Director’s Report:

As you will see, we have a number of activities to report and I’m sure there are many more that have been completed by Sangetsu Instructors in 2008. If you have anything you’d like to share, please consider writing a small article. I cannot tell you how inspiring it is to hear from you.

Since retiring at the end of September, I’ve had the opportunity to conduct weekly classes instead of the monthly instruction I was doing before. I’m amazed at the quick progress of the students. You will hear from Tucson student Sarah Delegge in this newsletter. As was suggested by Asst. Prof. Helena Arouca, we take pictures of the newly completed arrangements at the conclusion of class for those who want them. The photos not only provide a record of accomplishments, they illustrate the progress made. I simply download the pictures within a couple of days after class and email them out. Some of the students are making albums of their work, a great reference.

Plans are in the works for a memorial and celebration of Rev. Higuchi’s mission of bringing Johrei to North America. The event has tentatively been scheduled for June 28^th 2009, at the Los Angeles Center. A Sangetsu display of about a dozen arrangements is planned. Please let us know if you are interested in attending. Accommodations at the nearby Kenmore or home-stays are being considered and a fee for the event has not yet been decided.

We will be hosting a Sangetsu Conference and Instructor Test  at the end of October of this year at the Tucson Johrei Center. You will hear more details once they are established.  Do give us a head’s up if you know you want to attend.

I hope you are all doing well. We send you all the best from Tucson!

Terry Quinn


2008 Year-End Report Sangetsu North America
 
*Two newsletters to membership completed, complied and coordinated by SNA newsletter coordinator Joan Fairs. Articles were provided by many Sangetsu Instructors.

*Proposals for a new website are continuing.

*Rev. and Mrs. Ajiki have continued the training of four Asst. Professor candidates in Tucson.

*Tucson Instructor Margaret Kearns traveled to Tacoma Park Maryland to help facilitate a Sangetsu exhibition in September 2008 entitled Recycle, Rethink, Recreate, with students under the direction of Asst. Professor Helena Arouca.

*Tucson Arizona Instructor Millicent Rucker and Vancouver Canada Instructor Rev. Shigeko Nishimura made their transitions in 2008.

*Canadian Instructor Judy Iwabuchi retired from teaching.

*Professor Rev. Ajiki traveled to the San Francisco Johrei Center in July of 2008, to demonstrate and speak at the second annual conference. Professor Suki Davis and Instructor Terry Quinn did Center arrangements and conducted a class for the conference.

*SNA Director Terry Quinn represented Sangetsu at two NAC gatherings at the Redondo Beach Johrei Fellowship Headquarters.

 

What follows is a list of classes and activities of       Sangetsu Chapters
 
*Palmyra, VA

Asst. Professor Helena Arouca conducted monthly classes for 6 and up to 9 students. They attended the International Flowers Exhibit in Philadelphia in March of 2008, and Helena conducted two workshops at the Boys and Girls Club. In addition, a workshop was conducted to construct vases for the above mentioned exhibition, Recycle, Reuse, Recreate.
 
*Vancouver, Canada

Asst. Professor Joan Fairs continues home classes every other week for up to nine continuing students.  A beginners’ class had 9 eager students coming weekly.  Demonstrations and displays were created by Joan and her students at nine (!) flower exhibition events in the Vancouver area. In addition, Joan and her students are members of the very active Vancouver Ikebana Association, and Joan is Vice-President for two years.

*Aurora, Colorado

Instructor Natalie Montecalvo does weekly arrangements at the William Smith High School front office and the Young Parenting Program offices and classroom during the months of January through May. Natalie provides altar and center arrangements at the Colorado Johrei Center for special services and guest visits. She conducted an April workshop for four students.

*San Francisco, California

Professor Suki Davis conducts classes in her home for advanced and beginning students. Suki does arrangements for the San Francisco Center as she can. A large home vegetable, fruit tree, and flower garden provides her and her students sustenance for body and mind.

