ARS National Convention & Rose Show Cancellation

With a sad and heavy heart Pikes Peak Rose Society board members that were present at a meeting   on July 11, 2020 at the home of Diana & Walt Kilmer. All those present wore mask, had social distancing. This meeting was called to discuss the ARS National Convention being held in Colorado Springs August 26^th thru 30^th, 2020.

The members present were as follows: Diana Kilmer, Convention Chairman, Walt Kilmer, Pat Ploegsma, Trish McCormick, Kaye Rowan Dinapoli, Maryanne Schneider, Bill & Carol Whittam, Ron Royce, Dave Ingram, Andrew Domenico, Melissa Woodley and Nancy Andrew.

After a lengthy discussion on how the Covid -19 is effecting the registration for the convention and how the cost of the tours would be affected due to the CDC requiring a social distancing on the buses there was a motion made by Andrew Domenico that the 2020 Convention should be cancelled for we would not want any of our friends to attend the convention and then come down with the Covis-19 as 75 % of the attendees that had already registered were in the High Risk age category. I asked for a vote of hands for a yes and everyone voted yes, so I am now in the process of cancelling the garden tours, the Glen Eyrie tour and the Patty Jewett Saturday evening dinner tour, also notifying all the vendors and speakers of the cancellation.

Please make sure if you have reserved your hotel room already you must cancel it right away to keep from having any charges on your credit card.

Our convention treasurer, Pat Ploegsma, and myself will be writing refund checks in the next 10 days to all those that have already registered for the convention and any of the tour events or dinners pertaining to the convention. If you had paid by credit card you will receive a refund check rather than having it go back on your credit card due to the 3 ½ % the credit card company charges our society for your refund to your credit card.

I would like to thank all of you for your support of this convention on behalf of the Pikes Peak Rose Society and its members that have worked so hard to make this a success and then have to turn around and cancel due to the Covid-19 virus.

If all of you would please mark your calendars for the annual ARS members meeting that will be held on line with the Webinar GoToMeeting on Saturday, August 29^th. More information will be forth coming as to the log in procedure and the time from the American Rose Society.

At this meeting there will be some presidential citations awarded to some of our members so let’s give them the support they deserve and watch this meeting.

Happy Rose Growing, Diana Kilmer, ARS Convention chairman

PPRS President

RMD Director