Jim McKenney's account of the speaking tour of Janis Ruksans indicates another benefit (in addition to the seed exchange and, dare I mention it, the quarterly magazine) of belonging to the North AMerican Rock Garden Society. Each year NARGS sponsors two or three touring speakers, often from abroad, who present programs at regional chapter meetings. The chapters are responsible only for hosting the speakers and paying a small fee. Most chapters welcome non-members as guests, without charge, but if this benefit is to continue, the Society needs to reverse its decline in membership; unlike the AGS, NARGS doesn't have a large endowment that can be used for all of its activities. Its major endowment fund is restricted to a few purposes. There are enough of us active at the upper levels of NARGS who have a special interest in bulbs that the Society frequently sponsors bulb-oriented events, and naturally the Rock Garden Quarterly (which I edit) is very welcoming to articles on geophytes. I know many of you are also NARGS members, and encourage others to visit the website, http://www.nargs.org/. We'd particularly like to see a regional chapter arise in southern California, where rock gardening in the broad sense is really important given the water situation. Best regards, Jane McGary