Heartfelt Thanks and Appreciation to all for the great efforts put in MAY ASD Institution meeting - HR Festival

[Yang CJ]

Dear ASD Fighters,

 

Wow!  Shuli and Weeyong are faster than me in sending out an email thanks to the rest.  That's good!!!

 

Yap, on behalf of ASD IICs, i would like to really thank all the ASD members for the wonderful efforts put in for the MAY ASD Institution Meeting.  Without you all, this show wont be a success.  On the actual day itself, we hit a total of 108 members and new friends attending our event.  This was indeed a very great achievement and we broke our attendance record of our FEB ASD Institution Meeting which stands at 102.  However, the victory of the meeting doesn't place so much emphasis on the attendance figure, most importantly is the sweat, tears and struggles behind every members who had contributed one way and another for the success of this meeting.

 

Overall Coordinator - Shan Shan and Nicholas Rao

 

Thanks to Shan Shan and Nicholas Rao.  You guys have been the heart and soul of this whole ASD HR Festival.  As you all know, Shan Shan sprained her ankle and torn her ligaments.  Many a time, she had to travel to SYC with her crutches, juggle with her work.  Being in the event management line is a tough job.  In addition to that, this is her own business.  Running an own business is never easy, Teck Kiang can vouch for that.  Despite being injured, struggling with work and family, her spirit of contributing whole heartily to this ASD HR festival is a shinning example for us to follow.  On the actual day, she brought two new friends to the meeting and also encourage one of the YWD members, Melani to join the skit.  Let's really learn from her. =)

 

Nicholas Rao too has been facing problems in his life as well. At a point of time, his Dad was hospitalised and a couple of week ago, Nic Rao is facing a life threatening illness.  He risked losing his sight.  Despite having this obstacles,  Nicholas Rao has never yielded and all the more his faith strengthed.  With abundant daimoku, he broke through all obstacles and emerged victorious.  Despite being in the Army, he has never failed to turn up for most of the preparation meetings.  Nicholas Rao has also put his talent for music to good use. He composed some of the background music for some of the scene.  Heard that he went to Minkit's house and recorded the background music there.  Thanks Nic Rao for the efforts in calling the members to confirm their attendance and thanks for helping out with the logistics as well on the actual day.  Please rest well.

 

2nd Coordinator - Beron Ng

 

Thanks Beron.  Thanks for helping to solve whatever conflicts that has arise between the production and reach out committee.  Beron is a very sincere and pure hearted YMD always tirelessly looking for ways to improve the working relationship between our ASD comrades, always doing reachout to the members and always working very hard behind the scene for the success of the HR festival.  Beron got to look for 80 people just to get 8 dance costumes for the members to wear and perform the dance.  There was a time where he had to really struggle to come out for kosen rufu, to complete his university assignments and to serve NS.  Despite the fact,  he was never defeated and instead shouldered the responsibility to lead the members properly in this HR Festival.  Let also learn from this powerful YMD spirit.  On the actual day, Beron also brought one new friend by the name of Derrick down to the meeting. If Beron can work so hard for kosen rufu without begrudging his life, i am sure the rest of the CICs can do it as well.

 

Director - Kai Yi and Wee Yong

 

Thanks to Kai Yi and Wee YOng for the efforts put in.  You two have been Fantastic. I guess this role must be one of the toughest job.  That was because there was always a shortage of man power performing for the skit and yet being giving the bare minimum, you managed to find enough crews for the skit and put up a very good show.  Well done.  In addition to that, Wee Yong has also took the effort to do reach out and to find the lead actors, Qi Jun and Kenneth Guan. Persuading Qi Jun to join take some efforts but it was good that Qi jun joined eventually.

 

Kai Yi is also another gem who will add to the current talent pool of ASD strength.  Besides playing the director's role, she had to meet tight dateline to finish her NIE assignments and to co ordinate wth Wee Yong on the skit production.  Do you all still remember the beautiful booklet that was given out as one of the door gift on the actual day? Kai Yi spend quite sometime doing the formatting of the book and to make sure that the paragraphs are neatly spaced out so that it is comfortable to read.  She also got her dad to print the booklets for us.  Thanks for the help! 

