HORTICULTURE AWARD PROGRAM
RULES & REGULATIONS
ADOPTED BY BOD
July 2006
PURPOSE:
The Purposes of the Horticultural Award program are:
#1—To promote the keeping and propagation of aquatic plants.
#2–To recognize outstanding achievement in the growing and propagation of aquatic plants
#3–To gather information and knowledge of aquatic plants and their requirements.
#4 To identify new aquatic plant species and determine conditions necessary for their growth
#5—To make accounts of successful growing and propagation techniques available to all club members.
ELIGIBILITY:
All club members in good standing are eligible for the HAP program.
AWARD LEVELS:
The program is made up of six levels of competency. They and their requirements are as follows.
Beginning Horticulturist-30 points from the program.
Aquatic horticulturist– 100 points—OR-15 species.
Senior Aquatic Horticulturist-160 points which include 2 species from Class “C” and
1 species from Class “D” OR 30 species.
Expert Aquatic Horticulturist--240 points including all the aforementioned plus 1 species from Class “E” OR 40 species.
Master Aquatic Horticulturist-300 points including all the aforementioned plus 1 species from Class “F” – OR-50 species.
Grand Master Aquatic Horticulturist– 350 points including all the aforementioned plus 2 species from Class “F” OR– 65 species.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Attainment of any of the 6 levels will be recognized in the Youngstown Aquarist and at the general meetings.
Awards will be presented at the regular monthly club meetings for all 6 levels of achievement.
REQUIREMENTS:
#1—Any plant reproduced must be an actual aquatic plant: i.e., One which in the wild or natural state can be found in the submerged form as a natural occurrence at some time during the course of any one complete season.
#2— Plants are to be identified. The Encyclopedia of Water Plants by Jeri Strodola will used as the main reference for identification of most plant species, unidentified species will be assigned a code number for recording purposes until correctly identified
#3—Verification and registration of each propagation is required in all classes. In classes A & B, verification can be made by any member in good standing. In all other classes verification must be made by the HAP Chairperson or other committee member. committee member.
In the case where the HAP chairperson or other committee member wishing to register a propagation, another committee member must make the verification.
#4 Classes A through C, and class E, need only to be verified once. Class D & F must be verified twice; once when flowering and again when the young plants are old enough to be identified as being the young of the parent plant.
#5—A written report is required for classes C, D, &F before the points will be awarded.
#6—Following a successful propagation, it is the member’s own responsibility to see that his/her points have been properly registered.
REGISTRATION:
To register a plant for the HAP program, you must fill out the HAP registration form in triplicate and turn it in to the HAP chairperson. One copy will come back to you, the second copy will go the club’s library, and the third copy will stay with the HAP chairperson.
Then, you must either donate a portion of the plant to the monthly auction or donate a registration fee to the club. These amounts are listed next to each category, in the following section.
PLANT GROUPING 7 POINT ALLOCATIONS:
Class A . .. . 5 points . . . . 25 cents
1.-Any Azolla sp.
2.-Any Ceratophyllum sp.
3.-Any Elodea sp.
4.-Any Hygrophilia sp.
5.-Any Lemna sp.
6.-Any Riccia sp.
7.-any Salvinia sp.
8.-Any Sagittaria sp.
9.-Any Ceratopterus sp.
10.-Any Valisneria sp.
11.-Any Egewria sp.
12.-Any Lagarosiphon sp.
Class B . . . . 10 points . . . . 50 cents
1.-Any Ambulia sp.
2.-Any Bacopa sp. (except spatterdock)
3.-Any Cardamine sp.
4.-Any Cabomba sp.
5.-Any fontinalis sp. (coldwater)
6.-Any Heteranthera sp.
7.-Any Hydrilla sp.
8.-Any Limnophila sp.
9.-Any Lobelia sp.
10.-Any Ludwigia sp.
11.-Any Hydrocotyle sp.
12.-Any Myriophyllum sp.
13.-Any Nitella sp.
14.-Any Najas sp.
