President’s Message
I really got a big kick out of our first Thursday meeting program last month with so many new club members working with their Yamadori style trees, all received free of charge. Ray set up the participants with the raffia and wire that allowed them to make the tight bends and curves needed.
Everyone finished their juniper saplings on time with the opportunity to then take them home and give them the loving care they needed after such bending. Thanks Ray, for organizing this fun program for our newer club members.
November First Thursday Meeting
For the month of November, our first Thursday meeting will be entitled Looking For Great Bonsai Material by Gordan Deeg. Gordon belongs to the San Mateo club Sei Boku Bonsai Kai and has been a guest speaker many times over the years here at Midori. He has a very extensive bonsai collection himself.
He will be covering guidelines for those who need help when selecting or purchasing trees that have potential worth developing and nurturing. This program will organize your thoughts and eyes as to what to look for and what to then stay away from.
Gordon has asked that all club members bring in trees they would like him to review and evaluate. He will study the trees and explain his suggestions for future training.
December Holiday Dinner and Elections
Every December the Midori Bonsai Club puts on a Christmas gathering and feast provided by club members. After the meal we hold the election of the new officers who run the club. This is then followed up by an open auction of bonsai materials everyone brings in to the venue.
The church has allowed us to go ahead and host this annual tradition. Please bring in any trees or items you would like to donate to the club for the live auction.
As I mentioned earlier regarding club elections in December, we will reach that time period next month. This is a time when the President, Vice President and all Board members have the opportunity to resign or remain in their positions.
However, all clubs that exist today need new blood that will take the club to new heights and ways of doing things using the new technology that exists today. Most of our wonderful officers who run the club today are getting older. We are in need of new volunteers to step up and take the reins for the future of the Midori Bonsai Club.
All club members should feel the responsibility to do something, though I know that not everyone is able to do so with family needs and pressures of economics. If you are a person who would like to step forward and be a vital part of the membership that runs the club, please let me know at the next meeting. We need your help and insight for the future.
Closing Thoughts
I can't be more thankful for seeing the wonderful rain that the Bay Area received this past weekend. My bonsai trees are smiling, since there's nothing more beneficial for our trees at this time of year than Mother Nature’s deluge to clean out and purge the salts and minerals that build up in our containers throughout the growing season. And this might be a good start towards recovery for our dry forests in dire need of precipitation!
Have a great month doing bonsai everyone!