STOS Fall Auction
at the September Meeting
September 20 2pm
Elegant Title
Fall Auction
We will have our Fall auction at the meeting this month. Auction plants have been acquired from Tropical Exotiques this year and we have PLENTY of mini orchids to go around. We will have predominantly more of the weirdo plants many of our members love but will also have an arrangement of some of the "normal". We will have multiple specimen-sized paphiopedilum available during this auction. We also have some donated plants from a friend of Linda; many are Catasetum types.
We are accepting donated plants. In addition to this, STOS members are welcome to place their plants on consignment. Proceeds on consignment plants are divided 50/50 between the STOS and the seller. If you can provide the name and a photo of the flower for each donated plant, that would be helpful. Send to STOSorchids.auction@gmail.com
This year the auction committee will not be providing a list of plants in advance, but we will have sample photos of all the flowers available during the auction in addition to the general growing guidelines for the plants
Summer Picnic
at Tioga Gardens
The picnic provided a delightful opportunity to catch up with members of the Southern Tier Orchid Society, share summer stories, summer blooms, and delicious food together. Tioga Gardens hosted us with the perfect spot, and despite the summer shower we stayed dry and warm. My young daughter enjoyed meeting new friends, playing corn hole, and looking for frogs around the pond. We especially enjoyed the scrumptious dishes to pass, and all the beautiful blooms brought for Show and Tell. It was the perfect way to gear up for the upcoming fall auction!
Julia McCabe
Leadership Positions or Support Crew for STOS
Here’s Your Chance to Suggest Someone —
Including Yourself
As our club looks toward the future, we’re opening the door to new ideas and friendly faces! You don’t need to be an expert grower—or even keep orchids at home—to play a vital role in our community. Whether you share a love for orchid growing, orchid conservation, art, photography or, importantly, organizing events and welcoming people, there is a place for you here. If you enjoy being surrounded by people who love plants and enjoy helping out behind the scenes, we’d love to have your inspiration and talents! If you like to lead and be in charge of things, this is your chance. If you prefer to remain low-key but have computer skills, we have many opportunities for you, too. The best way to learn about orchids is to get to know other club members. And the best way to do that is to get involved!
Submitting your name or the name of someone (who has given permission) involves no commitment—it’s just a great, low-pressure way to jump in, share a skill, or highlight a fellow member who can help our club to blossom. If you're interested, sign up at the link below:
Meetings are on the 3rd Sunday of each month.
Meeting time is 2-4 pm or longer with 'social time' 1:30-2:00.
Refreshments, Raffle and Show and Tell at most meetings.
Meeting location: Johnson City Senior Center, 30 Brocton St. Johnson City, NY 13790
Contact us at STOSorchids@gmail.com
Jan 18 General Meeting, Orchid Bingo
Feb 15 General Meeting, Speaker Jason Fisher
Mar 15 General Meeting Spring Auction
April 16 GROS show setup
April 17-19 GROS Orchid Show
Apr 19 Speaker Jeff Hackett on Potting Media and Pots in our Culture
May 1 STOS Orchid Show
Setup 2 pm–7 pm
May 2 STOS Orchid Show
Judging 8 am–12 am, Public 11 am–5 pm
May 3 STOS Orchid Show
Public 11 am–5 pm, Takedown 5 pm–6 pm
May 17 General Meeting, Repotting Workshop
May 23 10am Field Trip to see blooming Lady Slippers in Hammond Hill State Forest
May 31 Zoom with Nicole Deanna (details to come)
Summer Picnic Aug16 at Tioga Gardens
Sept 20 Fall Auction
Oct 18 Speaker from Flask and Flora
Nov 15 Speaker from J&L Orchids
Dec 20 Holiday Party
Calendar 2026
40th Anniversary Show
May 2-3, 2026
Results
Here are all the results. Note there are several pages to the spreadsheet.
Activities for children were popular with teens ands adults as well
Julia MacCabe won Best in Show with Phrag. Mt. Fallu. Julia has been growing orchids for less than 5 years and this is the first time she entered a plant into a show.
Celebrating Our
40th Anniversary
and Our Annual Show
The Southern Tier Orchid Show and Our 40th Anniversary is a true milestone! We are officially celebrating 40 years since the Southern Tier Orchid Society was reactivated in 1986.
