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Sangha
President’s
Message Allan Hoshida This past month we have lost two of our longtime sangha members and temple elders, Mr. Sam Kaneko and Mr. Kaz Kimura. From the Board of Trustees, ministers, office staff and members, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to both Jean Kaneko and Molly Kimura and their respective families in their loss. Both Sam and Kaz were very quiet, unassuming individuals, doing their very best to help others. Please know that both of these gentlemen had a great influence on our temple, numerous community-based organizations and the many wonderful family and friends each had through their many years living in the greater Sacramento area. A retired pharmacist, Kaz Kimura was a past Betsuin president and longtime temple elder. He passed away at the age of 91 on Saturday, April 12. Sam retired from the state as a landscape architect, was very involved at our temple, doing maintenance/upkeep with anything that needed to be done. He was a handyman and jack of many trades. As a tribute to his many contributions to the temple, he was recognized as an elder, one of the few who was not a past temple president. This, I think, was how highly regarded Sam was by the Board of Trustees and ministers in having attained the elder recognition. Sam passed away at the age of 85 on April 8. To Sam and Kaz, thank you both for setting the example of great sangha members and continuing the culture of people wanting to meaningfully volunteer their precious time, energy, resources in helping and nurturing others. The Buddhist Church of Sacramento is definitely fortunate to have had people like yourselves be a part of our temple leadership and to continue the wonderful legacy we enjoy today. In gassho. Rinban Bob Oshita Hello. . . and welcome to the month of May. This month we observe our annual Gotanye Service. Gotanye is our celebration of the birth of Shinran Shonin in 1173. Shinran emphasized what we call the Nembutsu Teaching. This is the expression we often hear in our temple — people saying “Namo Amida Butsu.” And “Namo Amida Butsu” is considered the very essence of Buddhism. So what is “Namo Amida Butsu”? And how is Nembutsu the heart of Buddhism? Sometimes I define Nembutsu (Namo Amida Butsu) as this: “That level of gratitude where the words ‘Thank You’ are not enough.” It may sound easy enough, but when was the last time we felt so thankful that there were no words to describe our gratitude? When was the last time we could not find the words to express our deepest feelings of appreciation? My Aikido Sensei would have said, “When was the last time you put your head down to bow and felt so grateful, you could never come up?” This is the feeling of Namo Amida Butsu. The Dalai Lama was asked, “What is Buddhism”? And he responded, “My religion is kindness.” Kindness. I like that. Simply put, Buddhism is kindness. There is just not enough kindness in the world today. But where does kindness come from? Kindness comes from living life with deep gratitude. The deeper the gratitude, the deeper the kindness. In other words, the essence of kindness is gratitude. the essence of Buddhism is Namo Amida Butsu. This month, on Sunday, May 18, we celebrate the birth of Shinran Shonin, the founder of our Jodo Shinshu – Nembutsu Tradition. Please come out and welcome our special guest speaker, Reverend Dean Koyama, from the Mountain View Buddhist Temple. Koichi Mizushima Happy spring everyone. What a fantastic Hanamatsuri production! Each year I witness the colossal event, and I am blown away. It takes the efforts of so many people to make the play come together, it’s truly amazing. Even at the rehearsal on Friday night, we ordered 40 pizzas for everyone! That sure is a lot of pizza for a lot of people. As some of you may know, I have partnered with one of our temple members in his Financial Advisory firm. It has been incredibly challenging to get all the necessary training, licensing and experience involved to do this job. But it has also been equally rewarding to know the feeling of being able to improve the lives of those you care about. I have to bring my business and life experience to every single case, and develop strategies and plans to help simplify and streamline people’s lives. There is great purpose to what I do. We have a saying in this business that we borrowed from Mark Twain: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” I really love this quote because it is so Buddhistic in nature.Not knowing something is one thing, but thinking you know something when in fact you are dead wrong is something else entirely. Have you ever heard a rumor that someone was pregnant. Then you walk up to the woman and say, “Congratulations! When are you expecting?” And she turns to you with a dirty look in her eye and says, “I’m not pregnant.” Whoops. But you were sure she was expecting; someone just told you so.I remember when I was younger I went on a school field trip to the Exploratorium. We all went by bus and the parents were waiting at the school to pick us up when we returned. My mom was chatting with Kevin Toyama’s mom as they were waiting for us. Kevin’s mom said, “I’m worried because Kevin always gets car sick.” My mom replies, “Oh we’re lucky, Koichi never gets car sick.” Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can see where this story is going, can’t you. Of course I was the one who threw up on Kevin Toyama’s shoe about ¾ of the way home. He was kind enough to go with me to the gas station bathroom and clean me up as best he could. What a Buddha nature Kevin Toyama had as a young child.These are obviously silly stories, and don’t really illustrate the depth of the point. But the lesson here is that we must always remember to challenge what we think we know. We cannot let our own stubborn ego-centered self govern everything we do. Life is in a constant state of change around us, and the world as we know it does not remain the same. Part of what “Right View” means in the Eight-Fold path is to always see the world as it truly is. And if we are so set in our ways, sometimes we may neglect to see things as they truly are.So open your minds to learn new ways and new approaches to things that you’ve done all your life. Open your mind to the possibility of doing something in a better and more efficient way. Listen and learn from those around you for there are treasures that go overlooked simply because we don’t open our eyes to see them.And remember, if I ever congratulate you and ask when you are expecting, it’s not because you look pregnant or fat to me, it’s because someone told me you were expecting! Please don’t be too hard on me.Programs at Jodo Shinshu CenterBobby Tanaka The Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley is hosting numerous educational programs throughout the year. In the coming weeks, the following programs are being offered: May 4: Vesak — A celebration of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death co-sponsored by IBS and CBE. May 10: Japanese Nembutsu Seminar — A day-long seminar for Japanese-speaking members May 13-15: Ministers Continuing Education Seminar — Continuing education sessions for BCA ministers with similar years of service in the BCA ministry. For more information, please contact the Jodo Shinshu Center by phone: (510) 809-1462 or by e-mail: director@cbe-bca.org. From The OfficeWe need your help! If you are planning to be away from your home, please let the office know so that we do not send out the Sangha, etc., as the post office returns them to the church and we must pay the return postage on them. Your cooperation will be appreciated. Also, if you have moved, please let us know. Thank you! Church MaintenanceEd Imai Over the past month, the following members performed maintenance on the Betsuin’s facilities. The Betsuin thanks the following members for volunteering their time and hard efforts: - Melo Coloma and Don Honda relocated the two side curtains over the kaikan stage. Installed two four-foot, T8 bulb light fixtures in lieu of three 300-watt light sockets to light up the curtains in the middle portion of the kaikan stage. This was done at Cliff Adams’ request in time for the Hanamatsuri show. Also, replaced the Bose speaker grill on the right side of the kaikan stage. - John Fujimoto for reattaching the cabinets guides in Classrooms 1 and 2. Trouble-shooting Little Hondo TV power problem. - Frank Hirota and Don Honda for servicing the fire alarm box and the swamp coolers over the kaikan in time for the Hanamatsuri. - Victor Kushida and John Fujimoto set up and tested the video for projecting Hondo service in the kaikan. - Ralph Nakaoka and Frank Hirota made two sets of shelving (8 and 4 footers with three levels) for Reverend Kaz’ garage. Also, moved a refrigerator donated by Mike Nishio into the house and put the old one in the garage. - Steve Sasaki for repairing the stainless steel water strainer for the deep fryer in the outside kitchen tempura cooking area. As information, the Betsuin had an inspection performed by the Sacramento Fire Department (SFD) during the first week of April. SFD provided a list of deficiencies and improvements to be made. For organizations such as the Dharma School, Sakura Gakuen, etc., storage areas need to be cleared two feet from the ceilings. Please consult the office or Roy Imura or Eddie Imai for any questions. The deficiencies must be corrected by May 12. BazaarTee-Shirt Design Contest 62nd Annual Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED!!!! THE WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE ANNUAL DHARMA SCHOOL PICNIC!! Programs at Jodo Shinshu Center Bobby Tanaka The Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley is now hosting numerous educational programs throughout the year. In the coming weeks, the following programs are being offered: April 4-5: Networking and Reconnecting (post-college to 35 years old): Seminar geared toward the Generation Y young working membership with special emphasis on their needs, desires and interests as young adult Buddhists. April 17-18: Ministers Assistant Program (Mapquest Group II): Continuing educational seminar for recognized ministers’ assistants in Group #2. April 24-27: Ministers Assistant Program (Mapquest Group I): Continuing education seminar for ministers’ assistants in Group #1. May 4: VESAK: A celebration of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death co-sponsored by Institute of Buddhist Studies and Center for Buddhist Education. For more information, please contact the Jodo Shinshu Center by phone: (510) 809-1462 or by e-mail: director@cbe-bca.org. Ken Shiomoto In Memory of Kiyoko Shiomoto Hiroko Hayashi In Memory of Minoru Hayashi Meriko Ishigaki In Memory of Masa Ishigaki