Hello Members & Friends,
For those of us in the Midwest, we are glad that our very long winter has ended and that warmer weather has finally arrived. Unfortunately, early summer has started out with violent tornados and storms and I hope that none of our members has been affected by any of these unpredictable bursts of destructive weather.

The Kenjinkai’s first event of the year, our annual New Year’s party, was a great success. As one of the lines in the song, Awaodori, states, “It does not cost you a penny more whether you watch people dance or if you’re dancing, so you might as well dance!” That sentiment rang true at the party where everyone had a good time and the line between performers and the audience disappeared as many people jumped from their seats and started dancing. Our amazing group of volunteers helped make the evening a success and I thank you all for your spirit of volunteerism! I cannot emphasize enough how important the volunteer spirit makes it possible for us to do everything that we do.

This spring, a number of other Kenjinkai in the U.S. also had reason to party. Washington DC, Jacksonville (North Carolina), and New York all celebrated their 25th anniversaries while Michigan celebrated its 5th. While I was attending one of the celebrations, I realized that the 42-year old Chicago Kenjinkai is the most senior of those located on this side of the Mississippi. If I am not mistaken, Hawaii and California are the only two older “sisters” in the States. It is in the Okinawan sprit of “ichariba chode” that we can mingle as brothers and sisters with our Kenjinkai friends throughout the country.

Back in the Chicago area, warmer weather brings festivals and that means that the sanshin, Matsuri Daiko and odori groups have been experiencing a high number of requests to perform outside of our usual venues. I’m glad to see that interest in our music and dance is an indication that Okinawan culture is being recognized more in nearby communities. Needless to say, the time spent in weekly practice sessions pays off.

Mark your calendars for our annual, potluck picnic on Saturday, July 19. Even though it will be at the same time and place, we are adding a couple of new things to make it “new and improved” so be sure to come and find out for yourselves what those improvements are. We’ll be having the popular raffle and the grand prize will be a high-definition TV (HDTV).

In closing, I again would like to thank you all for your support in making our 42-year old Kenjinkai a great organization. Let’s continue to build on our past as we look to the future.

Hope to see you next month at the picnic!

Taeko Ayala

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