January Emphasis
LIMA HANA
YMCA SERVICE
RSD:
PHIL SAMMER
VOLUME 48 ISSUE 9
Serving Others for 50 years
Kaimuki Y’s Men Club
4835 Kilauea Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
January 2015 Issue
Chartered: April 5, 1963
Phone: (808) 737-5544
President’s Message
By Tiffany Kiyabu
Aloha, Members!
Inside this issue:
Happy New Year! Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!
Club President’s Message
Club Calendar
1
International, U.S. Area,
Hawaii Region, Metro District
News
2
Branch Executive’s Message
3
Highlight on New Member
Annual Support Campaign 2015
4
64th Youth & Government
Christian Emphasis
Club Coconut Wireless
明けましておめでとうございます!
5-7
8
CLUB CALENDAR
YMCA SUNDAY & CLUB HOLIDAY PARTY
Sunday, January 25th
Meet at door outside of Kahala
Theaters at 9:15 AM
Party at Ishidas’ home
(820 11th Avenue) right after
service (parking available down
the driveway in front of neighbor’s home)
Hawaiian food to be catered
(no cost to all participants)
Bring grab bag ($10 or more)
for each person attending (age
8 years and older)
Club meeting to also be held
*********************
ANNUAL SUPPORT CAMPAIGN
KICKOFF
Saturday, February 7th, 11:00
AM
Dole Cannery ballroom
2015 promises to be even more exciting and jam-packed than the
year before! I hope that I can keep up with all of the Y’s Men duties
and the club this year. As many of you know, JAY NISHIMURA and I
have been together for quite some time; this year we will make 15
years – and it is this year that we intend to finally get that whole wedding thing out of the way. So, please be patient with us, especially
me, as we try to juggle planning a wedding alongside all of the other
things that keep us busy year round with family, work, volunteering
and such. We don’t have anything in place just yet, and mostly that is
because we find ourselves so active in other aspects of our lives!
Finding a date where we weren't already going to be at an event or
planning one was a puzzle in itself.
As a club we have lots to be grateful for, and it is only January! We
welcome three brand new members to our club, NAINOA HEASTON,
KAMERON HO, and BRYAN PARK. Thanks to the wonderful convincing and recruiting of members WES PEI and JAY NISHIMURA,
we have some new additions and look forward to seeing them at
meetings and events.
Lastly, I look forward to seeing you all at the YMCA Sunday and our
holiday party on January 25th, 2015. YMCA Sunday will be at the
Kahala movie theaters, followed by our annual holiday party at the
Ishidas’ household. See you there!
Tiﬀany
PAGE 2
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
28 new clubs sprung up all over in Korea, India, Russia and Thailand during November and December 2014. Needless to say, the International efforts have been
highly successful in the expansion of Y’sdom.
U.S. AREA NEWS
Sharing a recent update from DEAN CURRIE, Area Service Director for Alexander Scholarship
Fund/Dollars for Scholars:
“Thought you might like a status and update of the contributions received and funds remaining and
available to award in the 2014-15 year:
$4,292 DFS funds are remaining and available to grant to qualified YMCA professional applicants
in 2014-15.
All of the 2014-15 ASF funds have been allocated to the one qualified student who applied last
May, Hannah Graves, who is attending the University of WI.
Thank you for all your efforts and support to acquire contributions from your respective Regions.”
METRO DISTRICT NEWS
Irashaimase!