Gerald & Diane Muranaka In Memory of Lillian Kuroda Tetsuo & Yoshiko Pat Okamoto In Memory of Sanjiro Yamaguchi Rose Watanabe Minnie Iseri Tokiko Okano Asayuki & Hiroko ShimizuAlan Wu On March 16 of this year, we held our annual coaches dinner to commemorate another fine year of coaching and another fine year of coaches. This year, much like our tournament this year, was a year of change, (where have we heard about change?). This year, the Coaches Appreciation Dinner was moved from the kaikan to the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation (SASF) facility. The SASF facility afforded the luxury of being able to spread out the 430 attendees and not have to sit elbow to elbow while enjoying the cuisine from the Lake Crest L & L and Mike Hayashida. By and large, the move was a good one; we’ll just have to get with the SASF people to make sure the PA system is fully working for the next event. The dinner honored our coaches for there tireless work of teaching our young’ins. Again, thank you coaches! Also, thanks to Mike Hayashida for providing the food and the ever-so-delectable fruit freezes. We presented the Rinban Yukawa Award to a coach who not only has devoted many years to our sports program, but also has taught our children the game of basketball, the values of sportsmanship, and the life lessons that sports brings out. This year, the Rinban Yukawa Award was presented to Kyle Uda. Congratulations Kyle! Even though it is our dinner for the coaches, we also honored our graduating seniors. This year we had seven seniors playing. Well, only six actually played because one got hurt very early in the season, so he was a spectator for most of this season, but that does not alter the fact that Kyle Wakabayashi was indeed an honored senior. The other seniors also honored were: Adrienne Ito, Allison Wu, Alyssa Chow, Jaime Tanaka, Kaela SooHoo, and Kristen Tokunaga. Congratulations to all our seniors, good luck to you next year and in the future. Additionally, two of our players were recognized for their overall contribution to our sports program both on and off the basketball court for their entire career as a Betsuin player. The Aki Fukushima Award recognizes these players for their basketball sportsmanship and also their Dharma citizenship. This year the Aki Fukushima Award was presented to Kristen Tokunaga and Kevin Morita. Congratulations to Kristen and Kevin! The winners of the Aki Fukushima and Rinban Yukawa awards this year and throughout history can be viewed in the trophy case in the hallway next to the kaikan, where the payphone used to be. So, if you do happen to stop by and read all the names, you will discover that Stan Ota won this award more than once, and that he also won the Rinban Yukawa Award. Many thanks go out to Stan for being our guest speaker this year. It may become a tradition to call back prior Rinban Yukawa Award winners to be our guest speakers, so Kyle get your speech ready! As a reminder: Parents: Please make sure your team mom, and/or division coordinator has your player’s uniform. Our equipment coordinator needs to collect and inventory all uniforms. As another reminder: Even though the March madness tournaments are over and done for the year, the kids who want to participate in the sports program are still expected to attend Dharma School until the annual picnic. Attendance is still tracked and will be used to determine eligibility for the next season. Attendance records are kept on a “rolling calendar,” which means attendance is tracked for the immediate prior 12 months. So, in December, when league begins, attendance records are based from October of last year through November of this year, which includes the months of April, May and June, so attendance in April, May and June is very, very important. Returning players may find themselves sitting on the bench when league starts with an attendance record of less than 60 percent, because of poor attendance in April, May and June, so keep attending and everything will take care of itself. On that note, please stand by for an important message from our chairman: Sports Program Parents: I, as well as others, have observed Dharma School students playing in the courtyard and church hallways during Sunday services. All of you know or should know that you get credit for Dharma School attendance only if you attend both Sunday church service and Dharma School. Rinban Bob has made it possible for us to attend and listen to church services in the Hondo, Little Chapel and classrooms. He has been very accommodating to us as well as other church members. At no times have all three places been so full that there were no seats available. Please make sure that your child attends both service and Dharma School. As a reminder, Rinban Bob has asked that all electronic devices be turned off during service and Dharma School. We will make every effort to make arrangements so that the classrooms can provide a better means for listening and viewing the service. However, we need your help with the noise level and being more respectful of others in the room. We, the Sports Committee, have worked very hard this year to improve our program. The program is not perfect, but we have made improvements this year, and to be able to further improve the program, we need your cooperation to maintain what we have accomplished. Moving forward does not mean we want to police