How to Join the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society or Visit a Meeting as a Guest

You can join the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society (GNOBS) in two ways: download the club application from the "Join" section of gnobs.org, or pick up a paper application at any regular meeting. If you are not ready to join, the club explicitly welcomes prospective members to drop in to a regular meeting as a guest first. Both paths are open to new members at any time.

Joining as a Member

The club's welcome page states that new members are always welcome and points to a club application under the "Join" menu item on the website. The same page notes that applications are also available at every meeting, so you do not need to complete the online step before attending.

A practical sequence:

1. Open gnobs.org and look for the "Join" link in the site navigation.
2. Complete the club application found there, or collect a paper copy at a meeting if you prefer.
3. Attend a regular meeting to submit it and meet other members.

The site does not publish dues amounts, membership tiers, or a processing timeline, so confirm those details with the club directly rather than assuming.

Visiting a Meeting as a Guest

The welcome message is direct on this point: interested visitors may "just drop in to one of our regular meetings as our guest." No application or prior contact is described as a requirement for a first visit.

To find a meeting, use the calendar page under "News and Events," which holds the complete listing of upcoming events and meetings. The homepage also shows events for the next three months at the bottom of the page, which is a quick way to check whether something is coming up soon.

What the Club Is

GNOBS was founded in 1972 by bonsai authority Vaughn Banting and describes itself as one of the most active bonsai clubs in the U.S. That history matters mainly as context for what a first visit looks like: an established club with a regular meeting schedule rather than a new group still forming.

Upcoming Dates Worth Knowing

The homepage lists several dated items. These are the ones with enough detail to plan around:

The 2027 seminar is a regional event hosted with the American Bonsai Society, not a regular club meeting. Registration is described as open, with hands-on workshops limited in space and expected to fill; the site credits presenting sponsor Underhill Bonsai for keeping workshop prices low. Registration runs through the American Bonsai Society's RegFox page linked from gnobs.org, and a full brochure is available on the ABS site. If you want a workshop slot, the club's own advice is to register early.

Common Snags

• Looking for dues or a signup form on the homepage. The application lives under "Join," not on the landing page.
• Assuming the calendar is the homepage list. The homepage only covers roughly the next three months; the calendar under "News and Events" is the complete listing.
• Confusing the 2027 seminar with a club meeting. The ABS Learning Seminar requires separate registration and is a paid, multi-day event; regular meetings are the guest-friendly entry point.
• Waiting to join before attending. The club's stated position is the reverse — visit first as a guest if you like.