Todays speaker is Mariko Middleton from All Souls Interfaith Gathering.
Susan Grimes called the meeting to order at 7:30.
Nancy shared opening words.
Susan introduced the guests, Bob Glover, Dave Micklas and our speaker, Mariko Middleton.
Ric led the club in the four way test.
Susan shared a few words about her trip climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with her daughter.
Speaker suggestions are needed, please forward your ideas to Jessica Brumstead, Laurie Burke or Diana Vachon.
Susan received an email invitation to a November 4th Zoom event about ShelterBox. She will share the invite with the club.
The Burlington Sunrise club sent Susan an email about the Hinesburg Food Pantry. They would like to speak with our club about this project. Stocking the pantry costs about $150 per week. A food pantry is being proposed for Shelburne. The club board will discuss this at their board meeting on October 28.
Richard Fox updated the club on the Halloween parade on the 31st of this month. Thirteen floats are registered at this point. Food, candy and carts are all set. The value of the parade is the way in which it brings community together. CSH Rotary’s dedication to making it happen every year is appreciated and provides the club with visibility while giving families a great outlet to the current pandemic.
Chris Davis reported that the Charlotte bike station pad is being poured today.
Happy fines were collected by Denis Barton.
Chris Davis introduced Mariko Middleton. She has worked at All Soul’s Interfaith for seven years as the Office Manager. She has also attended the Green Mountain School of Druidry. Mariko was here to discuss her heritage as Okinawan/Vermonter and her passion for the preservation of the Okinawa culture.
Mariko shared a presentation of Okinawa and the history of her family. Her grandfather was an educator there and raised his family. She also spent time there as a small child, as her father served in the United States Navy. What is Okinawa? A small island south of Japan, it is a diving destination, the people are very spiritual and the small country was very heavily influenced by China.
During World War II, military forces landed on Okinawa and a brutal battle took place on the island. This experience has affected the culture of the people and the island. The island has endured double colonization by the United States and Japan, to whom it was returned in 1972. The large United States military presence on the island prohibits the residents from accessing large sections of their island. The US Marine aircraft “osprey” has created outcry from the people of the island who protest it’s presence as there have been several dangerous events from military training. A “Save the Dugong” effort is underway on the island as it has become an endangered species related to the military action in the ocean surrounding the island.
The Okinawans are advocates for indigenous peoples which is recognized by the United States but not Japan. Their language is also endangered as their culture has been homogenized with the Japanese culture. The Okinawan people struggle to save their culture and their language, once again getting hand tatoos which were outlawed by the Japanese government. A world wide movement is in progress to reclaim their culture.
Mariko also started her own Podcast to support her Okinawan ancestry and can be found on Apple Podcasts: Ichariba Choodo and also on Instagram at shimanchupodcast.
Jim Donovan presented Mariko with the book “Speak, Okinawa:A Memoir” by Elizabeth Miki Brina.
Closing words were shared by Keith.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35.