The following awards are bestowed for 2020:
ADS President’s Award, is presented to Dick and Danielle Parshall
Dick and Danielle Parshall
The President’s Award is given to individuals who have gone far beyond being simply interested in dahlias. It identifies people who have seriously promoted the dahlia and who have been especially supportive of the community of dahlia lovers extending the local society. Being intimately involved with the operation of the ADS is not a requisite. In a normal year, this award would be presented at the ADS National Show and in general is used to recognize someone from the area around the ADS National Show venue.
The 2020 ADS National Show was scheduled to held in Wenatchee, Washington in September but the event was postponed due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Although the ADS National Show was not held as scheduled I did present the President’s Award to Dick and Danielle Parshall at the Annual Meeting held on September 13, 2020 via Zoom. It is unfortunate that Danielle Parshall passed away in July of this year before I could present the award to both of them. However, I do plan on presenting, in-person, the President’s Award to Dick Parshall at a Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers event in 2021.
Dick and Danielle were part of the group of people that my wife Rosemary and I befriended when we started growing and showing dahlias in early 1990s. As a couple Dick and Danielle were both involved in what started out as a hobby growing and showing dahlias then move on to hybridizing dahlia and finally into a small business selling dahlia tubers. Dick and Danielle were passionate about dahlias and as retired teachers were more than able to share their knowledge and experiences with others.
Dick and Danielle’s contributions to dahlia culture and many dahlia organizations were many faceted:
- Clearview Dahlias – their award- winning dahlias in a variety of sizes, forms and color are known around the world.
- They were Co-Chairs of the Judges Evaluation Committee for the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers. This is thankless record keeping job akin to “herding cats.”
- Dick and Danielle were retired teachers, so they contributed to the Federation judging program both as instructors and co-chairs of the Judges Training Committee. They instituted the annual meeting of judging class instructors to coordinate curriculum for the various annual Federation judging classes. These meetings included discussion of current dahlia judging concerns and how they should be addressed in the annual judging classes.
- Dick became the President of the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers after the retirement of the long serving President Les Connell. Dick had “big shoes” to fill which he did with a cool and calm demeanor. Dick held the position for eight years, leading the Federation through the successful 2014 ADS National Show.
- They have been members of the Snohomish County Dahlia Society. Danielle served both as the Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer; Dick served as President.
- In addition to their roles with the Federation they have been members of the ADS Classification Committee.
- Other contributions include their explanation of the “dahlia continuum” for form and the development of the “scoring cheat sheet” for new seedlings.
Dick and Danielle were inducted into the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers Hall of Fame in 2016. I now have the honor and privilege of awarding them the ADS President’s Award in 2020.
Brad Freeman, ADS President