At the Board Meeting in June, 1997 the Board established a Distinguished Service Award for RIS members at the apt and timely suggestion of John Weiler.  It was pointed out that this was to be a service award, not a hybridizer's award.

The award committee is now composed of past recipients and the currently serving president of RIS.

The first recipient was Raymond G. Smith who promoted rebloomers at a time when they faced a lack of credibility and a great deal of scorn.

Distinguished Service Award recipients are:

1998 - John Weiler and Lloyd Zurbrigg
1999 - Ben Hager, Earl Hall, and Frank Jones
2000 - Rosalie Figge

In 1998, John Weiler's far-reaching proposal was accepted to issue an International Certificate of Recognition to award rebloomer supports in a foreign country.

International Certificate of Recognition recipients are:

1998 - Giovanni Edoardo Nogaro of Italy received the first International Certificate
1999 - Nico de Geus of the Netherlands
2003 - Freda Cook of Great Britain

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