*Tucson, Arizona

Asst. Professor monthly training classes were provided by Rev. and Mrs. Ajiki. Morning and afternoon beginning class were conducted by Instructors Karen Willis and Terry Quinn each month. A six week intermediate class for six students was conducted last year by Terry Quinn. Several classes were coordinated and taught by Instructor Karen Willis at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Karen Willis represented Sangetsu at monthly meetings at the Tucson Center.

Instructors provided three arrangements for the University of Arizona Art Museum fundraiser entitled Bouquets to Art last Spring. Tucson Instructors hosted a dinner for Japanese Sangetsu Instructor Miho Kumagai. Miho also did a flower demonstration for the Instructors that evening. The Tucson Center altar was refinished by Sangetsu student Laurie Brand and her husband, and completed with funding from Sangetsu Tucson. A garden bridge was built by Instructor Karey Karam and her husband George Karam.

Terry Quinn and Rev. Ajiki traveled to the San Francisco Center and provided demonstrations and a class there, while Instructor Margaret Kearns traveled to Tacoma Maryland (as was previously mentioned). Center flowers were arranged weekly by Instructors with funding coming either from Instructors or the local Sangetsu Tucson Chapter. A New Years Day Tea Ceremony was conducted and hosted by Sangetsu Instructors. And finally, several holiday flower arrangement fund raising events were scheduled throughout the year and supported by the Tucson Johrei Fellowship membership.


This great nature is God’s work of art. In every   branch and flower God’s skillful plan flows. We need only to go out and choose what we like from His bounty. It is not necessary for us rearrange nature; we just need to add a few touches. It is beautiful as it is as it manifests life. The important thing to remember is not to destroy these life-filled flowers and branches, for through them we taste the joys of nature’s offering.

                                       Mokichi Okada

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Exhibit

A thirty-two day flower exhibition! Yes believe it, that’s what Sangetsu Tucson Instructors did recently at the world-class Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Nine arrangements including a Chusaku and Taisaku, incorporated flowers, plants, dried and found objects from our desert environment. The exhibition was in conjunction with a group of national artists, who presented original botanical drawings and paintings.

Construction for "A Closer Look at Cactus and Succulents" commenced on April 3^rd and a reception was held on the 5^th with 450 guests in attendance. While many of the flowers were commercially grown elsewhere, some arrangements included cactus and succulents from the region. The arrangements were installed at the Desert Museum’s Ironwood Gallery.

   Chusaku by Instructors Margaret Kearns and Karen Willis

The display was refreshed two or three times each week....no small feat when you consider the drive for some was almost an hour one way. We were told that up to sixty people, sometimes more,stopp-ed to view the exhibition each day, giving us the unique opportunity to chat up Sangetsu and try to recruit new students while we were  “refreshing”.

            Arrangement by instructor Marta Vargera

Arrangement by Rev. and Sangetsu Professor Henry Ajiki

In operation for over fifty years, the Desert Museum’s mission is to inspire visitors to live in harmony with the natural world in one of the world’s most unique desert areas. The Museum is a living zoo, offering observations of over three-hundred animal species and over one thousand kinds of plants on it’s twenty one acres. We all felt very proud to have been offered the opportunity to display. We may be invited back....but I think we’ll try to make our stay a little shorter!

 Taisaku arrangement by Instructors Karey Karam and Terry          Quinn with assistance from George Karam

Sangetsu Conference and Instructor Test:

Friday October 30^th, Saturday October 31^st and Sunday November 1^st 2009, in beautiful Tucson Arizona.

*The conference is open to Sangetsu instructors and students who have been recommended by their instructors.

*A Sangetsu Instructor test will also be administered. Please refer to Sangetsu School of Flower Arranging Policy and Guidelines for Instructor Candidate qualifications. To request a copy of the guidelines, please email terry.quinn8@gmail.com

*approximate fees and hotel charges to follow soon.

Ikebana at Vancouver City Hall

 A Japanese Garden was installed at Vancouver's City Hall, to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada. The building of the garden began in April of 2008 and symbolically showcases the link between the political, economic, and cultural aspects of both countries.

