CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
QUARTERLY REPORTS   October 12, 2010  Revised
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, ESTRELLA BESINGA SYBINSKY

On September 23, 2010 an email was sent to all the Chapter Leaders for the following purpose:

1)  informing the chapters that the Executive Board will meet on October 13, 2010 and that the quarterly reports from the chapters are needed for that meeting and

2) briefly mentioning the suggested idea regarding a chapter collaborative student fundraising legacy project and soliciting initial input and suggestions from the chapters.

A follow up reminder email that the quarterly reports are due by no later than October 9^th was sent by the Alumni office.

The following chapters submitted their quarterly reports:

ARIZONA CHAPTER:  Michelle Marion
EWCA Arizona Chapter website

Dr. Tim Wong led a 20 day trip to China along the Silk Road including stays in Beijing and Shanghai.  Twenty-eight people participated in the program and a small portion of the program fee was designated for EWC student scholarships.

EWCA-ASDP alumni Tomi Johnson and Michele Marion were volunteer gardeners for the fall season garden clean up in preparation for the Harvest Moon Festival, Ro Ho En Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Arizona chapter will establish a Facebook page and other social networking venues for chapter news, updates, etc…

FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN CHAPTER:  Muhammad Ibrahim
EWCA Faisalabad Chapter website

The chapter donated 130,000 Pakistan rupees to flood affected victims and to other charity accepting organizations.  The flood has devastated people’s lives, agriculture, livestock, roads and communication infrastructures.  The chapter notes the suffering of the people in Pakistan and the need for the international community to help out.

Chapter Leader Muhammad Ibrahim donated his village residence to the community for the purpose of building a Girls School in the village where a majority of the people live below the poverty line.  The Chapter will subsidize the expenditure spending towards the construction of the school and is requesting contributions from donors including EWC alumni.

In the interest of cleaning the atmosphere, the chapter planted trees last year and will be continued this year.

In a telephone meeting of the Chapter, congratulations to the EWC and EWCA  50^th anniversary celebration was reiterated and re-affirmed with a consensus rating of “it was just beautiful.”

TOKYO CHAPTER:  Takahashi (Taka) Tsuchiya
EWCA Tokyo Chapter website

The Tokyo Chapter was officially inaugurated on April 18, 2009 along with the Kansai and Nagoya (Chubu area) Chapters within the framework of the Japan East-West Center Association (JEWCA).  Based upon the spirit of JEWCA, each regional chapter is autonomous in carrying out its own activities.

The April 18 General Meeting Inauguration was attended by 45 alumni from all over Japan (after a four year absence).  Amendment was made to the Constitution of JEWCA  so that regional chapters could be established, enabling the regional chapters to plan and execute their own daily activities while the JEWCA will deal with nationwide issues.

At a Tokyo Chapter party, Mr. Shigeo Tonoike (Chapter VP)  shared slides showing his Tokyo Chapter presentation of $8,000 check to Gary Yohida as a token of appreciation to the EWC on its 50^th Anniversary.  Hula dances, ukulele performances, door prizes like Aloha shirts gave a festive Hawaiian ambiance to the party and the group ended with the singing of Aloha Oe, reminiscent of the final night of the EWC conference. The Chapter attached a group picture of the event.

BRISBANE CHAPTER:  Iraphne Childs
EWCA Brisbane Chapter website

The Chapter held their election of officers on August 27^th.  Elected:  Pres, Iraphne Childs, Secretary, Karen Nunan, Treasurer, Peter Nunan, Chapter Website Coordinator, Karen Reid Nunan.

The Chapter held the following events:  Pot luck supper to plan fundraising efforts + AGM (August 27),  Hike to help Nepal, supporting fundraising in Nepal (September 12), submitted Bid to host the EWCA Conference in 2012 (September 22).

The Chapter is developing a website and is also developing Facebook pages for a virtual Australian chapter.  Jeremy Webb continues to operate the Climate Change network, sending regular articles and information on the subject to members.

The Chapter is supporting the education of two students in Nepal, Lasha Manandhar (age 14) and Suna Rai (whose father is in prison).  Chapter members are encouraged to individually contribute to the EWC.

At the EWC 50^th Conference, the Chapter became aware of three EWC alumni from Brisbane attending.  They have now joined the group as new members (Ronald Keith, Shumei Hou and Tapan Sakar).  The chapter suggests that it would benefit all the chapters if the EWCA office could regularly provide a list of people from a specific respective area so the area Chapter could contact them and get them involved.

KANSAI (JAPAN) CHAPTER:  Seiko Furuhashi
EWCA Kansai Chapter website

The most recent Kansai Chapter general meeting was held on March 13, 2010 at Osaka Gakuin University (13 members attended).

The most recent Kansai Chapter Board meeting was held on August 3, 2010 at the Hotel Granvia Osaka (all six officers and three advisers attended).

