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EDUCATION
Chairman - Lou Cook
The Arkansas Florists Assocation is dedicated to the advancement of floriculture in the state of Arkansas.
The Education Committee is committed to bringing each of our members and their employees quality, affordable educational opportunities. Our objective is to further the professional floral industry in the state of Arkansas and to enable you to attain your greatest potential as a floral designer and/or manager. Ultimately we wish for you to be successful and your business profitable.
THE PROFESSIONAL FLORIST CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
The Certification Program will begin again in January of 2008 A registration form is available in the "Forms Section". The new deadline for submitting registrations is February 10, 2008 The instructors for the lecture classes this year are Lou Cook, AIFD, AAF, AMF, June Owen, Jim Watts,AMF and Wendel McCorkle, AMF. The instructor for all the hands-on classes is Ralph Null, AIFD. We are extremely fortunate to have Ralph Null come to teach these classes. The Association has gone above and beyone to secure a design teacher of this calibre. Ralph was the Professor at MSU who administered the Floriculture program there for many years. Today he is the Professsor emeritus at MSU. In addition to his teaching, he has traveled around the world teaching and sharing his talents at every level imaginable. His designs have been exhibited in London, Sydney, Tokyo and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C. AIFD recently awarded him the AIFD Award of Design Influence. He is only the 7th person to ever receive this award. His floral creations have been featured from the White House to Saks Fith Avenue and Macy's. Studying under Ralph Null is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who wants to excel in the design area.
The Certified Florist Program is divided into three segments
Design Production Certification
Flower Shop Management Certification
Master Florist Certification
The FLOWER SHOP MANAGEMENT segment consists of six lecture classes. These classes include Customer Relations, Delivery, Merchandising, Employee Relations, Advertising and Promotions and Daily Business Prodcedures. These classes are geared toward members at all levels of experience and are beneficial to all flower shop employees and shop owners alike.
The Design Production segment consists of six classes, three lectures and three hands on design workshops. Lecture classes include Care and Handling of Cut Flowers and Foliages, Principles of Design, and Care and Handling of Foliage and Flowering Plants.The hands on workshops include Current Design Trends, Wedding Design Techniques and Sympathy Design Techniques. To participate in these classes one must have completed the First Steps classes offered by the association or been employed as a designer on a full time basis for a minimum of 2 years or on a part time basis for 4 years. These classes are not for the novice designer with little or no experience.
You may choose to receive certification in either Flower Shop Management and/or Design Production after you have successfully completed all the courses of study and testing in those classes.
The Arkansas Master Florist Certification requires students successfully complete all the above 12 courses of study and then pass the comprehensive written and hands on testing covering all the materials presented in all 12 courses. When these requirements are successfully completed a Master Florist certificate and pin will be awarded.
ARKANSAS MASTER FLORIST CLASS SCHEDULE FOR 2008
(REVISED JAN 4, 2008)
Feb 23– 10am – noon Care and Handling of Cut Flowers and Foliage
Feb 23– 1pm – 4pm Care and Handling of Foliage Plants
Feb 24– 9am – noon Marketing and Promoting Flowers
Feb 24– 1pm – 4pm Selling and Customer Relations
Mar 1 – 10am – noon Visual Merchandising
Mar 1 – 1pm – 4pm Delivery
Mar 2h – 10am – noon Employee Relations
Mar 2 – 1pm -4pm Principles of Design
March 15th – 10am – noon Current Floral Design (hands on )
March 15th -1pm – 4pm Current Floral Design (hands-on)
March 16th – 9am - noon Current Floral Design (hands-on)
March 16th – 1pm – 4pm Current Floral Design (hands-on)
April 5th – 10am – noon Designing Wedding Flowers (hands-on)
April 5th –1pm – 4pm Designing Wedding Flowers (hands-on)
April 6th – 9am = noon Designing Wedding Flowers (hands-on)
April 6th – noon – 4pm Designing Wedding flowers (hands-on)
May24th – 10am– noon Designing Sympathy Flowers (hands-on)
May 24th – 1pm – 4pm Designing Sympathy Flowers (hands on)
May 25th – 9am – noon Designing Sympathy Flowers (hands-on)
May 25th – 1pm – 4pm Designing Sympathy Flowers (hands-on)
June 14th – 10am– noon Accounting for The Retail Flower Shop
June 14th – 1pm – 4pm Accounting for The Retail Flower Shop
June 15th – 9am -noon Review of all Lecture Classes
June 15th – 1pm - ? Review of all Lecture Classes
July 20th – 9am – 11am Make Up Testing
July 20th – 1pm – 4:pm Final Testing
If interested in attending these classes you can go to the forms section on this website and download the Registration form. New deadline is February 10th, 2008
TO ALL ARKANSAS MASTER FLORIST GRADUATES
In order to keep up to date with educational opportunities or events of interest to our graduates, please help us keep up to date on their whereabouts. If you know of a change of address or place of employment on any of our graduates, please contact Lou Cook by mail at—300 Ranch Ridge Ct. Jacksonville, AR 72076 or by phone or fax at 501-983-4314