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By Glenda Konopka
March 1, 2004 I'm looking out the window as I write this, watching my cedar elm bursting with buds and looking forward to taking the tropicals out of the greenhouse so Mother Nature can water them instead of me having to do it. The recent rains have been a welcome break.
There's an exciting year coming for our club; your Board has done its best to provide as much hands-on opportunities for the membership has possible. In addition to our own programs, there's the convention in Houston in May and workshops by very talented bonsai artists available through our dedicated vendors.
A new feature in this year's newsletters will be Terry Ward's column about our upcoming programs; it will give you great information about the topics for that month's members' meeting as well as what to look forward to for the study groups the 4th Wednesday of every month.
May is our annual show (as always) and promises to be filled with beautiful trees, accent plants, and Alisan's artwork. Del has graciously agreed to be Show Chairman again this year, but because he's on call for his job during the months of May and June, we're asking for a member to be Assistant Show Chairman and help Del out; it'll be a great opportunity for someone to learn the ropes from one of our best. Keep an eye on your trees for the opportunity to show them off this spring.
Inside this edition you'll find information about the 3rd Annual Joshua Roth New Talent Competition at the 2004 BCI Convention. Wouldn't it be great if we were the "home club" of the best new bonsai talent of North America in 2004?
As always, take care of your bonsai and yourselves!
March 10 A.B.S. Monthly Meeting
Zilker garden Center
7:00 PM Social Time
7:30 PM Meeting Begins
Program: (see program for details)
Refreshments:
Elaine White and Audrey Lanier
March 17 A.B.S. Board Meeting
Zilker Garden Center 7:00 PM
Happy St Patty's Day
March 24 A.B.S. Members Workshop
Zilker Garden Center 7:30 PM
Program: Selecting Plants for Bonsai
Instructor: Terry Ward
May 21-23 BONSAI on the BAYOU 2004
Texas State Bonsai Convention at the Omni Houston Hotel-Westside.
Lecture/Demonstrations and Workshops by Kathy Sharer and Mary Miller. Additionaal
Worshop's by Guy Guidry and our own Sheila Ward.
There are 10 Workshops!
Sponsored by: Lone Star Bonsai Federation, Houston Bonsai Society and Corpus
Christi Bonsai Society.
By Terry Ward
Our bonsai and bonsai material are `telling' us that spring is just around the corner. It's the wonderful time of year to top prune, root prune and repot most deciduous and temperate trees. Our program this month is a hands-on potting and pruning workshop.
You'll need your tools, plants, potting mix, pots, drain hole covers and several different sizes of wire. There will be lots of help available just for the asking.
No plants to work on? Be an observer. Ask questions, learn different techniques and, if you are new to bonsai, you'll get to see how repotting is done.
This will be an exciting evening of camaraderie and accomplishment. Your bonsai will be very happy that you brought them!
Have you ever been looking for bonsai material at a nursery and just couldn't `see' bonsai potential in the plants? Or, maybe, somewhere along the line you acquired a bushy or a perhaps a scraggly plant that refuses to let you see any of its bonsai possibilities? If you answered `yes' to either question, then the March Members Workshop with Terry Ward is for you. It will be an eyes and hands on bonsai get together all about Selecting Plants For Bonsai. We'll have a show and tell how-to about finding the hidden bonsai potential in a number of different plants. If you have some of `those' plants you would like to have discussed, please bring them along.
All you'll need to bring is an open mind, an eagerness to investigate and,
if you like, a plant or so.
by Del De Los Santos
President, Glenda Konopka, called the monthly meeting of the Austin Bonsai Society to order at 7:30 P.M. Club thanks were provided to Els Ulug and James Allen for providing refreshments for the evening's meeting. Moving right along, Glenda turned the floor over to Charlotte Cranberg to cover the first item under Old Business.
