North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dr. Chiranjit Parmar" <parmarch_mnd@dataone.in>]

My dear Dr. Natelson,

I did not man that NAFEX should change the name.  However, the outlook and 
policy should change in accordance with time.  Ways can be found out but the 
organization MUST have members from ALL parts of the world.

ISHS have two types of membership.  For the second type, which is a lot 
cheaper and whose subscription can be paid at the local office (for India it 
is in New Delhi) in local currency, they keep one local representative. 
That is why they have members from every part of the world.

NAFEX has done quite good work in the area of varietal improvement by its 
informal kind of research.  It should not only continue, but expand.  There 
is an unfortunate trend among the researchers of younger generation that 
they do not like to work in the field of "fruit breeding".  The reason is 
that it takes too long to get results and the chances of success are not 100 
per cent.  So they prefer to work in other fields.  So growers organizations 
like NAFEX can play quite useful role.  I have written quite a few articles 
in Indian magazines and newspapers about NAFEX and have been trying to 
persuade growers here to organize into bodies like NAFEX and initiate their 
own research on testing of new varieties.

So let us think of ways of increasing the membership.  Something will 
certainly come out.

Chiranjit Parmar

Nafex
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ethan Natelson" <natelson@pipeline.com>
To: "Dr. Chiranjit Parmar" <parmarch_mnd@dataone.in>
Cc: "Anton Callaway" <marillen@earthlink.net>; <Jwlehman@aol.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008 11:03 PM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Membership


> Dear Dr. Parmar,
>
>     Thank you for your comments.  Actually, changing the name of an
> organization with tax exempt status and a charter in Illinois is no simple
> matter and would occupy many hours of paperwork and correspondence.  I
> think it would be much easier to try harder to recruit international
> membership, which we have always had, albeit in small numbers.  We also
> would like to raise some money to support our dormant research fund and
> interest members in doing small but useful projects.  The membership costs
> are all relative - less than one tank of gas in the United States, but
> perhaps some accomodation might be made for members abroad.
>
>
>       Regards, Ethan
>
>
> > [Original Message]
> > From: Dr. Chiranjit Parmar <parmarch_mnd@dataone.in>
> > To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > Cc: <natelson@pipeline.com>; Jerry Lehman <Jwlehman@aol.com>;
> <lostman_amiga@yahoo.com>
> > Date: 2/10/2008 8:56:22 PM
> > Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Membership
> >
> > I am a NAFEX Member for the past 21 years and have been watching it.  I
> had
> > also attended the 2004 NAFEX Meeting at Columbia.
> >
> > Yes, the NAFEX membership is declining and it should be a matter of
> concern
> > for everyone.
> >
> > My suggestion is that the NAFEX should change its outlook.  It should not
> > remain NORTH AMERICAN but should turn ALL WORLD FRUIT EXPLORERS.  This is
> > the age of globalization and the world is shrinking.  So NAFEX should try
> to
> > have members from ALL parts of the world.  Now fruit exploration is not
> > limited to one continent.
> >
> > The factor which is going to obstruct member enrolment from developing
> > countries is the exorbitantly high price of US dollar in developing
> > countries.  Forty dollars is a quite big sum even for university
> professors
> > from several Asian, European and African countries.  So something should
> be
> > thought about this.  Moreover, in many countries, it is nearly impossible
> to
> > remit subscriptions in foreign exchange.
> >
> > I had raised this point at the NAFEX Board of Directors Meeting at
> Columbia.
> > I had also discussed this point individually with few members who were
> > there.
> >
> > I once again suggest to find some way of having members from other
> countries
> > too.  I do not think that conservative policy is going to be good for the
> > health of NAFEX.
> >
> > I have some sort of emotional attachment with NAFEX and feel greatly
> obliged
> > to this organization.  That is the reason I am continuing my membership
> > otherwise I also find it VERY expensive.
> >
> > Dr. Chiranjit Parmar