The Kaimuki Y’s Men hosted the dinner for the Metro District meeting held on
Monday, January 19th with sushi and saimin. CASSIDY INAMASU and his sushi “chefs” planned
and served up the simple Japanese menu. Approximately 40 attendees and volunteers filled the
Kaimuki branch for the quarterly business meeting of Honolulu clubs, with DG ALBERT LEE
(Nuuanu Y’s Men’s and Women’s Club) wielding the gavel. Some key items discussed were: Endowment Dinner on May 22nd at 6:00 PM (JCCH), $32 a head ($40 at the door); Peace Project to
be held during Spring Intersession (clubs will not need to contribute any monies since the balance
carried over from last year is sufficient for supplies and prizes); review of old photos housed in
Metro YMCA to be organized by RUSS LYNCH (Windward Y Service Club) with Y’s Men to volunteer for sorting and possibly discarding; Healthy Kid’s Day chairperson, JOE-ANN McCARTHY
(Windward Y Service Club) reported that two shifts (8 am to 12 noon and 12 to 3) will need approximately 3 or more volunteers per club to handle the shave ice booth at the Bishop Museum on
April 11th.
HAWAII REGION NEWS
79th HAWAII REGION CONVENTION UPDATES
Be on the lookout for the 79th Regional Convention Registration form due for distribution on February 1st … thanks to the Nuuanu Y’s Men’s and Women’s Club Raffle tickets will be sold at $5
each or a bonus price of 5 tickets for $20, for a chance to win great prizes (winners do not need to
be present). The Hilo and Central clubs are in charge of this effort, which also includes getting donated prizes. The Windward Y Service Club will be hosting a Hospitality Night on Wednesday
evening during the Convention for fellowship (sorry, no alcohol to be served). Kalihi Y Service
Club is planning slot tournaments with an entry fee of $15 for each session. Reports for the Convention booklet should be in to BOB KUWAHARA by April 25th. Lots to look forward to!
PAGE 3
A Message from the
Branch Executive of the Kaimuki-Waialae YMCA
TONY YEE
Happy 2015!
After one full calendar year at Kaimuki our team of staff and volunteers have established some great
foundations on which to improve. With both our beloved Central and Atherton branches scheduled
to go offline this year, it will be a particularly lean fiscal year. I just got a fresh update from TROY
TOMITA that Central is still targeting February to shut down, however it will continue residence operations until April. I am assisting ANANDA CHOU and board members at the Atherton Branch with
their transition strategy. To clarify, the Atherton property is on the market currently for long-term
lease or sale, but the Atherton branch itself will continue its work serving college students and is
looking for a smaller program space more conducive to that cause. It will be an interesting year for
the YMCA of Honolulu, but I believe it will bring many unique opportunities for the Kaimuki branch.
Even though we are just two weeks into this new year, I wanted to share with you some bright
spots. Our Middle School Intersession program partnered with KUPU Hawaii to give our 6th-8th
graders a one-of-a-kind experience in environmental stewardship. They had the opportunity to visit
five sites on the island, with many of them inaccessible to the general public. While learning about
the connectedness of our fragile ecosystem, students learned the values that are at the core of both
KUPU Hawaii and the YMCA.
On Friday, January 16th we celebrated the 100th Birthday of one of our beloved members, CECILA BLACKFIELD. She is greatly admired at our branch not only
for her amazing health, but her positive outlook on life.
Over the years, she has been an active member and
supporter of the Kaimuki-Waialae YMCA. Besides her
annual donation to the YMCA, she and her friends in the
community, reward annual scholarships to the neighborhood kids to provide the recipients a chance to attend
private high schools and colleges.
Speaking about public service, I look forward to updating our readers about Youth and Government in the next issue. I have witnessed how seriously our
Kaimuki team of student delegates take this experience, and we are proud of the leadership they
lend to this program. I must acknowledge our very own Y’s Men, JAY NISHIMURA, CASSIDY INAMASU, KEAHI KAAWA and WES PEI for their tireless work. The program would not be where it
is today without their efforts.
Here’s to a great year. Wishing all of our readers a very happy and healthy 2015!
Mahalo,
Tony
PAGE 4
HIGHLIGHT ON NEW MEMBER …
NAINOA HEASTON
Introduced by Prez Tiffany Kiyabu
NAINOA HEASTON is a current student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa majoring in Family
Resources. As a teen, while attending Saint Louis High School, NAINOA joined the Kaimuki YMCA
and quickly rose to be one of the top leaders of the teen program. He currently works for the
Kaimuki YMCA as the A+ site director at Kuhio Elementary School.
