Issue 7:3 THE CACTUS PATCH March 2004

A Letter From Bob Barth

There have been some changes recently with respect to CSSA publications as a number of you may already be aware. Russell Wagner is the new editor of the CSSA Journal. Tom Glavich has been interim newsletter editor for November/December 2003 and January/February 2004. Our new newsletter editor Peter Boekenthien will begin his editorship of To the Point with the March/April issue. We are sure that they will continue the high standards set by Myron Kimnach and Carol Clapp, respectively.

Two CSSA sponsored overseas field trips are scheduled for 2004, a Madagascar trip with John Lavranos as tour leader in May and a trip to Chile to visit Copiapoas, etc., in habitat scheduled for October/ November. Being able to participate in these trips is one of the many benefits of CSSA membership. Yet another benefit of membership is access to our Seed Depot, which makes available to members seeds of rare succulents at very reasonable prices. This benefit should appeal to all you seed growing aficionados out there. Attendance at our biennial conventions is yet another membership benefit and our 2005 convention in Phoenix in the heart of cactus country, promises to be one of the best ever. More details will appear in subsequent articles as convention plans develop. The CSSA website will also provide updates. For a complete list of other CSSA services to members, see the listing in any issue of the CSSA newsletter, To the Point or go to the CSSA website:

http://www.cssainc.org

Membership information is available at both the above-mentioned sites.

The administration of the CSSA continues to be concerned about membership numbers which have been fairly stagnant in recent years. We are far from the only organization facing this problem. We now have a Membership Committee whose task it is to address this issue. As I have mentioned before, the more members we have the more benefits we can offer our membership. In the coming months the committee will be kicking around a number of ideas for increasing our membership and we are certainly open to any suggestions that might occur to readers of this article. I would definitely appreciate any feedback on the issue of CSSA membership and ways to increase it. Please feel free to contact me by E-mail b.barth@mail.utexas.edu.

Thanking you in advance for any input, I remain

Sincerely yours,
Bob Barth, Publicity Chair
CSSA Board of Directors

REGULAR FEATURES
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Executive Board Meeting Notes
Announcements
Calendar
The Last BCSS Meeting
Plant Of The Month
This Month's Program
Field Trips

ARTICLES
Message From El Presidente by Matt Ekegren
Panned Out A Letter from Bruce Hargreaves
The Eyes Have It Another Letter from Bruce Hargreaves
A Letter From Bob Barth by Bob Barth
BCSS/FACT Garden News by Lynn McDonald

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