How to Join or Renew AVSC Membership and Find a Local Affiliate

Updated

AVSC.ca, the official site of the African Violet Society of Canada, provides two direct entry points for getting involved: Join/Renew Membership and Find a Local Affiliate. Use the first if you want the society's member benefits, such as its Chatter newsletter and access to named hybrids; use the second if your main goal is connecting with growers in your own geographic area. The site presents these as separate paths, and you can take either or both.

What each entry point gives you

Entry point What it is for What the site says you get
Join/Renew Membership Becoming a member or renewing an existing membership Access to the Chatter newsletter with growing information from other members, and a connection into the community to obtain named hybrids to grow
Find a Local Affiliate Locating a group near you A way to join a local affiliate society if you are looking for people to connect with in your geographical area

The society describes itself as a community centred on learning together and sharing knowledge, and states that it welcomes anyone who wishes to join, learn, and share.

Joining or renewing membership

  1. Go to AVSC.ca.
  2. Select the Join/Renew Membership option from the site.
  3. Complete the membership process on the page that opens.

Expected result: membership access to the Chatter newsletter and a route into the community for obtaining named hybrids.

The site does not publish membership pricing, payment methods, or login requirements in the material available, so check the membership page itself for current terms before committing.

Finding a local affiliate

  1. Go to AVSC.ca.
  2. Select Find a Local Affiliate.
  3. Use the resulting information to identify an affiliate society in your area and join it.

Expected result: contact with growers in your region. The site frames this as the option for people who specifically want local, in-person connections rather than only the broader society community.

Which one should you choose?

  • Choose Join/Renew Membership if you want the newsletter, community access, and named hybrids.
  • Choose Find a Local Affiliate if your priority is meeting growers near you.
  • Choose both if you want the society's resources and a local group — the site presents them as complementary rather than alternatives.

A note on the plants themselves

The society's focus is a houseplant widely sold in grocery stores, home improvement stores, and greenhouses. According to AVSC.ca, African violets result from hybridization of species native to eastern Africa, mainly the Nguru mountains of Tanzania, and that hybridization has produced many flower colours and patterns as well as variegated forms. African violets belong to the Gesneriad family, which also includes the lipstick plant (aeschynanthus) and goldfish plant (nematanthus). This context explains the society's emphasis on growing and showing, and on sharing named hybrids among members.