Archives
March 2026
We recently posted the book Kansha to the Archives page on the Betsuin website. Kansha was the compilation of the 75-Year history of the San Jose Betsuin (covering the period from 1902 to 1977). The book included photographs and key dates from each of the many Betsuin organizations.
In March, we are posting the book for the 100th Anniversary of the Betsuin (1902 to 2002). I recently learned that the first Betsuin Board of Directors meeting to plan for the September 2002 Anniversary occurred in May 1999. During the early meetings in 1999, the Centennial Committee met every two months to develop a Theme, a budget, publicity, etc. In 2000, the meetings moved to monthly and included a project to upgrade the onaijin. In 2001, planning started for fundraising, and a banquet, and reservations for hotel rooms, plus planning for the Centennial Book. In August 2002, meetings were held weekly to cover final planning for the Chigo Parade, fundraising, the yearbook, the banquet, a Fun Day, Publicity, and a Golf Tournament.
As I enjoy looking through the Betsuin Centennial Book, I have a deep appreciation for all the dedicated people, who worked many hours to put together all aspects of the 100th Anniversary. Please view the 100th Anniversary Book by clicking on the Learn More box below.
Finally, if you would like to volunteer to help the Archives Group, please contact us by email at Archives@sjbetsuin.org.
December 2025
As Mike Mori wrote in the October 2025 Dharma Newsletter, the Archives Committee has been actively working to upgrade the capabilities of the Archives Group equipment. We now have two upgraded iMac computers, one Windows PC, and one Windows laptop. We’ve also purchased a high-speed document scanner, and a high-speed photo scanner. Our goal is to digitize the many documents and photos in the Archives storage and move the files to the Cloud for safe keeping.
In addition to keeping the files safe, storing photos and documents in the Cloud will enable us to share select items with the Sangha community. One example is
the Kansha booklet that was put together for the San Jose Betsuin’s 75th Anniversary. The entire booklet can be viewed at the link to the right (Learn More). We hope you enjoy this look into the past, as we are looking forward to the 125th Anniversary in 2027. We will be working with all the Betsuin Organizations to support their archiving needs.
If you are interested in helping, please contact us at Archive@sjbetsuin.org.