NAINOA also is very active at the Atherton YMCA where he serves on their college student based
leadership team alongside another longtime Kaimuki Ys Men member, KEAHI KAAWA.
One of NAINOA’s favorite sayings is; “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody
else up”, so it is no secret that NAINOA is a joy to all those around him. Always there with a smile,
and always offering his help where needed. We look forward to him joining us as a Kaimuki Ys Men
member! (NOTE: NAINOA is sponsored by new member WES PEI.)
2015 ANNUAL SUPPORT CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF ON FEBRUARY 7th
Volunteers and staff from all branches of the YMCA of Honolulu’s branches will be gathering to kick
off this year’s ASC on Saturday, February 7th at the Dole Cannery ballroom. The Kaimuki-Waialae
YMCA has set a goal of $85,000 to successfully help our member and community programs this
year. The schedule for our branch ASC events is as follows:
 Report meetings: February 16 and March 9, 6:00 PM at the Kaimuki Y
 VICTORY CELEBRATION: March 29, 3:00 PM at the Kaimuki Y
These are great facts when asking for support (borrowed from the YMCA website) $29 helps a struggling family send their child for a day to the Y’s school break program
 $120 helps a child overcome his or her fear of water through 4 weeks of life-saving swim lessons
 $175 sponsors a child for a week of summer fun and adventure at the Y’s day camp program
 $360 builds the confidence of a middle school teen with the Y’s leadership STRIVE program
 $390 gives a single parent and family a weekend of life-long memories at family camp
 $492 gives a fixed-income senior the gift of health and fitness for a year
 $540 sponsors an adult with a YMCA membership for one year
 $731 empowers and builds the confidence of a teen through the Y’s Youth in Government program
 $827 provides a college student with a unique leadership opportunity at the Y’s week-long service project on a Neighbor Island
 $1,170 prepares a child for kindergarten at the Y’s part-time preschool program for one school
year
PAGE 5
64th Annual YMCA Youth and
Government
The 64th Annual Youth and Government Program sponsored by the YMCA of Honolulu held its opening
session on Saturday, January 17, 2015 in the Senate Chambers. Led by State Director and Kaimuki Y’s
man, CASSIDY INAMASU, participation in the program has grown from near extinction to over 100 high
school participants from across the State. Meeting at the Ward Warehouse convention facilities, attendees participated in a mock legislative session, writing, debating and voting on bills for submission to
Youth Governor KAI UYEHARA, from Kaimuki YMCA, for his signature or veto on Monday the 19th.
Left to right: Wes Pei, Cory Katcher (potential member), Kaimuki Y’s Men Club President Tiffany Kiyabu,
Jay Nishimura, Bryan Park, Youth Governor Kai Uyehara, Kameron Ho, Nainoa Heaston, Kaimuki Executive Director, Tony Yee, State Youth & Government Director, Cassidy Inamasu, and Keahi Kaawa.
Left: U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard administers the
oath of office to Kai Uyehara, Youth Governor of the
64th YMCA Youth and Government in the State Senates Chamber.
(See the following page for Kai’s keynote speech.)
PAGE 6
64th Annual YMCA Youth and
Government
Youth Governor KAI UYEHARA’s
Keynote Address
Good morning and welcome youth legislators, parents and honored guests to our 64th Youth and Government
opening ceremonies. My name is Kai Uyehara and I am humbled to come before you as this session’s Hawaii State Youth
Governor. I would like to talk about this program and what it has to offer, but first I’d like to share a short story.
This past summer I was given an amazing opportunity to go to Washington DC and attend the Youth Governor’s
conference hosted by the YMCA of USA. Former Youth Governor Amber Alejandro and I were the first to arrive and I remember sitting in the dorm at Washington University alone and waiting to meet my four roommates.