 

Script Writing - Wee Yong

 

Thanks to Wee Yong for writing the script.  It is not easy to write the script which need to depict various M and D spirit.  Also they were many changes made to the script by comments from many peoples.  Not easy to please every one who requested the changes to be made however, i am glad that you took it in a positive light.  The end results were there for us to see.  The script flow smoothly and M and D spirit was clearly shown between Toda and Ikeda Sensei.  Thanks once again for spending so much effort in this script.  I am very sure that your tireless effort has inspired the audience on the ground.

 

The Casts - Jellynn (Narrator), Judy (Narrator), Yi Wen (Narrator), Nicole Ye (Narrator), Qi Jun (Toda), Kenneth Guan (Shinnichi Yamamoto), Jun Wen, Jun Jie, Kwee Fang, Yong Kit (New friend from Dunman High(IP)), Joel Ang, Kenneth Su, Si Min, Adeline, Melani, Kwee Min, Jonathan Phoon, Nicholas Lum, Min Kit

 

To all cast - My biggest thank you all.  Without you, this whole show wont be a success.  You are the most important people.  The beautiful voices of the four narrators and the convincing acting skills of the casts made this HR Festival ALIVE.  Those painstaking efforts which you all has put in will in return be transform to your good fortune in your life.

 

Qi Jun (Toda) - Last Friday, 23 May 08, despite being tied up with your Art project but you still make it for the rehearsal.  Also, spent was the countless of hours memorising the scripts and acted the spirit of Toda out.  That was truly marvellous performance from you.

 

Kenneth Guan (Shinnichi Yamamoto) - Thanks for the great effort in balancing your hectic school work and gakkai activities.  Despite coming from a humble family, you showed a rich seeking spirit for Kosen Rufu. Thanks for sharing with me the other day about your dreams.  Based on faith inthe Gohonzon, nothing is not achievable.  Jia You!

 

Jun Wen - Thanks for your efforts in doing homevisits together with me all the time.  I still remember there was one time you cycle from Tampines to Hougang to do homevisit together with me and Thai Leong.  Great spirit!  Keep it up.  Thanks for also coming out with the Sedan and other logistics staff for the skit. 

 

Jun Jie - Thanks for doing the homevisits and reachout together with Thai Leong.  Thanks for the sedan design and fetching the members to Bedok camp the other day.  Despite your NDP involvement, you still managed to find time out for ASD activities.

 

Jellynn - Pure hearted YWD.  Took for your efforts in participating in ths ASD HR Festival and joining NDP at the same time.

 

Melani - Despite stopping school for two years, yet you demonstrated great courage to pick up the books to study again.  Also, thanks for your help in acting out in the skit when Shan Shan approached you.  You may feel overwhelmed and abit out of place at ASD due to your age and circumstances, but nonetheless, you over came it and did your utmost to ensure the success of this HR festival.  Many thanks and good luck to your NDP performance.

 

Jonathan Phoon - Thank to you  for agreeing to help in this HR skit upon the request of Thai Leong.  It is not easy coming to Singapore alone and to study here but please remember that ASD is a big family to you as well.  Jia you in your studies, chant alot as well.

 

Kenneth Su - A quite and humble YMD.  Thanks for the consistent effort put in this HR festival.  Willing to try new things when asked.  Understand that you are having some difficulties in your studies please chant abundant dmk and continue to work hard. There are a couple of times i saw you studying your lecture notes and tutorial while waiting for your turn to rehearse.  I admire your spirit.  Your efforts in juggling work and studies will be a great asset in your youthful day

 

Joel Ang - Thanks for your effort put into the HR festival.  There are a couple of times where you have to skip your Soka choir and attend our ASD meeting, i do believe that you will be able to make the most out of every soka activities you participate irregardless whether is it ASD or Soka choir. Jia you.