15. Any Nuphar sp.
16. Any Potamogeton sp.
17. Any Nymphoides sp.
18. Any Rotala sp.
19. Any Uticularia sp.
20. Any Eleocharis sp.
21. Any Samolus sp.
22. Pygmy Chain Swordplant.
23. Chain of Stars
24. Any Acorns sp.
25. Any Lilaeopsis sp.
26. Any Marine Macroalgae.
27. Pond Plants ( that grow with roots in the water; marginal plants not accepted)
| Class C . . | . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 15 points . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . .. 75 cents |
| 1.-Any Aponogeton (except Madagascar | 6. Any Isoletes sp. | |
| Lace Plant) | 7. Any Pistia sp. | |
| 2.-Any Cryptocoryne sp. | 8. Any Marsiles sp. | |
| 3.-Any Echinodorus ( except Pygmy | 9. Didipilis diandra | |
| Chain Swordplant) | 10. Microsorium pteropus | |
| 4.-Any Eichhornia sp. | 11.- Trapa natans | |
| 5.-Any Bobitis sp. | ||
| Class D. | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 points . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . $1.00 |
| 1.-Any Aldrovandia sp. | 4. Ottellia alismoides | |
| 2.-Any Anubias sp. | 5. Cape Fear Spatterdock | |
| 3.-Any Legenandra sp. | 6. Madagascar Lace Plant |
Class E—Flowering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 cents
Extra points will be given for plants which flower for you. Flowering will be considered the same as propagation of the plant. The points awarded will be the same as the plant would earn in it’s designated class. (For example: Cabomba + 10 points for doubling the original mount plus 10 points for flowering)
Verification must be done when the plant is in full bloom. The flower must be attached to the aquarist’s own plant in his/her own aquarium, in his/her own house.
Class F—Sexual Propagation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 cents
The sexual propagation of a plant will be given extra points. The points awarded will be the same as the plant would have earned in it’s designated class. (For example Cabomba = 10m points for doubling the original amount, plus 10 points for flowering, plus 10 points for the seeds collected and grown.)
TYPES OF PLANT REPRODUCTION:
1.—Floating plants—doubling the original amount.
2.—Bunch Plants—Doubling the original amount, to be determined by root count of the growing plants.
3.—By Runner or Division— One healthy plant capable of living independently from the parent plant while the parent plant is still alive and in good health. Bunch plants are not allowed in this category.
4.—Sexual reproduction—One plant reproduced by sexual means from the aquarist’s own parent plant.
5.—Flowering—Extra points will be awarded for plants which flower. Verification must be done while the plant is in full bloom. The flower must be attached to the member’s own plant in their own house.
HAP COMMITTEE:
The HAP committee shall consist of at least 3 members who are in good standing. The Chairperson shall be appointed by the President. The remaining members shall be selected by the Chairperson, then approved by the BOD.
FUNCTION & AUTHORITY OF THE HAP COMMITTEE:
The committee shall oversee and enforce all the rules and regulations governing the HAP program. Among these are: verifying and awarding points to qualified members in a timely manner, keeping proper records of the awards, making proper awards to qualified members, publishing the results in the Youngstown Aquarist, reviewing the rules and regulations of the program at least once each year for possible improvements, sending the proper reports to FAAS in a timely manner and reporting torn the Board of Directors regularly.
Special rulings may be requested by the committee. Appeals to those rulings may be referred to the Board of Directors and may be modified by a two thirds majority.
Should the committee ever feel that certain changes in the rules may be advised, they will adhere to the following procedure and no changes will be retroactive:
1.–A date for the changes or modifications will be chosen by the committee.
2.–The changes or modifications will be brought before the Board of Directo
If it is approved there, then:
3.–The proposal, with the effective date, will be published in a conspicuous manner in the Youngstown Aquarist at least 3 months preceding the effective date.
The HAP committee reserves the right to temporarily assign any plant not covered by the program to whichever class they feel appropriate until; such time as it can be given it’s rightful designation, according to the steps outlined above. The points will not be awarded until this time but the plant will be registered as a successful propagation, etc.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES PERTAINING TO THE HAP:
1.— The definition of a “family” is outlined in the Constitution. Art. 3, Section. C
2.–To avoid future confusion, children within a family are encouraged to participate separately in the HAP program.
3.–Understanding that married couples or partners will often wish to participate in the
HAP program jointly, YATFS has made the following provisions.
A.– In the event that 2 people who are jointly engaged in the HAP program should be separated by divorce, death, etc.:
I.– Each party will maintain the award level and total points equal to what they previously earned together
II.– In the event a divorced couple remarries, they may either, continue the HAP program where they left off as a partnership, in which case any points accumulated after their dissolution will be null OR—they may choose to continue their participation separately.
III.–In the event of a new marriage/partnership, the newly joined couple can elect to: participate in the program separately, whereby the previous HAP participant shall retain his/her points—OR—they may choose to begin the HAP program anew as a couple, in which case any previously earned points are forfeited.
4.—In the event a member leaves the club, his/her points will be reinstated at any time that they rejoin the club.
5.—Any member of the society who loses his/her rights as a “member in good standing” shall lose all points earned in the program. The points may be reinstated if the member again attains “Good Standing” status with the Board of Directors and is cleared by the HAP committee.