Domo Arigato Gozaimashita

It is December, the holiday season is upon us, and the end of the year will soon be here. December also marks the end of my two-year term as your Betsuin President. Since this will be my last article as the President, I want to express my sincere appreciation to all who have supported me and the Betsuin, and solicit your continued support to our religious organization. Looking back at the last two years, the time seemed to have passed very quickly. It was not all fun as there were many serious challenges that the board of directors faced, and while we were successful at some, we are still working on others. And it wasn’t all serious business either, as the board has been known to enjoy a laugh or two while taking care of business.

The board desperately needs some new directors to help set policies and manage the finances of the Betsuin. At one time we had all 48 elected director positions filled. Today, we only have 22 board members, which is less than half the authorized number. For an organization of over 1100 members, filling a board of 48 should not be a problem. However, we have had problems filling board positions, and it always seems that the same people are doing all of the work of planning, organizing and directing the activities around the temple. Most of these people are still working, supporting their own families, and make time in their already hectic schedules to be on the board. As members of this Betsuin, it is my opinion that we all must do our part to help our organization survive – we each donate our yearly dues, but some also give of their time and experience, while others are able to donate more than their share of financial support and other tangibles. Have you done your share of running our Betsuin? Can you spend one evening a month in a board meeting discussing issues that affect the future of the Betsuin? Board meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month. The job does not have to be hard if many participate and share the responsibilities. There currently are vacant leadership positions on the present board that need to be filled, including the heads of the Property Management, Ministerial Advocacy and Office Committees. We will also need a new head of the Special Events Committee.

On December 4, the annual General Membership meeting of the Betsuin will be held in the hondo. At the meeting, we will be electing Betsuin members to positions as directors of our organization. We need individuals to step forward and volunteer to be a candidate for the board. With the present number of vacancies, anyone stepping forward will most certainly be elected, unless, of course, everyone reading this article decides to volunteer and we have a deluge of candidates. That would be a most pleasant surprise. If you are interested in a position on the board, see me or any other board member to discuss the board members’ responsibilities, and tell Steve Ichinaga before the general meeting that you would like to place your name on the ballot. Even if you don’t want to become a director, please attend the annual meeting and show your support for our organization.

Oseibo – Thank you to the members who have made donations to the Oseibo Fund. The Oseibo Committee will be meeting in December to decide upon the appropriate distribution of the funds based upon the specified desires of each donor. If you would like to donate to the Oseibo Fund, please send your check along with the form included in last month’s Dharma to the Betsuin office by December 15. Each donor will receive a letter acknowledging their contribution and their names may be revealed to the donees based upon the wishes expressed by the donors. Additional donation forms are available in the Betsuin office.

Annual Membership Dues/Pledge – The Betsuin will soon send out the 2009 pledge books for members to pledge their continued financial support to the organization. The day to day operations of the Betsuin are heavily dependent upon your pledges. It is very important that every member submit their initial pledge forms as soon as possible, so that the board of directors can estimate the annual expected income to the Betsuin from pledges. We are also upgrading the software for tracking and acknowledging donations and will be dropping members who do not make pledge payments during a calendar year. It is very important for us to keep our membership lists accurate, as each member is also a member of the Buddhist Churches of America and costs our Betsuin a BCA membership fee of approximately $81 per year for each member.

Thank you again for your support and please continue your support to our next President, Steve Ichinaga.

In Gassho,
Al Hironaga