 

Nicholas Lum - A quiet and capable YMD.  Thanks for the contribution so far for all the ASD meeting.  I have seen your growth from a quiet and lack of self confident YMD to one who is confident enough to speak to the mass.  You have grown tremendously. Keep it up!!

 

Min Kit - A pure hearted YMD.  Min Kit has always been one of the consistent participants.  Took part in all the three items and despite the fact of having to go through the struggles of juggling school works and gakkai activities.  Heard that Min Kit always try to finish his tutorial before every rehearsal. There are also a couple of time i saw you bringing tutorail and lecture notes to study while waiting for your turn to rehearse. Thanks so much for your efforts.  Let's learn his spirit as well.

 

Backstage Crew- Jun Jie, Jun Wen, Nicholas Rao, Melvis, Juay Kai, Wei Han, Ming Yuan and Stacey

 

Thanks for all the backstage crew, you guys have been wonderful.  Without you, the show wont be able to run smoothly.  Thanks for co ordinating the various segments and songs as well.

 

Choir - Melani, Adeline, Joel Ang, Min Kit

 

Sincere appreciation to the beautiful voices from the choir.  The choir team has been putting in alot of effort.  The song is very difficult to sing, the girls has to sing one octave higher than the guys and they must maintain the pitch and rhythm throughout.  Beside maintaining the pitch and rhythm, the choir has to memorise the Japanese lyrics. Also thanks to Pei Qi and Carol Ng for searching all out for the MP3 version of the song.  I am sure everyone was touched hearing the song.

 

Dance Crew - Min Kit, Jie Ying, Delisa, Kenneth Su, Simin, Shu Yun, Nicholas Lum, Jellynn, Yong En and Pei Qi.

 

Thanks to Yong En and Pei Qi for choreographing the dance steps.  I think this is the first time ASD put up the dance.  Feedback for the audience is that they really enjoyed it.  The dancers did very well to memorise the dance steps and this dance is also not easy to learn as well.  Many many thanks for this wonderful performance that capped the overall Finale of the HR festival.

 

Emcee - Jing Yi and Shu Li

 

Two of you had done a great job in livening up the whole atmosphere of the ASD meeting with your lively hosting.  Thanks to Jing Yi as well for the last minute stand in.  Thanks also for the efforts in coming up with the emcee script as well.

 

Make Up Com - Lih Ling

 

Thanks for your effort to help to do put on make up for the YWDs.  It plays a big part to the success of the HR Festival.

 

Publicity Com - Carol Ng

 

Thanks for spending the nights away designing the tickets, HR brochures and booklets.  The IICs can see the amount of efforts put in.  This is a very important part because without this materials, it will be tough to reach out to the students.

 

Souvenirs - IICs, John Lim, Alice, Thai Leong

 

Thanks for the beautiful photographs taken in Japan and also the efforts in searching and typing out the relevant guidance relating to the photos.  Thanks to Thai Leong for print the book marks for the members as souvenirs for the members as well.

 

Reachout Com - All ASD memebers

 

Specifically to name a few who did the home visits. Jun Wen, Thai Leong, Wee Yong, Nicholas Rao, John Lim, Chye Guan, Vincent Lek, Beron, Teck Kiang, Tuan Kiak, Lih Ling, Kai Li  and not forgetting our YWD counterparts - YWD IICs, CICs and SICs

 

To Thai Leong: Thanks for guiding me along with your insightful allocations of CICs to home visit the members and also allocations to call them.  It was overwhelming for me to oversee alot of small details at a time but your wisdom has helped again to co-ordinate the whole reach out campaign for ASD.  Through this 2 months long HR festival preparation, I and a few of the core CICs had learn alot from you as well.  Thanks also for constant quoting various episodes from The Youthful Diary, Fen Zhan Zu Ji to guide the members along.  You have been a great asset to ASD.

 

To John:  Thanks for bring the two year 1 members down to the ASD meeting lst Saturday.  Thanks for constantly calling the 'jioing' the weaker CICs to home visit with you despite being busy with your work, family.