Online newsletters are occasionally distributed to Kansai chapter members who register their email addresses.  Three newsletters were published this year.  The Chapter attached a group picture of the latest Kansai Chapter gathering.

WASHINGTON DC  Capital Region Chapter:  Anny Wong
EWCA Washington, D.C. Chapter website

Thanks to the excellent initiative of Hospitality Committee Chair, Mary Jo Furgal, the Capital Region chapter continues to support visiting fellows and scholars to Washington DC. in cooperation with the EWC Washington office.

The Hospitality Committee of the Washington DC Chapter partnered with the EWC Washington office at the reception for North East & Southeast Asia Visiting Fellows, EWC Washington office held on September 13^th.

Hospitality Chair, Mary Jo Furgal sponsored a dinner reception for seven Chinese media participants at her home on September 16^th.

Former Ambassador Dave Kaeuper and his wife hosted a most enjoyable and successful picnic on September 18^th at their beautiful farm in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.  The visiting EWC fellows and alumni feasted on good food and great company,  Approximately 22 people attended and the Chapter shared a picnic picture with the EWCA Alumni office.

The site:  “Cross-Cultural Storytelling:  The Lighter Side of the EWC” is operational and the most recent submission was one of the stories presented by Esrella Besinga Sybinsky and Peter Sybinsky  at the 50^th Conference panel “The EWC: A Half Century of Legacy II.”  The Conference presentation succeeded in engaging the audience to actively participate and share their own cross-cultural stories during the question and answer period.

NEPAL, KATHMANDU CHAPTER:  Nirendra D. Maske
EWCA Nepal Chapter website

Nepal Chapter received two notable awards during the EWC’s 50^th Anniversary Conference.

1. Nepalese Ambassador to the US and former EWC alumni Shankar Prasad Sharma received the 2010 EWCA Distinguished Alumni Award.  At the EWC Conference, Ambassador Sharma presented a paper on “The Political Economy of Nepal’s Constitutional Reform.”

2. The EWCA Nepal, Kathmandu Chapter was honored with the 2010 Outstanding EWCA Chapter Award.  Nirenda Maske, the Chapter leader received the award. He likewise presented a paper at the Conference on “Glacial Retreat and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF’s) in the Nepal Himalayas” and was recently elected to the EWCA Executive Board for the next 3 years.

Leading up to the 50^th Anniversary of the EWC, the Nepal Chapter celebrated two special events. 1)  May 14, 2010,  Bal Bhojan, a brainchild of Dr. Suddh Rauniyar, is an organization program for very poor underprivileged and street children. Thirty-five children and teachers from the Program and twelve EWC alumni visited the Jawalakhel Zoo. The observation trip included free lunch and a coloring/essay contest on the children’s favorite living creature at the zoo. 2) June 3, 2010, Prize Giving Day:  The EWC alumni and Dr. Rauniyar judged the ten best drawings/essays and the best 3 drawings and 2 essays were given prizes.  The event ended with the EWC alumni sharing with the kids and teachers information about the EWC and the role the Center plays in the community, their countries and the world.

HAWAII CHAPTER:  Carl Hefner
EWCA Hawaii Chapter website

The Hawaii Chapter welcomed incoming EWC students at its annual EWC Student Orientation Picnic at Kapiolani Park on August 21,2010.  Chapter members prepared food for over 200 students, EWC alumni and guests.  Alumnus Alapaki Luke delivered a short talk on the history and culture of Hawaii with emphasis on the history of Queen Kapiolani and Kapiolani park.  Participants had a great time networking, socializing and interacting with students from different countries.

Alumnus Itsuku Suzuki  organized an August event that enabled incoming students to acquire needed household goods for their stay at Hale Manoa and Hale Kuahine.  This activity has now become an annual Hawaii Chapter contribution towards making incoming EWC students adapt readily to their new living quarters.

A networking “Pizza Lunch” organized and participated in by Alumni Carl Hefner and Ric Trimillos was held on August 11^th.  Incoming EWC students met with EWC alumni in focus groups for the purpose of discussing the students future academic and career plans.  Because of the focus groups’ huge success, there are plans to continue the event in 2011.

NOTE:  Regarding the proposed collaborative student fund raising legacy project, the Arizona Chapter thought that chapter collaboration on this project would be promising as different chapters (including theirs) are already involved in this activity. President Ric Trimillos and Development Committee VP, Thanh Lo Sananikone (including the Alumni officers) have been made aware of this collaborative project idea

NOTE:  Perhaps due to the short timeline between the major EWC 50^th Conference and this Chapter Quarterly Report deadline, people’s busy summer schedules and unexpected natural devastations (like the Pakistan flooding), it is reasonable to deduce that the Chapters’ energy may be drained, exhausted and diffused. Hopefully, more Chapters will share their activities at the next quarterly report deadline.  On the other hand, a big “thank you very much” to the Chapters that took the time to document their current EWCA activities via the submission of their quarterly report.  Mahalo and aloha to all.