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President: |
NEWSLETTER May 2010 Dear RECA Members and Friends
Our Language School classes continue to teach Mandarin and Chinese culture to students of all ages. Currently, our Pre-School class is the largest, with each Pre-School student being required to bring at least one parent. Tracy Ding is doing an excellent job of bringing fun and games in Mandarin to the little ones while teaching the parents exercises and activities to do at home to teach themselves and their children Mandarin. This column is new for our RECA Newsletter. Our newest Board Member, Ann Schleeter, is a very active, enthusiastic person who sees many areas of need and asks to be able to fill them. One area of need was to let the membership know about some of the people who work tirelessly to help RECA put on their many events and activities, but who work anonymously behind the scenes. This article is an interview with Judy Elliott who has been active with RECA for 13 years. But, like many, she is a "behind the scenes" person, doing what needs to be done so others can enjoy the spotlight. Judy Elliott is currently our primary cultural dance instructor, and coordinator.
Spotlight on RECA Member – Judy Elliott Q: Tell me about yourself.
The brainchild of Phi Phi Dang, RECA inaugurated its first Annual Senior Appreciation Day. Held to show honor and respect to our members over 60, it was attended by nearly 60 people. After a sumptuous lunch at Hang An Dim Sum Restaurant in Santa Rosa, our Adult Chorus sang for our entertainment. Of course, sing-along was encouraged. We then had a short talk by Phi Phi and then lots of raffle prizes. We are all looking forward to next year when we can meet again and have another afternoon of Senior enjoyment.
RECA wants to thank Benita Lee and the entire Lee family for continuing the tradition of their father, Winston Lee. Winston was one of our very first members and was active in RECA until his death last year. He was Member of the Year 2009. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of another of our first members, Toyoo Nitaki, known at Toy to his friends. Toy was active in RECA from its begining until he moved to Sacramento to be closer to his children. He has kept in touch with many of his RECA friends through email. He was one of the first Life Members of RECA. Toy passed during the night between April 30 and May 1. A service will be held for him May 15 in Sacramento.
Do you have a business card sized ad? We
can put it in the RECA Newsletter, 4 edition (one year) for $50. Let our
membership know what services and products you have to offer. Mendocino County is known as a scenic destination. Less well known are the diverse cultural groups who were responsible for building the county of Mendocino. Lorrarine
Hee-Chorley's family lived the history of the Chinese in the area, including anti-Chinese sentiment. Her great-grandfather, Lee Sing John, was the founder of the Taoist Kwan Tai Temple in the village of Mendocino in 1854. She researched and wrote Images of America Chinese in Mendocino County, fulfilling a promise to her father to keep the history of the over 100-year-old temple alive. The book is a fascinating, easy read with local archives and vintage photos, including contributions from the Grace Hudson Museum and The Press Democrat photographer Jeff Kan Lee. Lorraine presented a slide show last year at various Sonoma County library locations. She is a wealth of information! Her book benefits the continued education and restoration of the temple which is open to visitors on a limited schedule. She can be reached at: 1heechorley@sbcglobal.net With security at its highest, a guest list was created to introduce the President of Taiwan to leaders of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our RECA President, Nancy Wang, was on the list and was honored to attend. The dinner event was held in San Francisco. No one, not even her husband Joe, could attend this event without an invitation. RECA is extremely honored to have received such prestigious recognition for our activities in bringing understanding and friendship between Chinese and American cultures.
President of Taiwan Ma Ying Jeou with RECA President Nancy Wang. Each guest was given a formal photo with President Ma. Nancy was born in Taiwan. Many of our members were born in mainland China. Others of our members have never been to China. No matter what our personal politics, RECA reaches out to all in support of goodwill and understanding among all who are involved in American, Chinese and Asian culture. It was an honor to be chosen to attend this function.
For our RECA New Year, all of our performers have a very busy schedule. We start in January and slow down in March. Our lion dancers are the most requested. Both troupes of our RECA Cultural Dancers and our RECA Adult Chorus also perform throughout Sonoma County. Nancy, Joe, Judy and others also give cultural presentations. During these first months of the year, RECA gives up to 5 presentations per week. Throughout the rest of the year, we usually have 1-2 performances a month.
RECA Lion team, Intermediate and Advanced Cultural Dancers, and our Adult Chorus performed for Varrena Senior Living Center in Santa Rosa.
Our Traditional Chinese New Year Celebration is always a serious and well attended event where everyone can come together to share respect and thankfulness for our Center and our friendships.
RECA Lion Team and Junior Lions were joined by RECA Member, Carl Wong, Sonoma County Superintendent of Public Schools, at the Santa Rosa City Council Chambers when we received a proclamation from the Mayor and performed for the City Council.
Nancy Wang demonstrates the art of calligraphy to a group of 1st graders at Yulupa Elementary School.
Tet, with Viet Namese and American flags prominently displayed, and murals of Viet Namese life in the background, our Advanced Cultural Dancers performed their famous Xin Jiang dance. Our Lions, Intermediate Cultural Dancers and Adult Chorus also performed at this highly attended Viet Namese New Year Celebration and Fund Raiser.
At G&G Market, a grocery shopper watches in amazement as our RECA lion messily eats lettuce as his reward for dancing well.
We want to thank all of the people who participated with entertainment and helping make our event a grand success. We regret not having space for
everyone's photos. Please come to our center and ask to see our Chinese New Year Album.
Rehearsals and preparations are important for any event. The Advanced Teen Dancers hang out on stage with the youngest performers so they can be self-confident. In the foreground members are preparing the raffle and auction tables.
