IPS Endowment Grant Results

[Cindy Adair]

As acting Chair of the Endowment committee, I received the following email and with permission from the sender, have printed it below:

I am excited to report another outcome resulting from an IPS Endowment Fund Grant (submitted 2006, awarded 2007).

This is a living conservation collections guide, published by Botanic Gardens Conservation International. You will see IPS acknowledged on the last page. The guide can be downloaded here: http://www.montgomerybotanical.org/media/Plant.Conservation.Collections.Guide.pdf

We have also posted ‘news updates’ about the new publication on both the BGCI and the MBC websites. You can see these here:

http://www.bgci.org/resources/news/1092/

http://www.montgomerybotanical.org/Pages/Current.htm

There is also a “collections genetics” page at MBC which acknowledges IPS support:

http://www.montgomerybotanical.org/Pages/Collection_Genetics.htm

This grant was from some years ago, but was critical to this line of work. I remain very, very grateful for the funding from IPS which allowed MBC to start this area of research. Assessing our collections in this way has been a wonderful advance for us here at Montgomery, and our colleagues at BGCI believe this will be very helpful to the community as well.

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,

Patrick Griffith

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

M. Patrick Griffith, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Montgomery Botanical Center

[Cindy Adair]

Here would be a good place for anyone with a positive outcome from the use of Grant money to add their input.

It's not too late to apply for this year!

The following appeared in the general forum, but I've reposted since some of you might have missed the original thread.

The IPS does much more than provide money for Palmtalk. One important function of the IPS is to provide financial assistance to specific research projects through annual grants. The IPS allocates $20,000 to $25,000 each year for this purpose.

IPS president Leland Lai along with scientific botanical experts Scott Zona, Larry Noblick and John Dransfield volunteer their time to send the proposals on to appropriate independent experts who review the submissions. Afterwards, the committee makes recommendations for the Board’s ultimate discussion and decisions. Until his untimely passing, Jim Cain chaired the Endowment committee.

I have agreed to serve as an acting Chairman to coordinate the process until elections are complete next May. The deadline, usually December 1, has this year been extended until March 1, 2014.

Application and contact information is available on the IPS website by clicking here. Examples of research grant awards awarded in 2013 include studies on the genus Hydriastele, Palms of the Republic of Congo, Floral scents of European palms, Palms of Southern Vietnam, Palm carbon accumulation and Oenocarpus bataua fruit production’s effects on survival. For exact titles and author information with amounts awarded, see PALMS, Volume 57(4) which will be available online here soon. The total amount for all studies in 2013 came to $25,902.

A quick scan of some of the 2013 PALMS journals shows two articles which acknowledge support from the IPS. They are on Palms of Micronesia and Palms of Southern Cameroon for a total of 27 pages of information with striking photos of palms in habitat.

Your dues help support important research and fulfill the IPS mission statement: The International Palm Society, Inc. is operated solely and exclusively for scientific and/or educational purposes related to the study of palms, their propagation, culture, conservation, care, and development.

[Dr. George]

Another place where an applause emoticon would be helpful - Thank you Cindy - its nice to know when and how the IPS is helping to make a difference.

gmp

[LJG]

Thanks Cindy.

This should be turned into a Newsletter write up as I am sure all members would want to know, not just the few IPS members that use PT.

[Kim]

Thanks Cindy.

This should be turned into a Newsletter write up as I am sure all members would want to know, not just the few IPS members that use PT.

Already in the works...

[realarch]

Fantastic, that's great news. The more publicity about our endowments the better.

Tim

[Dr. George]

Fantastic, that's great news. The more publicity about our endowments the better.

Tim

Tim - That's why I'm thinking maybe this should be moved to the open IPS News/Info section instead of the IPS members only forum - just a thought - gmp

[PALM MOD]

George - I agree - However I am in somewhat of a no man's land at the moment about how to handle discussions here that pertain to IPS "business." Hopefully I will have some clarity soon.

[bgl]

Goes without saying that the best thing the IPS can wish for is for EVERYBODY to be informed of what the IPS as an organization is able to accomplish. And that certainly means informing people of the grants we're giving out each year and any potential feedback from the grant recipients. Public Relations involves reaching out to all those potential members, as well as existing IPS members. Why keep the good news locked up?

[Dr. George]

George - I agree - However I am in somewhat of a no man's land at the moment about how to handle discussions here that pertain to IPS "business." Hopefully I will have some clarity soon.

Dean - Thought this was a positive, no risk, everything to gain suggestion - nothing IPS political or personal - informs of a public document that anyone can download from the Montgomery website and the published document includes IPS support in the acknowledgements along with several other organizations - this is all public information - its been three days now, so am beginning to wonder, has patting ourselves on the back turned into an internal controversy?

gmp

Plant.Conservation.Collections.Guide.pdf

[PALM MOD]

George - I'm just waiting for a clarification of PalmTalk policies regarding the posting of matters pertaining to the IPS.

