Al Gugeler

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This "Judges Profile" for Al Gugeler appeared in the April 1997 issue of the Score Sheet.

Born: March 19, 1934 in Burlington Iowa. Raised there on the family farm.

Education: Attended grade school, junior high, high school and freshman year of college in Burlington.  Completed final three years of college at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.  Received a B.S. degree in Ceramic Engineering in June of 1955.

Employment: Since July of 1955 at Ferro Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio.  Ferro is the world's largest producer of Specialty Ceramics for the Home Appliance and Ceramic industries.  Glass coatings produced are used to coat metals (home appliances as porcelain enamel) and ceramic bodies such as wall and floor tile, pottery, insulators, spark plugs, sanitaryware, etc. as glazes.  Positions have been as Development Engineer in the Porcelain Enamel laboratory, Supervisor there and later Manager of Product Development.  Manager of Quality Control for the glass production unit followed.  Also held a Research Associateship at the National Bureau of Stds.  In Washington, D.C. as a "loaner" from Ferro for our Trade Association, the Porcelain Enamel Institute for three years (1966 - 1969) studying the adherence mechanisms of Porcelain Enamel to aluminum.  Currently holds the position of International Technical Co-ordinator for the Frit (glass) Division of Ferro.  In communication with all our plants (16) throughout the world which are currently producing Porcelain Enamel and/or Glaze frits.

Hobbies: Music, sports, gardening and orchids!  In high school played cornet in the marching and concert band and the symphony orchestra.  In the Cleveland area performed as a member of the Bedford, Ohio Municipal Band and the Shaker Heights, Ohio Symphony.  While in the D.C. area was a member of the Rockville, Maryland Municipal Concert Band.  Also was fairy proficient (at one time but no more) on the piano.  Music is now primarily as a listener.  Chief likes are opera and symphonic music.  Enjoy spectator sports, but no longer seems to have time for participation in bowling or golf!

Has always tried to grow plants.  Started with orchids in the Spring of 1958 growing on the windowsill.  One of the prime reasons for buying a home (1976) was to have a yard, garden and room for a greenhouse which was inaugurated in October of 1976.  Grows a wide cross section of different types about equally split between species and hybrids.  Favorite genera are Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium, Oncidium and Odontoglossum Alliance.

Has traveled and collected in Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay and Belize.  Was the first Student Trainee of the Great Lakes Region (January of 1979), with Glenn Cowgill and Robert Turner joining the Program one month later.  Became fully Accredited in March of 1985, and have been Regional Chairman since January of 1994.  An ex-officio member of the Committee on Awards of the American Orchid Society, was elected a Trustee in September of 1995 and have served on the Committee on Affiliated Societies of the American Orchid Society.  Am a member and Past-President of the Greater Cleveland and West Shore Orchid Societies and a member of the Stan Hywet (Akron) Orchid Society as well as a member of The Orchid Digest and a member of the American Orchid Society since 1969.

Has judged off-shore at orchid shows in Guayaquil, Ecuador and at the Coban, Guatemala Orchid Show on eight to ten occasions.

Gardening activities include a 10 x 40 vegetable garden as well as perennial flower beds and rock gardens.  Will try almost anything that grows once!  latest rage is for grasses of the ornamental kind.

Yet to do (and on my list) are an around-the-world trip via Alaska, Siberia, the Trans-Siberia Railroad to Moscow and home, and a trip to the Amazon and the Amazon basin, Manaus, etc.  Has been fortunate to see the Inca ruins at Macchu Picchu and raft the rapids of the Colorado River (7 days/6 nights).  Have done some amateur climbing in the Rockies while attending summer school at the University of Colorado.  Recently have been much more sedentary, however.

A Tribute to Al Gugeler - This appeared in the January 1999 issue of the Score Sheet

Time has passed so quickly and it is now time to bid farewell to Al Gugeler from his position of Chairman of the Great Lakes Judging Center after five years of service.  The position of chairman of a judging center required much time and organization and Al has given his time freely for the benefit of the Great Lakes Center.

