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Dear Violet Enthusiast:
The volunteer officers
and staff of The American Violet Society, has concluded that we can no longer support scheduled services, such
as The Violet Gazette and The Republic Of Violet on a
regular basis. This is due to a combination of
factors, including changing personal responsibilities
and the expansion of extensive AVS Project efforts such
as new Identification Keys, the soon to be released
International Viola Cultivar Registry, our Spring 2003
Field Outing and The AVS Species Repatriation Project. As
a result of this, we have decided to modify our
membership requirements and benefits as follows:
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1 |
All web publications will now be
available to the general public without membership
restrictions. |
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We
are establishing an AVS Sponsoring Membership and
eliminating the standard membership along with
it's dues requirement.
All individuals that are or have been dues paying
members of The AVS will be converted to Sponsoring
Members. This includes those who have not
maintained current dues.
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| 3 |
Sponsoring Members have the option
of being listed on our sponsor's page.
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| 4 |
The "Sponsoring Members Area" of
the site will offer various exclusive benefits such
as free downloads of printable AVS publications
(including Field-Keys and Calendars) and free AVS software (such as screen-savers and computer based
keys). These will be made available to our
Sponsoring Members as soon as they have been
completed (AVS Screen Saver is currently
available).
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| 5 |
Those individuals wishing to become
Sponsoring Members may either contribute a minimum
of $15.00 to defray publishing costs, or contribute
either 5 photos that are used in an AVS print or web
publication,
or an AVS website or Violet Gazette article, or some
other service of value to the society's operation.
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We have been running on a modest budget,
compared to the quality and volume of material and
services that we continue to make available to the
public. Our increased commitment to our ongoing
projects represents an improved focus of our resources on
the goals of this society. We hope that you will either continue, or
join with us, in our efforts to provide the premiere
source of violet, viola and pansy information on
the web. We hope that you will also contribute to,
or take part in our other conservation, educational,
research and publishing efforts, such as our 2003
Eastern US Field Outing, "Violet Wanderers" On
The Dunbar Mountain.
Thank you for your continued contributions and
support.
Sweet Violets To All
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