Charlotte reiterated her opinions and support of the move by the Austin Botanical Garden Foundation (ABGF) to assume management of the Zilker Botanical Garden in cooperation with the City of Austin's Parks And Recreation Department (PARD) and the Austin Area Garden Council (AAGC). She introduced Craig Nazor to the general membership as an individual who would provide further information regarding this issue. Craig Nazor presented the Austin Botanical Garden Foundation as a non profit entity separate from the city government who would assume the responsibility for maintenance of the garden center. Mike Hansen posed the question to Mr. Nazor if the Austin Botanical Garden Foundation plans to incorporate and file as a non-profit entity with the Secretary of State's Office there by relieving it's members of any financial culpability for the entity's actions. Mr. Nazor clarified the matter before the membership as a vote to move forward and approach the city government with the proposal. Actions to incorporate ABGF would be taken after support of this motion by the clubs within the Austin Area Garden Council was approved. After much deliberation, Sam Jeske asked the question for the vote, Donna Dobberfuhl moved to vote on Austin Bonsai Society's support for ABGF's proposal to move forward with plans to approach the city government, Sam Jeske seconded the motion. President Glenda Konopka called for the vote with a show of hands. The motion carried with the majority in favor of supporting ABGF, none opposed and a few abstentions
Charlotte Cranberg announced the Austin Area Garden Council's need for club volunteers to assist with the Zilker Garden Festival, scheduled for March 27th and 28th; anyone interested please contact Charlotte Cranberg.
Elaine White presented information on the American Bonsai Society's Joshua Roth New Talent Competition open to new artist with less than ten (10) years experience in Bonsai. I have provided the following URL for those of you seeking further information and application to enter the competition. http://www.absbonsai.org/Convention/cv_new_talent.html
The meeting proceeded with the membership dividing up into six (6) groups for a hands on styling of some really nice boxwoods selected by the Hansen's for the evening's `6 Ring Circus'. The boxwoods were discussed and styled by each group. Els Ulug sold raffle tickets to those interested in taking one of these works home. The members participating had a great time. A special thanks to Mike and Candy Hansen for their efforts in selecting and transporting the bonsai materials to the meeting and to the group leaders, Alisan Clarke, Bill Cody, Mike Hansen, John Pittenger, Chuck Ware and Elaine White for lending their expertise.
by Del De Los Santos
President Glenda Konopka called the ABS Board meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. In attendance were President, Glenda Konopka, Vice President Terry Ward, Secretary Del De Los Santos, Treasurer Pat Ware, and Member at Large James Allan. Absent were Members at Large, Stephanie Quisenberry and David Cmerek. New Business items were covered first due to the extensive items to be covered under Old Business.
Pat Ware moved to designate Don Rehberg as an Honorary Member of the Austin Bonsai Society, Del De Los Santos seconded the motion; it was voted on and approved unanimously.
Del De Los Santos notified the Board that he would be on-call during the months of May and June and consideration should be given to designating a new show chairman. Terry Ward presented an idea to provide an assistant; discussion was tabled for a later date. Glenda Konopka volunteered to take over the responsibilities of overseeing vendor organization and participation for the annual show in May. Glenda will need details as to the cost for leasing vendor tables for the show.
A light discussion was held regarding the club booth at the Zilker Garden Festival scheduled for March 27th and 28th and was tabled for discussion at the March Board meeting.
Stephanie Quisenberry previously accepted responsibility for contacting the
membership for updates to their email addresses for electronic distribution
of future newsletters in club efforts to curb
printing and postal cost. To date, Pat Ware is in possession of the most current
membership email listing available.
Del De Los Santos will compile an asset listing for the Austin Bonsai Society in addition to the inventory listing for the annual club show. This new Asset List is to be completed by June 2004.
Glenda Konopka is having the club insurance policy reviewed by a personal friend/legal eagle prior to presentation to the board for approval.
The evening progressed with discussion and planning for programs for the club's monthly meeting and membership workshop meetings. The programs discussed and approved will be published in the membership directory.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 P.M.