think the SRCG is the best of all, too!

[art600]

Member of SRGC for many years before discovering Forum by accident.

A treasure trove of advice, laughs and fantastic photographs.

My collecting habits have expanded through the good advice of forumists and I have made many friends.

It is simply the best.

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Tony (G). I shall enjoy thinking of myself as the "Senior Authority."
John I don't think there was a toddler's discount (thank you for that too), anyway I was 16 at the time but there were bonuses. I had personal letters of welcome from men such as Harold Esslemont, E B Anderson and Roy Elliott and was made to feel very much at home immediately. These letters are of course in my little store of treasures to keep always.

But I HADN't thought of SRGC membership in terms of an anniversary. You're right Maggi, BIG CAKES in 2011!

[David Nicholson]

...............One thing that does impress me is the quality of the English used by our non-native English speaking members.  To post on the forum in something other than your native tongue requires a lot of courage  These people should be applauded for their contribution in taking this from a cosy parochial chat line to an international forum.

Can I just second what Tom has so eloquently written above.

[mark smyth]

Well said. When you think how many people know of the forum here in the UK and Ireland yet they stay out of sight