And once again, Andy, I would like to point out that it is not
the large organizations who are creating this requirement. We are only
following the wishes of the persons who sponsor the competitions and ask
us to administer them. If you can find someone who will put up the
money to sponsor the type of competition you are espousing or can
persuade one of the current sponsors to change their requirements, there
will be no problem with getting us to administer it that way.
Actually, Award Certré International already permits what you
espouse to a degree. The rules require that "the bonsai must have been
part of the artist's personal collection for a minimum of three years,"
but they do not say that the bonsai has to be trained by the owner. You
can check this out for yourself at
http://www.bonsai-bci.com/contests.htm
Alan Walker
http://bonsai-bci.com http://LCBSBonsai.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Rutledge

Hi Jay,
I appreciate your opinion, but perhaps you missed my thrust. Yes, I
understand the difference. Our large organizations do not. Under the
auspices of our large national organizations, there is currenly no
opportunity for owners of fine bonsai to show their trees - unless these
owners/collectors also have done all of the styling/care for those trees
for
the past 3 to 5 years. This is what I find so disappointing.

What this means is that a collector of fine bonsai in the U.S. who
smartly
pays a professional to maintain his collection and who has something
worthwhile, artistic and inspiring to show in a judged event, CANNOT do
so
(except in one show - that I know of - put on by a very small club in
CA).
I hope this puts a finer point on the matter.
Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
www.andyrutledge.com/palaver/main.htm
zone 8, Texas

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jay Wilson"
Andy,
You are trying to compare apples and oranges here. There is nothing
wrong
with shows judging an artists craft and skill in growing and
maintaining
bonsai and there is nothing wrong with having shows judging who can
buy
the
best bonsai.
These are two totally different criteria and should not be mixed in
the
same
show.
Just my opinion,
Jay Wilson

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