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)

List of Winning Iris and exhibitors:
 
 
 
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)
 
 
 
 

Note: NSW is Niagara South West the forerunner of WNYIS.