INTERNATIONAL BOSSONS COLLECTORS SOCIETY |
The formation of The International Bossons Collectors Society (IBCS) began with a request in 1980 by Mr. W. Ray Bossons (pictured on right) for Dr. Robert Davis to consider creating a Bossons collectors club. It was in 1981 that Dr. Davis, after some consideration and having been assured of full support from the Bossons Co., accepted the invitation to form a society.
On October 21, 1981, a document of incorporation was drawn up and approved by the State of Georgia. Beginning with a small number of collectors with whom Dr. Davis had been in correspondence, charter membership was initiated in 1981.
The first copy of the Society newsletter, a simple photocopied narrative, was mailed on September 30, 1982. Its purpose was to assist collectors in increasing their knowledge of Bossons artware and provide a medium of exchange for new and discontinued models. It also allowed for a central link of communication, which at that time was not available, so as to enhance the collectors access to discontinued pieces. Improved financial status of the Society made possible a full color printing of the newsletter, the Bossons Briefs, a quarterly publication. Recipients are kept up-to-date on happenings in the Bossons world including photos of new discoveries, photos from members showing how they display their collections, a bartering section where members can buy or swap hard-to-find pieces and much, much more.
The first annual meeting of The International Bossons Collectors Society was held at the Airport Marriott Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 2-4th, 1986. Thus began deep friendships that continue to this date. With an atmosphere much like that of a family reunion, members meet each year to renew those friendships and boast of acquisitions in the previous twelve-month period. Artware is swapped, bought, sold and auctioned. Traditions were established and the meetings continued to improve. Past meetings have been in the host cities of San Francisco, Victoria-BC, New Orleans, Orlando, St. Louis, San Diego, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Antonio, Omagh- Northern Irleland and aboard the Carnival Conquest cruise ship just to name a few.
It was at the 15th annual meeting in Tampa, Florida that Dr. Davis announced that he was stepping down as Director and appointed John Cassidy as the new President/Executive Director of the IBCS effective January 1, 2001. John held the position until May of 2005, when Norm Derocher stepped forward to lead the IBCS into the future. Donna McLernon became the President/Executive Director in 2016.
The last Annual Meeting was held in May 2018 in Hampton, VA and plans for 2019 are underway. New members are welcomed and warmly received. In addition to an opportunity to socialize, the events provide educational talks, presentations, an auction, a members swap and shop, an evening banquet and many other activities. The unique aspect of the Bossons Society is that most, if not all other collectors clubs, are organized and run by the manufacturer themselves simply as another marketing tool. The International Bossons Collectors Society is totally independent from W.H. Bossons Ltd. both financially and otherwise. The IBCS can boast of a total membership exceeding 3600 members from twenty-two countries since its inception. The present active membership is approximately 325 folks, each with a uniting thread – their love of Bossons artware.
Dr. Robert Davis
Dr. Robert Davis was founder of the International Bossons Collectors Society and the author of The Imagical World of Bossons, Books I and II. He established and published Bossons Briefs, and initiated annual international meetings in 1986 which continue today. The 2011 meeting, held in Atlanta, honored Dr. Davis for his dedication and lifetime contributions to Bossons collectors world wide. Much of what we know about our beloved Bossons can be attributed to him.
He attended Emory University Medical School where he earned his doctorate in dentistry in 1950. A captain in the U. S. Air Force, he served as a medical officer with the Strategic Air Command during the Korean Conflict in French Morocco.
He completed his residency at the Veteran’s Hospital and Grady Hospital in Atlanta, GA and received his board certified degree in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from the University of Pennsylvania in 1957. Dr. Davis had a private practice in St. Petersburg, FL from 1959-1963 and became the first oral surgeon in Rome, GA in 1963.
Prior to his retirement in 1995, Dr. Davis spent thirty-four years in private practice in the specialty of Oral and Maxofacial Surgery. He was active in many professional societies including the Northwestern Disstrict Dental Society, the Georgia Dental Association, Southeastern Society of Oral Surgeons, the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (diplomat), the Georgia Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the Georgia Academy of Dentistry (President, 1983).
Sadly, Dr. Davis passed away July 5, 2011..... but his legacy contines! |