the church grounds for violations in attendance. This is church. Your honesty is appreciated. In Gassho, Gordon Nitta Sports Committee Chairman And on that note, students have been observed horsing around and jumping off the tables in the classrooms while supposedly listening to the service; consequently, the classrooms will remained locked until after service unless there is absolutely no space in the Hondo and Little Hondo. So, parents, please go to the Hondo for service, no matter how late you may be. On a different note, in the kaikan, on the stage, is a big trash can filled with clothes that are left behind. Please check that receptacle periodically for any clothing that belongs to you or your kids. There are some pretty nice and new clothes in that bin, and it is a shame to see them go unclaimed and then bye-bye because the church just simply cannot keep accumulating all the forgotten apparel items. And on that note, be back in 30 days, and remember to: do pure and beautiful deeds. Important dates to remember May 11: Mother’s Day May 26: Memorial Day June 8: Last Dharma school day and picnic June 14-15: Central Cal Cobra Tournament in Fresno Bobby Tanaka On March 21, Pack 50 hosted its annual Boy Scout Night event. This year, Troop 50 Boy Scouts set up four exciting and interesting stations for the Cub Scouts: doughnut making, pancake making, essential camping equipment, and fire starting. Fire starting was closely supervised in the Kaikan. Special thanks go to event chairperson and Troop 50 Assistant Scoutmaster Roger Ito for organizing this worthwhile event. On April 13, Pack 50 held its annual Earth Day event. This year, Pack 50 Scouts and parents planted 150 trees, shrubs and grasses at the Stone Lakes National Refuge on Hood-Franklin Road, just west of the I-5 freeway. It was wonderful to be in such a natural setting, immediately south of Elk Grove. This event was organized by Earth Day chairperson Mickey Bennett. Masako Thomas Contact Masako Thomas at (916) 482-8770 or e-mail: sakurahanami@hotmail.com Richard Kai The Betsuin suffered a couple of losses during the month of April by the passing of Sam Kaneko and Kazuo Kimura. These two men were heavyweights from years past with both men holding positions of responsibility or enabling their spouse to carry the load of the Temple on their backs. Sam as many know was part of the basic fabric of the church building and the spirit, life and essence of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. He gave himself so others could prosper, lent a hand to anyone who needed his expert advice and workmanship and carried a full load of Betsuin responsibilities as an elder member of the Board among other duties and titles bestowed upon him. Kazuo Kimura, a quiet man, found other means of lending a hand to the development of the Betsuin and the Japanese community. He lived his service to the community through his wife, Molly, who devoted most of her life to making Sacramento a better place for all of Asian descent to live and prosper. If not for Mr. Kimura, and his giving way, Molly would not have been able to be one of Sacramento’s early women pioneers. She was a member of greeting parties of dignitaries from the Asia and the Pacific Islands, and toured with a contingent representing Sacramento to build a sister city relationship with Asian countries. Both Sam and Kazuo will be greatly missed by the Board and Sangha. I did not know these men personally, and can only recognize their achievements through the words of others, but it is apparent they both were enlightened beyond most people. They could see the world from the other shore, where it is more important to give than receive, where joy and happiness is attained through the hearts of others, and had the kindness to put the needs of others ahead of their own wants and desires. Both men were known for always being there to help a person in need, whether to string electrical wire across the Betsuin grounds, or to help members of the Temple’s board of trustees. It could be said as well that they paved the way for others to follow in employment and sense of responsibility. We all long for people to take leadership positions and do so unselfishly. The Dharma School and the Sports Committee share many commonalities of which most are centered on attendance and appropriate behaviors of not only our children but sometimes the example of our adults. Two recent issues regarding kids jumping off tables in the classrooms before the start of Dharma School or a few of them playing in the quad area under watchful eyes of parent chaperones who acted in an oversight capacity for their unbridled activities during Dharma Service was brought to the attention of the Sports Committee. Leaders of the committee acted swiftly, addressing both issues with judicious results. Such quick action and atonement facilitates a strong bond between these two Betsuin organizations. This spirit of cooperation and alignment of principle-centered goals is the legacy of our leaders from another generation. The two Betsuin elders would have been proud of the cooperation to bring these issues to close without debate or digging a hole to defend poor behaviors. May and June Events May 11 Parents Day May 18 Gotan-e Service: No Class May 25 Last Day of Dharma School June 1 JACL Picnic June 8 Dharma School Picnic Dharma School “courtyard” gratefully acknowledges donations from the following: George Aoki & Family Gladys Adachi Dharma School Kikuyo Finger Fujinkai Ken Furukawa Grace & Bill Hatano Dean Ishida Meriko Ishigaki Tak Ito Utako Kimura Mieko Kono Gordon & Donna Kunisaki Reiko Kurahara Kelli Omoto Lee Gerald & Diane Muranaka Dennis & Carolyn Murata Bill & Marlene Ohara Mary Orite Oto’s Marketplace Sachi Sawada Ted & Helen Sekikawa Hiroko Tsuda Miyo Yamada Haruo & Sueko Yamashita Fusako Yokoyama Girl Scouts
