by Lawrence LeClaire | May 2nd, 10The History of the Bonsai Society of San Francisco
In the autumn of 1959 there was a notice in the San Francisco Chronicle asking that those interested in forming a bonsai club come to the Hall of Flowers at such and such time on a certain day.
The first meeting of the new club was held in January of 1960. Officers were elected a meeting was set up for the second Thursday of February.
A small show was put on in the fall at The Flower Show. This was a group of 20 some flower clubs that showed their exhibits in August each year. Before this time a small show was set up on the steps of the city hall on Van Ness Avenue.
Yugi Yoshimura came from New York to help start the club with Toshio Saburmaru of Palo Alto. Private lessons were given to the officers of the club and then with the help of Tosh basic lessons were given. Six or seven clubs were started around the Bay. Tosh was teaching in San Francisco and on the peninsula and Mas Imazumi taught in the East Bay.
The clubs early on got together and formed BCI. This was the first group of clubs in Northern California and a monthly paper was delivered to each club. Officers of BCI met monthly or less often as was needed. BCI was growing fast and people from the east wanted to take part in it. The clubs here were now so busy that the BCI group sent the whole idea back east, and the people there took over.
The Flower Show of San Francisco was taken over by a downtown group and BSSF began to have it’s own show each year with a display and sales area.
It was in the 70’s that all the clubs began to choose a logo tree. Most clubs choose a silhouette
from one of the magazines. San Francisco choose one that turned out to be a real tree living in Southern California. It was owned by an attorney. We were afraid he might not like our taking his tree picture for our logo tree. We corresponded with him and he was flattered. When he passed away a few years later he willed the tree to the club. It now resides at the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merrit where the club decided it could be enjoyed by the most number of people.
Holding shows each year the club has grown and flourished with monthly meetings and a free
third Thursday workshop for members. The club also goes on group gathering excursions both in the wild and urban gardens.
We celebrate our 50th anniversary with great pride and look forward to many more wonderful years.
-John Boyce
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