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Sangha
President’s
Message Allan Hoshida Update regarding the Jodo Shinshu Center (JSC) project and 21st Century Campaign: Earlier this year our Betsuin Board of Trustees voted to somehow help BCA in our fund-raising campaign and provide support for the JSC project. Because there have been tremendous overages in anticipated construction costs and lack of leadership among the BCA leadership, our temple leaders were very reluctant to actively participate. There were many questions and concerns about BCA plans to repay the outstanding incurred debt. Our board after much thoughtful discussion has decided on the following: 1) voted to approve $50,000 donation to BCA campaign from the Betsuin General Fund; 2) voted to approve sending a summary letter to each temple member, asking for their support, with suggested monetary amounts and payment timelines. Please know that this is a voluntary donation — either a one-time lump sum, pledges over several years, etc. — whatever is most comfortable for you. For those of you who have already donated, thank you very much. If you have the opportunity to visit the JSC, take classes there, attend conferences there, stay at hotel…all of these things, in addition to monetary donations, will in the long run help to support the center for Jodo Shinshu here in the U.S. Last month, I, together with Northern California District Conference (NCDC) President Roy Imura, Georgette Imura and Reverend Kaz, represented our Betsuin at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Buddhist Church of Marysville. In attendance were Bishop and Mrs. Ogui, Northern California District temple representatives from Lodi, Placer, Stockton, Walnut Grove, and many Marysville temple members, family and friends, past and present. There was a historical photo display, a special service and a banquet for all those in attendance. A video production highlighting the many prominent individuals, activities, building/construction projects was shown. Throughout the day as I participated in the many activities and met many folks in attendance, I realized how many connections Marysville has to our own Sacramento temple. Some examples: 1) Molly Kimura’s family, going back to her grandparents, were prominent temple members and she grew up near the present temple. Molly continues to help out the Marysville temple whenever she can. 2) Gary Matsumoto and his wife Terry were in attendance. Terry grew up there and still goes back to help out. 3) I met Ray Takata’s sister, who is a member there. Apparently Ray also helped with some of the design and construction work for the facility over the years. Ray, who passed away last year, was a past president and elder and did so much to advance/support the growth of our temple. 4) Phil Nakamura (and brother Bob) grew up at the Marysville temple, played sports there. Because of the benefits he received in his youth through church activities, he and his family are very involved here at our temple and he in turn is volunteering his time to benefit his kids as well. Though this was my first time visiting the Buddhist Church of Marysville temple, at the end of the day I felt like I knew the community quite well. Congratulations to the Buddhist Church of Marysville for their anniversary celebration and wish them many more successful years of serving their community. I am writing a part of this newsletter in Pajaro Dunes where Meriko and I are spending an extended weekend with good friends. From our condo we can see the ocean surf gently rolling onto the sandy beaches on one side; Pajaro Creek is glistening from the early morning sun on the other side; and in the background is Moss Landing with the prominent smoke stacks. Squadrons of birds are flying overhead and I can see people taking leisurely walks or fishing on the beach. What a view! Since we all lead very hectic and busy lives, it is wonderful to have the opportunity to get away with friends and just relax. As the end of the year comes, it gets even more hectic with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. As we all go through this end-of-the year holiday season, let’s remember to take a few moments, every now and then, to savor all of the wonderful moments/opportunities/experiences that we all are able to enjoy with family and friends. In the end for me, it is just these simple opportunities to spend time and experiences with folks you really care