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Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai
History
Roy
Hubbard ran the following ad in the Santa Cruz Sentinel garden section on Nov.
12th, 1987: “The Santa Cruz Area Bonsai Club is attempting to be formed.
Those interested in forming a local bonsai club can call Roy Hubbard at
476-8504. No first-meeting date or
meeting place has yet been found.” Roy
had applied in 1984, ‘85 & ‘86 for admittance into the Watsonville
Bonsai Club, the only bonsai club in the area at the time. Their membership was limited due to their small
over-the-garage meeting room, and the list of people waiting to get into their
club was growing. Roy, tired of
waiting, made the decision to try to form a Santa Cruz club.
He placed the above ad in the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper and posted
notices at nurseries and rock yards in the Santa Cruz and Watsonville areas.
Roy also obtained a copy of the list of people waiting for an opening in
the Watsonville Bonsai Club. Roy
set a meeting date at the Soquel Glen Mobile Home Park clubhouse in late 1987,
and he sent out letters to those people who had expressed interest in forming a
Santa Cruz bonsai club. Around 12
people showed up for this preliminary meeting.
Among those present were: Roy Hubbard, Harold (Gus) Land, Gareth
Shepherd, Gode Apon, and Kathy Shaner.
In
January 1988 the first official meeting took place, at which time officers were
elected and the Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai was born. Among the first year members were: Roy & Fran
Hubbard, Frank Wright, Bill Potter, Jack Vaughn, Alex & Kathy Shaner, Gode
Apon, Gareth Shepherd, Virginia Kay, Ed & Betty Richard, and Jack Simpson.
Roy Hubbard was elected as the first President.
Kathy Shaner, who had studied bonsai with many of the well-known bonsai
artists in California, became the club sensei.
The Live Oak Grange Hall was secured for a regular meeting place, and as word spread about the new bonsai club, membership grew. By the end of the first year, By-laws had been adopted, Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai had joined the Golden State Bonsai Federation and Bonsai Clubs International, contributed to the John Naka Pavilion at the National Arboretum in Wash., D.C. and participated in the Santa Cruz County Fair. The
following year, 1989, Kathy Shaner left in June to begin her apprenticeship in
Japan, returning at the end of October, in time to orchestrate Santa Cruz Bonsai
Kai’s first annual bonsai exhibit in November of that year.
This exhibit was complicated due to the Loma Prieta earthquake that hit
on October 17, 1989. The earthquake closed the major roads into Santa Cruz
requiring detours, and damaged many of the members show quality bonsai trees and
pots. The exhibit went well in spite of the earthquake damage and the fact that
it was the clubs first attempt at a show. At
the end of the year 2000, membership is between 50 and 60 members.
The club continues to meet on the third Saturday of each month at the
Live Oak Grange Hall, and still holds its traditional annual bonsai show each
autumn. December 20, 2000 |
