AIRA General Meeting Kicks off Fiscal 2017 (No.17-2)
Date/time: Friday, April 28, 2017 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Venue: Multi-Purpose Hall, Civic Plaza
Attendants: 32
Emcee: Ms. N. Adachi (Manager, Administration section)
Opening and closing address by: Ms. Joanna Tanaka (Polish, AIRA Japanese language class student)
Ms. Adachi emceed the meeting then Ms. Tanaka announced in Japanese start of the session.
Mr. Sato, AIRA president, in his opening address referred to the AIRA’s 25th anniversary in 2016 with thanks and confirmed that AIRA would do its utmost efforts in line with the city’s policy described in The Third Revision of the Advancement of the Internalization particularly on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, together with usual supportive actions toward foreign residents.
On behalf of Mr. J. Hoshino, mayor and honorable AIRA President, Mr. A. Aoki, deputy mayor, gave a speech stressing the AIRA’s powerful support for the aforesaid policy and for assisting to the maximum international softball players as they stay in Abiko as the Olympic’s pre-games camping.
Mr. M. Sakamaki, chairperson of the Abiko city assembly announced an episode he experienced in a concert in Toride city where children from the Philippines played music. Looking at the excited play of these children, rarely had a chance to visit Japan, the audience were deeply moved. He meant to tell about the meaning and power of international exchange involving possibility of contribution toward new culture and peace. And he hoped AIRA’s continued and significant activities in this field.
Mr. Sato chaired to deal with the day’s themes.
1. Ms. Kitajima, deputy president, detailed the achievement of fiscal 2016.
Mr. Yoda reported precisely the ins and outs of the fiscal 2016 budget.
Auditor Mr. Makuuchi reported that the accounts were duly inspected. The both bills were unanimously approved.
2. Mr. Sato introduced newly appointed members of board of directors, auditor, and executives.
3. Mr. Murakoshi, deputy president, introduced the overall business plan of the fiscal 2017, and the five sections business plan were explained in detail by the respective section chiefs. The entire program in each section was unchanged as a whole this year with an exception, cancellation of the How to teach Japanese Language course.
Mr. Yoda, accountant, explained in detail about the decline of income because of gradual decrease of members and learners in foreign language courses. It is now required that concrete and practical business plan should be worked out to cope with the tight revenue outlook.
To a question from the floor that an action should be taken for increasing new entries including primary and junior high students, AIRA answered that further study and action would be taken for recruiting more members including younger generation.
The business plan and budget plan for the fiscal 2017 were duly approved by the members attended.
After a report on a personnel assignment was made, Ms. Tanaka declared in Japanese the close of the session.
Post-meeting party:
All people toasted after brief and cheerful kampai words led by Mr. Murakoshi, deputy president. AIRA’s multifarious activities in the past one year were colorfully shown on the screen. Mr. Beppu, manager of study and culture section managed the party and then the gathering came to an end by a brief thankful message by Mr. Sato, AIRA president.
Incidentally, Ms. Joanna Tanaka, who declared the opening and closing of the session, has been studying Japanese since her arrival several months ago. She was so witty to ask smilingly in good Japanese if her Japanese was passable one. She commented on Japan that everywhere is clean, people are kind and so on. She said though Japanese language isn’t so easy, studying it is enjoyable. She said that squabble with her husband is in English now, but we hope it would be done in Japanese before long. (Translated by T. Sugano)