Presidents Message

Prior to the period October 11-13, I was a little stressed abut how hectic it was going to be with everything I wanted to fit in. I had signed up to attend the California State Bar Convention, which was held in San Jose, on Thursday and Friday, so I could get some of my training requirements out of the way; then on Saturday, I had to fly down to LA for the day to attend the FBWA Delegates Meeting; then ...

In August, the Board retained the services of a fundraising consultant, Bruce Davis, to guide us through the process of raising the capital to make our vision for the Betsuin a reality. Bruce has worked in the nonprofit community of San Jose for 20 years and has helped raise $40 million dollars for arts and culture, including for San Jose Taiko, as well as the arts programs at Yu-Ai-Kai. The Board has every confidence that ...

Dear Sangha Members and Friends of the Betsuin,

We have selected the title “Generations: Building Our Sangha in Appreciation for the Buddha Dharma” to express our message for this capital and building campaign.

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A little over 100 years ago, in carving out a new life in a new land, the pioneer Japanese immigrants, the Issei, established our temples as places to hear the teaching of the Nembutsu, to hold the rites of passage in life and as safe havens to ...

The Board has retained the services of a fundraising consultant, Bruce Davis. Bruce has already met with the Fundraising Committee and is guiding the Committee in laying the groundwork for a capital campaign. Bruce will be conducting a feasibility study. Sangha members in a wide range of demographics will be interviewed in the next couple of months. If you are one of those contacted, we hope that you will participate so that we can get your input.

In addition to Obon, for another very busy weekend last month, the Sangha mobilized for two events: Mum Arii’s Service and Kenji and Karen Akahoshi’s Appreciation Reception.

The funeral service for Mum Arii was a Betsuin-sponsored service, which means that the Betsuin hosts the service. My understanding is that Betsuin-sponsored services are reserved for those who are truly outstanding in their support of the Betsuin. Mum contributed so much to the Betsuin over the years that it seemed a fitting tribute. ...

The Infrastructure Committee was presented with some very preliminary drawings by CAW. Some of those drawings were on display at Obon, at a booth in front of the Hondo. We hope many of you took the opportunity to go and see them. Chris Wasney and Kaori Abiko of CAW, each helped man the booth on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The Fundraising Committee recommended retaining fundraising consultant Bruce Davis to the Board. The Board voted to hire ...

Every year when Obon rolls around everyone starts to work on making the temple grounds look its best and to ensure the comfort of our visitors. Many of these things are not immediately noticed and, many times, taken for granted, but they are all very significant to the overall effort and all are greatly appreciated.

After our last Board meeting, Reverend Sakamoto, Joyce Iwasaki, Al Hironaga and I stayed longer to discuss a couple of other things, and it was ...