The RUTH V. BLENIS AWARD
The Ruth V. Blenis Award was established at the Empire State Iris Society [ESIS] Board of Directors
Meeting on October 5, 1968. The award was named to honor the late Ruth V. Blenis, for her dedication to the promotion of iris activities.
A member of the Capital-Hudson area, she served as RVP and President of ESIS in the 1950’s, was instrumental in organizing the region
into active areas, and started the tradition of annual regional meetings.
From 1969 until 1995, the award was given to the iris and
exhibitor winning Best Specimen of Show at an accredited ESIS show. At the ESIS Board of Directors Meeting on April 22, 1995, the
Ruth V. Blenis Award was converted to a tall bearded iris award in order to conform to new show rotation guidelines. At the Board
meeting on October 15, 2000 the ESIS Board of Directors voted to grant the award to AIS Region 2.
The guidelines for the Ruth V. Blenis
Award are as follows:
1. The assignment of the Ruth V. Blenis award will be made according to the AIS Region 2 Show Rotation Guidelines.
2.
The award will be presented to the exhibitor of the highest-placed tall bearded iris in the assigned AIS accredited Region 2 show.
If a tall bearded iris is not awarded Best Specimen of Show or is not a runner-up to Best Specimen of Show, all tall bearded iris
earning Best of Section will be judged to determine the best tall bearded iris in the show.
3. The AIS Region 2 treasury will provide
the funding for the Ruth V. Blenis Award.
4. The award will be presented at the annual AIS Region 2 meeting. The Ruth V. Blenis Award
will take the form of a silver-plated Paul Revere style bowl or any recipient may opt to receive a certificate in lieu of the award. The
inscription will read:
AIS Region 2
presents
The Ruth V. Blenis Award
to
(Award Winner’s Name)
for
Best Tall Bearded Iris
(Name of
Award-Winning Iris)
(Year)
|
YEAR
|
AFFILIATE
|
EXHIBITOR
|
CULTIVAR
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
1969
|
Rochester
|
Lillian
Gristwood
|
'Stepping Out'
|
|
1970
|
NO SHOW HELD
|
|
|
|
1971
|
Central New York Iris Society (CNYIS)
|
Robert
& Frances Breth
|
'Stepping Out'
|
|
1972
|
Long Island
|
Phyllis Zezelic
|
'Warbler'
|
|
1973
|
Rochester
|
Isabella
Carmer
|
'Moonprint'
|
|
1974
|
CNYIS
|
Albert deGroat
|
'Fond WIsh'
|
|
1975
|
Rochester
|
Albert deGroat
|
'Warm
Gold'
|
|
1976
|
Rochester
|
Charles Thomas
|
'Most Precious'
|
|
1977
|
NO SHOW HELD
|
|
'Most Precious'
|
|
1978
|
Niagara
South West (NSW)
|
Dr. Edward Valentine
|
'Ewen'
|
|
1979
|
Rochester
|
Lynn Carmer
|
'Moonprint'
|
|
1980
|
CNYIS
|
Mr. & Mrs. John
Munro
|
'Neptune's Pool'
|
|
1981
|
NSW
|
Gregory Schifferli
|
'Stop Sign'
|
|
1982
|
NO SHOW HELD
|
|
|
|
1983
|
NO
SHOW HELD
|
|
|
|
1984
|
NSW
|
Dr. Edward Valentine
|
'Sunrise Sunset'
|
|
1985
|
Rochester
|
Gregory Schifferli
|
'Song of Norway'
|
|
1986
|
CNYIS
|
Maggie
Lou Smith
|
'Ego'
|
|
1987
|
NSW
|
Anna Rettig
|
'Sterling Prince'
|
|
1988
|
CNYIS
|
John & Helen Schueler
|
'Warbler'
|
|
1989
|
NSW
|
Wendy
Roller
|
'Whoop Em' Up'
|
|
1990
|
CNYIS
|
James & Lillian Gristwood
|
'Stepping Out'
|
|
1991
|
NSW
|
Kathleen Guest
|
'Extravagant'
|
|
1992
|
CNYIS
|
Wendy
Roller
|
'Vanity'
|
|
1993
|
Southern Tier Iris Society (STIS)
|
Mary Stiefel
|
'Afternoon Delight'
|
|
1994
|
NSW
|
James Burke
|
'Busy Being
Blue'
|
|
1995
|
CNYIS
|
Maggie Lou Smith
|
'Roy Davidson'
|
|
1996
|
Capital-Hudson Iris Society (CHIS)
|
Kathryn Mohr
|
'Sindjkha'
|
|
1997
|
STIS
|
Dorothy
Fingerhood
|
'Orange Slices'
|
|
1998
|
CNYIS
|
Donna Schifferli
|
'Winter's Tale'
|
|
1999
|
Western New York Iris Society (WNYIS)
|
Bob
Keup
|
'Anna Mae Babson'
|
|
2000
|
|
Bruce Baird
|
'Jesse's Song'
|
|
2001
|
WNYIS
|
Gregory Schifferli
|
'Angels in Flight'
|
|
2002
|
CHIS
|
Bob
Keup
|
'Rhages'
|
|
2003
|
STIS
|
Frank Sorbello
|
'San Juan Silver'
|
|
2004
|
AFIDS
|
Paul Johnson
|
'Navajo Blanket'
|
|
2005
|
Hudson
Valley Iris and Daylily Society (HVIDS)
|
Ella & Jerry Murphy
|
'In Your Dreams'
|
|
2006
|
CNYIS
|
Teresa Kellly
|
'Exactitude'
|
|
2007
|
STIS
|
Dorothy
Stiefel
|
'Vanity'
|
|
2008
|
WNYIS
|
David Baehre
|
'Into the Night'
|
|
2009
|
HVIDS
|
Ella Murphy
|
'Diversion'
|
|
2010
|
WNYIS
|
Judy
Tucholski-Zon
|
'Ola Kala'
|
|
2011
|
WNYIS
|
David Baehre
|
'Wishful Thinking'
|
|
2012
|
Show cancelled due to early bloom season
|
|
|
|
2013
|
Greater
Rochester Iris Society (GRIS)
|
Dorothy Stiefel
|
'Pacific Mist'
|
|
2014
|
Ontario Iris Society (ONIS)
|
Terry Laurin
|
'Stairway To Heaven'
|
|
2015
|
Ontario
Iris Society (ONIS)
|
Terry Laurin
|
'Paul Black'
|
|
2016
|
HVIDS
|
Not Awarded
|
|
|
2017
|
GRIS
|
Neil Houghton
|
'Tuscan Summer'
|
|
2018
|
GRIS
|
Dorothy
Stiefel
|
'Celebration Song'
|
|
2019
|
WNYIS
|
Maria Gerbracht
|
'Curvaceous Curves'
|
|
2020
|
Show cancelled due to pandemic
|
|
|
|
2021
|
Show
cancelled due to pandemic
|
|
|
|
2022
|
Show cancelled
|
|
|
|
2023
|
Show cancelled (GRIS)
|
|
|
|
2024
|
Show
cancelled (GRIS)
|
|
|
|
2025
|
WNYIS
|
Dave Baehre
|
'Instant Message'
|