Page 3 - BSAM 2015 Q3

President’s Message
Irecently returned from the Asia-Pacific Bonsai Friend- ship Federation Grand Vietnamese Bonsai Exhibition held in Ho Chi Minh City in early June. It was a grand
event with over 800 trees on display and several interna- tionally-known bonsai artists conducting demonstrations. Nearly 200 foreign guests from 16 countries, and over 15,000 Vietnamese visitors attended the four day event. I was pleasantly surprised to see the great interest in bonsai in Vietnam and the very high quality of their bonsai speci- mens. Three BCI Medals of Excellence were awarded at the closing banquet to Vietnamese bonsai artists for their out- standing trees. Over twenty new members from Vietnam joined BCI during this event; thus, helping BCI develop a stronger presence in this country.
There are many advantages to attending regional and national bonsai meetings in addition to the exhibitions and demonstrations. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet old friends and develop new ones. The exchange of ideas and information can inspire us to do more and to improve our bonsai techniques. Walking through the vendor areas dur- ing these meetings is exciting and gives us an opportunity to acquire new materials. I was able, for example, to pur- chase five nice, natural, native stones while attending the Vietnam meeting. Some of the small trees were tempting, but sadly I was not able to bring them back due to plant quarantine restrictions in my home country.
The next opportunity for BCI members is our annual 2015 convention that will be held in Guangzhou, China September 17-21. This meeting, The Infinity of Bonsai & Viewing Stone: A Cultural Voyage from Canton to the World, will bring some of the finest bonsai artists from China, Taiwan, Europe, and North America for demonstrations. Bonsai artist François Jeker from France, Matsuda Mitsuo from Japan, John Wang from the U.S., and Chen Jian Liang from Taiwan will join some of China’s leading bonsai artists as demonstrators at this event. In addition, a slate of five internationally-known viewing stone experts will present lectures about stones from Europe, Japan, North America, and China. This will be a great opportunity to see, learn, and exchange information with others. Guangzhou (formerly Canton) is a major international trade center in southern China that is very friendly to foreign visitors. It is easy to get to and there is still time to register and attend. I hope to see you there. Go to www.gzbci2015.com now and plan to attend.
Then, in March, 2016, BCI will hold its first regional bonsai convention in conjunction with the Philippine Bon- sai Association. This will be an opportunity to highlight the outstanding bonsai and viewing stones found in this island nation. I am convinced that you will be as surprised as I was when I saw several private collections of bonsai in the Philippines. Bonsai artists from several countries will be featured demonstrators, including William N. Valavanis from the US. English is commonly spoken throughout the Philippines, so come and join us and see the sights of this country.
I am pleased that the number of people joining BCI is growing as we welcome many individual memberships and
The next opportunity for BCI members to attend regional and national bonsai meetings is our annual 2015 convention that will be held in Guangzhou, China September 17-21. This meeting, The Infinity of Bonsai & Viewing Stone: A Cultural Voyage from Canton to the World, will bring some of the finest bonsai artists from China, Taiwan, Europe, and North America for demonstrations.
new bonsai club memberships to BCI. In the last two years, we have seen considerable growth in members in several countries including the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Viet- nam, and the People’s Republic of China. People are re- sponding to our Bonsai and Stone Appreciation Magazine as it has increased in the number of pages for some issues and improved in the quality and scope of the articles. I always take a supply of our BCI magazine with me when traveling to major meetings to give to prospective new members. I enjoy seeing people’s reactions when they see the quality of our Bonsai and Stone Appreciation Magazine and, more often than not, they ask how they can join BCI.
BCI is truly an international, non-profit, educational organization committed to sharing information about the art of bonsai, penjing, and stone appreciation. We have members in approximately 35 countries. We have many members in North America, Australia, India, Taiwan, and a growing presence in Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. We will be attempting to expand our presence in Europe, Africa, and Latin America in the years ahead. Each BCI member can be an ambassador for us and help to inform others about our wonderful organization.
Finally, I plan to take time to enjoy my small bonsai collection and viewing stone collection in the next two months. I have been so busy travelling that I haven’t had the time to just sit and view my collection and consider what each of them mean to me. The spirit of bonsai and viewing stones can be an important factor in the quality of our lives. Take time to enjoy your trees and stones now. Eventually, there will be a time when we are no longer able to do so.
Tom Elias, President Bonsai Clubs International
July/August/September 2015 | BCI | 1