**Changes Made** effective 4/1/2010
2 Days - Room and Board
For all performers, soka group, byakuren, and other support staff arriving on Friday, July 23rd.
Cost - $125.00 (only cash or check or money order made payable to SGI-USA)
Fee covers the following:
A. Two nights stay, Friday, July 23rd and Saturday, July 24th *(checkout Sunday, July 25th)
B. Rooms will be at a dormitory on the Temple University Campus in Philadelphia, only 1 block away from the Liacouras Center (the arena where the festival will be held)
C. Six meals (dinner on Friday evening, breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday)
D. Festival Items (t-shirt, cap, etc.)
1 Night
For those participants in the audience who will be arriving in Philadelphia on Saturday, July 24th.
Cost - $15.00 (only cash or check or money order made payable to SGI-USA)
NO PACKAGES AVAILABLE. ALL LODGING, TRANSPORTATION (local and domestic) AND FOOD IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY
NOTE: The territory has found "Convention Rates" associated with the venue provided by such hotels as Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, which is $109- per night for a single or double. They are researching more options and will soon provide discounted hotel rate information so that individuals can directly make the reservations.
Fee covers the following:
A. Festival Items (t-shirt, cap, etc.)
Same Day
For those participants in the audience who will be arriving in Philadelphia on Sunday, July 25th.
Cost - $15.00 (only cash or check or money order made payable to SGI-USA)
Fee covers the following:
A. Festival Items (t-shirt, cap, etc.)
Payment of Participation Fees:
1. Fees may be paid at Rock The Era activities and World Peace Prayer Meetings at SGI-USA centers or other practice sites
2. SGI-USA receipts must be issued to each person when he or she makes a payment
3. Fees should be collected by 2 people, whenever possible. (In South Zone, we will be accepting payments through the Area WD teams, and at the chapter and up level on an "as needed" basis)
4. The participation fees can be paid in installments of a minimum of $25
5. Please fill out the festival payment sheet when collecting the fees
The Seikyo Shimbun (front page of the 3/26/10 issue) has published an article covering the honorary citizenship from the state of Tennessee given to President Ikeda, as well as the proclamation from the City of Memphis declaring 3/20/2010, "Rock The Era Day." Both the proclamation and the honorary citizenship were formally presented at the South Zone Youth Festival. Congratulations to all of the South Zone members, and thank you so much for your continuous efforts!
Congratulations once again on an AMAZING South Zone festival in Memphis!
The festival was a great dress rehearsal for the East Territory Festival, "Dream Big, Change The World," to be held in Philadelphia on July 25th. July 25th is fast approaching, therefore we will need to pick up the frequency of rehearsal times! We would like to add an extra practice time each month. Please make note of the proposed practice times below.
(picture by Gita Adoni)
(picture by Lorne Feeser)Sun, April 11
Sat, April 17
Sun, April 25
May
Sun, May 9th
Sat, May 15th
Sun, May 23
Sun, May 30
June
Sun, June 13th
Sat, June 19th
Sun, June 27th
July
Sat, July 3rd
Sun, July 11th
Sat, July 17th
July 23rd - July 25th: Philadelphia!!
The South Zone youth peace festival, "The Path Of A Disciple: Be Bold! Be The One!" was held at The University of Memphis in Memphis, TN on March 20th, 2010. The festival featured a proclamation from the city of Memphis declaring March 20th as "Rock The Era Day" in Memphis, Tennessee, as well as an honorary citizenship bestowed upon President Ikeda by the state of Tennessee. The festival included a skit about a young woman's journey ("Astrid") from a struggling college student to an individual committed to winning in her life, based on her faith and her connection with her mentor.
All of the performances during the skit took place at "Rock The Era" meetings (which are currently being held every 2nd and 4th Sunday throughout South Zone in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, the Gulf Coast of Florida, and Georgia.)
The first performance featured over 30 dancers from throughout South Zone....
"One Tribe" by Black Eyed Peas
Dance 2 "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
The Brass Band and Fife and Drum Corps joined together to perform "Ifu Dodo no Uta," also known as "Song of Indomitable Dignity." It was especially challenging for the brass band and fife and drum corps to collaborate. Many of the youth have experience with instruments other than the ones included in these training groups, founded by President Ikeda. With the determination to prepare for our historic territory-wide festival to be held in Philadelphia on July 25th, most of the youth involved in this group began playing these instruments (some of which were donated by the AWESOME men's and women's division members in South Zone) over the last couple of months. Many of the youth have only been playing these instruments for less than two weeks!! Way to go Brass Band and Fife and Drum Corps!!!
The festival also featured a moving video that documented President Ikeda's commitment to raising youth, called "Youth, Scale The Mountain Of Victory!"