[Dr. George]

Thanks, Dean - Would appreciate knowing what direction you get. - gmp

[Ken Johnson]

Thanks, Dean - Would appreciate knowing what direction you get. - gmp

And from whom that direction comes.

[_Keith]

I would appreciate knowing who will move us from this far end point of "needing approval for everything" back to some middle ground of a "common sense" approach to things.

[bgl]

"Common sense is not so common"

Voltaire

[_Keith]

"Common sense is not so common"

Voltaire

Bo, you are right on that one, and subject to much interpretation as well. But I have to say that when the paid moderator of the non-profit IPS' own palm forum (Palmtalk) hestitates to post a public, already released by other parties, "good news" document, in a non-private part of the forum, well, wow is all I can say. This cannot be the product of a healthy organizational environment.

[Dr. George]

Agree Keith - I don't think that Dean is the problem here - my guess is that he is being cautious about potential repercussions from folks at a higher level who are more concerned about controlling content - and my further guess is that it is at an office level higher than the Chairpersons of the PT and Endowment Committees. So we'll wait and see where the common sense begins and ends. - gmp

[LJG]

“Common sense is the most widely shared commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it.”

― René Descartes

[Dr. George]

“Common sense is the most widely shared commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it.”

― René Descartes

Touché

[_Keith]

OK, so Dean did not post it in the general forum. No problem. Did anyone post it?

If not I will rectify that asap. I just don't want to duplicate a post.

[PALM MOD]

I am still awaiting some clarification as to how and where various topics concerning the IPS are, or are not, to be posted.

[Dr. George]

OK, so Dean did not post it in the general forum. No problem. Did anyone post it?

If not I will rectify that asap. I just don't want to duplicate a post.

Keith - To my knowledge this is the only Topic posted on this particular grant acknowledgement. Let's let the folks who may have concerns work through this and see what they come up with, without adding to anyone's level of anexity. I'm kind of interested in seeing how the processing of this works out. - gmp

[Ken Johnson]

[realarch]

I've requested, and am still waiting for, the 'Endowment Minutes' as voted on in Peru. I should be receiving those soon and will post somewhere on PT. I would like to post in the public forum, and honestly I think that is where they will end up. Makes no sense for them to live anywhere else, but as Dean alluded to, that is not my decision. The Website committee is working on adding content to palms.org and if all goes well, will render the 'where post' issue a moot point.

Tim

[_Keith]

"and the band continued to play"

[Dr. George]

I've requested, and am still waiting for, the 'Endowment Minutes' as voted on in Peru. I should be receiving those soon and will post somewhere on PT. I would like to post in the public forum, and honestly I think that is where they will end up. Makes no sense for them to live anywhere else, but as Dean alluded to, that is not my decision. The Website committee is working on adding content to palms.org and if all goes well, will render the 'where post' issue a moot point.

Tim

Thanks for working on this Tim.

Quite frankly I don't understand why there is reluctance at levels above you to approve posting in a public forum what is public information. The 2013 grant awards are fully outlined in the Palms Dec 2013 supplement pages 3 & 4 (attached below). Once the Journal hit the mails, this was all public information.

The Montgomery publication is public information, as noted above, downloadable from a public website.

This is great stuff, and, IMHO, the organization should be patting itself on the back, taking some bows, and promoting itself publicly for what it's doing.

gmp

IPS Endowments 2013.pdf

[PALM MOD]

George - I don't think it is so much the posting of the "document" - but the resulting discussion, moderating, and explanations that are of possible concern.

[Dr. George]

Dean - I really do appreciate your sharing what information you are permitted to in order to provide some understanding of the internal debate over what otherwise seems like a very low risk, high gain suggestion. I think that it would be particularly helpful if whoever it is above you, Tim and Cindy, who has concerns would communicate those with the membership directly in order to promote some degree of understanding of whatever issue(s) there is/are of which we are not aware.

You know that I dislike making assumptions and jumping to unsubstantiated conclusions, but if the folks responsible are unwilling or unable to communicate, it only leads to suspicion, distrust, and folks forming opinions on what information and/or misinformation they have on hand. In my experience, that's never a good thing.

From what has been communicated so far, I am understanding that there is not a concern about posting a public document about IPS endowment support in a public forum, its that the contents of the document might be discussed publicly and someone in leadership might have to reply and this is a greater risk to the organization than promoting its successful efforts in fulfilling its mission "solely and exclusively for scientific and/or educational purposes...."

Seems to me endowment supported activities are something that we would want to talk about publicly. Seems to me that IPS would want to take the initiative to promote the good it has accomplished by posting this information publicly and hoping that it would initiate discussion. Then maybe folks on PT would not be so inclined to say things like "PT is the only reason I'm a member of IPS", and maybe folks on PT who are not IPS members would find additional reason to join, or re-join the IPS, or donate to IPS, or donate to the endowment.

I'm having real difficulty understanding this hide our light under a bushel philosophy. If the Chair of the Endowment Committee and the Chair of the PT Committee are okay with public disclosure and public discussion for endowment supported work and are willing to participate in such discussions as representatives of the BOD, why does anyone else care?

