NABF Newsletter #8
Feature #2
An Association of Bonsai Clubs in California,
The Golden State Bonsai Federation
By Bill Hutchinson
Fountain Valley, California
In September 1977, Jim Barrett met with five other well known Bonsai Artists from Southern California to organize a statewide federation of bonsai clubs. This group could identify about 35 bonsai clubs already known to them throughout California. They drafted a letter to all of the then known clubs inviting them (and any other friends of bonsai) to a meeting to be held at Santa Maria in Central California during February 1978. At that meeting in Santa Maria, attended by 47 enthusiastic individuals from all parts of the State, the Golden State Bonsai Federation (GSBF) was born. A temporary Board of Directors was elected and they scheduled a Convention for early November to be held in Berkeley, California.
February 1978 Meeting in Santa Maria California to form the Golden State Bonsai Federation (GSBF). (Standing from left: Kahn Komai and Jim Barrett, the first President of GSBF) (GSBF Archive photo by Susanne Barrymore)
By July 1978, 26 individual Bonsai Clubs had agreed to join the Federation and By-Laws were in their final process. The November Convention chaired by Jim Ransohoff was a huge success with 29 paid member clubs accepting the Federation By-Laws and electing the first permanent Board of Directors with Jim Barrett as our first president. Over 250 individuals attended and from this early beginning, the Golden State Bonsai Federation became active in the world of bonsai.
The first GSBF Convention -- 1978 in Berkeley California. Tosh Saburomaru’s rock planting demonstration. (GSBF Archive photo by Susanne Barrymore)
Throughout the intervening years, twenty six memorable Conventions have been held annually, and the twenty-seventh is scheduled for November 2004 at the Vineyard Creek Convention Center in Santa Rosa, California. Anyone who has ever attended one of the GSBF Conventions will remember having a spectacular time learning from renowned bonsai artists from around the world. Workshops have always been prized for their excellent bonsai material as well as the exceptional quality of the instructors and demonstrators. Our exceptional raffles of donated items have been the talk of the bonsai world. For information and registration form to this year’s GSBF Convention in November 2004, see http://www.gsbf-bonsai.org/
Shinji Suzuki assisted by Takatoshi Asako also a winner of many bonsai exhibition awards in Japan and author of many article at GSBF 2003 Convention in Fresno California.
From its inception, the direction of GSBF was to encourage teaching of the art of bonsai. GSBF has sponsored local individuals to study with bonsai masters in Japan through our “Internship Program” which provides grants to assist with the costs of doing so. Kathy Shaner was one of those who studied with Yasuo Mitsuya at Tokai-en Bonsai Nursery and obtained the fully Certified Bonsai Professional Certificate from the Nippon Bonsai Association.
GSBF has been noted for its role in improving the art of bonsai here in California but also for attracting enthusiasts from around the world. Our magazine “Golden Statements,” which is published six times each year, has been noted from the very beginning for its excellent articles about bonsai. GSBF always prided itself in attracting the most outstanding bonsai personalities to our Conventions (Saburo Kato, Masahiko Kimura, Kunio Kobayashi, Yasuo Mitsuya, John Naka, Tosh Saburomaru, Masamitsu Kubota, Kihachiro Kamiya, Tohru Suzuki, Shinji Suzuki, Shig & Roy Nagatoshi, Ben Oki, John Uchida and many more from Europe and other parts of the world). There is a bi-annually published “The Bonsai Shopper” to help California members identify sources of plant materials, pots, tools, display tables, and other bonsai related items. GSBF’s “Golden Statements” and Internet website (www.gsbf-bonsai.org) contain important information on what is going on throughout the State including dates and locations of club shows. There is an important program for all clubs to obtain affordable Liability Insurance required by various venues for club activities such as meetings, shows, field trips, etc.
Exhibition of master bonsai at a GSBF convention.
GSBF sponsors two outstanding Bonsai Gardens (one at Merritt Park in Oakland and one at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino). Separate articles are included for both Bonsai Gardens. Today, the Golden State Bonsai Federation boasts over 70 clubs as members and is proud of the quality of programs put on to support bonsai within California and the World.
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