First there was Brian from Arizona, then Ben from Oregon. Next was Paddy from New Mexico, and finally there
was Shannon from Montana. Shannon was your classic enthusiastic, happy, peppy type of guy, bursting with energy and
all you would hear throughout the dorm while all the other governors were coming in was “Hey, my name is Shannon!” “Hi,
I’m Shannon!” “How’s it going? I’m Shannon!” and on and on. I’ll be honest at first it was a bit annoying, but as the days
passed, we got closer and closer, becoming great friends.
The last night all the Youth governors were writing letters and talking to each other in the study lounge downstairs.
I remember sitting with Pierce from North Carolina and Jacob from Colorado reminiscing about the experience. Shannon
came in as the advisors were telling us to start heading back up to our dorms and he wasn’t the energetic peppy Shannon
that I saw on the first day. Instead he had tears rolling down his face and rushing to tell us a few things he insisted we take
back to our conferences. This is what he said:
“I just wanted to say thank you guys for this past week and giving me an unforgettable experience, but I want you
to spread a message I wish to share. In the past six months five of my friends resorted to suicide. We were not extremely
close and more of acquaintances than anything, but I wonder if I were to just talk to them or hold the door open for them
could I have helped stop them from resorting to suicide. Through YAG I wish to share what I learned from that experience
which is this: ‘Always strive to make everyone’s day everyday because you don’t know what they’re going through.’’
Because of Shannon I realized how many opportunities come through Youth and Government and it reminded me
to never doubt my ability to do great things. The same should go for all of you as well, never doubt in your ability to do
great things. Shannon had such a great grasp of what he could do as governor. Not only will he lead his program, but he
could share with others what he has learned through his personal experiences.
Here is what I have learned through my experiences. Youth and Government doesn’t just give us an opportunity to have
our voices heard, it gives us the opportunity to discover who we are. Whether its self-confidence, time management, public
speaking skills, or even just making new friends, we grow through each experience into the person we can ultimately be. I
didn’t realize this myself until Shannon made it clear, but that’s okay because Youth and Government is just the start of our
journey to making this world a little bit better.
This program has nurtured politicians, lawyers, businessmen and women, community leaders and educators. Lives have been changed and we must live up to the legacies of those before us.
(continued on next page)
PAGE 7
Youth Governor KAI UYEHARA’s
Keynote Address (continued)
I have been asked, “As Youth Governor what will your legacy be?” My answer… greatness. Greatness not because I am any better than a single person in this room, but greatness because I am surrounded by incredible peers, supportive adults, and I follow the footsteps of many youth governors and legislators before me.
Youth and Government is an opportunity for us to be honest with our ideas, accepted for our views, and supported
to fight for what we believe is right. Youth and Government is one of the only programs that give us this opportunity. We
are given the opportunity to choose what is discussed, what is debated, and what our voice as today’s youth says and we
cannot take that lightly. We will hear bills in the next couple of days on: Homelessness, Education, and the Hawaiian Culture. There will be debate. Energy. Laughs. Passion, and heartbreak. But regardless of the outcomes at the end of the
day we will have grown, become better, and be greater people. That is what this program is about, and that is what greatness is.
In just four years of a program coming back to life we have come so far and I couldn’t be more honored to be your
64th Youth Governor. There is no program within the YMCA of Honolulu with as much support as this one right here and
it’s all thanks to you amazing people.
So as I close I remind you to be the best you can. Don’t pass up on the opportunities at hand and ask yourself
what will your legacy be? Above all else, make other people’s day. We are all on this journey together and it is together
that we can continue to do great things.
Thank You.
Thank You from St. John’s
Outreach Center
Just a short note to thank you all
(for) the assistance you provided
with your Times gift cards and
bags of items for use in the home.
Your donations made Christmas a
little brighter for seven families.
Your generosity is so appreciated
by all. It is folks like you who
keeps our Outreach being as successful as it has been.
Mahalo Nui Loa,
Pearl L. Bates
Outreach Coordinator
(NOTE: This is in response to the Club’s annual
Christmas project headed by PHYLLIS SETO which
anonymously donates items to families or individuals who need a helping hand during the holidays.)