For the second year in a row, we sold wine donated by Windsor Vineyards and beer donated by Lagunitas Brewery, serves by RECA members including Santa Rosa City Council Member John Sawyer and Don Potts as well as other RECA members and staff from Lagunitas Brewery.
More popular than any other table was Henry, borrowed from JACL, with his origami display and instruction. He was assisted by his wife.
Santa Rosa City Council was well represented, as were many offices of the City of Santa Rosa and of the County of Sonoma including Sonoma County District Attorney Stephen Passalacqua and Sonoma County Superintendent of Public Schools Carl Wong.
We had many other dignitaries. RECA treasurer Hsiu Chuan Armstrong renews her acquaintance with past Santa Rosa City Council Member and hopeful State Assemblyman Lee Pierce.
We can't forget our fabulous food catered by Gourmet Delight BBQ, Fresh China, G&G Supermarkets and Clover Stornetta Farms. Everyone had as much as they could eat from our wonderful variety including roast pork and an entire table to serve our vegetarian guests. Photo by Mirin Lew.
RECA's Senior Tai Chi Class, lead by David Chung, performed for the first time. Ages range from 50's to 80's.
Lee's Tai Chi, taught by Master Justin Eggart, gave a variety of martial arts. Lea Hymowitz has recently won a gold trophy.
This was the first year our Papa Dragon and Junior Dragon both performed together. Notice our full house!
For the opening number of the entertainment, our preschool class including parents joined with our Adult Chorus.
Getting up close and personal with a Chinese Lion.
Our special guest performers this year were the
Kailimatani
Our Advanced Cultural Dancers performed their Xin Jiang Dance from far western China. Photo by Mirin Lew
Our Pre-Teen Cultural Dancers presented a brand new dance with bamboo batons. They had new costumes, new choreography and new props.
Our Grand Finale this year was our breathtaking teenaged Advanced Cultural Dancers doing their brand new ribbon dance with new costumes. This troupe of teens is truly amazing in their artistry and professional appearing presentations. Photo by Mirin Lew. Volunteer Opportunities Requirements For Volunteers Benefits To Apply
Q: Tell me about yourself HELP! WE NEED DRAGON LEGS! We invite everyone who would like to join us to be in the Santa Rosa Rose Parade on Saturday, May 15. We will gather at our assigned space (look for #344) on Sonoma Ave. between E Street and Santa Rosa Ave. We will begin gathering at 8:15. It will take 27 strong people to take our dragon out of the truck and let it dance down the street. We also need 9 less strong people (kids ok) for our junior dragon. This will be the junior
dragon's first outside public appearance. Also, we will have 2 pick-up truck drivers (already assigned), drummers (assigned), cymbal and gong players, banner holders, water carriers (take bottled water from the pick-up to the dragon dancers. Most important, we need relief dragon legs of all sizes. With 40 people performing, they need lots of people to give them a break. The parade route is about ¾ mile long, but our dragon makes
"S's" from one side of the street to the other during the entire parade route making its path closer to 2 miles. MONTHLY BOARD MEETINGS On the third Wednesday of every month (unless otherwise decided for a specific month) at 7:00, all members are invited to our RECA Board Meetings. Here, we discuss the business of RECA, approve activities, iron out problems, arrange public performances and presentations, sometimes have special speakers, and enjoy each other's company. We get things done and we have fun. MULTI-CULTURAL POETRY READING AND POT LUCK
LUNCH, This unique event at our RECA Center brings the finer culture of poetry to RECA. Guest poets come from Sonoma County and the Greater San Francisco Bay Area to hear and read poetry in many different languages. We need a good showing from RECA to make it worth while for those who enjoy hearing Chinese Poetry. All poetry is also read in English so everyone can understand. If there is no poetic translation of a work, then a description in English is good. We read favorite poems of classical and contemporary poets, focusing on the work of the poets attending. After lunch, we have a Pick-A-Partner Read-Around where everybody chooses a poem then has someone else read it in a different language. You may bring your own bilingual poetry and bilingual poetry books. Also, many bilingual poetry books will be provided. Over the years, we have heard poetry in more than 15 languages with English and Chinese being the most frequent. For the second Read-Around, each person reads a poem of their choice by themselves or with someone else, as they choose.
This year, our camp will be 1 week for children 5-10 years old. It will be July 19-23, 9:00-3:00, M-F. $175 per camper includes lunch, snacks and all supplies. Camp will be held at our RECA Center, 3455 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa. For information, enrollments forms and photos of our past camps, please look at www.recacenter.org. The camp registration is the same as the language school registration. Please mail camp registration and fee to RECA PO Box 7854, Santa Rosa, CA, 95407 by July 1. If we do not have at least 10 campers, we will have to cancel camp. (Last year camp was cancelled due to some campers having swine flue.) For more information, call Judy Cheung , 528-0912 or Nancy Wang 576-0533. If you do not have internet, please call for information about how to register. Parent and teen volunteers are always welcome!
This year we are combining the Asian Pot Luck with our Annual Picnic due to a conflict of dates with the Race Equality Festival. This year, the Rohnert Park Philippine Association is hosting.
RECA wants to thank our 2010 Sponsors for their kind donations that keep RECA able to continue our activities, perform for the community and be a public resource for people, businesses, schools and agencies who request our assistance. Sonoma County Office of Education We hope all RECA members and friends will help support these establishments. We are honored that they help support our endeavors.   RECA MEMBERSHIP RECA dues are due for 2010. Please use this form for new membership or membership renewal. Thank You! RECA Membership dues are $20 per person (adult) or $30 per couple for January to December each year. Redwood Empire Chinese Association |
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 © Copyright 2002-2009 Redwood Empire Chinese Association |