about that has enriched our lives so much. Also, please think of things that you, your family, your organizations can do to benefit others. Look beyond just yourself, volunteer your time, commit your resources/talents to a cause you believe in and you will realize truly how lucky and fortunate we all are. I applaud all of you who continue to volunteer your precious time/resources to help/benefit others. Though I was out of town, I heard that the Fried Rice Breakfast Fundraiser for our Kyoshi candidates, Patti, Tim and Carol, was a huge success with more than 600 breakfasts served. Thank you to the more than 40 volunteers, many of them board members, who came out early Sunday morning to help out. Special thanks of course go out to Reiko, Gladys and crew, as well as Diane Muranaka and Sheryl Kajioka, board Social Welfare chairs, for helping organize the event. What a wonderful way to say thank you to our ministers’ assistants, who have dedicated so much of their time/effort in helping our Betsuin, NC district temples and BCA youth advocacy programs. Thank you to all. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season. As always, if there are any questions, please feel free to call/e-mail me at any time. Rinban Bob Oshita Welcome to the December of 2007. As you read this, I will probably be in Kyoto where Patti and Tim and Carol Castle will be completing their Kyoshi Training at Nishiyama Betsuin. Thank you so very much for your generous support of our Betsuin Ministers’ Assistants Program. How amazing that the year 2007 is already coming to a close. Each December, I find myself looking back on the year that has passed, reflecting on the many changes and challenges of the year. 2007 … was a full year. What is a full year? When someone has lived a long life, folks will often say that he or she has lived a “full life.” But a full life is not a life that was just full of happiness and good things. When someone has lived a “full life,” it means they have lived the full spectrum of life’s experiences. It means that in their lifetime, they have known great happiness, joy and fulfillment; and they have also experienced great disappointment, sadness and loss. It means that they have tasted the bitter and the sweet; it means that they lived through whatever life brought their way, doing the best they could. To me, this is what it means to live a full life. And when I say this has been a full year, it means that we’ve laughed deeply and cried deeply; and lived through whatever life has brought our way … doing the best we could. Being a part of this Sangha, this incredible Betsuin community, has made the good times more enjoyable … and even the most difficult times somehow bearable. Our office staff, Tak Ito, Meri Fong, Reverend Kaz and Michi, join Patti and me in thanking you for another wonderful year of being a part of the Best Temple in BCA! Rai Nen mo Yoroshiku! Gratefully, RB Patti Oshita Welcome to the month of December! In November, the Minister Assistants Fried Rice Breakfast Fundraiser was an overwhelming success. With the support of so many Board members and friends, we were able to make 700+ breakfasts. We cannot begin to thank all of you for your support. As we have mentioned before, Tim, Carol and I will leave for Japan on December 1 with our guide, RB. There are 11 of us from BCA with a few from Canada, Hawaii and even Australia. We will leave from San Francisco with our friends from Denver, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Marin. During our stay in Kyoto, we will have a full 10 days of waking up early for morning service, lectures throughout the day and ending each day with a set of tests that we need to pass which are required for us to receive Kyoshi certification. The schedules we have received show that each day of training begins at 5 a.m. with lights out at 11 p.m. We will be participating with about 60 other Japanese candidates and also one from Britain who is married to a Jodo Shinshu minister. We know this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we are determined to represent our Betsuin and BCA as best we can. With the continued support of our Betsuin Board, Sangha, ministers and minister assistants, we are so fortunate to be able to participate in this Kyoshi certification. Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Greeters’ ProgramSpring 2008 From The OfficeThank goodness for our volunteers. We would like to thank the following for helping us out in getting our letters out to the members: Billy Hatano, Meriko Hoshida, Ted Ito, Keiko Kashiwada and Elaine Yoshikawa. We would especially like to thank Gary Ishimoto for coming to our rescue to fix the problems we were having with our equipment. Thank you so much, Gary! Please note: The office has been receiving much returned mail and is having to pay return postage fees. It will be appreciated if you let the office know when you move. This will help us out a lot. Thanks. Church MaintenanceEd Imai BazaarKen Furukawa November was a busy month for the Legacy Endowment Fund and its Board of Directors. The major sign that the fund has launched was the mass mailing of the Legacy Endowment Fund brochure, accompanied by introduction letters and an information card. In last month’s newsletter, we forgot to thank Etsuko Wakayama for her wonderful calligraphy that is so representative of the beauty and spirit of the fund... thank you so much! The Fund’s Board of Directors sponsored an educational seminar, “Leaving a Legacy: Strategies in Estate Planning and Charitable Giving,” at Kamon Sushi Restaurant on Saturday, November 17. Among the planned special guests was the fund’s founder, Reverend Yukawa! Sunday, November 18 was Hoonko, and the fund presented $1,500 checks to Patti Oshita, Tim and Carol Castle to help defray some of the costs for pursuing Kyoshi ordination at the Hongwanji Temple in Kyoto. We could not have chosen a more appropriate initial funding project for the Fund! This project embodies the Fund’s goals to “honor the past, continue the legacy, and shape the future.” To speak to the power of the brochure, and the generosity of our Sangha, we want to acknowledge an anonymous donation of $5,000 and several other important donations. We appreciate all donations of any denomination (we are truly non-denominational), and all are important now and for the future. Remember that donations to the Fund are tax deductible, and may take many forms other than cash. We suggest you consider a donation or bequest with appropriate professional consultation. If you have questions about the Fund, or donations, please contact us by calling the Betsuin office or send in the card from the mailing. Haruye Osaki In Memory of Tad Osaki Michiko Imai Bessie Matsuo In Memory of Daughter, Mother & Brother Heidi Sakazaki In Memory of Yukimi Sakazaki May Arai In Memory of Tatsu Arai Kathryn Ishimoto In Memory of George Ishimoto Yoshiko Morisawa In Memory of Wayne Morisawa Shoya & Ikuko Sakazaki In Memory of Yukimi Sakazaki Sumiko Yamamoto April Adachi In Memory of Kameji Ikuma Ikuko Sakazaki In Memory of Fusako Sasaki Takaaki Saruwatari Muroko Shijo In Memory of Vince Shijo Masaaki Tademaru Junichi Yamamoto Alan Wu Welcome to the last month of 2007! This year has certainly flown by, and as we close out this year like every other year, we are inundated by so many things to do in so little time to do them — in fact, we only have the 24 days of December to get it all done. All these years, you were taught that February was the shortest month of the year with 28 days. I submit to you for your contemplation, that it is December that is the shortest month with only 24 days. Now the 26th of December presents a whole new set of bustle to be had, but that is a another story for another time. And you were also taught that March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb. Well, December has that beat by coming in like a tornado and leaving like a tornado, for at the beginning of December you and your time management device(s) are so overbooked that your head is spinning because you need to be in three places at once, and then on the 25th, you turn around to see the path of destruction that is left behind that needs to be all cleaned up before New Year’s. It is very difficult to catch your breath during December, but luckily, every Sunday we can go inside the hondo where it is peaceful and serene, inhale the incense and leave all that hecticity of the outside world, outside. So go inside the hondo and take a moment to clear your mind of the annual December to-do’s, breathe deeply, reflect, and then brace yourself for re-entry as you step back outside. Now that we’re outside, we have the start of the 2007-08 basketball season beginning the first weekend of December. The official schedules will undoubtedly be finalized and distributed a few days prior to the first games on Saturday, December 1, so keep your ears