Ellen Hamatani
May is upon us and the 569 Girl Scout troop will be busy. There will be an Orientation Day for new Girl Scout girls and parents on Sunday, May 18 from 1-3 p.m. Carol Tamai and Carol Castle will make a presentation to the parents while Seniors 3 and Cadettes 2 girls will have fun activities for the young girls . On May 30, there will be the Bridging Ceremony. The troops who will be bridging to the next level of Girl Scouts are Daisies, Brownies 1 and 2, Juniors 1 and Cadettes 1 and 2. Here is also various news from individual troops. Seniors 1: In April the girls went to Color Me Mine. Painting and creating a “masterpiece” is something the girls enjoy and it is a way to relax and de-stress. Also they will celebrate Mother’s Day by taking their mothers for a very sweet treat at the Melting Pot. They will enjoy dipping into something fun with the chocolate fondue. Cadettes 4 enjoyed ice cream treats at Burr’s for all their hard work on the Thinking Day Program. The Brownies 3 girls have been busy visiting an animal shelter to give the animals homemade dog biscuits and take a tour of the facility. The girls had an opportunity to see dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals. They also fed the dogs some of the biscuits that they made and the dogs just loved them! Of course, many of the girls wanted to adopt one of the animals after their tour! The girls also completed the Movers Try-It by making paper helicopters, pinwheels, a wind sock, and participating in a balloon race. Brownies 4 had a great April. They were able to complete two Try-its, including Caring and Sharing and Healthy Habits. The girls made their own scrapbooks with highlights of our Caring and Sharing Try-it. The girls enjoyed listening to each other’s hearts, checking each other’s ears, learning how to brush their teeth and proper hand washing for the Healthy Habits Try-it. The girls are looking forward to May with Bridging ceremony and working on the Point, Click and Go Try-it. Brownies 5 also had a very busy April. The girls began the month by celebrating Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Month by making more than 100 chocolate-dipped pretzel rods decorated with sprinkles. They bagged the chocolate pretzels and presented it to the leaders along with reciting an appreciation poem. Earlier in the year, the Troop made a decision to use their cookie earnings and have a sleepover. So, they gathered together one evening, worked on a try-it, ate popcorn, watched a movie, slept on the family room floor in their sleeping bags and made pancakes the next morning. It was great fun! Lastly, the girls have been doing a pen pal project with the San Jose Betsuin 1st grade Brownie Troop. The girls exchanged cut pictures of themselves from the beginning of the year that were dressed up in paper Brownie outfits. We call them Flat Brownies. The girls have taken their Flat Brownie sisters on trips, to ceremonies, to meeting and to council events. Finally on April 26, the the girls met up with our Flat Brownie sisters at a park. They earned a try-it, played games, did crafts, had a potluck lunch and got to know one another. The girls hope that our Flat Brownie sisters will continue our project next year too. Legacy Endowment Fund BoardValerie Fong On April 26, the Legacy Endowment Fund sponsored our second educational workshop, entitled Spring Financial Update, with a delicious lunch at Kamon Sushi Restaurant. This workshop covered several topics, which included surviving a volatile market, benefits of a stretch IRA, and keeping your estate plan current. The information was presented by Mark Umeda, Esq., and Derek Seo, CFP, in an easy-to-understand manner and was well-received by the workshop participants. We would like to thank our temple members for their continuing support and generous donations to the Legacy Endowment Fund. Donations to the fund are tax deductible and may be made in several ways other than cash. Such donations will benefit both the temple and the donor. Consult your personal tax consultant for advice. If you have any questions regarding the fund, please contact us through the Betsuin office at (916) 446-0121. Sacramento Buddhist Women’s Association Utako Kimura SERVICERinban Bob and Reverend Kaz led us in the chanting of the Juseige. The chanting gives us a feeling of calm and peace. Rinban Bob then shared with us yet another human “event” — an examination called a “colonoscopy.” We know the process — one we dread. Reverend’s examination was clean — he felt great, and at age 60, felt “immortal”! Wonderful news for us too. Rinban Bob reminded us to keep an eye on the big picture — to appreciate each day for our good health and the people whose lives give meaning to our good life. He urged us to keep in mind that our life is a momentary gift to be appreciated every day.Rinban Bob led the meeting opening gassho. President Fusako Takahashi thanked everyone for attending