A Bonsai Show Roundup

By Jerry Carpenter, Show Chair

Ladies and Gentlemen: It is with great pleasure and respect that I say  “Thank You”  to all who gave so much to make this year’s annual show a great success. What a show it was. There are so many to give thanks because we saw a wondrous example of teamwork each and every day.

Friday was a marvel of the team. We managed to start working on the hall at 4pm. I asked the hall manager if we could continue to work through the shift change so we could end earlier and they offered to have the facilities manager arrive earlier with that expectation. That allowed us to clear and prep the hall much earlier. Then with the early arrival of club members and especially Wayne Richter and the Jerman family we were able to begin table setup. More arrived to lend assistance and were patient with me as I redesigned the layout of the hall (funny how what looks right on paper is not always reality) so I could experiment with vignette settings and table arrangements. Then the mass of the group arrived bearing plants for sale and lent their hands at back drop setting, Tokonoma creation, table finishing, and pricing. We were out of the hall on Friday night by 8:30! Time to get some rest for a busy Saturday.

Saturday was a peaceful day of assembly as we placed plants for display carefully molding the view for the visitors by placing trees with contrasting or complementing textures and species. You all were so patient with me to allow me to direct that process and it really was a time of peace. I only stressed about the number of known trees but even that resolved as members brought in wonderful trees and the space was utilized to the max. What a great day of attendance, presentation by Bob Hilvers, and tree sales we had.

Sunday was a great day as well. Thanks to Jim Ransohoff and Sandy Planting for doing some fun attractive demonstrations in a stifling hot room. Their creations were interesting and attractive to all. Attendance was good again and tree sales were great.

	Jim Ransohoff and Sandy Planting present a duo demo at the Sunday show.
	A Merit Certificate awarded for this presentation.

Teardown went well and orderly in the room with only a few mishaps, but overall very smooth. We have a special commendation for Bill Scott for a graceful fall and taking injuries at the end of the night. He has reported doing well and recovering. Bill is a great trouper for organizing and enduring the process of plant sales every year. He worked very hard; heat and fatigue took its toll. Thanks for all your efforts, Bill!

And to the team who struck the room and helped pack and haul stuff away, I cannot thank you enough. Thanks to the help offered by the associates of Dave Flynn and himself for the Tokonoma and the lifting work. Thanks as well to new members like Josh, Wendy, and Ken who would lend a hand where ever help was needed.

On Sunday afternoon, I placed Merit Certificates by trees for the first time. I had 10 and I know 9 names. The Merit Certificates were given to those who produced an incredible display, presented a tree that viewers talked much about, showed great progress, and in general presented a display that showed their foresight and planning. I was not judging the bonsai trees themselves as much as the entire presentation. Certificates went to the following individuals: Michael Greenstein, Charlene Fisher, Sandy Planting, Josh Brown, Joan Rock, Bill Scott, Barbara Shahinian, Kim Dang, and Janet Refvem. I wish I knew the one other. Thanks for putting great effort into your trees.

Helen Reist tells me we did very well. These numbers are not final but we raised over $1,900 at this show!

Most importantly the reaction from visitors was wonderful. I heard from people who visited for the first time and were just amazed at the wonders of art we created. Thanks so very much for all your efforts.