open. Remember, we have an attendance policy which dictates that in order to be eligible to play basketball for the Betsuin, all players must attend both Dharma Service and Dharma Class each Sunday to get credit. Players are ineligible and cannot play if their attendance drops below 60 percent. Life is life, and things happen, so there are four extra credit days available to help bolster your attendance numbers. The bad news is that two of the extra credit days were in September, so we hope you took advantage of those. The good news is that the last two extra credit days are still available and so easy to obtain. Just by merely attending the New Year’s Eve and/or the New Year’s Day services, one or two extra credits can be earned. Each service counts as 1 extra credit. Here’s a little secret — there are no Dharma Classes following any of these services, so as a bonus, you don’t have to attend class on those days! We must be crazy to offer extra credit without attending class; well, just consider it our little gifts to you during this holiday gift-giving season. So hurry up and make plans to get those last two extra credits, because when they are gone…they are gone. Our annual Mochi Tsuki is on December 15 this year, so please be sure to order your mochi before December 10. Also, please make use of the Mochi Order Form herein attached or go to the church website and print out another. Even though the price of gasoline keeps going up, we have managed to keep the cost of our mochi down at $3 per pound and $5 per kasane set. Such a bargain cannot be passed up! Every sports family should have gotten their work assignments. Please make sure to work your shift. With everyone’s help, this fundraiser will be a successful one. If you have any questions about the sports program, please track down any of the committee members and they will get the answers to your questions. This is the current committee roster: Gordon Nitta – Chairperson Derek Ikami – Treasurer Barbara Sasaki – Secretary Jennifer Nitta – Equipment Coordinator Kyle Uda – NCCL Representative Marianne Ito Wong – Attendance Coordinator Susie Yoshizuka – Gym Coordinator Austin Nodohara – Tournament Chairperson Linda Otani – Immediate Past Tournament Chair Emeritus Diane Tsuruoka – B Boys Coordinator Julie Wu – B Girls Coordinator Randy Uda – C Boys Coordinator Yen Marshall – C Girls Coordinator Mickey Bennett – D Boys Coordinator Paula Mishima – D Girls Coordinator Kim Sakata – E Boys Coordinator Rene Fong – E Girls Coordinator Kim Sakata – I Boys Coordinator Emily Yamamoto – I Girls Coordinator Glen Kumamoto – Lil’ Hoopers Coordinator Shelley Takaha – Lil’ Hoopers Coordinator So, until the next year, enjoy the holiday season thoroughly. Important dates to remember December 1-2 League games begin December 10 Last day to order mochi, deadline at 11 a.m. December 15 Mochi Tsuki December 22-30 Holiday Break - No scheduled league games December 31 New Year’s Eve Service – Extra Credit January 1, 2008 New Year’s Day Service – Extra Credit January 5-6, 2008 League games resume Susan Honda-Takeda/ Bobby Tanaka This year’s Halloween party was ghoulishly fun for all who attended! It was held on Saturday, October 27 in the kaikan and hosted by Boy Scout Troop 50, Cub Scout Pack 50 and Girl Scout Troop 569. The kaikan was overflowing with pirates, princesses, bunny rabbits, and even the Statue of Liberty! The costume contest continues to be a huge success with well over 120 contestants. The event was co-mc’ed by Cubmaster Bobby Tanaka, AKA “Reverend Kaz,” and Girl Scout leader Kristi Omoto, AKA “Michi.” “Baby Strawberry” also joined in on the fun. Special thanks go to costume contest judges Tim and Carol Castle and Ken Furukawa who had the toughest job at this event. It’s not easy trying to pick out the best-looking princess…out of a group of 10 young princesses! Again, there was lots of food for all, including the annual chili cheese nachos, pizza and more sweets than we could ever eat! The Boy Scouts did a great job decorating a spooky and ghoulish haunted house enjoyed by all who dared to enter! Thanks to our sponsors, ABA, the Buddhist Church, Dharma School and Victory Trophies. We couldn’t have had such a fun-filled event for our kids and families without their continued support! Also, a special thanks to the committee chairpersons Susan Honda-Takeda and Cindy Tanaka and their hard-working committee members Stacey Dorais, Sandy Shimizu, Akemi Wong, Julie