the meeting. BCA NEWS/RINBAN BOB OSHITAReverend Kurt Rye has been assigned to the Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Church effective April 10. We extend our best wishes to Reverend Rye. Reverend Rye received a two-month orientation at our Betsuin. Rinban Bob and Reverend Kaz perform this important task for the Buddhist Churches of America. We append a P.S. — it is a proud moment for us that our Rinban, Reverend and Betsuin have been selected for these orientations by Socho Ogui. A separate item — Rinban announced that Kanon-chan was 22 days old! (The young lady will have made her debut at the April 20 service, in the arms of her proud parents.) CORRESPONDENCE, DONATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe continue to be ever grateful for the generous gifts from our fellow members and friends in memory of family and friends. Thoughtful messages of gratitude are treasured.Sacramento Taiko Dan Thank You Megami Special George Aoki In Memory of Wife, Sakaye Tomi Tanaka In Memory of May Fujinaka Heidi Sakazaki In Memory of May Fujinaka Misao Abe Illness Recovery Heidi Sakazaki In Memory of Frances Sakai Yukie Tomita Recovery Yoshie Kyhos Special Conferences and Meetings/Hiroko Tsuda and Alice Kataoka2009 FBWA Conference — October 9, 10, 11 at the Doubletree Hotel, Sacramento - Conference Workshop Committee Chairs Shirley Kato, Lynn Kurahara and Ruth Seo continue to meet with Rinban Bob for guidance related to this noteworthy event activities. - A meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, at 1 p.m at the Sacramento Buddhist Church classroom. Members are invited to attend to help be a contributing player in the planning of this special phase - workshops and leaders.Northern California District Council and Buddhist Women’s Association Conference – April 19, 2008 - Placer Buddhist Church – “Kokoro to Kenko [Healthy Mind and Heart]” - President Takahashi reported that the Conference Committee has asked that each chapter submit one registration package for all their members attending. At the conference, the committee will have one package containing the registrations for each chapter to be distributed to fellow members. Members and families are looking forward to attending this conference. - Conference Registration — As of April 2, conference registration was approximately 65 members. - Transportation — A 47- passenger bus will be chartered. Members already registered will be contacted to determine interest in riding the bus. The cost is $20 per person. The Conference Registration fee of $25 will be refunded. - Bus Schedule — Passengers must be at the Sacramento Buddhist Church in time to leave for the conference at 8 a.m. The bus is scheduled to leave the Placer Buddhist Church at 3:30 p.m. - Luncheon — Volunteers need to be available at 11 a.m. The hard-working members are: Allan Hoshida, Fumie Ishihara, Shirley Kato, Richard Kai, Molly Kimura, Fusako Takahashi, Tomi Tanaka, Virginia Uchida and Ted Yoshimura. - Refreshments — 12 dozen cookies for refreshments are being provided by SBWA. Volunteering to bake these yummy “health diet” cookies are Mary Inouye, Fumie Ishihara, Midori Ito, Frances Kondo, Reiko Kurahara and Jean Ota. The mouth-watering creations will be transported to the conference by bus — the one being used for transportation. 2011 World BWA Conference, Kyoto, Japan There has been some confusion relative to communication with the 2011 World BWA Conference to be held in Kyoto, Japan. Rinban Bob stated that the channel of communication with the Kyoto, Japan World BWA Conference is through the Buddhist Churches of America Headquarters. Socho Ogui has had communication from the conference officials. For the time being, Rinban has asked that we hold off any activity with regard to the World Conference. Membership/Diane Muranaka - Chairman Muranaka provides in writing, any changes in membership status regularly at our meetings. - The committee continues its task to update the membership roster to maintain an accurate record of the “super seniors” (age 80 years and above). Religious/Midori Ito and Fusako Takahashi March 16 Ohigan Service — Committee thanked members participating in the Ohigan Service. They are Alice Kataoka, Service Chair; Machiko Kimura, Pianist, Shirley Kato 9:30 a.m. Service Oshoko Representative; Fusako Takahashi 11:30 a.m. Service Oshoko Representative; Shirley Kato and Lynn Kurahara, Refreshments. To Rinban Bob and Reverend Kaz for guidance in the service program preparation. We are pleased to tell of a compliment to Alice Kataoka from Rinban Bob — Rinban was very impressed with Alice’s manner of chairing the service program. Congratulations Alice! April 13, Hanamatsuri Service Reverend Dennis Fujimoto of the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple in Ontario, Oregon is the guest speaker. Oshoko representative is Reiko Kurahara. May 18 Gotanye Service Reverend Dean Koyama of the Mountain View Buddhist Church in Mountain View, California is the guest speaker. Service Chair is Heidi Sakazaki; Organist, Junko Egi; 9:30 a.m. Service Oshoko Representative Vi Hatano; 11:30 a.m. Service Oshoko Representative Masako Fukuda. December 7 Tsuito Hoyo Service We have asked Rinban Bob to secure a guest speaker for the December 7 service. We know haste does not make waste. While there is a wealth of possibilities, there is also a wealth of demands on our ministers to be guest speakers. Social Services/Marcia Matsuda, Vi Hatano and Mitzie MuramotoA sympathy card and okoden have been sent to families of members who have passed away since our March 5, 2009 meeting. - Sakaye Aoki passed away on March 4. A memorial service was held on March 16. - Toyoko Matsunaga passed away on March 18. Private memorial service was held. Visitations - Nursing Home, Assisted Living Facilities, Homebound Members Vi Hatano continues to work diligently to schedule our annual visitations. She welcomes sign-ups for the visitations. The token gifts will be available April 22. Special Events/Frances KondoFrances Kondo thanked members and friends for all the wonderful help for the Spring Food Festival.