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  • From: "Dr. Chiranjit Parmar" <parmarch_mnd@dataone.in>
  • To: natelson@pipeline.com
  • Cc: Anton Callaway <marillen@earthlink.net>, NAFEX <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Membership
  • Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:42:31 +0530

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













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