May 18 Meeting - Annual Repotting Session
This is a fantastic opportunity to give your orchids fresh media and a new lease on life, with friendly faces to help you along the way.
 
Expert Help to Repot, Divide, and Mount
Experienced members will demonstrate how to divide, repot, and mount donated plants, which will be offered in a free raffle. Additional plants will be available for sale.
All supplies will be provided for the demonstrations.
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Bring Your Plant to Repot
You are welcome to bring your own plants for repotting, someone will provide guidance. Please provide your own media and pots. Be sure your plants are pest free.
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Want List for Repotting Session
We need a few demonstration plants, media, mounting materials, and old newspapers (to help contain debris). For information, email stosorchids@gmail.com.
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We won't have our usual raffle but we will have a show table. Bring your blooming orchids to show off!
STOS Member Mini-Meetings
Latest Updates! Stay tuned as we start up! We will periodically be adding new Mini-Meetings, and we will post them as well as other Mini-Meeting news here.
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Check out our new Mini-Meeting Status Tracker, posted below and regularly updated, so that you can see the status of a particular Mini-Meeting.
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New Mini-Meetings for June! If you wish to participate in a particular event, contact me, or, even better, sign up for all the times that you are available at this Google Forms link. If 4 or more people sign up for a particular time, then it's a go!
Once there are at least 4 signups and the Mini-Meeting is confirmed, the host will email you a confirmation. The Zoom link will be emailed out the week before the confirmed Mini-Meeting. Now all you need to do is show up! That's it!
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​Proposed Times
June 1 Sunday 3PM
June 2 Monday 7PM
June 4 Wednesday 6PM
(This mini-meeting was first offered last month, and is still open but will close out soon!)
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Diagnosing Sick Orchids
What’s wrong with my plant? Should I be freaking out?
Checkout our latest offerings for June!
​Proposed Times
June 7 Saturday 3PM
June 21 Saturday 2PM
June 27 Friday 3PM
Paphs, Pure and Simple!
A special visit with fellow member Luis Matienzo, to discuss the diversity and culture of orchids in the genus Paphiopedilum. Luis has been growing and breeding these slipper orchids for decades! We hope to discuss species and hybrid groups in both the home and greenhouse environment, and to learn about their particular cultural requirements such as water requirements and fertilization. Come with questions!
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June Blooms Show-and-Tell
Not the monthly meeting show-and-tell ... but while we take a break from meeting in person in June and July, our orchids are still flowering. So here's a chance to show and tell without taking them out of the house!
Proposed Times
June 17 Tuesday 7PM
June 22 Sunday 2PM
June 25 Wednesday 3PM
Phalaenopsis Q and A
So easy to obtain, so easy to grow....not? Whether it's a supermarket noID Phal or a rare species, almost everybody has one! Let's share our experiences growing one of the most ubiquitous orchids!
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Proposed Times
June 10 Tuesday 7PM
June 12 Thursday 7PM
June 14 Saturday 3PM
Orchid Photography Tips and Tricks
Are you shooting the best orchid photos possible? Share what works best for you, and listen to what works well for others. We can discuss DIY tips for anything from setting up and lighting a shot to editing photos on your phone.
Proposed Times
June 18 Wednesday 7PM
June 19 Thursday 7PM
June 23 Monday 7PM
Mini-Meeting Status Tracker last updated May 18, 2025
This is the spot where you can track the status of the Meetings you are interested in!
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not yet enough signups to confirm this means that we haven’t yet reached the threshold of 4 signups to go ahead with the Meeting.
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good to go! this means that we have reached the threshold number of signups necessary. If you already have signed up, then you will receive an email with confirmation. You can still go ahead and sign up for that confirmed time.
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withdrawn, not enough signups this means that the particular proposed time is withdrawn, no longer available because we didn’t reach the threshold number of signups.
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New meeting location:
Johnson City Senior Center
30 Brocton St. Johnson City, NY 13790
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Meetings are on the 3rd Sunday of each month and we are hoping to Zoom many of them. ​Meeting time is 2-4 pm with 'social time' 1:30-2:00. Refreshments, raffles and show table at most meetings.
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January 19 Speaker Ray Barkalow on "Orchid Nutrition"​
February 16 Speaker Tim Culbertson on "Holcoglossums-The Next Big Thing in Vandaceous Orchids"​​ Via Zoom only
March 16 Spring Auction in person, Speaker Clark Riley - Building a Greenhouse
This meeting starts at 1:00, social time 12:30-1:00
March 27-30 GROS Orchid Show​
April 12-13 STOS Orchid Show ​​
April 27 STOS General meeting
May 18 Repotting Workshop​
June-July-August Summer Recess​
August Picnic ​
Sept 21 Fall Auction - in person​?
Oct 19 Vote for Officers, Speaker TBA​
Nov 16 Speaker TBA​
Dec 21 Holiday Party
Calendar 2025
Executive Board
President
Linda Mittel
Vice President
Ruth Allen
Treasurer
Joe Sniezek
Secretary
Chris Higgins
AOS Representative
Polly Dillon
Members-At-Large
Jeff Hackett
Loi X Tran
Gail Gunsalus
Committee Chairs
Auction Committee Jane Trey, Jean Mint,
Jeff Hackett
IT Specialist Melissa Bennett
Librarian Laurel Shaefer
Marketing TBD
Membership Melissa Bennett, Anitra Murphy
Newsletter Editor Jeff Hackett
Program Coordinator Jean Mint
Social Event Ruth Allen, Jane Trey
Social Media Loi Tran, 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/
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Spring Orchid Show 2025
A Great Success
The NEW VENUE, the Johnson City Senior Center, worked out very well for our Spring Show, April 12-13. We had record attendance and the vendors were quite pleased.
Special thanks to Jeffrey Hackett and Sam (Melissa) Hance for co-chairing and also thanks to many, many members who made this show a success.
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STOS had 2 exhibits plus 2 by individuals or small groups
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STOS won an AOS award for education for this display abut terrariums. The award really goes to our president, Linda Mittel, who put it all together.
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Linda Mittel also created this Mystic Orchids Landscape in her spare time.
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The Ithaca Bonsai Club Exhibit was a nice addition to our show
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GROS won many blue ribbons
Other Area Orchid Shows 2025
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.
Jan 18-19 Central Pennsylvania Orchid Society (CPOS)
Jan 31-Feb 2 Susquehanna Orchid Society
Feb 14-16 Deep Cut Orchid Society
April 4 - 6 SEPOS (Southeastern Penn OS)
April 12-13 STOS
April 26 Mid-Hudson Orchid Society (MHOS)*
Nov 9-10 Niagara Frontier Orchid Society (NFOS)​​
​*See below for more information
