Reflections of Region 19
After 64 years in existence, Region 19 with
only one affiliate — the Garden State Iris Society
— was merged into Region 3
(Pennsylvania) on January 1, 2011.
Region 19 was created in 1947 when a very
active group from New Jersey and Staten Island, N.Y.,
asked to be separated from Region 2 (New York). In
1993, Staten Island was reunited with Region 2.
As with some other regions, Region 19 had gone through various phases of
activity and interest, and there were attempts to add another affiliate.
Region 19 hosted the AIS Convention in 1961
and 1966. The 1961 one was headquartered in Newark and featured gardens in New
Jersey and Staten Island. Of the convention gardens, only the Presby Memorial
Garden in Upper Montclair still exists. Active members in the late 1970s
entertained the idea of hosting another convention, but it never came to
fruition.
The Morgan – Wood Medal for Siberian Iris
originated in Region 19. Betty Wood, the widow of Ira “Sandy” Wood, who had
introduced some Siberian irises, proposed the medal in the early 1980s when
Dave Silverberg was our RVP. With a generous donation from Betty Wood and a
matching contribution from our region, a medal was designed, developed, and
struck. Region 19 RVPs made the presentation at several AIS conventions before
relinquishing the responsibility of the medal and award to AIS.
Being a small region in members, we still had
our share of hybridizers with introductions. In the earlier years, there was
Dorothy Dennis, Dave Johnson and H.F. Hall, followed by Ira Wood, Betty Wood,
Dr. Fred Knocke, Mel Leavitt, Winky Steinhauer, Frank Jones, Joe Griner and Erin
Griner. Frank Carr had numerous tall bearded introductions and received some
acclaim by winning international awards and having his iris planted in some
famous international gardens. Current members Frank Fan, George Hilton and
Howard Bushnell all have had recent introductions. Joe Gatty, Dave Silverberg,
and Dick Sparling were active in Region 19 before moving on to other regions and
introducing iris.
Over the years, our small active region
featured several AIS presidents and notable hybridizers as meeting speakers or
for JT sessions. We also have had some great iris shows, auctions, sales and
gala affairs. All of these will be fondly remembered but never forgotten now
that the Garden State Iris Society has become an affiliate of Region 3.
— Stephen Szmuriga,
AIS member since 1980
