I hope that you are all enjoying winter. In Maine, we are just beginning to see our first true snow storms of the year. The gardens look lovely and peaceful covered in snow waiting for spring.
We have inducted many new members to Pi Alpha Xi at our chapters throughout the country. Congratulations and welcome to our newest members. We hope that you enjoy the fellowship of our group of horticulturists; from my experience, Pi Alpha Xi members are a great, supportive group of people.
For new members and those of us who have been members for a while, a great chance to meet other Pi Alpha Xi members is at our annual luncheon, which is held at the American Society for Horticulture Science meeting each year. This year, the luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, September 21st from 12-2 pm. The American Society for Horticulture Science meeting will be held in Waikoloa, on the Big Island in Hawaii this year, so it should be a beautiful location and a chance to see some unique horticulture.
We are looking forward to another great year for the Pi Alpha Xi Photography contest. As last year, you will be able to register for the contest online when you register for the American Society for Horticulture Science Meeting. Please look for more details from us regarding the photography contest soon. In the meantime, for all you photography fans out there, I encourage you to take some great pictures for the contest. It is always a treat to see the photos from our talented entrants. Thank you so much to Dr. Paul Thomas and the members of the photography committee for all of their work on organizing a great contest every year.