Shortly after the video, "Astrid" is in her dorm room, begrudgingly preparing herself for bed. Just as she lays down on her bed, she comes across a book given to her by her good friend and SGI sponsor, and she reads the following quote from Sensei:
"Even if you think you're hopeless and incapable, I know you're not. I have not the slightest doubt that each of you has a mission. Though others may disparage you, please know that I respect you, I believe in you. No matter what circumstances you now face I have absolute confidence that a wonderful future awaits you. Each time you fall down, just get back up. If you can pick yourself up, you can move forward. The biggest obstacles to our progress exist within our own lives in the form of cowardice and the tendency to give up. Breaking through these barriers will unleash a surging wave of change. You are young. Now is the time for challenge and construction. Now is the time to begin some endeavor.”
Astrid makes the determination to break through her obstacles by chanting vigorous daimoku and connecting with her mentor.
"With Daisaku Ikeda by my side, how could I fail?" she asks herself... "You went through so much for me to overcome this." She begins chanting vigorously for her success as the zone-wide taiko group begins to perform...
After her breakthrough, she shares her experience at a Rock The Era meeting and joins the zone-wide youth division chorus to close the performance section of the festival by singing "I Arise."
After the curtain call, the festival concluded with two Gohonzon conferrals (both of the new members were from Knoxville, TN... congratulations TN Volunteer area!) the South Zone "Rock The Era" song, and then "Forever Sensei."
Please continue to visit this blog as we will be collecting personal experiences from youth who attended this festival, as well as sharing information towards the "Dream Big, Change The World" festival in Philadelphia on July 25th!!
"Changing Our Destiny": An Introduction to Buddhism
March 20, 2010
11 AM and 3:30 PM
Location: Michael D. Rose Theater- Entertainment Lobby
"Ultimately, we are responsible for our own destiny. What really matters is how we can improve ourselves from this moment forward, how we can change the circumstances that we find ourselves in. This enormous transformative force is what Buddhism is all about." -Daisaku Ikeda
How can you change your destiny and become indestructibly happy? Join us on March 20 at the University of Memphis in the Entertainment Lobby in a panel presentation and discussion about Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Learn about the basic concepts of belief in our Buddhist practice and how it can lead to the transformation of your life as well as have an opportunity to ask any questions.
As an innovative way to participate in the taiko group, the youth division in Atlanta (with dedicated support from Peter, Cobb-Dobbins MD district leader) created their own version of taiko drums by taping up old tires (many donated by many Men's and Women's division members). The entire percussion ensemble is a creative mix of odds and ends, such as pans, buckets, and of course, tires.
Great job Atlanta!!!
At our festival in Memphis, the "uniforms" of the youth performing groups will be color-coordinated outfits. If you are a member of one of these groups, you must make the necessary plans to adhere to these requirements.
The following will be the "uniforms" for the specific groups.
Taiko Group: black T-Shirt and black pants
Chorus: white shirt and black pants
Dance Group: white top and blue jeans
Brass Band & Fife and Drum Corps (joint performance): red, blue, or yellow top and black pants
Thank you so much to Spicer, Atlanta chapter YMD leader, for putting together this inspirational video... Let's do all that we can over the next few days to encourage every youth division member and guest to attend our historic festival in Memphis, Tennessee and connect them to our mentor, Daisaku Ikeda. Let's not allow a single youth to miss out on this opportunity.
Thank you once again to Kiyomi for creating this BEAUTIFUL flyer to promote the exhibit, "Children Are The Future," which will be displayed on the University of Memphis campus at 255 University Drive, from 3/16/2010-3/20/2010. (What a significant day for the exhibit to begin!)
(Click on the flyer to view a larger version.)
Please distribute this flyer to all members and guests. There is a link on the right side of this page where you can download a PDF version of the flyer.
Thank you so much to Kiyomi, the Atlanta North Region Vice-YWD and Zone Byakuren leader, for creating this BEAUTIFUL flyer to promote our upcoming festival, "The Path Of A Disciple: Be Bold! Be The One!"
(Click on the flyer to view a larger version.)
Please distribute this flyer to all members and guests. There is a link on the right side of this page where you can download a PDF version of the flyer.
This original song was created by members of Atlanta Southeast Region. The following youth division participated in the writing of the song: Jai Marie, Brian, and Siddiq. The vocals were performed by Jai Marie. The track was produced by Chris, with the final mix done by Brian.
A woman’s division member, Llace, was inspired to write a song as a way to help support the youth division in Atlanta. With this motivation, she began collaborating with the youth division mentioned above, and the result was an amazing track with moving lyrics.
While the finished song features one vocalist, it was created in a way that everyone can participate… The youth division in Atlanta have been singing this at the end of every Rock The Era activity at the Atlanta Community Center, and there are plans to have an all-youth performance of this song at the South Zone Youth Festival in Memphis on 3/20/10!
For lyrics, please click the "Rock The Era" Lyrics link, on the right side of this page.