M E M O R A N D U M
Date: September 16, 2018
To: Sally Idemoto
From Joyce Iwasaki
Re: Board Bullets
Dear Sally ~
Please post the following September Board Bullets for the October dharma newsletter.
Thank you!
Joyce
Betsuin Board Bullets
San Jose Betsuin Board of Directors Meeting
September 06, 2018
submitted by Joyce Iwasaki
Mission Statement
The mission of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin is to learn and to share the Jodo Shinshu understanding of the Three Treasures
Buddha, Dharma and Sangha
The intent of the Betsuin Board Bullets is to highlight Board actions, decisions, special events and projects. Please contact the Betsuin Board officers, directors or the ministers for details on any item.
- Motions
It was moved, seconded and passed to approve the July 2018 meeting minutes as corrected.
It was moved, seconded and passed to allocate funds to purchase robes for the new Rinban.
It was moved, seconded and passed to accept the Human Resources Committee’s recommendation of a 2018 hourly wage increase for each office staff position.
It was moved, seconded and passed to approve the Hawaiian Island Creations (HIC) annex rental request for November 02 – 03, 2018.
- Ministers’ Report – Rinban Sakamoto
The transition of the responsibilities of the Rinban’s office is going well. The Fujimotos continue to prepare for their move to their new home in Manteca.
Beginning in the second week of October, a rotating schedule of lay speakers and sutra chanting leaders will help to fulfill service needs.
The Betsuin’s Ohigan service is scheduled for September 30th. The guest speaker is Reverend Dean Koyama of the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple.
Rinban and Mrs Sakamoto met with the Komon Group on September 2nd. Included in the discussion were Generations Phase II and Assistant Ministers Program.
Japanese language services will continue as it has been in the past until a change is necessary.
The Tuesday Night Study Class will continue with the first session of this year is on September 11th.
- Special Events – Emi Tsutsumi
Rinban and Mrs Fujimoto’s Retirement Party was successfully held on Sunday August 26th in the annex. Thank you to Betsuin organizations and groups, to the office staff, to the Board of Directors, the youth who staffed the event (under the supervision of Todd Tsudama), and the Retirement Party Committee for working on this event. Appreciation goes to Lillian Kanzaki who donated bottles of wine for this event. Estimated attendance of 450 people which included members of the Fujimoto family, Betsuin Sangha members, organizations in Japantown including Wesley United Methodist Church, and previous BCA temples the Fujimotos served. This event was fun, exciting and high energy which gave us the opportunity to express
our appreciation to the Fujimotos for being part of our Betsuin for twelve years.
This year’s Keiro Kai is set for September 30th and the theme is Polynesian. Those honored are people born in 1938 and before whose meals will be of no charge. Other meals will be $15 per person. This will take place in the annex from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm.
- EcoSangha Club – Al Hironaga
The EcoSangha Club continues to collect gently used shoes, inkjet and laser printer cartridges and white styrofoam for recycling. Recycling boxes are located in the office, the annex lobby and in front of Lotus Preschool. the next EcoSangha meeting is set for Tuesday October 2nd at 7:00 pm.
- Dana Club Report – Al Hironaga
On Saturday October 27th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, the Dana Club will be helping the Rebuilding Together organization to work on repairs on the home of a family in the local community. During this biannual Rebuilding Day, many organizations will be working on improvements for many homes throughout the nation. If you are interested in helping with this project, contact Al Hironaga at ahironaga@hotmail.com.
- Garden Committee Report – Al Hironaga
Volunteers in the Garden: Thank you to all volunteers who clean, water and maintain the Betsuin gardens. These include Shelley Hatakeyama, Sus and Sadako Ikeda, Stan Kawamoto, Dave Pascual, the Rast family and Lotus Preschool.
Water Problem in the Garden: Dave Pascual found that there is water overflowing from the pond beneath the waterfall in the garden. The waterfall was turned off sue to the drought, but water appears to be continuing to flow into the pond from the makeup supply, which is supposed to add water to replace water that evaporates from the system.
- Research and Planning Committee Report – Janice Doi
Some issues the Research and Planning Committee is working are include revamping the Betsuin website, researching database software, establishing a committee to oversee financial tracking, projections and recommendations, and establishing a comprehensive mechanism of tracking and implementing current and future member trends.
- Membership Report – Dina Nakano and Rajan Saigusa
Matt Ogawa held a fun event at a brewery and invited people in the 24 – 35 age range. The goal was to socialize and have a great time. As a result of this event, 17 people became members of the Betsuin.
- Property Management Report – Steve Onishi
Annex:
A defective transformer cause an unpleasant humming noise in the loudspeakers. A replacement part in on order.
The operations manual for the iPad has been updated.
One of the kitchen sinks suffered damage either during or right after Obon. the stainless steel sink became detached from the stainless steel countertop. A temporary fix was implemented to allow usage of the sink until this is resolved.
The drain connections were replumed in the outdoor kitchen to connect the outdoor washing machine to the sewer. This allows us to use the washing machine/dryer to clean and dry the kitchen towels on site.
Hondo:
We are moving forward to upgrade the control of the new HD video camera in the Hondo to an iPad to be located in the Hondo. Currently, we can only control the camera from the annex. the upgrade will include a video recorder and processor that will allow us to stream the video onto the internet if desired. The installation is currently being scheduled but will most likely occur in October.
New Shelving:
The Japanese American Museum of San Jose offered the Betsuin new shelving materials which are very large and heavy duty. Final locations are to be determined with possibilities of using them in the BBQ shed, obon dry storage area, and the little cottage garage.
- For the Sake of the Children – Documentary Screening – Joyce Iwasaki
The screening of the film, For the Sake of the Children, is scheduled to be shown in the Betsuin annex on Sunday October 28th from 4:00 pm, followed by a panel discussion and a reception. The film explores the Japanese American incarceration, its impact on current generations who are descendants of families who were incarcerated and the complex interplay of culture, racial prejudice, history and intergenerational differences. Rich and poignant interviews of women who were imprisoned and the impact that has had on their children as well as future generations are bought forth in this film. These individuals reflect a cross section of society such as artists, politicians, preservationists, journalists, activists and young students.
Sponsors of this event are Poston Community Alliance, Midori Kai, Inc., Japanese American Museum of San Jose and the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin.
There is no admission fee but donations are welcome and will be divided amongst the four sponsoring nonprofit organizations. RSVP is requested for venue capacity regulations as well as an anticipated count for the reception. RSVP by texting the number of attendees: 925 596 1770. For more information, please contact Joyce Iwasaki at j.iwasaki@yahoo.com.