SUSHI...KAIMUKI STYLE
The Metro District held its first meeting of 2015 at the Kaimuki
YMCA on Monday, January 19th. Attendees were treated to a
yummy self-serve sushi bar. From all indications, the food was
delicious and plentiful.
Under the guidance of head chef, CASSIDY INAMASU, all
types of sushi ingredients (spam, egg, ikura, spicy ahi, shoyu
tuna, portuguese sausage, ahi, kampyo, avocado, cucumber)
were available to build sushi rolls, together with onolicious
Okahara saimin, and an assortment of desserts. No one went
home hungry.
Thank you also to club members TIFFANY KIYABU, LEI HILEA,
JAY NISHIMURA, WES PEI, NAINOA HEASTON, RAY SETO,
BRYAN PARK, BOB MARTIN, TONY YEE, MASAYO NAKAGAWA, SHARON ISHIDA, and BRAD ISHIDA for their assistance in getting the food ready and setting up the tables and
chairs.
An extra special thank you to KAORI YEE, who volunteered to
prepare the sushi rice, and fried egg strips. KAORI cooked over
30 cups of rice, and scrambled at least 18 eggs for that night.
Special guests of the Club who also attended the meeting included possible future members KAI UYEHARA, the present
Youth and Government Youth Governor, and COLLEEN
LEUNG, who was invited by TONY.
PAGE 8
Christian Emphasis
Proverbs23:17,18,19(TheLivingBible)
“Listen to this wise advice; follow it closely, for it will do you good, and you can pass it
on to others: Trust in the Lord.”
CLUB COCONUT WIRELESS
The Kaimuki Y’s Men’s Club welcomes the addition of THREE NEW MEMBERS to
our club—NAINOA HEASTON (highlighted in this issue), KAMERON HO, and
BRYAN PARK. All three of these young men have been involved with the
Kaimuki YMCA for years in the program, and we look forward to their enthusiasm and energy in our club!
Mahalo to their sponsor WES PEI who in fact, joined our club a few months ago himself. Credit should also
be given to JAY NISHIMURA who nurtured and led all four of them throughout their participation at the
YMCA. Our new members have already assisted the Kaimuki Y’s Men with various projects and will all be
wonderful additions to our club!
KAIMUKI - WAIALAE YMCA
4835 Kilauea Avenue, Honolulu, Hi 96816
2014-2015 CLUB OFFICERS
PRESIDENT:
TIFFANY KIYABU
VICE-PRESIDENT: SHARON ISHIDA
TREASURER:
BRAD ISHIDA
SECRETARY:
SHARON ISHIDA
LIMA HANA BULLETIN EDITOR: SHARON ISHIDA
BROTHER
CLUBS
KAIMUKI Y’S MEN CLUB ROSTER
2014-2015
Lisa Joy Andres, Leina’ala Hilea. Nainoa Heaston, Cameron Ho,
“Kolohe” Imamura, Cassidy Inamasu, Brad Ishida, Sharon Ishida,
Keahi Kaawa, Tiffany Kiyabu, Bob Martin, Masayo Nakagawa,
Jay Nishimura, Reuben Naholowaa, Bryan Park, Wes Pei, Ray Seto,
Brian Shimabukuro, Robert Stivers-Apiki, Tony Yee,
Hiroko Yoshida, Vernon Yoshida
HONORARY MEMBERS
Paul Kuromoto, Phyllis Seto
KAIMUKI Y’SLINGS
Joy & Marisa Andres, Kaine and Daichi Martin,
Maile and Taylor Yee
Gardena Valley Y’s Men’s Club
1000 W. Artesia Boulevard
Gardena, CA 90248-3364
Tokyo-Setagaya Y’s Men’s Club
c/o Setagaya YMCA
3-Chome, Miyasaka
Setagaya-Ku
Tokyo, Japan 156-0051
Tokyo-Ginza Y’s Men’s Club
[email protected]