NABF Newsletter #6

Feature #3

Matsuyama Bonsai Club

Formed in May 1987, the Bowmanville Bonsai Club, which was later changed to the Matsuyama Bonsai Society, had six original members who included Harry Kamstra, known as far away as Montreal for his bonsai nursery stock; Joan Greenway ,the club’s first president and Herman Sjouwerman, another veteran of bonsai art. Prior to the formation of this club, the closest bonsai society was Toronto, and members would make the trek into Metro for meetings and exhibits.
It was decided that the local Art Gallery, the Visual Arts Center, would be the site of our first meetings and show. This old converted mill had been a community art centre and art gallery for a number of years. Sadly, our second show was a memorial for Herman who had died of cancer. Some of our club members still care for Herman’s trees.

By 1989, the group decided to move to Faith Place Oshawa, change the name to the Matsuyama Bonsai Society, which means “Pine Ridge” in Japanese, and our logo designed by Norman Haddrick was put on T shirts and pins. In order to attract more members we held our show in Northview Recreational Centre in Oshawa. Our profit was one box of donuts and a guest who was later to become president, Russell Goodchild.

After that rather fattening bonsai show, Grace Wicht, as our president, arranged to have our bonsai show at Cullen Gardens, and we have had our show there every Labor Day weekend successfully since 1991. The club’s first newsletter was initiated by our second president Keith Woods, with Brian Sweeny as editor, and was continued with Rick Pettyjohn and editor Carole Pierce Meijerink.

In 2003, The Matsuyama Bonsai Society newsletter, edited by Maurice Plowman won the second prize from BCI magazine newsletter contest. We are a very small club, but with articles from members and Maurice’s dedication to excellence, have put us in good company around the world.

Juniper

Pine

Boxwood

Apple

Linden

Our club continues to meet in order to study the horticulture and art of bonsai .We are a rather small group that prides itself on the individual attention and the quality of our trees, with our connection to the Toronto Bonsai Society, we have access to the help and support of the most accomplished members; with their guidance over the years our skills have reached higher levels. We have enriched knowledge and communication, through our newsletter, our summer workshops and our yearly shows at Cullen Gardens. New members are always welcome and experienced members are challenged at our monthly meetings and summer workshops.

What makes our club unique?

The Matsuyama Bonsai Society is a small group of dedicated practitioners of the art of Bonsai. Our members range in years and skills giving us a diverse group of individuals. The members are involved directly on a cognitive level with the workshops and process of education. Grace and Rudi Wicht have won in the J.A.L. contest over the past 5 years

We have set up a mentorship programme which matches the newer members up with the more experienced members to help keep our trees healthy and developing. We also offer workshops on specific styles and trees as the member progress. We have been able over the years to have everyone trying grafts and air-layers on sample trees so that everyone has a chance to try it and to see the results.

We have started some outreach in the surrounding communities by participating in the community fairs and crafts shows. We are meeting with some of the area craftspeople to see if we can combine some of our skills (i.e. local potters) Our members travel to other countries and bring back pictures and information which are shared with the other members. As in all clubs we are proud of our members and the trees that they have.