What makes a good bonsai club?

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Andrew Legg

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Hi All,

I am running a bonsai club down here in Cape Town, and I am looking for ideas on what makes a bonsai club worth being a member of, and what would make interesting content in a meeting calendar. Any ideas welcome.

There are about 30 to 35 active members of the club. We meet once a month on a week night from 7pm to 10 pm. We have a well stocked library.

Thoughts . . . . . ideas. . . . .

Cheers,

Andrew
 
I just re-joined my local bonsai club, the main things that convinced me were:
  • Workshops (tree related and other, such as concrete pot making)
  • Guest speakers/demonstrators
  • A silent auction (move stuff you don't want to help others and benefit the club)
They also do a critique night, where people bring trees and split into groups to discuss them
They also do a beginners session just before the meeting proper, I assume so the more experienced members don't get asked the same basic questions over and over every meeting (ie make it less tedious for them.) I thought they should get a series of FAQ responses printed up on cards, such as "You're overwatering it" "You have spider-mites (and a remedy)" and "Put it in the ground for 5 years, then ask again."
 
I think the challenge is to be able to provide a forum for growth for all levels. I see some groups that have a membership that has been together for many years. They have mtgs, guest artists, workshops and trips that are geared toward individuals with many years of experience. That helps them grow, but it is not inviting for a newcomer.

Programs or clubs need to balance the needs of advanced Bonsai enthusiasts while providing guidance, mentorship and support of newbies.

One local club assigns an experienced member to all new members. They also have a couple of levels at their workshops. Some refine nice established trees, while the newer members get to focus on the basics on some "box store" or similar pre-bonsai materials.

Good luck.
 
Ironbeaver nailed some good ones. I was on the board of my bonsai club for about a year before I had to resign. The stuff that I found to be or thought would be most beneficial:

-Quality speakers working on quality trees. In my opinion it stinks to pay an artist to come and then have them work on crap material.
-Having members bring trees to meetings to discuss and share ideas.
-As stated. Workshops
-Legal collecting trips if possible in the area.
-have a more senior member be assigned a mentor to a new member so they are less intimidated.
 
One of the greatest potential benefits of any group is to pool resources to secure bonsai products (and teaching services) reasonably at a shared/bulk cost. For some reason it seems as if many clubs really don't seem to do this with products (soil components/ chemicals/wire/stock etc.) but do bring in the rock-stars. The latest teacher blabs and bends up on stage meanwhile half the nation has a hard time getting, or pays through the nose, for basic products. This really jazzes me.
 
Primairy: Free material (soil, tree's / collection trips, wire, starter kit?), too much (and long) workshops (with free tools and material ofcourse), speakers.
Secondairy: Webshop / cheap sales (discounts), maybe some option to store (vacation) /trade tree's (or just put in ground).
More: Free coffee, organized trips to exhibitions, lunchroom, soil sifting machine.

Can't think of more :)
 
Nybonsai12 said:
-have a more senior member be assigned a mentor to a new member so they are less intimidated.
Click to expand...

That is a very important factor in a club's success. You might schedule a half-hour before each meeting's official start for beginners to go over basic procedures, etc. Assign an experienced member to oversee this early part of the meeting on a rotation.
 
jkl said:
You might schedule a half-hour before each meeting's official start for beginners to go over basic procedures, etc
Click to expand...
I like this idea very much! Will try to implement at my own club
 
Speaking only for myself, the one thing that I feel has been the most useful part of the club I'm in, is the BYOT workshops with a guest artist. I don't need another nursery tree to work on during a workshop. I need to work on trees I own and move them forward.
I like the idea ironbeavers club has with a critique night. Getting other eyes on your trees is important to get a unemotional evaluation.
 
Some thoughts...mostly typed these up yesterday but didn't get around to posting. Some repetition from ideas already posted but...

- Have some variety in the types of presentations. Watching someone wire a juniper for 2 hours is OK but not at every meeting.

- Workshops are good, we have one meeting a year where people bring in trees to work on and more advanced members circulate and help newer members. We also have a tree critique meeting where people bring in trees and more advanced members discuss design options for the trees in front of everyone as opposed to 1 on 1.

- Have some kind of auction/tree sale, we do a summer picnic where people bring in trees to sell or auction off. I've gotten some pretty good deals this way.

- Be welcoming of new members, involve them in the club activities where possible. I've noticed at a lot of clubs (not bonsai in particular) that new members are often given a bunch of attention the first meeting or two, then are forgotten. This is more of a problem in an established club where most people have known each other for a long period.

- And a comment to new members of clubs - get involved! Even if you don't have trees worth showing, participate in your clubs show or other events. Help with set-up or take-down, security, whatever. This is how you really get to know people.
 
These are all good activities to have, and remember they need to change as the membership changes.

BUT most import is that ALL members are warm and friendly to everyone else!
 
M. Frary said:
What kind of bonsai club needs security?
I want in. And want to be the security guy.
You guys must be a rough crowd!
Click to expand...
Come out to Rochester for the next National and we can put you to work!

Security at shows...making sure people don't take off with trees, don't touch trees, that kind of thing. We call it "security" but it's really more than that...mainly answering questions that people have.
 
Ironbeaver said:
That reminds me, a "New Member Liason" type person to talk to new members before the weird person does.
Click to expand...
In the end....the weird person is the one most seeked out for the good stuff, he usually knows all the in and outs of bonsai and is so cynical about bonsai that he comes off weird. I can relate. Why we started a study group.
 
JudyB said:
Speaking only for myself, the one thing that I feel has been the most useful part of the club I'm in, is the BYOT workshops with a guest artist. I don't need another nursery tree to work on during a workshop. I need to work on trees I own and move them forward.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. I don't go to many club meetings anymore because they mostly end up being newbies encouraged to put $20 of wire on a $5 special from Home Depot. The BYOT workshops are a lot more productive.
 
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