Today`s Thoughts - Y Service Clubs in Hawaii

June 2010—VOL. 20, NO. 4
The News Bulletin of the Kalihi Y’s Men’s and Women’s Club
The Service Club of the YMCA
“To Acknowledge the Duty that Accompanys Every Right”
Regional Convention a Treasured Memory
HAPPE N I N G S
June
9 Gleemen Plus of Honolulu
Performance
Hawaii News Now (KGMBKHNL), 7:15 a.m., 8:15 a.m.
9 Senator Suzanne Chun
Oakland Fundraiser
Likelike Elementary School,
5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
12 Yard Work Project
1660 Hooheke, Pearl City
14 Club Membership Meeting
Kalihi YMCA, 6:00 p.m.
26 Yard Work Project
1660 Hooheke, Pearl City
Mei-Chih Chun, flanked by President Tony Pfaltzgraph and D.G. Phil Chun, was
honored as Kalihi’s Golden Book Desinate for 2010.
H
awaiian Region Convention dele­
gates experienced a shortened
version convention (28 hours), but
one which included a new and inspir­
ing activities. The one and only dinner
was jam packed with an Endowment/
Golden Book Recognition, Induction of
new members, Club Program Awards
as well as door prizes, lottery prizes,
Y’s Guy fining; a long but fast moving
evening of activities. Congratulations
to the Nuuanu Y’s Men and Women’s
Service Club, who won Club of the Year
honors. The first Membership Service
awards, recognizing members who
performed 100 hours or more during
the year were announced by Member­
ship Service Director Duke Chung.
These included Kalihi’s Erin Berhman,
Phil Chun, Eddie Miwa, Dan Taka­
matsu, Ethel Takamatsu, Bev Wong,
Dick Wong, and Sunny Young.
The next morning those present
were treated to an inspiring message
from former Big Island Mayor Harry
Kim who challenged the Y’s Men and
Women to forget about recruiting new
members, and concentrate on carrying
out our mission. (Then membership
will follow.) Mayor Kim reflected on the
many personal experiences he had with
racism and decried the failure of our
generation in race relations and for not
making a better world for our children.
This was followed by an insightful
Devotional that carried the mes­
sage of “Let there be Peace and Let it
begin with Me.” This was coordinated
by Maurice Shimonishi, with partici­
pants Phil Chun, reflecting on a
National YMCA trip to China, with
his poem, “Come Drink Tea With Me”,
a DVD on the signing of the Peace
Treaty on the Battleship Missouri, and
reflections of a young eyewitness, Jiro
Yukimura, who was on the ship with
reporters as a translator; and ending
with personal experiences with racism
by Sharon Ishida.
Then followed the training session,
led by Linda Chung, Sharon Ishida and
Bobby Stivers, replete with toothpicks
(Continued on page 4)
C E LE B R ATI O N S
Happy Anniversary!
June
5 David Endo
9 Erin Berhman
15 Eddie Miwa
17 Ethel Takamatsu
Today’s
Thoughts
May You Always Be Loved
by Sandra Hurtz Hauss
May you find serenity and tranquility in
a world you may not always understand.
May the pain you have known and the
conflict you have experienced ,
Give you the strength to walk through
life facing each new situation with
optimism and courage.
Always know that there are those whose
love and understanding will always be
there even when you feel most alone.
(Continued on page 3)
Kalihi
YMCA NEWS
by Tony Pfaltzgraff
T
he 23rd Annual YMCA Golf Tournament was held in mid-May at the
Pearl Country Club. Signups were
off a bit from 2009, but we had more
sponsors this year to go along with the
46-3 player teams, and this enabled us
to net about $26,000 which is close to
the net from last year. Plans are already
underway for the 24th annual tourna­
ment to be held on May 13, 2011.
Enrollment for 2010 summer pro­
grams has been going slowly throughout
the YMCA. We have been hearing good
news in the press about improvement
in the economy, but you wouldn’t know
by our signups. The Kalihi Branch is
offering a well priced option at the
Branch and Aiea Elementary, and we
can only hope that things pick up.
There will likely be a lot of change
in the YMCA of Honolulu, now that
president and CEO, Larry Bush has
announced his departure by the end
of the year. Added to that is a national
YUSA “rebranding” effort that seeks
to change the way the Y is seen in
communities throughout the country.
laugh a little live longer
Y
ou have two choices in life: you
can stay single and be miserable, or
get married and wish you were dead.
