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MRHS President's Message

Fall, 2025
Greetings fellow hostaphiles. As I write this message on the first day of autumn, I quietly wonder where this year has gone. But what a year it has been - most recently marked by a very successful collaboration with the AHS and the Central Illinois Hosta Society in jointly hosting the summer convention in Peoria. That marked an important milestone for the MRHS as we expect to see future opportunities for collaboration. A big note of thanks to Barry Ankney for his leadership and involvement with all three hosting groups. And a special note of congratulations to Barry for receiving both the DeEtta Montgomery Outstanding Service Award (the highest honor bestowed by the MRHS) and the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award (the highest honor bestowed by the AHS). The stars were all aligned for that to have taken place. Look for Barry's acceptance speech later in this newsletter.
As we approach year end, it is also a time to look forward as 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Midwest Regional Hosta Society. Your board is busy planning a number of extra benefits and surprises for our membership to help commemorate this important event.
Next February we will host the annual Winter Symposium in the Milwaukee area. Of special note is that we are moving the hotel venue just a couple of blocks south to the Embassy Suites (located on the other side of I-94). I believe you will notice an upgrade in hotel rooms, meeting room and in the luncheon food menu. We'll also offer a new twist for the Friday evening hostatality gathering. Attendance has been trending up in recent years with a growing interest in our speakers and our reinvented live auction. MRHS Board member Phil Timm has assembled another impressive speaker lineup that will cover a variety of hosta and related topics. Pastor Rob James is already busy securing some intriguing donations for the popular silent auction. Included in this newsletter is more info on the Winter Symposium as well as the registration form. The registration fee remains at only $69 for MRHS members. That simply allows to (hopefully) breakeven on the event. Please don't wait until the last minute to register. Please help your President avoid those sleepless nights in January and February by registering early.
As an added bonus, all Winter Symposium attendees will receive a $10 voucher good for vending at next summer's 50th anniversary convention in Madison. And one lucky attendee will have their registration fee comped, courtesy this year of the Illinois Prairie Hosta Society. More details on our anniversary convention follow in this newsletter.
In my remarks at the annual members meeting at the Peoria convention, I mentioned (as always) that what the society really needs is your active participation in society events. Our trusty treasurer Mona Keehn reported that the MRHS has a strong financial position. In fact, all who attended the summer convention were given a complimentary one-year extension on MRHS membership or given a complimentary new membership for 2025. (If you are receiving this newsletter for the first time, welcome aboard!) Our challenge as a vibrant and thriving society is to support our two annual events - the summer convention and the winter symposium. The lifelong-term friendships remain with these two in-person events that stimulate new friendships and sustain longtime friendships. I'll remind you once again. "What first brought us together was a plant, but what keeps us coming back are the people." Can I issue a challenge to all of our members? Consider bringing a gardening friend with you to the upcoming Winter Symposium. Maybe even someone new to hostas. Plant the seed and see what happens. You might be surprised and so might your friend.
I look forward to seeing you in Milwaukee at our Winter Symposium on Saturday February 21st.

Hosta'ly

Rob Mortko
MRHS President
To see the current newsletter, please join the Midwest Regional Hosta Society by contacting our Membership Chairperson or any of the Officers. Or, click here for a printable MRHS Membership Form. By joining the society, you will receive your own copy of our informative and entertaining newsletter.