In the early 1970s, I asked the Editor of Orchid Review (John Blowers) if he could include some kind of "Dates for your Diary" or "What's on" page in the Orchid Review occasionally. John did not think this a good idea, it was "too parochial" . But as an aside, he threw out the idea - " what you need is an Association of Orchid Societies - some kind of umbrella organisation" but he went on to add " that will never happen". I think the pessimism was based on his own experiences, in attempting to promote Orchid Society of Great Britain (OSGB) as a truly national Society in the same way as I imagine the American Orchid Society is in USA. But I thought his idea was a good one.
I decided to have a go at getting an organisation into being, despite the negative advice.
At the time, my own Society, BMOS (Birmingham and Midland) had about 600 members, and I thought that OSGB had maybe 1500 members - including many ( like myself) who never went to a meeting because there were none within reasonable traveling distance, but who had joined because of the name ("Great Britain") and remained because of the journal. The other Societies were, in comparison, much smaller. If I could sell the idea to my own Society and to OSGB, then with the two largest Societies in favour, the others might join in for fear of being left out .
So after persuading BMOS, I went to London to discuss with Les Bowen, who was Secretary of OSGB at the time . He liked the idea, and agreed to put it to his committee - and OSGB agreed.
Next, I called a meeting to discuss, inviting all of the larger, older Societies to send a representative. It was to be held at my home (then) in a commuter town near Birmingham, but the BMOS President ( Eric Fiddian) suggested that we had it at his home in Edgbaston, less than a couple of miles from Birmingham New Street railway station, which is what happened. I have no records of that, or indeed of any of the early events - as I recall there were a dozen or so people present, representing 6 or 8 Societies, but it was agreed to hold a more public meeting for discussion and maybe action.
I booked a hall at a hotel on Hagley Road, Edgbaston - the one where BMOS held its meetings, and Orchid Review poublished a mention, so as to draw this to the attention of the smaller Societies, whose addresses or even existence was unknown to me. Paul Phillips and Ray Bilton came from BOGA, and representatives from almost all of the Societies. BOC was born.
I recognised that the more people involved, and the greater number of Societies having members who had some BOC office, the better the chance of success, so I deliberately took a back seat whilst indicating my willingness to do any job where no-one else could be found. So I was not an officer. However, It was decided to form a series of sub-committees to deal with all of the different areas where BOC might have a function, plus Rules, etc. I was initially on the Judging and Awards sub-committee, with Ray Oddy (OSGB), Ray Bilton (McBeans Orchids), and Doug. Steele (Central OS).
BOC delegates met quarterly, and for some time little visible happened, whilst sub-committees met and pondered. But one almost immediate problem was finance. Even these meetings at hotels needed some money, and Societies were very reluctant to finance an organisation which had yet to prove of any practical worth.
Then Les Bowen came up with the idea of a Congress - which he had heard of, as being a big money-spinner for USA Orchid Societies. And so the idea for the first BOC Congress was born. I was on the sub-committee to organise that, and went with at least Les Bowen, maybe only the two of us, to look at Syon Park which was a possible venue ( on the banks of the Thames, opposite Kew) . We ran into a snag, when our booking dates were agreed but a guarantee of £1000 ( as I recall , these 30+ years later) was required. We retired to think about that. I could see that it was not impossible, but not from our constituent Societies, for it was doubtful if any of them had that kind of money and certain that none of them would agree to pledge even a tenth of it. But whilst I was thinking, Les Bowen once again came up with the answer; he knew a rich businessman who was a very keen orchid-grower, who would put the money up. ( It was not required to actually produce it - the guarantee was against the theoretical possibility that we could not pay the bill for any reason - and we planned to make a profit from sale of tickets etc, and loss was not an option).
The "snag" for me, was the quid pro quo. In return for the guarantee, we would, as a grateful organisation, make the person concerned our President. And so Eric Young became the first President of BOC.
History shows, I believe, that the Syon Park Congress was a success and put BOC firmly on the map. I do not claim to have had much part in that; for I dropped out of the picture at this point - my private life and my business life underwent crises - I was to move to Munich to open a new office for my firm, as one consequence of UK "joining Europe", and with my (first) marriage ended I proposed to live in an apartment close to my new office not far from the new European Patent Office (my profession lies in that direction). Growing orchids was not an option, and 30 years ago, commuting that far was also not an option. So I sold my orchids - even sold/gave away my orchid books.
I never went to that first Congress, in fact, when I started growing orchids in UK again, a few years later, I deliberately kept out of the Orchid Society scene. I was slowly drawn back into that, but always refused to become a delegate to BOC . The Cheltenham Congress was the first that I attended , but I have been to most since then.
So, who is the "Father of BOC" ? Who is responsible for its existence ? Many have claimed the honour. Some who have done so certainly had no part in it at all ! Others have been honoured for their efforts. Not me.