At a cocktail party, one woman said
to another, “Aren’t you wearing your
wedding ring on the wrong finger?”
“Yes, I am. I married the wrong man.”
A lady inserted an ad in the classifieds:
“Husband Wanted.”
The next day she received a hundred
letters, saying the same thing: “You can
have mine. A woman is incomplete until
she is married. Then she is finished.”
A little boy asked his father, “Daddy,
how much does it cost to get married?”
Father replied: I don’t know son, I’m
still paying.”
A young son asked, “Is it true, Dad,
that in some parts of Africa a man
doesn’t know his wife until he marries
her?”
Dad replied, “That happens in every
country, son.”
A woman said, “I never knew what real
happiness was until I got married—
and by then it was too late.
Marriage is the triumph of imagina­
tion over intelligence.
If you want your spouse to listen and
pay strict attention to every word you
say—talk in your sleep.
Just think, if it weren’t for marriage,
men would go through life thinking
they had no faults at all.
First guy says, “My wife’s an angel”.
Second guy remarks, “You’re lucky.
Mine’s still alive.”
Husband and wife are waiting a the
bus stop with their nine children.
A blind man joins them after a few
minutes.
When the bus arrives, they find it
overloaded and only the wife and the
nine kids are able to fit onto the bus
So the husband and the blind man
decide to walk
After a while, the husband gets ir­
ritated by the ticking of the stick of the
blind man.
‘Why don’t you put a piece of rub­
ber at the end of you stick? That ticking
sound is driving me crazy.
The blind man replies, “ If you had
put a rubber at the end of your stick,
we’d be riding the bus, so shut the
hell up.” t
2
The president of YUSA, Neil Nicoli,
recently wrote:
“Along the way, though, the Y has
increasingly focused on our services
and activities, and less so on our high
cause. Recapturing that cause is our
great opportunity—one that will allow
us to fully realize our collective po­
tential. Data, and our own day-to-day
experience, show us that communities
want Ys to lead them to become stron­
ger, better places., And when the Y
responds, we also become stronger as
more people join, give and volunteer.
Most importantly, more will see the
YMCA as a leading force for good.”
It should be an interesting few
months in the YMCA. t
Kalihi YMCA
Golf Tournament
Fields 46 Teams
T
he weather was
perfect for the 138
players who turned
out to support the Kalihi YMCA’s
23rd Annual Endowment Fund
Golf Tournament. Tony Pfaltz­
graff and the Kalihi staff worked
long hours along with the Golf
Committee mem­bers to put on a
great tournament, which netted
about $26,000.
After a long day, some of the
staff took part in the Visitor
Industry Charity Walk the next
morning at 6:00 a.m., and then
took part in the Y’s Men’s
Regional Convention. Along with
Tony helping out were Erin
Berhman, Dave Endo, Charlee
Malott, Juanette Quiroz, and
Sunny Young, Wayne Kim, Dan
and Ethel Takamatsu, and Phil
and Mei-Chih Chun. t
Hawaii Regional Convention photos
May You Also Be Loved
(Continued from page 1)
May you discover enough goodness
in others to believe in a world of peace.
May a kind word, a reassuring touch.
a warm smile, be yours every day of
your life,
And may you give these gifts as well
as receive them.
1
Remember the sunshine when the
storm seems unending.
Teach love to those who know hate,
and let that love embrace you as you
go into the world.
May the teaching of those you admire
become part of you, so that you may
call upon them.
2
Remember, those whose lives you have
touched and who have touched yours
are always a part of you.
3
(1) New members inducted:
Ron Okimoto, Charlee Malott,
Robert Sims (E. Kauai),
Juanette Quiroz and Erin
Berhman. (2) Charlee and
Ron have a serious moment.
(3) Juanette and Erin at the
Sunday morning session.
(4) Dan and Ethel Takamatsu
and Charlee work on building
“leadership towers”.
(5) Incoming Regional officers:
Bob Kuwahara (Secty/Treas),
Russ Lynch (RD), Donna Jones
(DG), Marian Liu (Lt DG) and
John Putz (DG). Outgoing RD
Rick Lau, far right.
4
Even if the encounters were less than
you would have wished.
May you not become too concerned
with material matters, but instead place
immeasurable value on the goodness
in your heart.
Find time in each day to see the beauty
and love in the world around you.
Realize that each person has limitless
abilities, but each of us is different in our
own way.
What you may feel you lack in one
regard may be more than compensated
for in another,
What you feel you lack in the present
may become one of your strengths
in the future.
