President Message for September 2026
By Larry Handa
The arrival of September means that a new year begins for all of the San Jose Betsuin youth groups like Dharma School, Jr. Young Buddhist Association, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts. Each new year illustrates the Buddhist concept of impermanence as there are always changes from the prior year. The kids may have new teachers/leaders and new classmates/scouts. And each individual is no longer the same person that they were a year ago.
One of the things that doesn’t change is that the kids will continue to receive excellent instruction and support from their teachers, advisors, and scout leaders and spiritual guidance from our ministers. So I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who helps our youth organizations. Thank you to Rinban Adams, Reverend Jones, and minister assistants Dennis Akizuki and Matthew Roling for your leadership and support. Thank you to our Dharma School superintendent Lynda Ichinaga and all of the teachers and staff that support our kids throughout the school year. Thank you to Krista Mizusaki and Tori Sakurai, our DSPO (Dharma School Parents Organization) leaders, for making sure we have crosswalk monitors and snack providers every Sunday. Thank you to our Jr. YBA advisors for guiding our teenagers through their religious, community, and social activities. Thank you to Cubmaster Kim Hara and everyone who helps our Cub Scouts. Thank you to Scoutmaster John Ogawa and all who help our Boy Scouts. Thank you to all the Girl Scout leaders, including our 12th grade leaders Cindy Ando, Ann Chavez, and Jenny Inouye, for helping the girls in your troops. Thank you to our youth coordinator, Cheryl Sweeney, for all you do to support the temple’s youth organizations. And most of all, thank you to all the parents/guardians for enrolling your kids in our youth organizations.
It was 30 years ago that my wife and I enrolled our daughter in the Daisy troop for the Girl Scout troop at the SJ Betsuin and into Dharma School kindergarten (where the teacher was Lynda Ichinaga!). Our 2-year old son was admitted into the Dharma School preschool class that same year and the 2 preschool teaching assistants, then known as Miss Denise and Miss Gina, are now Dharma School parents themselves! And as I’ve mentioned before, my wife and I also benefited as we have made so many new friends, including other parents and many of the other children, including Miss Denise and Miss Gina.
Our daughter and son have grown into wonderful young adults thanks in no small part to their experiences at the temple and the work of so many selfless volunteers. If you haven’t done so, I highly encourage you to enroll your children or grandchildren in our Betsuin youth organizations. If you do, I’m sure they will benefit as much from their Betsuin activities as mine did and I know that you will too.
