East Tennessee Iris Society was formed in 1993 and held its first meeting on July 1.  In 1996, all club members became American Iris Society (AIS) members, and we became a formal AIS affiliate.  The club is centered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was established to exchange information about growing irises and share their beauty with gardeners in the region. In the first years of the club, informal shows were held to demonstrate to the public the diversity of modern iris hybrids of all kinds.  In 1998, ETIS held its first judged show and continues to hold judged shows every year.