If I recall correctly, IPS membership has dropped from 3,000 into the neighborhood of 1,300, and the BOD is trying to figure out how to increase membership. What more effective, low cost way of promoting membership in IPS is there than discussing the good things that the organization is doing right here in a public forum on PT?

gmp

[PALM MOD]

George - I cannot disagree with anything you have said.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Knowing how the organizations that I volunteer for work, I am going to make an assumption without facts about the minutes of the Endowment Subcommittee.

It is sort of like the old saying of making law and making sausage, you might like the end result but nobody wants to see how it is made. There will be discussions by board members of funding certain grants but not others. About giving one organization or researcher more money and the next guy less. There will be value judgements on the merits of the requests or researcher.

Seeing these private discussions made public will cause discussions like "he is getting funding because he is so and so's buddy" or "Why didn't they fund this or that research, that is what I wanted".

I think the minutes of the endowment committee might better be treated like politicians treat negotiations with unions and lawyers in lawsuits, that is the public gets to see the end result but not the negotiations.

[Dr. George]

Knowing how the organizations that I volunteer for work, I am going to make an assumption without facts about the minutes of the Endowment Subcommittee.

It is sort of like the old saying of making law and making sausage, you might like the end result but nobody wants to see how it is made. There will be discussions by board members of funding certain grants but not others. About giving one organization or researcher more money and the next guy less. There will be value judgements on the merits of the requests or researcher.

Seeing these private discussions made public will cause discussions like "he is getting funding because he is so and so's buddy" or "Why didn't they fund this or that research, that is what I wanted".

I think the minutes of the endowment committee might better be treated like politicians treat negotiations with unions and lawyers in lawsuits, that is the public gets to see the end result but not the negotiations.

Jerry - the suggestion was to move Cindy's original post on this topic (#1 above) regarding Montgomery's expression of appreciation and it's publication of the conservation document with acknowledgement of IPS funding from the IPS members only forum to the open, public forum on IPS business.

No value judgements, no sausage, no political negotiations to hide. We done a good thing, they done a good thing, we got thanked for our support, let's step into the spotlight and take a bow.

gmp

[_Keith]

George is right on track, here.

[realarch]

We are making the Endowment minutes much more of a mountain than they really are. Past Endowment minutes are posted on palms.org and available to all members to review. Absolutely no controversy there. We would be better served to just post publicly the results of the grants and the total amount awarded. Members, if interested, could then go to the minutes to see the individual amounts of grants.

Tim

[Ken Johnson]

We are making the Endowment minutes much more of a mountain than they really are. Past Endowment minutes are posted on palms.org and available to all members to review. Absolutely no controversy there. We would be better served to just post publicly the results of the grants and the total amount awarded. Members, if interested, could then go to the minutes to see the individual amounts of grants.

Tim

That's a great idea Tim. When and where will you post them?

[Ken Johnson]

Nothing yet?

[PALM MOD]

Nope

[realarch]

I've contacted Susan Hubbel, recording secretary, she's trying to get the minutes together to get to me. I think she's still trying to straighten out some some procedural stuff related to Jim Cain's passing. Exasperating I agree, but working on it.

Tim

[Ken Johnson]

I've contacted Susan Hubbel, recording secretary, she's trying to get the minutes together to get to me. I think she's still trying to straighten out some some procedural stuff related to Jim Cain's passing. Exasperating I agree, but working on it.

Tim

We were all sent copies to approve. We have them in our email somewhere. Problem seems more to be that we are shy to post them. IDK why but sooner or latter we will have all our business online.

[_Keith]

I've contacted Susan Hubbel, recording secretary, she's trying to get the minutes together to get to me. I think she's still trying to straighten out some some procedural stuff related to Jim Cain's passing. Exasperating I agree, but working on it.

Tim

We were all sent copies to approve. We have them in our email somewhere. Problem seems more to be that we are shy to post them. IDK why but sooner or latter we will have all our business online.

Why is everyone with IPS afraid to say just about anything about anything in a membership only forum? Surely a member-based non-profit organization does not have that many secrets its own membership cannot know.

[Ken Johnson]

I've contacted Susan Hubbel, recording secretary, she's trying to get the minutes together to get to me. I think she's still trying to straighten out some some procedural stuff related to Jim Cain's passing. Exasperating I agree, but working on it.

Tim

We were all sent copies to approve. We have them in our email somewhere. Problem seems more to be that we are shy to post them. IDK why but sooner or latter we will have all our business online.

Why is everyone with IPS afraid to say just about anything about anything in a membership only forum? Surely a member-based non-profit organization does not have that many secrets its own membership cannot know.

From another angle too _Keith it makes it hard to get all the gears to mesh. There are some potentially great things that can happen. When we DO get all our people together online it WILL be much better for us all as well as for the new members that I am sure we will attract. I have a tiny bit of knowledge of some of what could happen soon that I will "leak" but don't tell anyone .