This is the first of what may become a standard couple of pages, (give or take) by which, I mean I am interested in the bonsai conventions that are area events. Send me the pictures and some covering words, and we may put up a gallery of bonsai that shows the best trees in your part of the country. 14 different clubs attended this convention; the next convention is set for next September. Here are some words from the president of the Vancouver Island Bonsai Society (the host club) Kent McLeod.

What a great convention! By all accounts it was a huge success. We had registrants from the Pacific Northwest, Toronto, New York and Great Britain. The following Pacific Northwest clubs sent members: Dungeness Bonsai Society (Sequim) & Puget Sound Bonsai Assoc. sent 20 each, Olympic Bonsai Society, Inland Empire Bonsai Society (Spokane), Yakima Valley Bonsai Society, Bonsai Society of Portland, Corvallis Bonsai Society, Bonsai Society of Central Oregon, Eugene Bonsai Society, Bay Area Bonsai Society (Coos Bay) & West Coast Bonsai Society (Vancouver, BC). We had 130 full registrants and 239 in all! The convention netted a very handsome net profit. What a legacy! Speaking of legacy, when we started to plan the convention, we realized that "we were flying by the seat of our pants". People we talked to were very helpful, but there was very little documentation available. Our steering committee with the help of all the committee heads are currently developing a Convention Manual that we will be forwarding to the Pacific Northwest Bonsai Association. We hope this will encourage other clubs to take on a convention project. We have called this our Legacy Project.

The convention was visited by Her Majesty the Queen, of England, (a professional actress), who brought an international flavor to the event. I am proud to inform you that our very own George Heffelfinger was knighted, hence forward to be addressed as Sir George.