ABOUT THE WFRS
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME – DIANE vom BERG
It was a pleasure to welcome our international, interstate and local participants to Adelaide my home city, to once again come together to enjoy our favourite flower “The Rose” and the friendship it brings to all.
Forthcoming WFRS events include the 15th International Heritage Rose Conference in Brussels in June 2023; the Regional Convention in Sweden in 2024, and the 20th World Convention in 2025 in Japan.
Our global sponsorship agreement with Felco will greatly assist the WFRS. The company is a worldwide leader in the production of high precision professional secateurs and pruning tools.
The Friends of the Federation welcomes the support of 8 new Friends for Life and 23 new Friends, providing further opportunities for promotion of the World Federation of Rose Societies.
The new WFRS website is updated regularly with our current Office Bearers, Members, activities, recent awards and with links to upcoming Conventions.
I look forward to seeing many rosarians in Brussels to once again enable the exchange of information as we continue to celebrate the rose together.
Kind regards
Diane vom Berg
HISTORY AND OBJECTIVES
The World Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS) was founded in 1968 in London, England by representatives from the rose societies of Australia, Belgium, Israel, New Zealand, Romania, South Africa, Great Britain and the United States of America. Its stated purpose was to hold international rose conferences and act as a clearing house for rose research.
At its first conference in New Zealand in 1971, Canada, India, Japan and Switzerland were also present. The objectives set out in the constitution adopted then still hold sway today.
They are:
- To encourage and facilitate the interchange of information about and knowledge of the rose between national rose societies
- To coordinate the holding of international conventions and exhibitions
- To encourage, and where appropriate, sponsor research into problems concerning the rose
- To establish common standards for judging rose seedlings
- To assist in coordinating the registration of rose names
- To establish a uniform system of rose classification
- To grant international honours and awards
- To encourage and advance international cooperation on all matters concerning the rose
Ambitious and lofty goals! Some have been met and others have been more illusive to achieve, especially when dealing with 40 very independent rose societies.
WHAT WE DO
To date there have been 19 World Rose Conventions, usually held at three year intervals. The next Convention will be held between Sunday 18th May to Saturday 24th May 2025, hosted by the Japan Rose Society. In the intervening years regional conferences are held. The WFRS gives awards to outstanding roses and to stars of the rose world. We also honour outstanding rose gardens and rose books.
We are working to encourage common standards for judging new seedling roses, and we show the current international trials winners on our website.
The WFRS facilitates the exchange of information about the rose. Every national rose society knows about roses in their own country. They know the history, where and when roses bloom, the most favoured varieties, rose shows, trials, conventions, great rose gardens, nurseries and hybridisers. To make this information more readily available around the world, the WFRS maintains contact and event information for each member national rose society on our website and publishes World Rose News several times a year.
PRESIDENTS EMERITUS
2003 – Mr. Richard Balfour (Dick) (deceased) – Great Britain
2003 – Baroness Lily de Gerlache de Gomery (deceased) – Belgium
2009 – Mr. David Ruston (deceased) – Australia
2022 – Mrs. Helga Brichet – Italy
PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE WFRS
1968 – Baroness Lily de Gerlache de Gomery – Belgium
1971 – Raymond Allen – United States of America
1974 – Frank Bowen – Great Britain
1976 – Fred Ziady – South Africa
1979 – David Gilad – Israel
1981 – Lily de Gerlache de Gomery – Belgium
1983 – Richard Balfour – United Kingdom
1985 – Vincent Gioia – United States of America
1988 – Susan Begg – Argentina
1991 – David Ruston – Australia
1994 – Ethel Freeman – Canada
1997 – Helga Brichet – Italy
2000 – Kenneth Grapes – Great Britain
2003 – Thomas Cairns – United States of America
2006 – Gérald Meylan – Switzerland
2009 – Sheenagh Harris – South Africa
2012 – Steve Jones – United States of America
2015 – Kelvin Trimper – Australia
2018 – Henrianne de Briey – Belgium
INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF EXHIBITING AND JUDGING ROSES Book
USA & CANADA
Single copy $25.00 including shipping or
Twelve copy for $ 240.00 with free shipping to one
address in USA. Reduce cost to $ 20.00 per copy
INTERNATIONAL
Single copy $40.00 including shipping
Higher cost due to airmail package
Payment, mailing address & email to
BEVERLY HILLS ROSE SOCIETY
3053 Laurel Canyon Boulevard,
Studio City, California 91604
Inquiries send email message to: JudgeROSES@gmail.com
INTERNATIONAL MULTIPLES
Twelve copy for $ 340,00 to be shipped to one
address Reduce cost to $ 28.30 per copy
