Diablo JA Club News
October 2009
Minutes of the J.A. Meeting
Meeting Date:  October 7, 2009 President Sharon Akiyama called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM.	Corrections/Additions to Previous Minutes The Treasurer’s report for the September meeting should read “No report.” To correct the Membership Chairperson’s report, change “group coordinators” to “festival booth chairs.” Laura Takeuchi would like department heads from the festival to let her know if they came across any people who were no longer members.
Treasurer’s Report:  David Ziesmer presented the July, August, and September treasurer’s reports.  Acknowledgements/Announcements 1. $100 donation to the Building Fund from Masako and John Yamamoto in memory of their daughter, Sandra Nakashima.
Affiliated Clubs/Chairpersons Reports:
JARCC – Bob Okubo · Work on the roof began October 3^rd and may require another week to complete. Apologies for not notifying groups who used the facilities over the weekend for any noise or disturbance. Buddhist Fellowship - Sharon Akiyama Regular Sunday services began September 13^th. Rev. Kujo from San Mateo will speak on Sunday, October 18^th Rev. Matsumoto from Berkeley will speak on Sunday, November 1^st. Dr. Taniguchi will be our guest speaker on Saturday, November 7^th Sunday services begin at 10:00 A.M. and Saturday services begin at 5:30 P.M. Jr. YBA – Sharon Akiyama No report. Nippongo Gakuen – Rodger Johnson The Gakuen is still seeking new students. There are currently 65 students and 55 families. The school would like to have between 70-75 students. As new families are still registering, a complete roster will be sent to the Membership Chair and the President within the next 2-3 weeks. The first cultural event, Undookai, will take place on Saturday, October 17^th. The school requests that the sprinklers not be run the night before the event as the grass area will be used. Also, the event coordinators will need access to the pantry and the pavilion Saturday morning. The Gakuen held an E-waste Fundraiser on Saturday, October 3^rd. Our thanks go to Neal Nakatsuka for organizing this event. For future events like this, a suggestion was made to have a club representative present at the front table. The roofing work disrupted two of the classes on Saturday, October 3^rd. If possible, the Gakuen requests that future work be done on weekdays. Athletic Club – Dave Uemura · Approximately 15 basketball teams have been set up and practices are starting. Building Superintendent – Jon Yokoyama · To all groups, please do not open the side door of the gym until it has been fixed. The latch gets weaker each time the door is opened and it is difficult to close properly. Gardeners’ Club – Judith Aono No report. Ikenobo Club – Pat Baba No report. JASEB – Yukio Kitagawa No report. Judo Club - Lisa Hisaka Congratulations to Ryan Hisaka for being asked to represent the United States on a 5-person team that will compete in an international competition in Fukuoka, Japan in late December. Diablo Kendo Club – Mike Espinosa No report.	Shinwakai – Laura Takeuchi · October 17^th – Ochazuke – Attending seniors are asked to bring their favorite tsukemono along with a chawan and hashi. Rice and tea will be provided. · November 21^st – Thanksgiving celebration. · No meeting in December. Seniors are invited to attend the JA Club Holiday Party on Sunday, December 6^th · Meetings are held every third Saturday at 1:00 P.M. Diablo Taiko Club – Judith Aono No report. Summer Festival – Ron Onizuka The Festival Appreciation Dinner will take place this Saturday, October 10^th at 5:00 P.M. Join us for Kinder’s Barbeque and Bingo. Membership Chairperson – Laura Takeuchi Received renewals from Exercise Club and Gakuen. The membership form has been updated. All group representatives should check the contact information to make sure it’s current. Membership renewal deadline is Saturday, October 31^st. All renewals must be received by that date. Old Business · None New Business The Exercise Class is hosting an All-You-Can-Eat Udon Feed on Sunday, October 25^th from 11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. The cost will be $7 with a discounted rate of $6 for seniors and kids under 10 years old. Takeout will be available for $6. Buy tickets from Exercise Class members. A budget of $1500 was approved for the 2009 JA Club Holiday Party. Arlene Nielsen reported that this same budget has been in place for the past 2 years and that the event has come in under budget both years. The First Annual Multicultural Performance Festival will take place at Stone Valley Middle School in Alamo on January 30, 2010. Alamo Parks and Recreation is looking for groups who are interested in participating. Group presidents will receive an email with information. Nominations for the 2010 JA Club Board were suggested. There is an opening for Vice President. The following positions were discussed and will be voted on at the November meeting. 1. President: Joyce Shindo 2. Vice President __________ 3. Secretary: Julie Kanazawa 4. Treasurer: David Zeismer 5. Historian: Ruth Hirano 6. Landscape Supervisor: John Nishizawa 7. Building Supervisor: Jon Yokoyama 8. Scholarship Coordinator: Karen Sakata 9. Membership Coordinator: Laura Takeuchi 10. Festival Chairperson: Ron Onizuka 11. Newsletter: Jerry Honda Meeting adjourned: 8:06 Recorded by: Julie Kanazawa. Approved by Sharon Akiyama, President