- Members and friends volunteered for the food preparation on March 7, Friday, 1 p.m.; Saturday, March 8, 6 a.m.; Sunday, March 9 at 1:30 a.m. and Monday, March 10 for the clean-up beginning at 9 a.m. While it is an enjoyable time, Frances reported that despite these time schedules, the turnout was gratifying. We always appreciate having additional helpers.- A special thank you to Virginia Uchida, Mary Inouye and Sandy Nishimura-Lee for chairing this successful event. - Virginia Uchida brought a copy of the March 20 edition of the Sacramento Bee’s Pocket News to the April 2 Board of Trustees meeting. The Spring Food Festival was one of the featured articles along with many photos (color and black/white) of our workers and supporters enjoying the day - working. - We are delighted to report, and have in writing, that Mary Inouye has agreed to provide breakfast in 2009 for the 2 a.m. food preparation workers. The menu is rice and homemade sausage at least. CRAFTS FOR CHURCH BAZAAR/SHIRLEY KATOMasako Fukuda continues to lead members and friends in making/creating crafts for our annual Bazaar. The group meets on the second Friday of each month, after Tanoshimikai. All are welcome to join Masako to help produce the crafts. DONATIONS/SBWA Thank you to members and friends — your generous contributions enable SBWA to support our projects and educational facilities. Wheel of Dharma: $200. Center for Buddhist Education: $2,000. This amount is part of the original $10,000 .pledge to be paid in five years time. Three payments of $2,000 each have been made. The remaining pledge amount of $2,000 is payable in 2009. Betsuin Scholarship Fund: $2,000. TID BITS – PRESIDENT FUSAKO TAKAHASHI- Thank you to fellow members for the “special treats for good health” for our meeting — Vi Hatano, Alice Kataoka, Molly Kimura, Utako Kimura, Reiko Kurahara, Patti Oshita, Heidi Sakazakii. - Thank you to everyone for making a positive effort to greet new and “super senior” members for coming to help at the Spring Food Festival on Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9. - President Takahashi expressed appreciation to all for taking that extra step to recruit members’ attendance to the April 19 NCDC-NCBWA Conference at the Placer Buddhist Church. - Hiroko Tsuda reported members and friends are invited to attend the Sierra Area Parliamentary Seminar on April 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Sutter Square Galleria, 2901 K Street, Room 200A, Sacramento. The topics: Presiding Tips; Effective Motions; Expediting Business; Amendment Process. Fee is $20 including lunch and parking (after April 23: $25). - May 7, 2008 is the next SBWA meeting with the service to begin at 6:45 p.m. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at our church. Reverend Kaz Nakata led the Closing Gassho. Matthew Nitta Over the last month the Scouts have been doing many activities and participating in fun meetings. One activity that they did was Scout Night where they visited Pack 50 Cub Scouts to show them what Boy Scouting is all about. They cooked, went over the 10 essentials, and cooked some more. One of the favorite things was the doughnuts that the Boy Scouts made for the Cub Scouts. Markus Mar-Liu was the patrol leader in charge of this station. He said, “I think this is one of the coolest things I’ve learned to cook while I’ve been in scouts, probably one of the easiest things too.” Lately the Scouts have been advancing in their own patrols. Kelly Uda says, “My patrol has been doing really good this month. We got our patrol yell down and we making big advance, the Scouts are starting to get their new ranks.” In April they have many activities and outings to look forward to. On April 18, they got to have an offsite troop meeting where they going to do lots of activities. The following week would be another chance for the Scouts to bond with the Cubs because they would get to go to Lake Pardee for a whole weekend and play games, cook food, and learn more about what the Scouts do. On May 2, some of the older Scouts would get to experience NYLT, National Youth Leadership Training, at Camp Pollock. Here they would learn everything they’d need to know to become successful Patrol Leaders, Scribes, Historians and Senior Patrol Leaders. Senior Scout Jordan Chan said, “The troop meetings have been really fun and the Scouts seem to be enjoying them. And all the stuff that the Cub Scouts are doing with us are preparing them for Boy Scouts and seeing how fun it really is.” Funerals Ohara Family In Memory of Kiyoko Lois Ohara Rose Guro In Memory of Fred Guro Ed Ito Family In Memory of Akiko Ito Tom Nakamura In Memory of Tsuyako Nakamura Matsunaga