Potential opportunity to start a club, need advice.

[RaginCajun]

Hey y'all! I met a nice lady at my local nursery recently. She seen a had a couple nursery trees(barberry) in the cart and struck up a conversation and I told her they were to be trained as bonsai. Turns out she is the head of a big flower club in this area and asked if I would come speak at a meeting about bonsai, show some of my trees and maybe trigger intrigue with some of the flower club members.
I live in Ouachita parish Louisiana which holds the 3rd largest city by population in the entire state of Louisiana.. and there is no bonsai club here. No bonsai peeps anywhere around. Ive done residential service work in the area for 13yrs and haven't found anyone in the hobby. Or seen any trees in anyone's yards. This could be a great opportunity to kick off a local chapter of the Louisiana bonsai society perhaps, or at least start a study group which could potentially grow into a club!
I've been in the hobby 5yrs, there are some great clubs 4hrs south of me and a club in Shreveport 2hrs away.. I'm like in no man's land for the hobby.
I feel like this place is a geographical oddity, it's 4hrs from everything. Dallas, Houston, NOLA, Baton Rouge, Little Rock, Jackson... All 4hrs away . Anyone have any advice or suggestions for the first meeting and maybe a little rendezvous at the local nursery for the second meeting where I could walk with the group, talk about trees, pick out some and then do a quick little demo allowing them to work on them to get them headed in the right direction. Thank you in advance, Trent.

 

[ShadyStump]

I'm in a similar situation in my location. Plenty going on in cities an hour away, but in my immediate area there's little to nothing.
I know there are plenty of people here in to bonsai because the bonsai appropriate and bonsai labeled stuff at the local mom and pop garden shop keeps expanding and selling.

I think you're on the right track partnering with flower or gardening clubs. Good chance to connect parallel interests. Unfortunately there's no such clubs active in my area.

 

[River's Edge]

Study group is a great way to start developing skills and interest with others. Clubs can introduce more complex issues and time constraints. One of the key things that can make clubs difficult is finding a location that works within a limited budget for meetings.
Study groups are usually smaller and can operate in someones garage or garden. The smaller group can be very flexible with times and places, simply because it involves fewer people.
Visiting local garden centres, horticultural societies can be great way to attract new or added interest.
The best answer to your question lies in the motivation within yourself!
Intense desire to learn and improve may best be met with a study group of like minded individuals!
A keen desire to share experiences and socialize in a bonsai setting with varied entertainment may best be met with forming a local club.
Benefits to both, no reason why one cannot support and encourage the other if desired by the participants. Very often study groups become the behind the scenes organizers who keep local clubs going and growing.