Greetings, NBS Members!
Summer is here and we've got some big news this month! Our brand new website is live, the Statewide Bonsai Show at Cheekwood is just around the corner in July, and we've got a great lineup of June events. Read on for all the details.
Call for Trees (Statewide Bonsai Show @ Cheekwood — July 18–19, 2026)
Call for Show Volunteers
Grateful, Sara
NBS members: 2024–2026 Michael Kidder took our website to a new level aesthetically, but we decided at the last board meeting that the website needed more functionality. The group and its programs have grown in number and complexity, and our financial management has become more demanding of time and energy. It's clear that we need a website through which we can have online membership-registration renewal, online events registration and payment, a roster with contact information to facilitate connections between members, and a format to strengthen our connections with community and colleagues. Creating a website such as this has been a 100 hour plus project, more time than Kidder had available alongside parenting and a full-time job. So I (Curt Hagenau) raised my hand. And through the month of May I was able to get it reborn in a new form. I used a company that specializes in club/membership website. It is called Wild Apricot, a subsidiary of a larger Internet services company called Personify.
The new website is now live accessed by addresses either Nashvillebonsaisociety.org, or Nashvillebonsai.org. The first time you logon it will ask you to sign in as a member. Click "forgot password" and follow instructions to set up your first password. If you choose to use the website as a non-member, you can access 90% of the content without signing in. Sensitive content such as the members roster is available only to members that sign in.
One goal of this is to streamline the membership renewal process. I have seen the long hours that Susan has spent at her computer trying to track down 150 members, process cash and check payments, updating our financial records and the roster, and with everyone having renewal due dates scattered through the calendar year. So going forward, for everyone the renewal due date is June 1 each year, and we are encouraging everyone to renew and pay their membership fee online. You likely got an email on May 15 reminding you of this upcoming date, and if not yet paid, you likely got another notice by email on June 1. If you didn't, check spam folder.
Workshop registration, and supplies payments will also be done quickly and easily online through the website. Financial payment processing is done through a large, reputable and secure company called Stripe. Nashville Bonsai Society does not keep anyone's credit card information. We also will now have the ability to take in person payments at club events in the form of credit card taps.
We are fortunate to have David Supica professionally preparing our newsletters, and we anticipate that those will come to you directly by email each month, and they will all be archived and available additionally on the website.
Over time more up-to-date photos of our events and our trees will be available on the website.
The process has gone smoothly for the most part. Other clubs have found that the first round of membership renewals and the affiliated email reminders can be glitchy, ….until the system gets a hold of who has paid and who is still pending. So be patient with the process. Contact me ([email protected]) if we've goofed up your payment status. The website is going to streamline club functionality, and your member experience going forward. Look around the new website, and contact me with suggested changes. Thanks. Curt
Hello fellow club members,
We are starting a deadwood carving study group on (Saturday) August 29, 2026
The focus of this group will be hands-on learning and refinement of deadwood techniques, including:
To keep things productive and give everyone meaningful one-on-one time, I'd like to cap each session at 5 participants. Sessions would run roughly 9am–5pm, with the goal of meeting 2–3 times per year. If we have enough interest (7–10 people), we can split into two groups across separate days.
One of the biggest advantages of a study group versus a single-day workshop is the ability to develop and execute long-term plans. Rather than rushing into big decisions, we can approach each tree thoughtfully over time and build on progress from session to session.
Date: August 29th, 2026 — 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Location: TBD | Cost: $85
Email: [email protected] to sign up.
Best, Drew
Drew Binkley Nashville Bonsai Society Mentorship 101 Instructor Instagram: @drewbinkley — https://www.instagram.com/drewbinkley/
🌲 Bonsai in the Blue Ridge 2026 📍 Asheville, NC | 🕕 Thursday–Sunday, June 4–7
🪴 NBS @ Tennessee Agricultural Museum — "Learn About Bonsai" 📍 Tennessee Agricultural Museum — 404 Hogan Road, Nashville, TN 37220 | 🕕 Saturday, June 13, 10:00 AM – Noon Join us for a conversation with a bonsai expert. Bring your questions, or even your plants. Live bonsai will be on display. Free event — no reservations required.
✂️ Chop-N-Chat @ East Nashville Beer Works 📍 320 E. Trinity Lane, Nashville, TN 37207 | 🕕 Saturday, June 13, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
🪴 NBS Monthly Meeting @ Cheekwood 📍 Cheekwood | 🕕 Monday, June 22, 6:00 – 8:30 PM
🎓 Mentorship 101 – Class #5 📍 TBD | 🕕 Saturday, June 27
📅 JULY PREVIEW
❌ No NBS Monthly Meeting ✂️ Sat, July 11 – Chop-N-Chat @ Creekside Bonsai Nursery (12:00 – 3:00 PM) 🏗️ Fri, July 17 – NBS Statewide Show Setup 🏆 Sat–Sun, July 18–19 – NBS Statewide Bonsai Show @ Cheekwood 💼 Wed, July 22 – NBS Board Meeting (6:00 – 8:30 PM) 🎓 Sat, July 25 – Mentorship 101 Class #6
<aside>
🌳 Thu–Sun, June 4–7 – Bonsai in the Blue Ridge, Asheville, NC 🪴 Sat, June 13 – NBS @ Tennessee Agricultural Museum (10:00 AM – Noon) ✂️ Sat, June 13 – Chop-N-Chat @ East Nashville Beer Works (12:00 – 3:00 PM) 🪴 Mon, June 22 – Monthly Meeting @ Cheekwood (6:00 – 8:30 PM) 🎓 Sat, June 27 – Mentorship 101 Class #5
*more info below
</aside>
| CLIMATE | INDICATORS | HOW TO RESPOND |
|---|---|---|
| Longest day of the year | ||
| Avg. Low 65° | Avg. High 85° | Record Low 42° |
President: Sara Hopson - [email protected]
Past President: Clay Farris - [email protected]
Director of Programs Programs: Curt Hagenau - [email protected]
Director of Education: Drew Binkley [email protected]
Mentors : Eileen Knox, Donna Comer, Sara Hopson, Albert Kolbe, Marshall Hindley, MichaelKidder, Joh Mahal, John Scarpelli, Kurt Smith.
Director of Finance: Albert Kolbe - [email protected]
Director of Membership: Susan Hagenau - [email protected]
Director of Communications: David Supica - [email protected]
Director of Website: Michael Kidder - [email protected]
Director of Community Outreach: Joh Mahal [email protected]
Member At Large: VACANT
Hospitality Coordinator: Cameron Ford - [email protected]
Volunteer Coordinator – VACANT
Bonsai Shows & Exhibits: