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March 2009 |
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Sangha
President’s
Message Richard Kai
I must say the view from this side of the table is a lot different from
being just another one among the crowd. My responsibility as Dharma
School superintendent, being in the position for 10 years was
occasionally blitzed with a memorable line or story intended to raise
the attention and awareness of how the process works behind the curtain.
Being controversial is not a new view; my progression up the Betsuin’s
food chain reminds me of the ladder I climbed during my professional
career. My temperament now that I sit in this chair for a few brief
months crosses over to the side of diplomacy; that certainly was not the
case early in my professional life.
What I do see from the high chair are many, many board members,
committees and affiliated organizations working unselfishly to
strengthen the basic fabric of the Betsuin’s community of families. From
committee volunteers working feverishly to maintain the temple’s
facilities — replacing water tanks, fire suppression systems, and
cleaning up the main kitchen area — to individuals behind the scenes
going almost unnoticed as they rekey locks to the temple doors, talking
with office and custodial staff to make sure their needs are met,
designing the annual calendar that glows with the pride of authorship,
to replacing the kaikan chairs to make our seats more comfortable as we
settle into a resting position. Topping off the list are the seniors.
They are always “Johnny on the spot,” making themselves available to do
most anything that needs to be done — from moving tables, chairs and
what not, to whatever Reiko and Gladys need to keep their kitchen up and
running. I guess that’s why they bear tattoos of a big “S” on their
chests.
Now turn your attention to the younger set. I had the opportunity to
interview three of the 12 high school seniors who applied for the
Betsuin’s Education Award and matching funds from the Ronald McDonald
House Charities. These young adults have achieved a lot in just a short
time. Many are honor students, hold student leadership positions,
participate on CIF, church and club sports teams, are consciously
civic-minded individuals, and driven to success at their next crossing
in the road. It never ceases to amaze me to see the high spirit,
personalities and just plain good kids who are associated with the
Betsuin after nearly 10 years serving on this committee.
Trying to keep pace with the many activities sponsored by the temple’s
affiliated organizations is overwhelming. In just two short months, the
Scouts conducted their annual celebration, fed the bellies of many
Sangha members at crab feeds, fried rice, pigs-in-a-blanket, and pancake
breakfast meals. The Girl Scouts began their trek to set another record
for the most cookies sold in the world. Their product is recession
proof. Our national leaders should mirror their style to instill
economic recovery; unfortunately for them, the first ingredient to make
cookie dough calls for a heavy dose of integrity.
The Junior Y.B.A. was not to be outdone by these young upstarts. This
organization held a spaghetti dinner with all the trimmings on
Valentine’s Day in February. What a touch. Lastly, the Buddhist Women’s
Association put out a spread as a prelude to the memorial service for
Eshinni-ko and Kakushinni-Ko, the wife and daughter of the Shinran
Shonin, and the Late Lady Yoshiko Ohtani. I marvel at the tireless
energy of these ladies, enough so that I need to end this article and
take a rest. Rinban Bob Oshita
Hello and welcome to the month of March…
Twice a year, at the spring and autumn equinox, we gather for ohigan.
This month we will be observing our spring ohigan. Spring ohigan is that
time of year that we move away from the cold winter toward the summer
heat. And during the ohigan time of year, the weather is so very
comfortable. The short winter days have grown longer and at ohigan, we
have 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. The world seems in balance
and comfortable harmony as we feel the seasons changing around us.
Ohigan is considered the perfect time to contemplate the dharma.
Literally, ohigan means “other shore.” Although this implies that we
should be contemplating the “other shore” of Nirvana, the concept of
“other shore” also encourages us to view this “shore” of living life
from the “other shore” of life’s end. In other words, to open our dharma
eyes of deep gratitude and not take for granted the days we are able to
live.
Last month, Patti and I enjoyed a wonderful reunion with Reverend Yukawa
and Michiko traveling two weeks together in Japan. It was the best of
times. It seems whenever we are together, it is the best of times. As
I’ve often said, working together with Reverend Yukawa here at the
Betsuin also was the best of times.
I remember once telling Sensei about a documentary I had seen where a
woman regained her eyesight through an experimental procedure. In an
interview, she said this, “There is nothing ugly in this world, just
because I can see it. The dust in the corner, the graffiti painted on
walls…everything is beautiful, just because I can see it.” With a big
smile, Reverend Yukawa said, “Wow, she has enlightened eyes!” It was so
true.
She was able to see and appreciate her life from the “other shore” of
not being able to see at all. And now her dharma eyes were open to
appreciate everything around her. Unlike we who too easily judge and
criticize things we see, she just appreciated the simple reality that
she could see. As Sensei said, “…she has enlightened eyes.”
As I mentioned, ohigan is considered the perfect time to contemplate the
dharma. During this time especially, let us try to view our lives with
our dharma eyes open. Let us try to nurture “enlightened eyes.” In Jodo
Shinshu, to live with such deep appreciation…is to live a life of
nembutsu.
Gassho,
RB
Carol Castle
My dad has a
friend, Alfred Iwamasa, who always e-mails him little jokes and
interesting articles. When Pop comes across one that’s particularly
interesting, he sends it my way. This morning, in my in-box was an
article titled simply, “Umeboshi”…and even before I started reading, my
mouth began to water!
For those of you
who haven’t experienced the pleasure of popping an umeboshi in your
mouth…umeboshi are little red pickled plums that are an intense
combination of salty and sour. So much so that as soon as you pop one in
your mouth, your glands begin to ache and your taste buds go into shock!
One food expert says that eating an umeboshi is the culinary equivalent
of taking a cold shower! For me, umeboshi falls in the category of
comfort food. I love them in musubi (rice balls)…with ochazuke (tea and
rice)…and oftentimes, I’ll just drop one inside my cup of tea. So-o-o
good…especially when it’s cold outside, or when I need a little
pick-me-up.
Anyway, back to the
article. In reading this article, which talked about the history of
umeboshi and how it’s made, I began to think about how much I take for
granted in my daily life. For example, here’s one of my favorite things
to eat and I never really thought about how it was made or where it came
from. According to this article, the fruit is soaked in water to get rid
of its bitter taste. Then it’s drained, wiped dry and sprayed with
shochu (distilled rice liquor). The plums are then put in a container
for pickling, mixed with salt, and weighted down with a heavy stone.
There it stays for about six weeks. After that, shiso (beefsteak leaves)
are washed, sprinkled with salt, squeezed dry, broken apart and combined
with the salted ume. The heavy stone is again placed on top of the
mixture, which is allowed to pickle for another week. Finally, the ume
is dried outside for three days and nights. Wow…all of this effort and
hard work, just so I can enjoy my umeboshi with dinner!
It is said that the
dharma is like a mirror being held before our eyes, showing us life’s
lessons that are surrounding us each and every day. Here is yet another
example of the truth of oneness brought to me by a sour, wrinkly,
fermented plum. So much effort and hard work went into bringing this
little plum to my table — from the farmers growing the fruit to all of
the people who transported, prepared and processed the fruit…shipped it
to the U.S…distributed it to the store where I shop…and on and on.
Each moment of our
lives depends on the efforts of countless people…efforts we so often
take for granted. Our lives are not simply ours alone and too easy it is
to forget this very important fact. Now when I sit down at the table,
rather than just putting my hands together out of habit and mindlessly
saying “itadakimasu,” I am reminded that “itadakimasu” is an expression
of gratitude for the efforts and sacrifices of all those who made my
enjoyment of this meal possible. It’s an opportunity to quietly reflect
upon — even if just for a moment — all those whose lives have
contributed to my own. And it’s an opportunity to make gratitude and
appreciation part of my daily living.
Thank you again to
Alfred and Pop for sharing this article…keep ’em coming!
Oh, by the way…here
are a few more fun facts to remember the next time you’re enjoying
umeboshi:
- The best, most
prized and most expensive umeboshi is called the Kishu ume from the
Wakayama Prefecture. Aged 5 years — eight large, individually wrapped
Kishu ume cost about $30.
- The first
umeboshi was found in China where a dried smoked plum called ubai was
discovered in a tomb more than 1,000 years ago. It was used to prevent
fatigue, purify water, rid the body of toxins and cure dysentery,
typhoid and food poisoning.
- Some say that
eating umeboshi helps prevent aging, purifies the blood, reduces fatigue
and acts as a preservative for food. Greeters’ Program
From The Office
Thanks to Bill Hatano, Ted Ito and Mary Ann Miyao for getting our church
calendars ready for mailing. Church MaintenanceEd Imai
Over the past two months, the following members performed maintenance on
the Betsuin’s facilities. The Betsuin is sincerely appreciative to the
following members for volunteering their time and hard efforts:
- Don Honda, with assistance from Steve Sasaki, cut
up the old 18-foot ladder on the kaikan stage and disposed of it.
- Don Honda mounted a new atomic wall clock and wire
guard in the kaikan. Repaired the women’s main restroom door lock.
Changed high-ceiling light bulbs in hondo. Fixed the leak over the main
north/south hallway by repairing heater unit electrical cover. Installed
a weather strip on the annex second-level roof access door. Put on a
coat of paint on the Wolf stove in the main kitchen. Replaced some
missing wood caps on the back of the pews in the hondo. Repaired annex
first floor fire door.
- Don Honda and Gary Traganza for repair of sagging
double doors leading into the kaikan from main hallway.
- Frank Hirota for overseeing power/chemical washing
of ventilation hoods in main and Reiko’s kitchen. Installation of fire
suppression systems will be done shortly in these two areas. Cleaning of
hoods in eastern part of outside kitchen area (tempura and BBQ pit) and
retrofit of compliant fire suppression systems for the BBQ pit and
tempura deep frying areas will be done shortly as Phase 2 of required
fire safety work.
- Gary Traganza repaired the upstairs annex broken
window and repaired lock on door to main kitchen. Fixed the electric
door latch into the church office. Installed a ¾-horsepower garbage
disposal in the main kitchen (second sink on west end). Installed two
new paper towel dispensers in the main kitchen. Remounted old dispensers
by the other two sinks in the kitchen. Installed one new towel machine
in the library restroom and four new soap dispensers in the main women's
restroom.
Also, the Maintenance Committee is seeking group
volunteers from sponsored or affiliated organizations to restain wooden
trellis north of annex building. The restaining should be completed
before the Obon/Bazaar in the summertime. Jodo Shinshu Center Campaign
Mike Nagai
Last month, I had the opportunity to talk to Robert Noguchi, manager for
Campaign BCA — the 21st Century (Jodo Shinshu Center Fundraising
Campaign). I told Mr. Noguchi that in October of last year, a letter was
sent to our sangha under the signature of then-President Allan Hoshida
and Rinban Bob Oshita asking the members to support the Jodo Shinshu
Center fundraising campaign. I asked about the response to that letter.
Mr. Noguchi said that after the letter was sent, they received $46,000
in donations from 45 members. To date, approximately 300 members (23
percent of our membership) have donated $260,000, which includes the
$50,000 donated by the Betsuin general fund. He said that in 2008, the
campaign received more than $1.7 million in contributions and they are
currently renegotiating the existing debt obligation of approximately $7
million to a 25-year loan.
Mr. Noguchi thanked our members for their contribution to date and asked
for our continued support. Because less than 25 percent of our sangha
has contributed to the campaign, he expressed the hope that the
remaining members would be informed of the valuable role that the center
will play in the future of Jodo Shinshu in America and would be urged to
contribute to the campaign.
As I said in a previous article, I am not a member of any campaign
committee nor am I speaking on behalf of our Board of Trustees. I am
writing this simply as a sangha member with the wish for the success of
the Jodo Shinshu Center as the focal point of Buddhist education in
America and the development and ordination of Jodo Shinshu ministers in
this country.
Please join me in support of this worthwhile effort.
In Gassho,
Mike Nagai
Elder Ken Furukawa
2008 was a good year.. at least it was this time last year! Last year
your LEFB (Legacy Endowment Fund Board) helped fund expenses for the
“Kyoshi” training of three Betsuin ministers, and the printing of a
delightful dharma book for our younger students in the Buddhist Churches
of America. These were great opportunities to use the generous
contributions of our Jodo Shinshu sangha to further Jodo Shinshu and
dharma teachings in our local community and beyond. In addition, Derek
and Audrey Seo along with Mark Umeda sponsored some valuable and
informative small group financial classes for our sangha members. And
for the first half of the year, the returns on investments looked like
they would cover these and even more projects, not bad for the inaugural
year for your Legacy Endowment Fund. But 2008 did not end like it
started, and 2009 is not any better.
The fund submitted the 2008 report to the Board of Trustees, and it
looked like many 401(k) portfolios out there. With the financial
realities and predictions for 2009 being what they are, your LEFB has
taken positions to preserve capital and weather the storm, while still
looking for safe opportunities to grow our “nest egg.” The LEFB has not
committed to any major funding initiatives this year, but we are not
hiding under a rock. Once again the Seos are busy planning workshops,
the most recent being a very popular informational briefing about
identity theft. And if an outstanding opportunity presents itself to
fund a project that will further propagate Jodo Shinshu teachings in our
region, then the LEFB will consider it. So it is with hope that the LEFB
begins the 2009 funding cycle.
Applicants can be individual Betsuin members or organizations in good
standing. The project should aim to further Jodo Shinshu Buddhist
teaching in our region. Initial applications to the LEFB should be as
descriptive and detailed as possible, and may be addressed to the Legacy
Endowment Fund Board and sent to the Betsuin office. Please include
contact information. This is a new process, and will require a long lead
time, so do not submit proposals with a short timeline. Please
understand that if financial constraints exist, then the LEFB may not
fund any project requests for a period of time, and will thus prioritize
future commitments as applications are approved for consideration and
possible funding.
As always the LEFB extends our gratitude to those sangha members and
others in the community who continue to donate to the Legacy Endowment
Fund in these difficult times.
Masami Iwasa
Joan Hisamoto
Rieko Inaba
Hisako Nishimura
Tsutomu & Jean Ota
In Memory of Matsuo Family (father, brother, sister and niece)
Bessie Matsuo
In Memory of Father
Sadao Nagao
M/M Clyde Dietzen
In Memory of Tsuyako Nakamura
Dorothy Fujimoto
In Memory of George Fujimoto
Setsuko Ichimoto
In Memory of Tsuyako Nakamura
Gloria Inaba
Isamu & Toshie Kobata
M/M Tom Matsumoto
In Memory of Mother, Yoshio Matsumoto
Sally Yamauchi
In Memory of Yukie Kikumoto
Alan & Lori Itow
In Memory of Mary Takako Itow
Eleanor Nobuye
Kay Shimada
In Memory of Tokiko Shimada
Ruth Toyota
In Memory of Grace Kagawa
Hiroshi & Fujie Urakawa
Alan Wu
Say hello to March 2009! And if it is March, then you should know what
that means. It means basketball tournament March Madness. It’s madness I
tell you; because every weekend in March is filled to the brim with the
excitement and action and pageantry and frivolity and hustle and bustle
and and and just pure madness, madness I tell you.
To get this madness off to a rip-roaring start, the Sacramento Betsuin’s
38th Annual Invitational Basketball Tournament Classic will be offered
up on March 7 and 8. Teams from all over global California will be in
town to participate in our little get together at various gyms across
Sacramento. Here is a rundown of where we will be at:
Age
Division
School/Location
Address & Cross Street 10th-12th Grades B-Boys SASF 9040 High Tech & Laguna
B-Girls
Kennedy High-Main Gym
6715 Gloria & Florin
7th-9th Grades C-Boys
Gold Sac City
College-Main Gym
3835 Freeport & Sutterville
C-Boys Silver
Sac City College-Aux Gym
3835 Freeport & Sutterville
C-Boys Bronze
Sutter Middle School
3150 “I” Street (eye) & Alhambra
C-Girls Gold
Valley High Main Gym
6300 Ehrhardt & Center Pkwy
C-Girls Silver
Valley High Aux Gym
6300 Ehrhardt & Center Pkwy
5th-6th Grades D-Boys
Gold C.K.
McClatchy-Main Gym
3066 Freeport & 6th Avenue
D-Boys Silver
Jackman Middle School
7925 Kentwall & Valley Hi
D-Boys Bronze
Kennedy High-Aux Gym 6715 Gloria & Florin
D-Girls Gold
Florin High-Main/Aux Gym
7956 Cottonwood & Elsie
D-Girls Silver
Florin High-Main/Aux Gym
7956 Cottonwood & Elsie
D-Girls Bronze
Florin High-Main/Aux Gym 7956 Cottonwood & Elsie
3rd-4th Grades E-Boys (older)
West Campus
5022 58th St. & Fruitridge E-Boys(younger) Rutter Middle School 7350 Palmer House & Florin
E-Girls (older)
Didion K-8 School
6490 Harmon & Park Riviera
E-Girls(younger)
McClatchy High-Aux Gym
3066 Freeport & 6th Avenue
(All the above information is subject to change without notice, limited
to stock on hand, prices may vary, on approved credit only, no interest
until 2020, our operators are standing by.)
Not only do we have the games during the day, but we will also have a
dance for the 7th through 12th grade players and an Ice Cream/Family
Social. Both events will be held at the SASF facility on Saturday
evening. So, take another look at our gym locations and plan your
itinerary accordingly, because there are a lot of games to see, and a
lot of places to be. As an added bonus, we will give you the weekend off
from cooking and slaving away in your kitchen, because at every gym
location, we will have a wide variety of hot foods and cold drinks, and
even cold foods and hot drinks available at our concession stands. So,
don’t mess up your kitchen and come out and enjoy the games and our
marvelous menu of munchies.
Please take note that the annual Coaches Appreciation Dinner will be
held on March 22, so stay tuned for the details from your team mom.
March also brings us the hint of Spring, the blooming of flowers and the
sprouting of weeds, so let us take a walk out to the Bodhi Tree and see
what it has for us this month:
Dear Bodhi Tree;
After reading some of the previous letters, I thought I would take
another look at what seems to be happening at church basketball games,
and to my surprise, well not really a surprise, but I was shocked to see
a coach get ejected from a game. Usually, referees give people a lot of
leeway before they eject someone, so, for a coach to continue on with
his conduct and behavior so much as to cause a referee to eject him is
pretty bad and a very poor example for our kids, especially when this is
church basketball. Fortunately it was a coach from another church, and
at the same time it is unfortunate that it happened at all. Then to make
matters worse, I was shocked and dismayed to see that same coach the
next week seemingly coached his team from the kitchen and then the from
the stage, while he was supposedly serving out a suspension from
coaching. I guess that really shows that person’s true attitude and
respect (or lack thereof) for our church league. It is disgraceful and
apparently it does not seem to matter to him. During that time I was
watching those games, I discovered that somehow, somewhere I sat on some
gum that some irresponsible person left on the bleachers. How do you get
gum out of your clothing?
(Signed)
Sticky Buns
Dear Sticky Buns;
There are many schools of thought on this very subject and there is no
definitive answer to your question, but there are three options that
seem to be the most used and claim to be the most successful. Are you
ready?
Option 1: Put the soiled article of clothing in the freezer and once the
gum is frozen, it can be broken off of the clothing, but be careful
while attempting to remove the frozen gum for it may pull some threads
out along the way.
Option 2: After picking off as much gum as you can, use a cleaning
product specifically formulated to dissolve sticky things like gum, glue
or tape, but first apply a little in an inconspicuous area to test the
color fastness of your garment.
Option 3: Burn that article of clothing and go out and get something
new, and make sure to look before you sit down again.
Hope this helps you out of your rather sticky situation.
(Signed)
Bodhi T.
Well, there is some good advice that may be useful in this life, if not,
then in what life
Remember, send your letters to: sbcbodhitree@yahoo.com.
Be back in April.
Important dates to remember:
March 7-8
38th Annual Betsuin Basketball Tournament
March 14-15 SJUMC
Basketball Tournament lower divisions
March 21-22 SJUMC
Basketball Tournament upper divisions
March 22
Coaches Appreciation Dinner
March 27-29 SASF
Basketball Tournament
L.M. Ito
The Scholarship Committee, led by Marsha Matsuda and myself, would like
to gratefully acknowledge the following organizations for providing
vital funds to support the Betsuin Scholarship program: Adult Buddhist
Association (ABA), Sacramento Buddhist Women’s Association (SBWA) and
our own Dharma School program. We would also like to add our deepest
appreciation to the following people for braving the dark and stormy
night to help us interview the candidates: Richard Kai, Pauline Nishina,
Marlene Itagaki, Stephen Maron and Bobby Tanaka. Others who were very
generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise are Ruth Seo, Ken
Koyama and Marc Ely.
And finally, we would like to thank the Dharma School students
themselves who provided us with this opportunity to get to know them
better and have an exploration/sharing of the dharma. In an effort to
provide you a glimpse of their fine young minds, I would like to share
some snippets of their thoughts. Obviously these thoughts are taken out
of order and context, thus any mistakes are mine alone:
- “Yes I’m a Buddhist, and no, it’s not what you think.”
- “Buddhism is not exclusive.”
- “Buddhism is a way to achieve a life that is truly, utterly great.”
- “I believe in God, I believe there is something greater out there and
I believe in Buddhism.”
- “It’s OK not to be OK.”
- “They should live the life that they want, and no one should tell them
that they should live it this way because some almighty spiritual being
tells you to live it this way.”
- “I would rather, if I’m going to regret anything, I would rather it be
something I did instead of something I didn’t do.”
- “Right view is seeing things as they are. It’s hard to just look at a
hard situation and say, ‘Yeah…and….”
- “I want to carry this on; I want my children to grow up Buddhist.”
- “I would propagate Jodo Shinshu teachings by being who I am.”
- “I think that religion is like an inside joke; you kind of have to be
there to get it.”
The last quote is my personal favorite. The spiritual aspect — whether
you call Buddhism a philosophy, religion, teaching or “way of life” —
forms one part of a person’s foundation of strength. Spiritual health
along with mental and physical health is one of the best ways that we
can help our students have a better life and future. I am very impressed
with the many people who have come together to help all our graduating
seniors have a better future. As you can see, I think that the future of
Buddhism is in good hands.” Wayne Kurahara ABA President
Thanks to the Board of Trustees, sponsored and
affiliated organizations and individual members, we are about three
quarters of the way to paying for the chairs. It’s great that all of the
groups and individual members have so enthusiastically supported the
chair project. This is a reminder though that we still have a ways to go
and that individual donations are greatly appreciated. Remember, if you
donate $50, you can say to all of your friends that you paid for one of
the chairs. (This is fun to do now but even more fun 15 to 20 years from
now.) For those who are more modest, you can just think to yourself that
you paid for your own seat!
Here’s a tidbit of information. Since the chairs
have already been used, we know that stacking the chairs 35 high is a
little difficult unless you’re a six-footer. So, we are ordering four
more racks so that we can stack the chairs 25 high (400 chairs and 16
storage racks). Thanks Ken Furukawa
Welcome to March and the month of March
madness! Not only will we be tracking our favorite college teams, but
also the favorite boy and girl teams for the Betsuin! But basketball is
not the only thing happening. Spring ohigan service March 22 is another
opportunity to reflect on the balance of our lives and our world, and of
course our appreciation expressed in the nembutsu.
Preparations for the Hanamatsuri play
will be in full swing. Mentored by Cliff Adams and Ann Amioka, the
directing team of Leann Castle, Emma Maron and Keri Castle will be
working hard to produce another best-ever play. There will be plenty of
opportunities for kids of all ages to help out with everything from
acting and voice overs to stage crafts. Don’t hesitate to offer your
help and come out to the practices.
Even if we fill the positions for
teachers for 7th grade and 11th/12th In Search Of, we can always use and
will appreciate other teachers for these and other grades. Please
contact Richard Kai, Valerie Fong or myself at any time.…We can always
use the help. As spring approaches, we also will be looking for a few
student TAs. Although not a formal criterion, students who will be
available to help with classes during basketball season are appreciated.
Teachers and TAs don't forget that the
Federation of Dharma School Teachers League conference will be in
Mountain View at the end of April, so plan accordingly!
Donations
Dharma School Courtyard gratefully
acknowledges donations from the following:
1st Grade Class
2nd Grade Class
4th Grade Class
5th Grade Class
7th Grade Class
Gladys Adachi
Barons Youth Organization
Boy Scout Troop 50
Suzanne Bristow
Girl Scouts
Minnie Iseri
Mas Iwasa
Jr. YBA
Alice Kataoka
Amiko Kashiwagi
Utako Kimura
Mieko Kono
Emi Koshimizu
Reiko Kurahara
Yen & Michael Marshall
Edith Matsuoka
Mitzie Muramoto
Eleanor Nobuye
Mits & Miyo Omoto
Janet Oto
Audrey Seo
Norman & Judy Tanaka Family
Tomi Tanaka
Fuzzy Yokoyama Cub Scouts Pack 50Denis Ishisaka
A belated Happy New Year from Pack 50! 2009 has
started off with a bang with many activities / events that have taken
place and kept the scouts busy!
NASCAR has its Super Bowl of races with the Daytona
500. Well, not to be outdone, Pack 50 had its own Super Bowl of races
with the Annual Pinewood Derby! Over 60 Scouts, along with Reverend Kaz,
displayed and raced their awesome-looking, fast cars. This year’s race
had to be one of the most exciting in that the championship race was a
photo finish. Many hours of hard work went into these cars and the
winners of this year’s awards are as follows:
- Cub Master’s Favorite: Nick Siu
- Pride of the Pack: David Starnes
- Best Paint Job: Nicholas Loui
- Scout’s Honor: Drew Tanaka
- Most Creative Design: Brandon Mark
- Sleekest Design: Austin Sakata
- Best Theme: Brendan Firth
And the 2009 Pinewood Derby Race Winners are…
- Champion: Kendal Bartlett (The Bartlett tradition
continues!)
- 2nd place: Brayden Pond
- 3rd place: Kyle Fujii
- 4th place: Nicholas Shibata
These top four finishers will be representing Pack
50 in the River City District Pinewood Derby. Congratulations to all the
winners and all the Scouts who participated in the race!
A special thank you goes out to Les Wong and Jerry
Lee and their race team for organizing an exciting event. Also, Pack 50
would like to acknowledge and thank our special guest race team member,
Karen Adachi, for helping out once again.
February is the month of two great observances for
the Cub Scouts:
-First, Pack 50 participated in the annual Scout
Sunday. The highlight of the event was the awarding of the Buddhist
religious award, the Metta Award, to 11 of our Scouts who worked hard in
learning about the Buddhism from Rinban Bob, Reverend Kaz, Reverend Tim,
Reverend Patti, Reverend Carol and Sensei Grace. Congratulations to:
Alex Ng
Brandon Mark
Brendan Noguchi Cameron Chang
Cameron Kochi Cameron Lutz
Cameron Dorais Daniel Okino
Kenji Fong Tyler Ito
Tyler Mar Job well done, gentlemen!o:p>
Our second observance was the birthday of the Cub
Scouts! 2009 marks the 79th birthday of the Cub Scouts program, which
was founded in 1930, and the 37th birthday of Pack 50, which was founded
in 1972. Over 200 Scouts, guests and family members celebrated the Cub
Scouts’ and Pack 50’s birthday at the Blue and Gold dinner. It was an
evening of good food, acknowledging and applauding the Scouts’
accomplishments, skits and guest speeches. A wonderful time was had at
this big birthday bash! Thank you goes to our special guests who where
in attendance and a special thank you goes to Akemi Wong and Debbie
Kochi and their committee for organizing a wonderful event!
Our Pack 50 family keeps on growing. We’d like to
introduce and welcome Ryan Tomlinson and his parents, Rick and Tammy, to
our Pack. This is just the start of 2009 and more to come. Stay tuned for more Pack 50 happenings.o:p> Girl Scouts Troop 569Jennifer Nitta
On February 1, Girl Scout Troop 569 along with Boy Scout Troop 50 and
Cub Scout Pack 50 celebrated Scout Sunday. It is a time when all of the
Scouts come together to celebrate our successes, display our gratitude
to be part of such special organizations, and demonstrate our
appreciation for our leaders and parents. This year our guest speaker
was Kristi Omoto-Fujimoto, who spoke about how Girl Scouting has
influenced her life. Although Kristi was a Campfire Girl in her younger
days, she feels that today she is truly a Girl Scout. I am sure that
some of our leaders have never had any Scouting or Campfire Girl
experience, and yet today they lead our girls by sharing their own life
experiences and lessons that they have learned throughout their youth
and adult lives. Kristi, along with all of the other leaders of Troop
569, spends countless hours planning and organizing meetings, building
friendships with the girls, and keeping the parents informed. Without
our leaders, there would be no troop.
With that said, we must also be grateful for the year 1992. This is when
a group of girls questioned why they could not be a part of a group
similar to the very active Boy Scouts of Troop 50. This simple question
led to the beginning of Girl Scout Troop 569, and we extend our thanks
to those church members who supported the girls’ idea and to Patti
Oshita and Judy Inaba for accepting the responsibility of these
energetic and ambitious girls.
Today, our Troop can proudly say that we have over 70 leaders with 20
troops supporting over 200 Girl Scouts. Along with our leaders, we have
the members of FOG ST there to organize our ceremonies and special
activities, Patti, Judy and our wonderful treasurer Grace Lew, who
continues on although her daughter has long ago graduated. We also are
thankful for the support of our parents who step up to volunteer for
cookie sales, fall sales, ceremonies and all of the Troop activities.
And a big, big thank you goes out to the Betsuin and the sangha members
for their continued support and willingness to always give generously to
all of our activities.
To the Leaders and Girls of Troop 569:
For all that we are thankful for, we must also keep in mind the need to
be respectful to others, lead by example, and work as a team for the
good of the entire Troop. See the bigger picture and the successes that
we can achieve by working unselfishly. Seek out the support of others in
our Troop and in our lives who can teach us how to be better people. And
lastly, take the time to thank all of those people who make activities
such as Girl Scouting possible.
Girl Scout Cookies
Ray and Donna Valdovino
The Girl Scouts of Troop 569 did another outstanding job this year, as
they pre-sold 19,128 boxes. If you missed out on ordering cookies,
Brownies 5 and Juniors 1 will be conducting site sales at the church
through March 15, so here is your chance to get more.
We would like to thank the following people: Tim Castle, Ken Furukawa,
Roger Ikemoto, John Koyama, Ron Okino and Ken Okuhara. It would not have
been possible to unload all 19,128 boxes without their help.
We would also like to thank all the parents, Girl Scout leaders and
especially the cookie managers for their continued support and making
this another successful year. Sacramento Buddhist Women’s Association Sandra Nishimura-Yee
February’s SBWA Board Meeting was held on Wednesday, February 4,
2009.
DONATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Haruye Osaki Shotsuki Hoyo
The SBWA extends a special thank you for a donation from Mikiye
Hayashi. New stage curtains in the kaikan are being purchased and
will be installed by April with this generous donation. Let us be
mindful in taking care of these new curtains.
UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS:
March 15
Spring Food Festival
Please come out and help.
Food preparation will be on Saturday, March 14, beginning at 7:30
a.m. On Sunday, March 15, the final food preparation will start at 2
a.m.
Gloves will be provided, but please bring/wear head covering. As
always, coffee and donuts will be provided on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, Reiko and crew have graciously volunteered to provide
lunch. It’s worth coming out to help just for this delicious meal.
On Monday, March 16 at 9 a.m., volunteers are greatly appreciated to
help with clean-up and to put away the supplies and equipment.
April 10
Bazaar Craft Making
Beginning on April 10, and then after the second Friday of the
month, Masako Fukuda will lead sessions in craft making. The
sessions will be held after Tanoshimikai from 1-3 p.m. in the
classrooms. Please come out and join us in this fun craft-making
activity.
April 18
Nihonmachi
There are still tickets for Nihonmachi, The Place to Be, 1
p.m. and 7 p.m. performances at the Sacramento Buddhist Church.
Please contact Lynn Kurahara at 392-3022 for tickets of $30 per
person.
April 26, 2009 – One-Day Trip to Bay Area
With the tamale funds, a one-day trip is planned for April 26. The
first stop will be the San Francisco Aquarium, then to San Jose for
the Nikkei Matsuri, and lastly Cupertino to shop, shop, shop at the
new Marukai Store. Sign-ups will begin on March 14, 2009, at the
Spring Food Festival Prep.
NEW BUSINESS
Beginning January 2010, the SBWA membership dues will increase to
$10. With the cost of the Northern California Buddhist Women’s
Association and Federation Buddhist Women’s Association dues, it was
inevitable that we needed to increase the SBWA membership dues. We
hope that this does not cause a hardship on our members. Those
members 80 years old and older are waived the dues.
The next SBWA Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4. Kelvin Mark
Konnichiwa…and sayonara from the Social Services Committee (SSC). Sayo —
“thus” + nara “indeed, if it be.” Hard to imagine that nearly
four years have passed since I began helping out in this area. It
has truly been a pleasure meeting so many of our sangha, contributing in
this capacity, and providing some “shade” in the spirit of okagesama. I
leave the SSC in the capable hands of Roger Ito and Roy Imura.
Special thanks go out to Roy, who has been key in tutoring me on the
finer points of overseeing our biannual blood drive, special service
uketsuke, and Triple-R adult day program. Triple-R is now held at the
Asian Community Center. In many ways, blood donation is the embodiment of the paramita “dana.” Dana, the perfection of generosity, literally means giving selflessly and unconditionally without concern for recognition or compensation. During the past four years, our Betsuin has contributed nearly 400 units of life-saving blood and last year we adopted a national bone marrow matching program. To use my favorite RB phrase, Wow! Keep up the good work! Our Spring Blood Drive, sponsored by Blood Source, will be held in the kaikan on April 19, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
On an unrelated note, you may notice a new 3-cubic-yard “green”
recycling bin, which is to be used for all plastic, glass, metal,
cardboard and paper. We will keep smaller recycling containers in the
main classrooms and kaikan for your convenience, so please help to do
your part to keep our Betsuin clean and green. Anything with food on it
goes in the trash. Funerals
Ron Shintaku
In Memory of Mae T. Shintaku
Takashi Inaba
In Memory of Aeko Inaba
Memorial
Howard Sakai, Joan Nishimoto 1st Year
for Frances Sakai
Lance Yokota, Kathy Fong-Yokota 3rd Year for Hiroshi Yokota
Tom Nakamura
1st Year for Tsuyako Nakamura
M/M Naomi Higaki
49th Day for Frank Miwa
Miwa Family
49th Day for Frank Miwa
Darlene Saito
7th Year for Yaeko Saito
Heidi Sakazaki
1st Year for Frances Sakai
Shig Shimazu
1st Year for Frances Sakai
Hideo & Helen Ikenoyama
1st Year for Frances Sakai
June Omori
1st Year for Frances Sakai
Mitsuye Okubo
In Memory of Jack Okubo
Ikuko Sakazaki
1st Year for Frances Sakai
Adell Takata
1st Year for Rosie Tomoda
LaRoy McCoy
1st Year for Rosie Tomoda
Eddie Shimosaka
1st Year for Rosie Tomoda
Masae Murai
In Memory of Kikue Yamauchi
Kay Shimada
1st Year for Frances Sakai
Agnes Shimosaka
1st Year for Rosie Tomoda
Special
Aichi Kenjin Kai
In Appreciation
Chair Donations
Rodney Kunisaki
Billy & Grace Hatano
Sam & Gladys Adachi
Ted & Tak Ito
Mike & Rachel Nagai
Loleen Nakano
Tsutomu & Jean Ota
Heidi Sakazaki
Shigeko Tanaka
Endowment Fund
Wayne Kurahara
Nokotsudo
Keith & Melissa Kuyama
Nokotsudo Flower Donation, 49th Day Service for Stan Hayashi |
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Jane Komure
Alan Nishijima
Clifford Okamoto
Bradley & Eve Yeargain Condolences to the Families of
Masayo Sue Sueoka
January 3, 1922 – January 18, 2009
Helen Inouye
April 1, 1918 – January 21, 2009
Aeko Inaba
December 1, 1923 – January 27, 2009
May Tsugiko
Shintaku June 5,
1918 – January 29, 2009 |
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