I attended the Asia Society meeting and heard about their yearly plans. Dr. Payma, its current President, gave me the opportunity to invite the society members to participate in the Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan at Casady School. I also let them know a sponsorship opportunity for the Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan.
As a result of this meeting I received a $50 donation from the Japan America Society and $ 50 from its current President, Mr. Tom Kelley.
I am to come back with final information regarding the Taste of Japan for their February 25th meeting. I asked permission via-email to register interested members before their next meeting starts and I requested consideration of a $50.00 donation.
The Society meets at the American Fidelity Building, first floor: 2000 Classen, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Their future meetings and/or events are going to be:
February 25(meeting), March 25(meeting), May 13 (meeting if needed), May 27 (Asian Festival), July 4 (ASO Participates in Parade), July 22 (Taste of Asia meeting), August 19 or 26:TBD (Taste of Asia), September 16 (meeting), October 21 or 28-November 4-11: TBD(Awards Banquet) , November 18(Elections), December 10 (End of the Year).
This is the letter that I will take to the possible sponsors:
To: Possible Benefactors, Patrons, and Friends of YAC’s “Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan”
The Casady Service-Learning Youth and Adult Advisory and Action Council (YAC)’s mission is to empower youth leadership through service and develop skills for action. Casady School is an Episcopal college preparatory school. Casady YAC students create projects of the mind and perform actions of the heart to learn from, and help better our community. This year, a group of YAC students motivated by Mrs. Carmen Clay’s three-week stay in Japan, as part of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program, decided to raise awareness of the Japanese culture in Oklahoma City through an arts empowered Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan.
The Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan is an organized, engaging, educational experiential learning opportunity in the Japanese culture through the arts. The goal is to raise awareness of the Japanese culture in Oklahoma in an interactive way. YAC feels that the Japanese culture in Oklahoma is one of the best-hidden secrets of Oklahoma City’s multicultural tapestry. The Taste of Japan-Nihon No Ajiwai workshops will also provide the background service-learners need to take its message to institutions serving needy Oklahomans who might not otherwise be exposed to the magic of Japan unless, unpaid, enthusiastic teenagers deliver the cultural bouquet learned at the Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan experientially.
The Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan Program will be under the responsibility of the Casady School Rainbolt Family Service Learning Chair, Carmen Clay’74 and the Casady Youth and Adult Advisory and Action Council (YAC). The workshops will be organized and implemented by Casady youth and adults in collaboration with Japanese American Oklahomans and international students from local colleges and universities. Community advisors to Mrs. Clay and her Service-Learning YAC students will be the Japan Outreach Coordinator, Oklahoma Institute for Teaching East Asia, University of Oklahoma-Schusterman Center, Ms. Yukiko Yokono, the Learn and Serve Regional Service-Learning Center at Camp Fire USA Director, Mrs. Kate Collins, Okii Taiko, Sensei, Dr. Tom Warm, and the Japan-America Society of Oklahoma 2005 President and classical Japanese dance instructor and singer, Mrs. Mari Lesli, Tozan Yumi Yogiku.
Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan Program at Casady School
Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 2:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Event
Location
Beginning
Okii Taiko: Japanese Drumming: Dr. Tom Warm, Sensei and Taiko Performers
Calvert
Workshops
30 Minute Workshops
1) Origami:YeGeun Song’06, Mrs. Fumiko Street, Mrs. Tomoko Craig
2) Shuji: Japanese Calligraphy: June Nakagawa’07, Mrs. Nakagawa, Mr. Hiroshi Watanabe
3) A Karate Lesson: Justin Ou’07, Mr. Tomio Okura
4) Tanko Bushi Dance: Deepika Ganta’08, Mrs. Tozan Yumi Yogiku, Middle School students, and YAC members
5) .Anime-Manga: Maria Chaverri’06, Mr. Neil Wade
6) Japanese Kites: Houston Small’07, Mrs. Shirley Small, YAC members
7) The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program: Mrs. Carmen Clay’74, YAC members
8) Shinto Shrines: Dr. Sidney Brown, YAC members
9) Bonsai: Mr. Dale Haworth, Oklahoma Bonsai Society, YAC members
10) Kendo Demonstration: Mr. Brian Mosely, Sen Shin Kan Dojo, YAC members
11) Japanese Cooking Demonstration: Pending, YAC members
12) Japanese Feudalism: The Samurai: Mr. Jay Childs, 6th grade students, YAC members
13) Aikido: Mr. Kent Drye, Wingsong Dojo, YAC members
90 minute Workshops
1. Ikebana: Angelina Kiser’08, Mrs. Yukiko Burnett
2. Sumie: Japanese Brush Painting Ms. Etsuko Blackburn, Mrs. Phyillis Seitter, Neesa Hashmi’07. Sponsored by Casady’s Upper Division Art Department
3. Japanese Tea Ceremony and Kimono Demonstration: Pending, YAC members
Japanese items for sale. A percentage of the sales will fund future Japanese outreach workshops
McClendon Middle School
Finale
Classical Japanese Dances: Tozan Yumi Yogiku
Food Sampling: Pending
Calvert
The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership has provided a $5,000 grant for the Nihon No Ajiwai-Taste of Japan. We are grateful for their support allowing us to bring local experts in their fields to work in partnership with our students. We are also thankful for their generosity with partial funding of supplies and other program related expenses. We are expecting from 250-300 participants. Pre-registered entrance tickets will cost $5.00. The cost of the entrance tickets on-site will be $7:00. The entrance tickets entitle participation in the opening and closing ceremonies and three, 30-minute workshops or one, 90-minute workshop and one, 30-minute workshop. Workshops have a capacity of 20 participants per session.
We are asking you to consider supporting this innovative youth-led opportunity to enhance understanding of diversity as a source of unity and creativity and to empower youth leadership through service with intergenerational, multicultural collaborations. In exchange, you will receive recognition of your support within the Casady community in our program, free pre-registration, and first choice of workshops. In addition, benefactors and patrons will have logos and/or information included in our flyers and local media press releases. Funding is needed for expenses not covered by the grant and future outreach youth-led Japanese culture workshops costs.
Sponsorship levels are: Benefactors: $1000 or more, Patrons: $500 or more, and Friends: $ 50 or more.
If you have questions or wish to pre-register for the Taste of Japan, please contact Carmen Clay’74, Rainbolt Family Service-Learning Chair at 749-3103, cell: 520-1325 or at
clayc@casady.org. Thank you for the opportunity to make this request. We urge your thoughtful consideration.
Please make checks payable to:
Casady School Service-Learning Program: Taste of Japan Fund
Attn: Carmen Clay
9500 North Pennsylvania
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120
I attended a dinner in Tulsa in honor of Yukiko Yokono, our Japan Foundation Consultant in Tulsa. Her friends and the people from the Japan Foundation reviewing her work in Oklahoma were delightful. The meeting took place at an Amish farm called, The Millers. 
Part of the Okii Taiko performers and Origami instructors visited the Casady Middle Division. They were welcomed by its Director, Mrs. Elizabeth Larsen, and the teachers whose rooms they were considering using for their workshops during the festival. Mr. Braden and Mrs. Crossno are in this picture. 
