PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Mel LaGasca
We are approaching the Year End Holiday Season. I would like to take a moment to wish Happy Holidays to all of our FANHS members and to all of you loyal supporters. As the year ends, I would like to extend my prayers to the families who have lost loved ones and to those who have been ill. This is the season to be close to family and friends, so there will not be a FANHS Meeting in December.
Looking back at this past year I have seen positive changes. Changes to our regular meeting format by adding a guest speaker. Speakers allow us to raise our awareness and break up the routine of chapter business. All members are encouraged to attend as well as recommend a guest speaker who will add value to our mission.
We hope to enhance our chapter’s functionality by changing three of our standing committees. The Archives Committee will change to Collections Committee. This change will allow us to formalize the way we process material into the chapter. The Historians Committee will change to Education Committee. This will allow more in-reach education for training our members and out-reach education to learn more about outside organizations and programs that may help our chapter. The Ways and Means Committee will change to Activities Committee. This change will help us plan our activities on an annual basis and help prevent burnout and maximize our visibility in the community.
A brief update on the FANHS National Museum Project: We are continually working with the Little Manila Foundation to occupy the old Rizal Hall, which is next door to the Mariposa Hotel.
At the end of July, I attended a FANHS Board of Trustee’s Meeting in Seattle, Washington. We discussed the Museum Project and how we can support the National FANHS operations. Dates have been set, so please mark your calendar for the last week in June 2006, the FANHS Conference will be held in Honolulu Hawaii. (More details will follow or visit National FANHS website at http://www.fanhs-national.org/).
A major fundraiser is in place to host a combination Golf Tournament and Family Picnic on Saturday, May 13, 2006 at Micke Grove Park and Golf Course. Proceeds will go to the FANHS National Museum Project. (More details will follow).
In October, I started working for a small construction company in Tracy. Unfortunately, this will impact my involvement as a volunteer docent at the San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum.
As you can see, we have been busy keeping our Filipino American history alive. We will continue to recognize worthy individuals in the community who have contributed to the preservation of Filipino American history. I am looking forward to meeting all of our chapter members. Show your support by attending a meeting.
Thank you all for all your support and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Mel LaGasca
Summer is here and we are all busy with family and friends. Stockton FANHS manages to give our chapter a two-month (June & July) summer break, but our members still manage to participate in an exhibit in Hercules and our Vice President Anita Bautista has managed to have two successful “Talk Story” sessions. The one in June was video taped by Tony Somera.
The May 14, 2005, Tri-Chapter picnic was a success (see article elsewhere in newsletter). We were also invited to participate in the Festival of Trees, which is a San Joaquin County Historical Museum event held in December. We may bring a Parol Christmas tree to that event. We are planning a combination Golf Tournament Museum Project Fundraiser/Picnic for May 13, 2006, at Micke Grove Golf Course and Park. More details will follow throughout the year.
I continue to do volunteer work at the SJC Historical Museum at Micke Grove Park in Lodi. I attended a HUD Conference in Orlando, Florida in June to learn about Neighborhood Networks and non-profit organizations. I plan to attend a FANHS Board of Trustee’s Meeting in Seattle at the end of July, to discuss the Museum Project and how we can support the National FANHS operation. Also mark your calendars for the last week in June 2006 for the FANHS Conference in Hawaii. More details will follow.
We will be working on exhibits at our regularly scheduled events like the 33rd Annual Barrio Fiesta on August 13th &14th, at the Filipino Plaza, in Stockton; the annual August 20th Museum fundraiser featuring guru Danny Inosanto, with the support of Tony Somera and the Bahala Na Martial Arts group; and the October 15th Recognition Awards dinner/dance.
We are busy keeping our American Filipino history alive and we can use your help. I’m looking forward to meeting all our chapter members. Show your support by attending a meeting. Thank you all for all your past support.
By Mel LaGasca
Hello FANHS members, friends and loyal supporters.
If you haven’t attended a meeting in the last three months you missed four excellent guest speakers. Ana Marcelo spoke on the Filipino seamstress in America Samoa, Anita Bautista gave us an idea of how to start a basic generic genealogy chart and Aeko Yoshikawa shared two Filipino stories, which were part of the “Stockton Speaks” project that the University of Pacific conducted. The “Stockton Speaks” project outline is on computer CDs and we have a few extra copies to loan out. Leatrice B. Perez spoke at our April meeting reading excerpts from the book “VOICES”, a collection of Filipino short stories. We are open to suggestions on any future guest speakers.
Please mark your calendar for MAY 14TH, SATURDAY, 10AM TO 6PM, VICTORYPARK, 1201 N. PERSHING AVENUE, STOCKTON. This is a Tri-Chapter event that will allow you to meet our brothers and sisters from Central Valley and Sacramento/Delta Chapters. Bring a dish and a lawn chair and enjoy the good company.
We will be working on exhibits during the summer months and at our regularly scheduled events like the 33rd Annual Barrio Fiesta on August 13th &14th, at the Filipino Plaza, in down town Stockton, and for the annual August 20th Museum fundraiser featuring guru Danny Inosanto as our special guest. This is all done with the support of Tony Somera and the Bahala Na Martial Arts group of Stockton. And the October 15th Awards and Recognition evening.
We are busy keeping our American Filipino history alive and we can use your help. I’m looking forward to meeting all our chapter members. Show your support by attending a meeting. Thank you all for all your past support.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
By Mel LaGasca
Wishing you all had a Happy Holiday and fun with the family and friends.
I want to express my appreciation to our dedicated FANHS Officers, Committee Chairpersons, and active members, Tony Somera and Bahala Na Martial Arts Association, FILMAPS and UOP Kilusan Pilipino Organization. Special thanks to Terri Torres for keeping our newsletter alive while living in Wichita.
In 2004, our FANHS mission of educating and preserving the history/culture of Filipino Americans in the United States again was reflected in the exhibit/displays at several venues this year (see list later in this newsletter). The August fundraiser with Bahala Na Martial Arts and Danny Inosanto plus the 5TH Annual October Recognition Dinner was two special ways of appreciating Filipinos in our community.
My first year as President was very challenging and rewarding. In May, I was invited by educator Ann Tuliao to be a guest speaker at UOP's Phi Beta Kappa Asian Pacific Month Dinner. This was a unique opportunity to share FANHS with local professors and teachers in Stockton. Our chapter was awarded a certificate of recognition by the Central Valley Asian American Chamber of Commerce for our past 10-year involvement in the Stockton Community. I attended the 10TH Biannual FANHS Conference in St. Louis, Missouri and shared our activities with the other FANHS chapters present.
As Chairperson of the FANHS National Museum Project I can say we have over $40,000 in the Museum account. We are still planning to occupy a building in the Little Manila area of Stockton, once the Stockton City Council decides on how that area will be developed. I also made a presentation on the status of the Museum Project in November at the CSU Sacramento conference entitled "Filipinos in the Heartland of California".
You all have special talents and skills that can help our chapter. You are all personally invited to attend our monthly meetings, held on the first Saturday of the month at 10am, Dameron Hospital conference room B.
I am looking forward to meeting you and working with you, to meet the mission of FANHS in 2005.