Kvarme and Jessica Doan. Another special thanks to both Kenny Tanaka and Glenn Takeda for helping their wives unconditionally! And, as always, thanks to the parents of all our Scouts, FOG Street and Den Leaders for helping make this party run so smoothly. On November 9, Pack 50 held its annual Sports Night in the Kaikan. Scouts had a wonderful time with gunny sack races, spoon and ping-pong ball races (with and without blind folds!), and over and under ball races. Special thanks for organizing this event go to Sports Night Chairperson Barbara Sasaki and the parents of Dens 5 and 6. Masako Thomas We will offer a new “Japanese for Travelers” class. The spring semester is from January 28, 2008 to June 10, 2008 6/10/08 (no class on holidays). There will be five levels of conversation and two levels of kanji classes. Tuition is $150 per semester class and a one-time $10 registration fee for a new student. Maximum class size is 15, and it will be on a first come, first served basis. Please refer to Sakura Gakuen adult class website for class time. To register, please mail your payment with registration form to Sakura Gakuen Adult Class, c/o Sacramento Buddhist Church by Monday, January 14, 2008. Current students may register in class. Contact: Masako Thomas at (916) 482-8770 or e-mail sakurahanami@hotmail.com. Richard Kai Two of the middle Sundays in the month of November were action packed with open arms of welcome and bon voyage for three Dharma School teachers and most committed Betsuin members. We started the second week of the month by introducing 40 new students to the Dharma School and Sunday services. New to the Dharma School for the 2007-08 year are: Nursery I Jared DeGuzman Matthias Matsubayashi Ian Rodriguez Miya Ikemoto Austin Nishikawa Kainoa Shimabukaro Sophia Ito Kian Otsuji Jordan Shimosaka Molly Maseba Naomi Piper-Pell Kyle Wong Nursery II Carson Dorais Megan Glen Alyssa Shimizu Kindergarten Marcus Matsubayashi Justin Okimura Evan Matsuda Ashley Nishikawa Alizabeth Otsuji 1st Grade Lauryn DeGuzman Lauryn Hosokawa Stephanie Fong Lyndsey Glen Dylan Yee 2nd Grade Allie Chow Jaime Hattori Midori Hayashi Andrew Nishikawa Jonathan Wong 3rd Grade Kaitlynn Gabriel Madeleine Yee 4th Grade Katelyn Bates Ty Coloma George Goto Nicholas Hosokawa Trevor Neff Natalie Seko 7th Grade Scott Yamamoto 8th Grade Sarah Ikemoto Two weeks later, with the familiar voices of Rinban and Michiko Yukawa ringing in the air, we bid bon voyage to Minister Assistants Patti Oshita and Tim and Carol Castle as they make their way to Japan for Kyoshi studies under the watchful eyes of Rinban Bob on December 1. Patti’s kindergarten class will be well-kept by her favorite MAP sidekick, Grace Hatano, who decided to remain behind from the rest of the group to keep life in order within the Dharma School. The trio’s reward for their commitment to the Dharma is full-fledged minister status and consideration of a “Kai Kyoshi” appointment to any Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple within the BCA’s recommendation process. This threesome would never leave RB’s “best temple in the BCA” and will continue to be available to help other Northern California temples in their time of ministerial needs. Many organizations joined the Betsuin Board of Directors to help defray the traveling ministers’ cost of Kyoshi training and expenses during their little over two-week stay in Japan. The Dharma School, together with the Adult and Womens’ Buddhist Associations, made monetary contributions to our Kyoshi hopefuls; the Northern California Dharma School Teachers’ League (NCDSTL), comprised of seven Jodo Shinshu temples, including Florin, Lodi, Marysville, Placerville, Sacramento, Stockton and Walnut Grove, also contributed to the pot of money derived from the Fried Rice Fundraiser. Representatives of the NCDSTL were quite grateful to our MAPs’ presence at their temples during the absence of an assigned minister to preside over their Dharma services and delivery of Dharma messages and found it easy to contribute to the MA Program. The NCDSTL sends its best wishes to the three aspiring Kyoshi candidates. Upcoming Events December 9: Bodhi Day Service – Short Class December 16: Installation of Officers December 23: No Dharma Service and Class December 30: No Dharma Service and Class December 31 and January 1: New Year’s Eve and Day Dharma Service (extra credit for attendance purposes) Donations Dharma School “Courtyard” gratefully