Tenth Annual CCRS Rare and Unusual Rose Plant Auction November 14th 2010
Our Tenth Annual Rare and Unusual Rose Plant Auction will have a bit different appearance but continue to provide those rare and unusual plants that make this Auction so different from the others. I will begin by enumerating the changes below:
#1 We will remain in Carlsbad California (92008) but are moving the Auction to a considerably larger venue. The Harding Center Auditorium is located at 3096 Harding Street on the northeast corner of Oak Street. Harding Street is ~ 150 feet West of the 5 Freeway after exiting onto Carlsbad Village Drive. There you will make a left turn (South) and head 1 block to the 1st stop sign at Oak Street. The building is then on your immediate left. Parking is plentiful and easily available on both Harding and Oak Streets.
#2 We have moved the Auction to SUNDAY, a day which after extensive polling of participants proved ever so much more convenient for the majority of our guests. We will open the doors to visitors and BIDDERS and begin the festivities at 11:00 am. John Bagnasco's power point presentation of Silent Auction offerings will start at 12 noon. The Silent Auction will end at 1:15 pm with the customary 5 minute and 1 minute last call warnings. The Verbal Auction will begin no later than 1:45 pm and considerably earlier if our new computerized tabulation system serves us well.
#3 We have secured a website domain in order to better collect, store and disseminate Auction information. It is www.ccrsAuction.com (clever name ?eh). This website will contain background information, driving directions, lists of plants offered, links to view pictures of plants and important contact information. Since it is wholly dedicated to the Auction, it can include anything that you think is pertinent. Please let us know what else we ought to include here. If you would like to help Roger Jaccaud construct it, contact him directly.
#4 We will transport plants to the Auction site (for overnight storage) on Saturday November 13th. At the moment it looks like delivery might be accepted as early as 4:00 pm. However, depending upon exact building usage (to be determined by mid October) the delivery time may be later (not earlier). If you have a vehicle with a covered storage space (truck, van, station wagon and the like) please let me know if you can help with transport from John's house (Fallbrook), Becky's house (Carlsbad) or my house (RSF). We still have some LARGE plants and may need one open truck as well. Saturday plant transport will significantly simplify the Sunday set-up tasks. We will begin the set-up at 9:00 am on Sunday. This will involve covering tables with protective plastic, correctly placing plants, final grooming of plants, final check that tags are clearly displayed and readable, placing of bid sheets, distributing/set-up of supplies for sign-in, bidding and clerking. We will have a separate area for Roger's computer work, data entry and printout of BIDDER bills. Marlene King will still function as Chief Clerk. We will need several more CCRS members to help with BIDDER checkout procedures (please speak with Bob Woelffer). The new venue allows BIDDERS to come right up to the building in order to move plants into their cars. No more lugging plant for 2 blocks! Let me know directly which of these jobs look like fun to you. If you can't arrive at 9:00 am, we can still use your help when you do arrive.
#5 We will provide a snack for all in attendance. This will include Turkey roll-ups, individual serving chips of various kinds, cookies/cakes and beverages. My wife Linda thought so well of these particular Turkey roll-ups that she has served them to friends and relatives (who raved about them, by the way). If you have further suggestions as to menu items, please speak with Kathy Strong.
#6 We will make efforts to better publicize the Auction to Rose Societies not only in San Diego County but also in neighboring Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties. We already have CCRS members acting as proxies for friends who do not live in SoCal. We now plan to accept Internet bids as well. We will invite CCRS members and their friends who might not otherwise attend to act as proxies for these Internet Bidders. Proxies will bid according to Internet Bidder instructions. In this way, those proxies can enjoy the Auction excitement while spending other people's money! John promises that an even greater number of plants will be available for this years Auction. There should be something to satisfy everyone's taste. Becky Yanilos will head a Committee involved in getting those plants to the winning BIDDERS. Plans involve an onsite party (separate from the Auction) for those CCRS members performing this service after accomplishing this work in a member's private garden. Check with Becky if you would like to be included- instructions will be provided for those who are new to the task.
#7 CCRS has already received generous plant donations from Shannon and John Bagnasco, Ivy Bodin, Jane and Mike Diliberto, Geri and Alan McCarron, Sharon McColgan, Cliff Orent (Euro Desert Roses), Dwen Robbie, Linda Ross, Sue and Dick Streeper, Kathleen Strong, Becky Yanilos and Deb and Keith Zary. CCRS thanks them for this support. If you would like to donate a rare or unusual plant (in its entirety or just cuttings), we would be pleased to have your support as well.
#8 So we are staging our tenth Auction! Our Steering Committee membership now includes John Bagnasco, Roger Jaccaud, Kathy Strong, Becky Yanilos and me. Our new members are even more enthusiastic than we could have hoped. They have brought fresh ideas and will help us implement them BUT ONLY WITH THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE CCRS MEMBERSHIP. We are committed to making the CCCRS Auction the very best in the USA. We are committed to listening to your suggestions regarding the Auction and implementing ALL of those that serve to improve it. We are committed to preserving vanishing cultivars and making those that are difficult to obtain more easily accessible to Auction participants. We invite each and every CCRS member to join us in preparing for and producing this marvelous event. Please save these dates in your calendars NOW. Absolutely plan to not only attend but also help us produce a successful Auction.
Thank you,
Joel