Through the hard work of members of the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association and City staff, planting took place on Friday, March 13, 2009 and the official opening ceremony of the garden was scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2009.  The VIA was contacted with a request for four ikebana arrangements to be on display in the main reception hall where a light luncheon was enjoyed by about 120 invited guests following the ceremony.

The opening ceremonies included music by the Vancouver Fire Fighters’ Band, UzumeTaiko, a lion dancer with accompanying musicians and of course speeches by Mayor Gregor Robertson and Consul General Otsuka as well as by Mr. Kaz Takahara, president of the Japanese Gardeners Association. The official opening was done by the unveiling of a large stone lantern donated by

Yokohama, Vancouver’s sister city.  A red silk cloth attached to two long bamboo poles,

covered the lantern.  Mr. Robertson and Mr. Otsuka ceremonially uncovered the beautiful lantern to the applause of the audience.

Charlene Imai, the city’s protocol officer who was our contact person, later sent us a message saying how pleased they were with our arrangements.  “We had so many positive comments on the beautiful displays.  Thank-you so much for participating.”  Mrs. Sumi and

Kaz Takahashi of Kado-Sumi made a low arrangement with hosta leaves and mums, Joan Fairs of Sangetsu made a two part arrangement with Japanese pine, dogwood and peonies, Martha Banno of Ikenobo made a traditional arrangement using tropical material, and Hollis Ho of Sogetsu made an impressive arrangement with massed calla lilies and camellia branches.

Thank you for your 2009 Membership dues of $30.

Helena Arouca, Howard Doi, Joan Fairs, Alis Hiraoka, Karey Karam, Margaret Kearns, Terry Quinn, Marta Vergara, Yumiko Mayeda and Ruth Toba. Honorary lifetime members are Reverend and Mrs. H. Ajiki.

                Arrangement by Joan Fairs at City Hall

An Inspired Sangetsu Student

I'm Sarah DeLegge, a Sangetsu student aspiring to be a Sangetsu instructor.  My first class was in April 2006 after deciding I wanted to find a flower arranging class to help me adjust to my new life in Tucson.  I am from the east coast where greens and trees are abundant, after moving to Tucson I was missing a connection to nature and didn't understand how to relate to my new desert environment.  Sangetsu was just the trick that I needed!  With its emphasis on arranging naturally and using materials from the nature around you, I was quickly able to begin to see and appreciate the beauty of the landscape of the desert.

Flowers have always been part of my life.  My mother loved flowers and often involved me in her activities arranging and growing flowers; in High School and College my summer jobs where always in flower shops or garden nurseries.   Another passion all during my life has been the study of eastern religion.  The combination of flowers and the spiritual is what has kept me coming to Sangetsu classes and lead me to want to be an instructor so I could pass on the beauty of light and flowers.  After three years of studying Sangetsu in Tucson I am planning to take the instructors test in October.  

  Arrangement by Sarah DeLegge

VIA Spring Show Presentation

                                                            By Joan Fairs

One of my students, Cristina Topolscki, suggested this theme for our Spring Show.  I incorporated Mokichi Okada’s poems, one for each arrange-ment. The following is the text which went with my demonstration.

Sangetsu Ikebana and Special Occasions

Kado Sangetsu-Ryu, the way of flowers of the Sangetsu School, was founded on June 15^th 1972 in Atami, Japan.  Our school was inspired by the flower arrangements of visionary and master artist Mokichi Okada.  Although he passed away in 1955, he had always wanted to start his own school based on naturalness, to create Paradise on Earth with flowers.  He started taking pictures of his arrangements in 1953, and taught that nature is the greatest teacher of truth and beauty.  His arrangements uplifted and inspired all who saw them.

Sangetsu, meaning “ moon over the mountain”, was named after a tea house Okada designed in Hakone, Japan which he called Sangetsu-an.

The way of Sangetsu is to express the inherent beauty of nature in a flower arrangement. Our basic principle of

“jitsu-jitsu-kyu”, which means two parts nature, one part technique, encompassing the idea that one must arrange flowers as they wish to be arranged, but in harmony with vase, purpose and setting.

Talking about tea houses, we will begin our demonstration with a “chabana” or ikebana for the Japanese tea ceremony.