May you see your future as one filled
with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.
May you find enough inner strength to
determine your own worth by yourself,
And not be dependent on another’s
judgements of your accomplishments.
May You Always Feel Loved
5
3
Regional Convention (Continued from page 1)
and marshmallows and ending with a
tribute to past and present Y’s Men and
Women who had significant impact on
the Y’s Men’s Movement, in Hawaii
and abroad.
The 74th Hawaiian Regional Con­
vention ended with a change of com­
mand with Russ Lynch, past Metro
District Governor and member of
the Windward Club, taking over the
Regional Director’s job from outgo­
ing Central club member Rick Lau.
West Oahu’s Robert Kuwahara is again
the Regional Secretary/Treasurer, and
Donna Jones of Maui will continue to
be the Orchid-Valley-Garden (OVG)
District Governor. For the Metro Dis­
trict, taking over from Phil Chun and
Walter Osakoda will be John Putz
(DG) and Marion Liu (Lt. DG), both of
the Windward Club,
Chairman Duke Chung and the
Convention Committee did an excel­
lent job this year. Serving on the com­
mittee were Dan and Ethel Takamatsu
and Phil Chun. Duke has also volun­
teered to be chairman again next year,
where is a possibility that the conven­
tion may be held in Kona.
A great mahalo to Ethel and Dan
Takamatsu, who did most of the work
for the Hospitality Committee. Helping
out were Bev and Dick Wong, Wayne
Kim and Eddie Miwa. Much thanks
also to Tony Pfaltzgraff and Charlee
Malott, who donated a bunch of snacks
left over from the Kalihi YMCA Golf
Tournament held the Day before.
Mei-Chih Chun was surprised to
learn that she was the Kalihi Club’s
Golden Book Honoree for 2010, as
Tony Pfaltzgraff read the tribute, with
Phil and Randall Chun looking on.
New members inducted into Y’s Dom
were Juanette Quiroz, Erin Berhman,
Ron Okimoto, and Charlee Malott.
Also present at the Endowment Dinner
was Charlene Young. It was a long
day for Tony, as he ran in the Charity
Walk at 6 a.m. that morning with
several other Kalihi YMCA staff.
Kalihi had an excellent representa­
tion at the convention this year, with
Ethel and Dan Takamatsu, who stayed
at the hotel. coordinating the snacks;
Dan and Eddie Miwa were cashiers
at the bar on Saturday night and
attended the Saturday business session
and luncheon.
Taking part in the Sunday events
were Dan and Ethel, Phil and MeiChih, Juanette Quiroz, Erin Berhman,
and Charlee Malott. (Juanette missed
the luncheon, as she became ill, need­
ing an insulin shot.) t
Lt. District Governor Marion Lui
Members Help with
Military Day at the Zoo
Metro District News
Metro District Governor John Putz Club Presidents, 2010–11
Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garret Ho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
East Kauai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Sims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Hilo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lance Niimi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Kaimuki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keahi Kaawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Kalihi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Juanette Quiroz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Maui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Donna Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Nuuanu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maurice Shimonishi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
West Oahu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walter Osakoda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Windward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe-Ann McCarthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Regional News
Much thanks to Bev and Dick Wong,
Dan and Ethel Takamatsu, Sunny
Young, Eddie Miwa and Phil Chun,
who helped out with the Military
Appreciation Day Program at the Zoo.
In previous years, members helped the
Wong Clan with their booth. However
this year the event was coordinated
entirely by the USO, so things were a
little disorganized, and Bev had to round
up some volunteers at the last minute.
However the event was sincerely ap­
preciated by the military members and
their families who had a great time. t
Regional Leadership, 2010–2011
Regional Director (RD) . . . . . . . . . Russ Lynch (Windward) . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Regional Sec’y/Treas . . . . . . . . . . Robert Kuwahara (West Oahu) . . . . . . . [email protected]
Metro Dist. Gov. (DG) . . . . . . . . . . John Putz (Windward) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Metro Lt. DG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marion Liu (Windward) . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
OVG Dist. Gov. (DG) . . . . . . . . . . . . Donna Jones (Maui) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
4
FYI is a publication of the Kalihi Y’s Men’s Club,
Chartered on January 19, 1991.
Send your articles to:
Phil Chun c/o Kalihi YMCA
1335 Kalihi St. Honolulu, HI 96819
Bulletin Editor: Phil Chun
Design & Production: Randall Chun