AFH Quick Calendar of Events |
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Sep 9
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Grandparent's Day
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Sep 13
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AFH Design Program, TBA
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Sep 23
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First Day of Autumn
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Oct 3
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Texas Floral Showcase “West Texas Region”
McKensie-Merket Alumni Center, Lubbock, TX
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Nov 4th
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Daylight savings time ends
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Nov 11
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Veterans Day
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Nov 22
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Thanksgiving
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2018-2019 Board of Directors
President Alan Masters AIFD Lewis Career & Technical High School Houston, TX
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First Vice President Alex Torres AIFD Houston, TX
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Second Vice President Maggie Bailey Bramble and Bee Tomball, TX
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Past President Currently vacant
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Retail Director (2 yr term) Kim Jones AIFD The Blooming Idea The Woodlands, TX
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Retail Director (2 yr term) Lana King TMFA Blooms from the Heart Cypress, TX
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Retail Director (2 yr term) Briana Owens G Johnsons Floral Images Houston, TX
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Retail Director (2 yr term) Ace Berry Fulshear Flowers Fulshear, TX
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Wholesale Director (2 yr term) Rob Spikol Greenleaf Wholesale Florist Houston, TX
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Wholesale Director (2 yr term) Nora Cisneros TMFA Mayesh Wholesale Houston, TX
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Employee Director (2 yr term) Vivianna Valverde HEB Blooms Houston, TX
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General Membership Director Michael McCarthy AIFD The Blooming Idea The Woodlands, TX
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Secretary Debbie Lyon Kroger Floral Department Houston, TX
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Treasurer Keith Taylor Taylor Wholesale Houston, TX
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Parlimentarian Robin Martinez AAF. TMFA Flowers of Kingwood Kingwood, TX
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Taking it to the People by Alan Masters AIFD
I have long believed that we as floral designers and artists, keep our art to ourselves respectfully. We have a tendency to keep what we do locked behind the doors of our conventions, symposiums and sometimes even our shops. Oh, I know we deliver our designs all over the city every day, we show off our style at hotels, hospitals, funeral homes and houses, but all the while we hide away all of the beauty that we practice and aspire too. It is my opinion that we need to spend more time taking the art work that we create, to the people.
That said, I was invited, the last week of July to present a design program to an architectural firm in Lubbock Texas. I accepted and flew to show them what we do. I spent two hours in the evening showing them different types of designs all in fresh flowers, using wire, structures and more to inspire in them and deeper level of creativity. It was a night to reignite the fires of passion, release the cords of stress and revisit the occupational choices that they had made. Flowers have long been a universal language and one that we can use cross boundaries and barriers a bridge that will begin to give us opportunities we never imagined.
 
It was such a fun evening, creating architectural structures and designing flowers in and amongst the structures. I was allowed free reign of flowers, textures and styles. The goal of the night was simple, to allow the attendees an opportunity to relax. Relax they did, margaritas in hand, they laughed, talked, questioned, cheered and applauded. They had so much fun they forgot about the stresses of the work load they had been carrying. Goal accomplished. If I can encourage you to look for opportunities that might arise to talk to different organizations, groups or whomever might take the time to listen to your story. It’s all about awareness. Awareness of our industry, awareness of flowers and awareness of the art form we create.
I would like to say thank you to Design West Studio for having me present to them and to Kassie Baker and House of Flowers for ordering and receiving the flowers for me so that I would have the product needed to do the program. It was truly an exciting opportunity and one that I will cherish for many years to come.
Keep blooming and go out and make something beautiful today.
Message from the President
Greetings to my Floral Family,
As you read this our summer is drawing to a close. We are headed back into the busier part of the year for many of our shops. As school is starting again most of you are preparing for homecoming, fall and yes, Christmas. There are 150 days left before the big day. If you haven’t already, you should start thinking about what and where you will be placing your Christmas merchandise this year.
I am looking forward to the coming year and all that it holds for us as Allied. We are growing and becoming stronger each and every meeting, While the numbers don’t seem to be changing yet, we are growing in the choices we are making and the way things are evolving. We look forward to the future and what it holds for us now. I am asking that all of you, over the next year, make your very best attempts to be at all of the meetings so that we can not only spend time together and get to know each other better, but that we can also see the upturn in numbers as we continue to spread education in our community. Each and every one of you is an integral part of our organization and our very existence depends on you. .
On a different note, Zig Ziglar once said “What you get by accomplishing your goals is not as important as what you become by accomplishing your goals.” All of us set goals, personal goals, business goals and so forth. When I read this quote I was reminded that not even the achievement itself is all that important. Yes we should have goals, yes we should strive to achieve those goals, but what it important is not the goal itself, but our growth through the process. As we reach for the stars every day, let us not forget about the steps we must take to get there. Let that be our resolution now, to grow in our processes. In all that we do, let us become better and better as people and in who we are. As always, Keep blooming and go out and make something beautiful today.
Alan Masters AIFD, CFD President Allied Florist of Houston

Become a Member of Allied Florists of Houston
To see all the benefits that membership provides go to the About Us page. Dues can be paid online and fax your completed application to 281-360-1035 OR Mail your check and completed application to: Allied Florists of Houston c/o: Taylor Wholesale 1601 W. 21st Houston, TX 77008
Retail Membership Qualifications Retail shops actively engaged in the full time sale of flowers, plants, and related items and located within 100 miles of Houston qualify for this classification. The locations shall be clearly identified by an outside florist sign; shall have a separate sales area; a floral display refrigerator; and shall have a delivery vehicle. At the time of application for membership, the retail shop shall have been engaged in the florist business for at least six months; have a commercial telephone listing; have a full time designer on duty at all times; and belong to at least one wire service. ~ Annual dues are $150 billed each July ~ Includes Voting Privileges Download the Retail Membership Application.
Wholesale / Grower Membership Qualifications
Individuals, wholesalers or wholesale-grower firms who are actively engaged in the production and/or distribution of cut flowers and/or plants and/or related items and located within 100 miles of Houston qualify for this classification. ~Annual dues are $150 billed each July ~ Includes Voting Privileges
Download the Wholesale/Grower Membership Application.
Associate Membership Qualifications Associate Members shall be firms or individuals engaged in wholesale or floral related businesses not qualifying for retail member classification. ~Annual dues are $150 billed each July ~ Includes Voting Privileges Download the Associate Membership Application.
General Membership Qualifications General Members shall be individuals employed within the floral industry or students or instructors of floriculture, landscape gardening, landscape architecture, or ornamental horticulture. ~Annual dues are $50 billed each July ~ NO Voting Privileges. Download the General Membership Application.
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