The Kew Guild
Founded in 1893
For more than a century the Kew Guild has been the thread of continuity that binds present staff and students to those that have gone before. Through membership of the Guild the strong ties of friendship and professional interest that are formed at Kew can be retained and widened. The Journal is not only an unbroken annual record of Kew and the Guild since 1893, but is also a continuing channel of information about current courses and former staff and students across the world.
Website Stage 2 Development
Alex George, President of the Kew Guild, reports that the Kew Guild website stage 2 development is imminent following the committee discussions and agreement, paving the way for a more interactive interesting and accessible site.
Jonathan Rickards (Website Editor) jrickards@internet.com will be able and pleased to receive contributions in any format for inclusion and would welcome ongoing comments in due course. The development of the website will be initiated following the AGM and will be directed by Bob Ivison assisted by David Hardman to put into place your ideas.
One key distinction on the Home Page is to separate the tabs for General 'News' (i.e.of thisng happening at RBG Kew / Guild Members exploits/ Institute of Horticulture agendaa / RHS / BSBI / Dendrological Society / Arb Assoc. /Linnean Society to mention a few), from those for 'Events' (i.e. 'up and coming' things organised by or for KG / RBG or others of special interest to Guild Members) from Recent Events which will contain your reports, photos and general comments, things of interest etc. This will help to identify items requiring your immediate attention from those items which are reporting what has happened. (Removing past events from the present website has begun and these will eventually be posted in the archive section of the new website).
The requirement for a visual calendar has been raised and it is intended to review this in the light of the number of events taking place. It could be used to highlight outside events but the limited number does not necessarily warrent the space allotted to it. Your thoughts on this would be useful.
Links to other organisations such as the Institute of Horticulture and Landscape Institute can be easily incorporated together with others you may feel relevant. A good cross-section of links to a wide range of interests will help broaden our involvement outside the professional world we inhabit. Any suggestions to add to the shortlist will be welcome.
An area for questions and answers could be useful. i.e. I've got something I can't identify/grow/etc., or when can I sow sucha dn such, etc. Leaving it open for a response from another member. The questions would have to be posted by the website editor as would the answers at present but this is feasible if the volume is not too great. Your thoughts on links to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn would be welcome.
It is planned that designated committee members will be able to update and maintain their own areas of responsibility (Eg Events Officer) and this will streamline the operation of keeping the site up to date.
A draft of for an updated Home Page design can be viewed at the following link (View Wireframe). Don't forget that any Guild member is free to contribute articles, news (even quite short - a few sentences), photos of interest. Just get in touch with Jonathan.