Betsuin Bulletin | February 4, 2024

This Sunday

Scout Sunday

February 4 at 9:30 a.m.
with
Rev. Charlene Kihara

~ In person only ~
This is a special service with several scouting-related program elements and high attendance by the scouting ohana.

Project Dana Supply Drive Feb. 4
Just a reminder that Girl Scouts are accepting paper goods and supplies for Project Dana on February 4. See the full-page flyer

. Mahalo for your support!

Alternative Online Services
Contrary to what we reported in the last Betsuin Bulletin, Scout Sunday will be in person only. Apologies for any confusion! For our Zoom viewers who cannot attend in person, here are some alternative online service possibilities:

New Board of Directors Installed

Last Sunday after service, elected officers and directors of the the temple's new board remained in the Hondo to be installed by Rimban Yuika Hasebe. Thanks to new advisor Rick Tabor for capturing the group photo! (You can click it to enlarge. Not all board members are pictured.) The installation was technically "hybrid," with at least one board member remaining in Zoom after the service and projected on the big screen. You can see an updated list of board members on the Hawaii Betsuin website.

"The Price Is Right" at the 2024 New Year's Party...

Colleen and Jenny emcee "The Price is Right" game at the 2024 New Year's Party. To calls of "Come on down!" and theme music from the classic TV game show, contestants competed to see who could come closest to guessing the purchase price for practical household items. Whoever got closest without going over won the item. The party also included a buffet lunch catered by Shiros, a silent auction, traditional dance by Rev. Blayne Nakasone Sakata, and various prizes.

Big mahalo to the staff, board members, and volunteers for organizing and running the various components of the party and providing a fun event for over 100 attendees.

Still time to get tickets to George Takei evening fundraiser on Feb. 18

We are fortunate to have George Takei coming to Hawaii Betsuin on Sunday, February 18, both to speak at our 9:30 a.m. service and for a special fundraiser the same evening at 5 p.m. The Takeis are generously paying their own travel expenses, and all net proceeds from the fundraiser will be administered through the Honolulu Hongwanji Council to support social justice initiatives at Hongwanji temples and other nonprofit organizations.

The evening event will be “George Takei Reflects on Day of Remembrance” in the hondo followed by food and entertainment at Pacific Buddhist Academy. Please consider lending your support by attending (or sponsoring) this exciting event! This will truly be a nugget for a future historian of Hongwanji in Hawaii. See the web page or go right to registration.

Triple Celebration Updates

You have probably heard by now that Honpa Hongwanji in Hawaii is planning a big "Triple Celebration" in September. This will be a two-day event of (Sept. 7-8) at the Ala Moana Hotel commemorating the:

850th anniversary of the birth of Shinran Shonin
800th anniversary of the establishment of the Jodo Shinshu teaching
135th anniversary of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii

You may have questions. What will the event consist of? How do I register? How much does it cost? What workshops will there be? Can I join the Triple Celebration Choir? What other related events are there leading up to the big celebration?

Now there's one centralized place to answer all your questions and even register online: the Triple Celebration web page on the statewide website. Check it out!

P.S. Last minute reminder: Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. is the next in a series of Triple Celebration Education Sessions on Zoom. “Development of Jodo Shinshu in Japan and Hawaii Part 1” with Prof. Mitsuya Dake. You can register for the series to get the Zoom link.

Reminders & Links