During Al's tenure as Chairman, donations to the Great Lakes Center have shown a 33% increase (2,886 in 1993 vs. $3,834 in 1997).  The Judging Center now supports fifteen orchid societies with their judging needs.  Each year, the Great Lakes Center sees about 175 orchids at its monthly judgings at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens - of these, the judges award about 12%, or about 21, each year.  In addition, the judges of the Great Lakes Center award another 25 orchids annually at the region's AOS-sanctioned shows.  It has been Al's responsibility to shepherd each of these, some of them provisional, through the American Orchid Society's process to complete their award.

Al began his time as Chairman in January of 1994.  During the intervening five years to the present, the following significant developments have occurred:

• Toronto Center achieved permanent center status in late 1993
• Cincinnati Center opened in April 1994 and achieved permanent status in 1995
• In January, 1997, the American Ordhic Society changed the structure of judging centers, furthering the independence of Great Lakes, Cincinnati and Toronto.
• In October 1996, the three centers agreed to hold a joint training seminar each May in Ann Arbor with the three training coordinators collaborating on the program.  These very successful seminars took place in 1997 and in 1998; one is planned for 1999.
• Al started the quarterly newsletter "Score Sheet" to communicate with the orchid societies we serve, the first issue coming out in early 1997.  This information vehicle goes to fifteen societies --supported by the Judging Center, and is sent gratis to GLJC judges, and enjoys 20 paid subscriptions to interested orchidists - the entire project is self-supporting.
• In January of 1997, Al instituted a monthly continuing education hour at 11 a.m. on each judging Saturday.
• In January of 1998, Al began the practice of our judges keeping a record of their continuing education hours.

Al's skills as a team leader have resulted in a period of prosperity and tranquility within the Grreat Lakes Judging Center.  Al's leadership style enables other judges to grow, flourish and contribute to the overall progress of the Center.

In addition to his duties as Chairman, Al holds a full-time job, American Orchid Society and Mid-America Orchid Congress committee appointments, judges numerous regional, national and international shows, gardens and travels.  The Great Lakes Judging Center personnel thank him most sincerely for his five years of service and look forward to continue judging and working with him as he lays aside the mantle of Chairman.

Don Garling and Doris Asher

Great Lakes Judging Center Recommendation to elevate Al Gugeler to Judge Emeritus - Spring of 2008.

The judges of the Great Lakes Judging Center unanimously recommend to the AOS Judging Committee and the Board of Trustees, the elevation of Al Gugeler to Emeritus Judge. Al has served the judging community for 28 years.  He was the first Student Trainee of the AOS Great Lakes Regional Center beginning his program in January of 1979.  He became a fully accredited judge in March of 1985.   He served as the AOS Great Lakes Regional Judging Center Chairman from 1994 to 1999.   He has also served the AOS as an ex-officio member of the Committee on Awards of the American Orchid Society, an elected AOS Trustee from 1995 - 2001 and has served on the Committee on Affiliated Societies of the American Orchid Society.  Al joined the AOS Library & Archives Committee in 2006 and on two occasions (January 8-12, and October 22-24, 2007) participated during the Committee's "work weeks".  His co-committee members have described him as an energetic and enthusiastic worker.  He has also provided funds to purchase a lap-top for the Committee to use in the AOS Library and Archives at Headquarters.

Al is a member and Past-President of the Greater Cleveland and West Shore Orchid Societies and a member of the Greater Akron Orchid Society. He is a member of The Orchid Digest and has been a member of the American Orchid Society since 1969.  He has served as Chair of Judging many times for the Greater Cleveland Society, West Shore Orchid Society, and Greater Akron Orchid Society.  Al Gugeler was the chair of the combined AOS Trustees Meeting & the Mid-America Orchid Congress in Cleveland, OH in 1995.  He has judged and continues to do so both in regional and out-of-region shows as well as off-shore at orchid shows in Guayaquil, Ecuador and at the Coban, Guatemala Orchid Show.

Al's years of service at every level exemplify the high standards of the AOS and deserves recognition by elevating him to Judge Emeritus.  We offer our recommendation that he be elevated to Emeritus status without reservation.