acknowledges donations from the following: Gladys Adachi C & H Donuts (Samantha Tov) David Fukui Carole Fukumoto Meriko Ishigaki Mae Kaneko Toshiko Kawasaki Mrs. May Kim Reiko Kurahara Teiko Matsuo Mitzie Muramoto Mike & Rachel Nagai Patricia Namba Eleanor Nobuye North American – Harley & Judy Inaba Ken Okuhara Mollie Oto Oto’s Marketplace Emi Watanabe Edmund & Sandy Yee Boy ScoutsTyler Gee A lot has happened this month and last month, and a lot is to happen. On October 12, Troop 50 had its campout at Bodega Dunes State Park, which was a first for the new patrols. On October 19, Troop 50 had its monthly Green Bar in which Scout Leaders come and discuss what is going to happen. On October 26, Troop 50 helped set up the haunted house and then presented the haunted house on Saturday as ghosts, zombies and guides. On this jam-packed month, we also had our Court of Honor in which Scouts are awarded their merit badges and ranks they have achieved. October was a very busy month, but very productive. November is also starting to turn out to be a great month. On November 9, Troop 50 had a guest speaker. Mrs. Dona Owfook spoke about the UC requirements and gave everyone valuable information for college. Mrs. Owfook did a great job and hopefully this valuable information will help us down the road to college. Also following Mrs. Owfook’s presentation was the Troop 50 troop meeting. The meeting was about emergency cases, such as earthquakes, fires and floods. The meeting taught us what to do if a fire, earthquake or flood were to occur. It taught us how to prepare, such as having a fire plan or emergency food and water — also what to do if an earthquake were to occur, like going under a desk or getting help. On November 16, the troop had a Greenbar meeting followed by a troop meeting. The following week there was no meeting due to Thanksgiving break. The week after Thanksgiving was the End of the Year Dinner. On December 7, Troop 50 will do its overnighter, which includes IMAX. Troop 50 is always busy and on the go! Girl Scouts Troop 569Carol Tamai On November 16, the Girl Scouts had their Investiture and Rededication Ceremony to welcome 13 new Daisys and six new Brownies and rededicating 169 Girl Scouts. Troop 569 will now have a total of 188 girls! The ceremony was coordinated by Ariana Correa and Melanie Kotani from Cadettes 4. The girls in Brownies 3 have enjoyed the first few months of this scouting year. The girls participated in the Girl Scout Council Pioneer Girls event in Old Sacramento's Discovery Museum, worked on the Caring and Sharing Try-It, put together care packages that were sent to Afghanistan (in conjunction with Brownies 4), went to Bishop's Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze, and went to see Disney's High School Musical on Ice. The girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the pumpkin patch and the High School Musical show! Currently, the girls in Brownies 3 are planning and organizing a holiday party for the new Daisy’s troop, with a special guest arriving in the nick of time for a great photo-opportunity with all the girls. Brownies 4 has really been coming together. The girls are getting to know each other well and are becoming comfortable with each other. They were able to do a People Are Talking Try-It in October, as well as attend the Halloween party at the Betsuin. The girls were able to earn a Halloween Fun patch, in addition to having a great time eating and playing games! In addition, Brownies 4 had a Fall Fun patch activity in early November, as well as celebrating Juliette Low's birthday. Ask any of the Brownies 4 girls to tell you an interesting fact about Juliette Low! The troop participated in the Investiture Ceremony in November, where we welcomed our two new girls, Alex and Gabby, and welcomed back our returning eight girls. Cadettes 1 is holding a "Girls' Nite Out" on December 21 from 6-9 p.m. in the kaikan for the Daisys and Brownies and their girlfriends. The cost is $7 per person. It’s a perfect night for parents to finish Christmas shopping, wrap gifts or attend holiday parties while the older girls entertain the younger girls with activities, games, snacks and movies! Please RSVP by December 16 to Teryn Hara or Marisa Otani. Cadettes 2 has been busily working on their Silver Award badges and leadership hours. Candace Lee and Rachel Kitagawa have submitted their proposals to the Council for review. As part of community service, Senior 