Our society has a wonderful history. While our original charter dates back 63 years to 1963, it was in 1986 that three dedicated orchid lovers brought the club back to life. Since that "re-birthday" 40 years ago, we have been active every single year, growing, sharing, and enjoying all things orchid.
Laurel Shaefer's new business won best 4-ft Exhibit, with help from designer Laila Nashir
Jean Mint, Sam Hance, Jeff Hackett pooled their blooming orchids.
GROS Exhibit won 1st Place
Our Orchid Family Tree: A Beautiful Discovery
At our meeting on January 18th, we had the wonderful opportunity to honor Luis Matienzo and celebrate the 40th anniversary of our society's reorganization. It was a beautiful moment to recognize the dedication that has kept the Southern Tier Orchid Society (STOS) thriving for so many years.
Inspired by that celebration, I spent time researching our deeper roots. As the saying goes, "We study history not to know the future, but to broaden our horizons." I am excited to share a discovery from the American Orchid Society archives that actually makes our celebration even more significant.
While 1986 marks the year the club was reinvigorated, I discovered that the "seeds" of STOS were actually planted much earlier. Our society was originally founded in 1963 and officially recognized as an AOS affiliate in 1964. This means that while we rightfully celebrate 40 years of our current organization, we are also standing on a legacy that is 63 years old.
Organizations, like orchids, have seasons. After our early founders—Howard LeMasurier and our first president, Mrs. William Burke—passed away, the club faced a period where it could have disappeared forever.
This is why the work done in 1986 is so vital. When the society was reinstated, those members didn't just restart a club—they saved a legacy. Without the steady stewardship of Luis and the help of his wife, Paula Matienzo, the story of our 1963 founding would have been lost to time. They are the heroes who preserved our "historical integrity" and gave us the organization we love today.
Finding these older roots doesn’t change our 40th-anniversary milestone; it enhances it. It shows that our club has resilience spanning over six decades. It is a privilege to belong to a club with such deep roots and such dedicated leadership. We have much to be proud of—both the 63 years of our history and the 40 years of hard work that have kept it alive.
Linda
Other Area Orchid Shows 2026
Here are the dates of shows offered by other Orchid Societies in our area. More info will be provided near the dates. If you would like your show listed, please contact us.
DCOS -- Deep Cut Orchid Society (Holmdel, NJ)
Show Feb. 20-22 www.deepcutorchidscioety.org/show
NFOS – Niagara Frontier OS (Buffalo)
Spring Orchid Fest March 6-8 www.buffalogardens.com/events/orchid-est/#events
CPOS – Central PA OS (State College, PA)
Show Mar 21-22 www.aos.org/community-events/calendar/543
SEPOS – Southern PA Orchid Society (Oaks, PA)
Show March 27-29 www.sepos.org/show
GROS – Genesee Region OS (Rochester)
Show April 16-19 www.geneseeorchid.org/annual-orchid-show/
STOS – Show May 2-3
CNYOS – Central NY Orchid Society (Syracuse)
Albany Orchid Society (Albany, NY)
Lots of shows this winter to chase away the blues!
In the past STOS has organized trips to Deep Cut and SEPOS, each is easily a one-day trip.
Executive Board
President
Linda Mittel
Vice President
LuAnn Myers
Treasurer
Mari Stover-Ling
Secretary
Melissa Bennett
AOS Representative
Polly Dillon
Members-At-Large
Jeff Hackett
Gail Gunsalus
Jean Mint
Committee Chairs
Auction Committee
Jeff Hackett, Jean Mint, Jane Trey
IT Specialist Melissa Bennett
Librarian Laurel Shaefer
Marketing TBD
Membership Melissa Bennett, Anitra Murphy
Newsletter Editor Carol Bayles
Program Coordinator Jean Mint
Social Event Ruth Allen, Jane Trey
Social Media Renee DePrato,
Jean Mint
Show Chair Sam Hance, Jeff Hackett
Web Master Carol Bayles
Email addresses:
STOSorchids@gmail.com
STOSorchids.auction@gmail.com
STOSorchids.marketing@gmail.com
STOSorchids.membership@gmail.com
STOSorchids.newsletter@gmail.com
STOSorchids.shows@gmail.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SouthernTierOrchidSocietyNY
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/SouthernTierOrchidSociety/