Family In Memory of Toyoko Matsunaga Matsumi Kawada Family In Memory of Matsumi Kawada Garen & Susan McCune In Memory of Ruth N. Miyahara Machiko Kimura In Memory of Fred Guro Heidi Sakazaki In Memory of Akiko Ito Thomas Sasaki In Memory of Jack Watanabe Robert & Aki Shimada In Memory of Dale Shigaki George & Amiko Kashiwagi In Memory of Dale Shigaki M/M James Kawano In Memory of Oscar Tomiyama Emmie Makishima In Memory of Akiko Ito Melvin & Norrine Okamoto In Memory of Toyoko Matsunaga Teruko Yoshikawa In Memory of Akiko Ito Memorial M/M James & Fumie Satake 33rd Year for Ryoichi Rye Keikoan Rose Hironaka Family 3rd Year for Kuni Hironaka Rieko Inaba 17th Year for Richard Inaba Melvin & Norrine Okamoto In Memory of Our Parents Howard Sakai Family 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Shizuko Wakayama Family 1st Year for Kyuichi Wakayama Lori Fujikawa In Memory of Terry Fujikawa Ben Baba Family 49th Day for Matsuko Baba Lance & Kathleen Fong-Yokota 1st Year for Hiroshi Yokota Gail Keikoan 33rd Year for Ryoichi Rye Keikoan Tazuko Kamikawa Family In Memory of Tazuko Kamikawa Kazumi & Helen Tanaka 33rd Year for Yasuko Tanaka Diane Tomoda, Henny & Linda Toy 49th Day for Rosie Aiko Tomoda, 33rd Year for Henry Jiro Tomoda Lauren Hashikuni In Memory of Sam Satoshi & Sumi Hashikuni Matsumi Kawada Family In Memory of Matsumi Kawada Bruce & Judy Keikoan 33rd Year for Ryoichi Rye Keikoan Aiko Minakata Minakata Family Service Gary Minakata 13th Year for Rodney Minakata Elsie Nakamura In Memory of Tadashi Keiko Nakamura Nakamura Family Service Nakamura Family 3rd Year for Kazuko Nakamura Nakamura Family 33rd Year for Osen Nakamura Ron & Frances Sato, Gary Sato, Sachie Uratsu 33rd Year for Ryoichi Rye Keikoan Kazuaki Shintaku In Memory of Akino Shintaku, Masato Shintaku & Sake Shintaku Pat & Osami Takeda 1st Year for Jerred Osami Ohara Cynthia Tanaka 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Hach & Linda Yasumura In Memory of Sam Satoshi & Sumi Hashikuni Kevin Yasumura In Memory of Sam Satoshi & Sumi Hashikuni Sanaye Yokota In Memory of Akiko Ito Rodney & Kelli Aoki In Memory of Sam Satoshi & Sumi Hashikuni Yoshiko Pat Baba In Memory of Matsuko Baba Miyoko Carter In Memory of George Carter Mitsuji & Tokie Hironaka 3rd Year for Kuni Hironaka Tsutomu Hironaka 3rd Year for Kuni Hironaka Joan Hisamoto 17th Year for Richard Inaba Helen Ikenoyama 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Gloria Inaba 17th Year for Richard Inaba Robert & Lynne Ishikawa 17th Year for Richard Inaba Alice Kado In Memory of Fumiko Ishibashi Rich & Gary Minakata 13th Year for Rodney Minakata Kim & Steve Ohara 1st Year for Jerred Osami Ohara June Omori 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Jason, Lisa, Forrest & Cole Taira 17th Year for Richard Inaba Erin Takeda, Dustin Pacheco 1st Year for Jerred Osami Ohara Masaaki & Yaeko Tademaru In Memory of Sam Satoshi & Sumi Hashikuni Eugene & Glenn Tanimoto In Memory of Mother, Satomi Ishihara Tanimoto Junichi & Satsuki Yamamoto In Memory of Sam Satoshi & Sumi Hashikuni Lance & Kathleen Yokota In Memory of Akiko Ito Gina & Mark Lourenco Family 49th Day for Rosie Tomoda Joann Tahara 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai S. Yamamura 49th Day for Rosie Tomoda Matsy & Eddie Inaba 17th Year for Richard Inaba Misao Inaba 17th Year for Richard Inaba Harley & Judy Inaba 17th Year for Richard Inaba LaRoy McCoy 49th Day for Rosie Tomoda Loleen Nakano In Memory of Sam Satoshi & Sumi Hashikuni Michiko Nitta In Memory of Frank Nitta Kan & Betsie Sanui 17th Year for Richard Inaba Yoko & Roy Asoo 3rd Year for Chiyoko Grace Miura Mary Fong 1st Year for Irene Fujimoto M/M William Fuller 1st Year for Irene Fujimoto M/M Donald Inaba 17th Year for Richard Inaba Fred Inaba Family 17th Year for Richard Inaba Sharon Kotabe 17th Year for Richard Inaba Paul & Ginger Lee 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Shiro Masunaga 17th Year for Richard Inaba Matsui Family 49th Day for Rosie Tomoda Dennis & Stacy Matsunami 17th Year for Richard Inaba Eddie & Grace Miyamoto 1st Year for Irene Fujimoto David Okubo 17th Year for Richard Inaba June Okubo 17th Year for Richard Inaba M/M Raymond Okubo 17th Year for Richard Inaba Hiroshi & Tsugino Oto 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Ed Shimosaka 49th Day for Rosie Tomoda Gay Taira 17th Year for Richard Inaba Kiyoko Tanaka 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Jean Tonooka 17th Year for Richard Inaba David Wakabayashi In Memory of Matsuko Baba Paul, Jackie & Kyle Wakabayashi 49th Day for Matsuko Baba M/M Roy Baba 49th Day for Matsuko Baba Clay & Sylvia Harada 49th Day for Rosie Tomoda George Hiromoto 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Maizie Hiromoto 49th Dale for Frances Haruki Sakai Toki Kamezaki 17th Year for Richard Inaba Yukio Mizota 33rd Year for Ryoichi Rye Keikoan M/M Minoru Morimoto 17th Year for Richard Inaba Agnes Shimosaka 49th Day for Rosie Tomoda Betty Tanaka In Memory of Jimmy Ikemoto Haruyo & Louise Tanaka In Memory of James Ikemoto Mits & Miyo Yamada 3rd Year for Kuni Hironaka Special Matsuyama Boy Scouts In Appreciation Ohana Hula Group In Appreciation M/M Curtis Ishii In Appreciation of Blood Drive Thomas Okamoto Uncle Roy, Carol & Tara's Birthdays Thomas Okamoto Auntie Dorothy & Lauren's Birthdays Teruo Shintaku Special Donation Roy Hayashi Special Donation M |