Al was First Vice Chair in 1993 when Ken Wilson was Chair (Bob Turner was also a Vice Chair and Chair of new Toronto Supplemental; Peter Poot was also a Vice Chair and Vice Chair at Toronto)

Since 1999, Al Chaired the Audit Committee
2000 Ways & Means Chair
2001 Ways & Means Chair
2002 Ways & Means Chair; Audit Chair
2003 Nominating Committee Chair; Ways & Means Chair
2004 Nominating Chair
2005 Audit Chair
2006 Nominating Chair
2007 Audit Chair

In other words, has served as a chairman of at least one Center committee every year since he was Center Chair!!

Here are a few of Al's awarded plants

Onc. Jorge Verboonen 'Brunswick' AM/AOS Onc. Tiger Glow 'Brunswick' HCC/AOS Orcp. iridifolius 'Edna' CCM/AOS

Albert L. Gugeler

03/19/1934 - 12/13/2011

Albert Gugeler, Judge Emeritus from the Great Lakes Judging Center, passed away suddenly on December 13, 2011.

Al was born and raised in Burlington, Iowa, where he grew up on a large farm.  He attended Iowa State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in ceramic engineering.  This eventually brought him to Cleveland, OH, where he began a long career with the Ferro Corporation.  His job entailed traveling and over the years he was able to see much of the world.  Al had a keen interest in many varied disciplines, including plants, unique exotic cultures and operatic music.  Al soon discovered his first orchid plant, which he was able to grow under lights in his apartment, and the passion soon grew to include many more plants.  Eventually his orchids outgrew his apartment, and he moved to a house where he was able to construct a greenhouse to contain the ever increasing orchid collection.  The next logical step was joining the Greater Cleveland and West Shore Orchid Societies where he was soon exhibiting his plants and constructing society displays. Much later, when the Greater Akron Orchid Society formed, he was right on board.   He would serve as President multiple times for both Greater Cleveland and West Shore Orchid Societies and remained active in both his entire life. He joined the American Orchid Society in 1969 and ten years later made the decision to become a student judge, with the help of local orchid judge and friend Margaret Brown.  Up until that time, Margaret willingly traveled from Cleveland to the nearest judging center in St. Louis, MO, every month.  Al was able to take advantage of the newly created judging center in Ann Arbor, MI, reducing the drive to three hours each way.  He became a fully accredited judge in March of 1985 and later served as chairman for the Great Lakes Judging Region from 1994 to 1999. Until his passing he was involved in many committees within his Center, including Ways and Means, Audit, and Nomination.  He was a Trustee for the American Orchid Society from 1995 through 2001, and chaired the combined AOS Trustees Meeting and the Mid- America Orchid Congress in Cleveland, OH, in 1995.   He served on the AOS Affiliated Societies Committee and, at the time of his death, was on the AOS Library and Archives Committee participating in the Committee’s “work weeks” at the AOS Headquarters. He frequently participated in meetings of the Mid-America Orchid Congress.

Al often took advantage of opportunities to visit exotic locations to observe and judge orchids.  While he was chairman of many local orchid shows, he loved the chance to do the same for distant shows as well and had a special passion for the beautiful show held each year in Coban, Guatemala.  He traveled to Guatemala more than a dozen times over the years and developed a great knowledge of and appreciation for the beautiful plants and people who reside there.

Al grew species primarily, but from time to time included special hybrids in his plant collection.  Over the years if someone might drop in on Al’s greenhouse they would find a great many meticulously groomed, blooming orchids, which included Oncidium, Catesetum, Phragmipidium, Pleurothallids, Cattleya, and Lycaste.  He had many AOS cultural and quality awards and was often seen carting large specimen plants as well as tiny mounted exotic orchids to local society meetings or monthly judgings.  His interest in plants did not pertain to orchids exclusively; his yard was always impeccably manicured with unique and beautiful plant specimens that made the view from his back window look like a scene  from a botanical garden.

Al leaves behind sisters Alice Burgess and Ruth Larson, many nieces and nephews and many work and orchid friends.  His enthusiasm, dedication and passion for orchids have made a lasting impression on the orchid community, and his contributions will be missed.