North Carolina Bengali Association

The newly elected executive committee of NCBA met on February 6, 1999, at 5:00 p.m. at the residence of the past president Sudhamoy Dutta. Asoke Chatterjee, the elected president of 1999, resigned from the executive post at the meeting. The Committee then brought motion and voted to elect a three-member board to serve as joint presidents for the year 1999. The members of the Executive Committee of NCBA for the year 1999 are listed on the left.

NCBA celebrated the Saraswati Puja at the Hindu temple on Saturday, January 23, 1999. Thanks to the participants, helpers and performers in the cultural program.

NCBA plans to have a general meeting in March to discuss plans for the rest of the year; the date and place will be communicated to you by phone as soon as possible. In this connection, we would like to propose that we use the e-mail communication whenever possible to contain the cost of mailing and burden of calling. If the e-mail mode of communication is acceptable to you, please send an e-mail message to ncbasn@oocities.com with your e-mail address. Please be assured the privacy of your e-mail address will be protected as much as possible (using "blind copy") so that NCBA does not publicize your e-mail address for any solicitation.

One of our young members, Ms. Paula Banerjee, is involved in promoting education in rural West Bengal through an organization called ASHA. In the first phase of a project in the village Khajurdaha, a school has been established for basic education up to first grade. Paula wishes to undertake a project for the expansion of this school to include up to fourth grade. She also has ambitions to venture a new but similar project in the villages of Sonarpara/Jhuma. Paula requests for your tax-deductible charitable contribution to these projects, which can be made as a one-time donation or as a yearly donation for next four years. For more information, please contact Paula Banerjee at banerjee@wfubmc.edu.

NCBA has plans to update the membership directory for distribution this year. We would appreciate it very much if you would fill out the information requested in the attached form and send it at your earliest convenience to: Arup Roy, (contact NCBA for address). The deadline for the information to be included in the directory is May 31 1999.

Annual memberships contributions are due for 1999. We'll appreciate renewal of membership as soon as possible. Please mail it to Arup Roy as above. The form is enclosed.

NCBA looks forward to your participation in the events of the year. If you know of new Bengalees in the area, please pass the NCBA information to them and urge them to be a part of our group.

It is time to renew your 1999 membership. Please fill out the 1999 NCBA membership form and mail it to the appropriate address, with your membership fee.