I
have pleasure in presenting the FSFA Chairperson’s report for 2005/2006. It has
been a relatively quiet period in comparison to previous years. We are still
getting over our wonderful journey to Japan in late June 2005. The memories are
still fresh from that experience. In a few months we will be celebrating our 25th
anniversary of the sister city relationship. I will speak more about this
later.
Thank
you to all those who have worked on the Executive this year. Margaret, Bev, Chris,
Michael, Bill, Peter, Des, David and Yoshinori thanks for help and support this
last year. We have some new found
friends in Raymond, Nich, Sam and Megan who have attended meetings this year.
We also said farewell to several with the Tuckers moving to Adelaide. Hopefully
we will get some new blood on the Executive this coming year. I also thank the
Frankston Council for its fantastic support of our work.
The
following is a report on our various activities for the past year.
·
Student Exchange
Sam Warrington was an outstanding Exchange
Student for us in Susono during 2005. He grew substantially as a person and
left a profound mark on the people of Susono. Well done Sam. He was a worthy
recipient of the ECS scholarship this year.
We hosted 3 short term students from Susono
spent 2 weeks Elizabeth Murdoch College. Thanks to the school and host families
for looking after them.
We are currently hosting Fuyuko Sanada from
Susono. She is attending Frankston High School. Thank you to Brenda and Alan
Saunders for their work in here first 3 months here. Thanks also to Julie and
Megan MacFarlane for hosting Fuyuko for past few months. Fuyuko is soon to move
to the Warringtons.
Lachlan Hood is going to Susono in November
to spend 3 months attending Susono High School. Lachlan attends Mount Erin
Secondary College. We wish Lachlan well.
We are currently advertising for a student to
go to Susono in 2007.
·
Speech Contest
Unfortunately the Speech Contest was not held
this year. Thanks to Des for his ongoing work on this activity.
·
Assistant Language
Teachers
Laura Wallis and Emma Clark Kennedy were
locals who worked as Assistant Language Teachers in Susono this year. Unlike
previous years and for whatever reason we have struggled this year to attract
applicants to replace Laura and Emma. The positions are terrific opportunity
for recent university graduates to spend time in Japan improving their language
skills.
·
Sea Festival
Despite the very hot conditions, we put on a
terrific display at this years Sea Festival. Thanks to all those people who
helped out over the weekend and to Australian Arrow for looking after everyone
as hosts. Due to the heat, numbers were down quite a bit. Brenda and her team
and the expats did calligraphy. The kite lady from Kites for Kids was
there. We also had shiatsu and doll
making
The Japanese Consul visited our display and
was very impressed with the event. He recognised many of the photos we had
displayed of Susono as he had spent some time in nearby Gotemba.
·
Australian Arrow
In April this year I was privileged to attend
and present a paper at the Yazaki stakeholder forum in Japan. The presentation
was on our work in Frankston Community and the Building of Bridges between FSFA
the Council and AAPL. Prior to going to Japan I also had the opportunity to
visit Yazaki’s operation in Samoa. This trip is acknowledgement of the very
close relationship we have with Australian Arrow and I believe they are very
pleased with what the Association were trying to do.
David Bradshaw from AAPL advised that Yazaki
had had their summer camp in July and it had been fantastic. They had had 16 kids who would have been
mostly locals. They had gone to Tokyo
and various places and it had gone very well, considering the age group. 2
groups of Yazaki staff children also visited Frankston and were entertained by
Frankston High School.
·
ASCA Conference
Michael Fuller and Bev Hannan attended last
years ASCA conference hosted by the City of Latrobe. This years conference is
in Devonport Tasmania. FSFA has submitted applications for 4 awards. They are
Single Project, Cultural Exchange, Industry and Commerce and Overall Program.
·
25th
Anniversary of our Sister City Relationship
Next Years Sea Festival weekend will include
events to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Frankston Susono
Sister City relationship. Events will include a celebration Dinner and function
to be hosted by Australian Arrow/Yazaki. Dr Ohashi the Mayor of Susono has
indicated that he would be coming and we expect a large delegation to accompany
him. We have indications that a musical group of some sort will also be coming.
I have had several meetings with Frankston Council on the organisation of
events.
·
Other
In December last year, Margaret and I
attended a function at the Japanese Consul General’s home in Lansell Road
Toorak to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday.
Bev Harris is building a new FSFA Website
under the Frankston Council website. We look forward to seeing it up and
operational.
We look forward to a great 12 months and
would encourage everyone to get involved in the Association in some form.