1 girls wrote notes of encouragement to the sister Girl Scouts of San Diego County and to thank our troops in Iraq, the girls joined the service unit to prepare and send holiday cards to wish them a happy holiday. The girls also decorated and filled stockings for the needy families. Seniors 2 are currently working on their last activity for the Food Connection badge as part of their Gold Award requirements. Most of the girls have completed their career hours and leadership hours. They are brainstorming ideas for their Gold Award projects. Some of the girls helped at the church’s Halloween -party in October with face painting, rubbing on tattoos, and decorating the stage. Sacramento Buddhist Women’s Association L. M. Ito Dharma Message Rinban Oshita spoke of the enjoyment he and Patti had at a recent conference they attended. Reverend Nori Ito of the Higashi Hongwanji was there and gave a Dharma message about the Buddhist essence of the “Big Picture.” As we go about our lives, we frequently have a small view. What we see, what we’re doing, how we feel can easily become the focus of our lives. This type of experience can be likened to a spotlight. It brightly illuminates one area and yet much of the rest is unknown or in darkness. A floodlight, on the other hand, allows you to see the whole field. Think of a baseball game and the difference you would see using a floodlight versus a spot light. When we use a spotlight to live our lives, we risk becoming judgmental; we think that we know this life. Yet when we use a floodlight view in our lives, our understanding can become clearer and when this happens the Buddhist concepts of interdependence, causality and gratitude become illuminated. President’s Message - Molly KimuraMany thanks to all for their hard work during the tamale fundraiser. Special thanks to all the men who did the heavy cooking and lifting. Mary and Harry Inouye and their crew did a great job. Correspondence Family of Hifumi Yamamoto Acknowledgment/Thank you. Donations Haruyo Louise Tanaka In Memory of Takashi Tanaka Violet Hatano In Memory of Mutsuko Tokunaga Committee Reports Conferences and Meetings -Alice Kataoka/Hiroko Tsuda At the Northern District conference the resolution was passed to donate a percentage of our unrestricted funds for the next three years to the Jodo Shinshu Center for Buddhist Education. Social Services - Marcia Matsuda - Shizuko Nakayama passed away on October 5. A sympathy card and okoden were sent to the family. - Fumiko Ishibashi passed away on October 23. Services were held on October 29. A sympathy card and okoden were sent to the family. Religious - Fusako Takahashi/Midori Ito The religious committee would like to express their gratitude to the following SBWA members for their cooperation and kind participation: - Eitaikyo Memorial Service, October 28. Chairperson: Molly Kimura, Organist: Junko Egi, Oshoko Representatives: 9:30 a.m. service - Leilani Ito, 11:30 a.m. service - Gerry Tsukiji. Refreshments were provided by Gerry Tsukiji and Irene Tsujita. We also wish to thank our guest speaker, Reverend Fukuma of the Tacoma, Washington Buddhist Church, and Reverend Nakata for preparing the service program in Japanese. - Hoonko Service, November 18. Chairperson: Junko Egi, Organist: Machiko Kimura, Oshoko Representatives: 9:30 a.m. service - Mitzi Muramoto, 11:30 a.m. service - Helen Sekikawa. Refreshments were provided by Keiko Nishimoto and Hiroko Shimizu. Especially we wish to thank our beloved Rinban Yukawa for returning to us and again sharing his Dharma teaching. Special Donations We wish to acknowledge the kindness and generosity of the following people who helped to make the meeting sweeter and more filling, um, I meant fulfilling: Molly Kimura, Heidi Sakazaki, Fumie Ishihara, Tomi Tanaka, Patti Oshita, Reiko Kurahara, Gerry Tsukiji, Machiko Kimura, Teiko Matsuo, Vi Hatano, Lynn Kurahara. Special Events Bonenkai Memorial Service will be held December 9 at 12:30 p.m. Luncheon will follow immediately afterward. SBWA members who would like to help with mochizuki — it will take place December 15, Saturday, beginning at 4 a.m. Please mark your calendars: Placer Buddhist Temple will be hosting the Northern California Conference on April 19, 2008. The next board meeting will be December 5, 2007. Service will begin at 6:45 p.m., and the Board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Mike Nagai
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