 

To Vincent Lek and Chye Guan:  Thanks for working hard behind the scene to home visit the members as well.

 

To Tuan Kiak: Although Tuan Kiak could not join us for the HR festival itself, but as a ASD member, he has been working tirelessly behind the scene to home visit the member as well.  Also, he has put up suggestions and ways to me on how to improve the communication system of the entire ASD.  One day before the actual HR Festival itself, Tuan Kiak message me from Taiwan and send his regards to the success of the meeting itself.  Thanks for the concerns.

 

To Kai Li: The designated Emcee on the actual day, even though you can come on the actual day to do the emceeing role but we all can see your efforts you put in for the preparation for the Hr Festival.

 

To Teck Kiang: Thanks for coming up with the 'MAY Institution Master Plan' which defined the directions and objectives of the whole of this MAY Institution Meeting.  Even though you are not around most of the time but i can sense that your spirit is with us.  Many Thanks for guiding and fostering ASD members till today.

 

To YWD IICs, CICs and SICs: Thanks for the mammoth efforts put in this meeting. The YMD counterparts have learned alot from you all.  Many Thanks for the sincere Daimoku and  efforts put in!

 

Not forgetting also, were the 180 ++ reach out letters we wrote one week before the actual meeting to all the ASD members.  I believe that this will be the wonderful memories which we will engrave in our memories forever.

 

Conclusion

 

To all those names which i have not mention here and the struggles which i have missed out in this email, a big thanks to your tremendous effort in making this Mega ASD MAY Institution Meeting a great success.  Like what YMD CIC John had said before, we all are not paid for the efforts put in this meeting but it is because we are united by the Mystic Law and our goals and vision for Kosen Rufu, that why we are here.

 

My apologies for the long email but let me end off with two Sensei's guidance:

 

"As SGI member, our work, our mission, is clear.  We have the unparalleled task of working for the happiness of all humanity in an endeavour we call Kosen-Rufu.  To participate in SGI activities and challenge ourselves earnestly on the path of our mission are the greatest sources of happiness.  It all comes down to whether we can appreciate this point" (16/7/98)

 

Let me quote again another Sensei's guidance:

 

"By devoting ourselves earnestly to SGI activities, we gain the ability to turn difficulties and obstacles into benefit, recognising that earthly desires and delusions are enlightenment and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana.  No matter how unpleasant the circumstances we find ourselves in, we can transform them into good fortune and hope - into eternal happiness.  How incredible this is!

(16/6/98)

 

Thanks!  Looking forward to work with you all for the next meeting!  Please take care and chant abundant Daimoku

 

cc: Jin Haw, Wan Xiang - fyips.

 

Best Regards,

 

Chang Jye on behalf of ASD IICs

 

"There is a saying," To start an undertaking is easy; to maintain it is difficult." Though creating something new may seem daunting, it is in fact easy when compared to the far more challenging task of carrying on an existing enterprise, to keep it going, to develop it further. Everything depends on the people, on capable SUCCESSORS. And our movement for kosen-rufu depends on young people. For that reason I am determined to do all that I can right now to raise genuine successors in the youth division" - Ikeda Sensei (17 Jan 1998) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Yang CJ]

To all ASD members,

 

SD adviser, Jin Haw, has replied.  She mentioned that this is indeed what of the best SD meeting she has ever attended.  I hope this will serve as a source of encouragements for you all.

 

Thanks once again for the effort put in this MAY Institution Meeting.

 

Best Regards,

 

Chang Jye

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Li Jin Haw <jin...@ssabuddhist.org>
Date: Wed, May 28, 2008 at 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: Heartfelt Thanks and Appreciation to all for the great efforts put in MAY ASD Institution meeting - HR Festival
To: Yang CJ <chan...@gmail.com>

tks CJ,

 

have to agree it was a most fantastic session.

let's really follow up closely on this batch of precious successors who spend the past few mths to study HR.

they must keep the M&D spirit strong even after the "festival"

 

cheers,

jinhaw :)