PRESIDENT MESSAGE
By Mel LaGasca
Your Stockton FANHS chapter is in the heart of California's real "GOLD Mines", its agriculture. And because of that, our members are constantly being asked for information regarding Filipino farm workers, Filipino farmers and migratory work that Filipinos were involved in. This is just one of many areas our members, which includes you, can get involved in. You decide what you are comfortable with, exhibits, research, documentaries, administrative, fundraising, computer skills, storytelling, membership or just sharing your American experience. It all adds value to our thriving chapter.
I wear the following three hats: (1) Chapter President (2) FANHS National Trustee and (3) FANHS National Museum Chairperson. It can be a major struggle to keep up with community events, phone messages and e-mail. In order to be effective, I need your encouragement, ideas and support to keep up with the demands of our chapter, other chapters and our community.
Thank you for all the support you have given this chapter and for believing that the Filipino National Historical Society has a future in your community. A special Thank You to Terri Torres and Violet Dutra for keeping me on track and helping me communicate with all of you.
PRESIDENT MESSAGE
By Mel LaGasca
Hello everyone, I want to start by thanking all the officers, committee chairs & members and the general membership for all your support. Our Stockton FANHS Chapter is a very active organization. Our members our involved as FANHS National Trustees, officers, special committees involved with exhibits, archives, membership, historians and fundraising. Our chapter is also providing a leadership role in the FANHS National Museum Project. Our chapter is involved in preserving the Filipino American experience as far back as we can go and so far we have records of Filipinos landing in the Moro Bay area in the 1580s. Our chapter is only as good as its officers, committees and active members. Please take the time to support your chapter by attending meetings, giving us your opinion of activities, joining committees, attending functions and running for officers. We have a lot of talented members in our Stockton Chapter and in other FANHS Chapters just waiting for the opportunity to meet new members. With that in mind, over the next year I will make an effort to contact all of our current members and I ask all of you to call at least one new member and introduce yourself. Thanks again for all of your support and dedication to your FANHS chapter.
PRESIDENT MESSAGE
By Mel LaGasca
Happy Holiday's and welcome to the new officers.
I want to thank our past President, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee Chair's for all the hard work and dedication towards the success of our chapter. A special thanks to the event supporters (members and non-members) that are always there to make our events a success. Thanks to our members, friends and other chapter members, our chapter will remain a strong source of Filipino American pride and leadership.
We have two major challenges that again face us in 2004. One is to keep in line with our FANHS mission of educating and preserving the history/culture of Filipino Americans in the United States. Two is to help make the FANHS National Museum a reality. We have done a good job in 2003 but it will take a special effort of all of our members to keep our dreams alive.
We all have special talents and skills that can help make our chapter strong. Our past President, Terri Torres has agreed to provide computing support while living out of state.
Let me close by simply saying the challenges we face will benefit not only Filipinos but also our entire community. You are all welcome to be a part of this historical effort by attending meetings and supporting our events.