Progress of the Centennial Anniversary Project
July 31, 2019
Mr. Yasuhiro Kuroda
Director of Tokyo RC Centennial Anniversary
As we will celebrate our Centennial Anniversary in 2020, the Centennial Preparatory Committee was launched in RY 2014, and the Committee members had extensive discussions with Club members on how best we could celebrate our centennial history. In RY 2016, the Centennial slogan was decided as “By Recalling Our Past, We Can See Our Future. Participate!”. In RY 2018, the Preparatory Committee developed into the Centennial Working Committee which spearheads planning of various anniversary related projects. Let me report on progress made to date.
The Director of Centennial Anniversary in 2018 was served by Mr. Shinnichi Yoshizawa, in 2019 myself Yasuhiro Kuroda, and in 2020 again by Mr. Yoshizawa. The Centennial Working Committee Chairman in 2018~2019 is Mr. Hirotake Chikanami and in 2020 Mr. Koichi Takenaka. Mr. Michio Hamaguchi, Tokyo RC President in 2020, will also give us advices.
As the projects are so diversified, 7 Sub-Committees were set up under the Centennial Working Committee: Accounting Committee, Centennial History Publication Committee, Centennial Song Committee, Committee to Plan the Centennial Ceremony, Memorial Souvenir Committee, Memorial Banner Committee and Committee to Plan the Planting of the Memorial Dogwood Tree.
Let me take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all the Committee members for your dedication and cooperation as well as to ask for your continuous support.
Mr. Hirotake Chikanami
Chairman of Tokyo RC
Centennial Working Committee
I am Chikanami, Chairman of the Centennial Working Committee. Today, I will report on the progress of each Committee.
The Accounting Committee is making the overall budget coordination of projects under the chairmanship of Mr. Koichi Miyata.
The Centennial History Publication Committee, led by Chairman Mr. Yasuhiro Kuroda, is editing the 120-page commemorative magazine covering the century-long activities of our Club from its birth up to date, as well as speeches and photos on the Anniversary Day. It will be completed by May 2021 and sent to members after June.
The Centennial Song Committee, under Mr. Kikuo Watanabe as Chairman, selected the new Rotary Song entitled “Let’s Start together!” composed by Mr. Tomotake Shiroyama and lyrics by Mr. Masaharu Rokushika with Mr. Yoshihiko Miyauchi as Chairman of the Screening Board. The Centennial Song “Hymn of Tokyo RC—to the Future” composed by Mr. Shigeaki Saegusa with lyrics by Mr. Norihiko Tanigawa was also completed.
The Memorial Souvenir Committee under Mr. Shin’ichi Yoshizawa, Chairman, decided beautiful pair cups made by Fukagawa Porcelain Co., Ltd. Besides, a small present to take home on the Anniversary Day will be prepared with the cooperation of Mr. Mitsuhiro Kurokawa
Mr. Shin’ichi Yoshizawa also leads the Memorial Banner Committee which asked for public proposals for the design of the new banner. By the end of June, 7 proposals came which were all magnificent. At the Board meeting held on July 3rd, the design by Mr. Norihiko Tanigawa was selected. In order to express the beautiful Japanese four seasons, cherry blossoms and autumn colors as well as dogwood blossoms are arranged showing friendship with our twin clubs, Washington RC and Ardmore RC. A part of the Centennial slogan, “Participate!” is used as a keyword.
As our anniversary project, we decided to donate 20 million yen to Umekichi Yoneyama Memorial Hall for their Semi-Centennial Anniversary. We are also working on another project led by the Committee to plan the planting of the memorial Dogwood Tree to receive the generous proposal made by Ardmore RC to send us 100 seedlings of Dogwood.
Under the Committee to Plan the Centennial Ceremony headed by Mr. Shin’ichi Yoshizawa, 6 Sub-Committees are set up: Accounting Committee, Program and Entertainment Committee, Committee to Register Participants & Attend Invited Guests, Food & Beverage Committee, Facilities Planning Committee and Printing and Media Committee.
The Centennial Event will take place on October 21st at the Peacock Room of the Imperial Hotel. It will start at 5pm with the Memorial Meeting and we will show a short footage that summarizes our activities over 100 years, Bell Ringing, Rotary Song, and speeches will be made by our President and honorable guests. At 5:30pm the Memorial Party will start with some performances we are now elaborating, followed by a Toast and Dinner, and will end around 8pm.
The layout of the Peacock Room will depend on the size of the stage, and at most 762 seats will be prepared. In the anteroom, a chronological table showing our past activities together with successive Presidents will be exhibited.
The Program and Entertainment Committee under Mr. Yasuhiro Kuroda, Chairman, will make the overall program, prepare exhibition panels in the anteroom and coordinate celebration performances.
The Committee to Register Participants and Attend Invited Guests is led by Mr. Motohiro Mibu, Chairman. The Chairman to attend oversea guests is Mr. Yukio Tada and the Chairman to attend guests within Japan is Mr. Heiemon Kimura. We will start sending invitation cards to guests in December and next March to our members.
Both Food & Beverage Committee and Facilities Planning Committee are led by Mr. Tetsuya Kobayashi, Chairman. A superb dinner will be served in collaboration of Kiccho and Imperial Hotel. Mr. Seiichiro Asakawa as MC will preside the whole event of the day.
The Printing and Media Committee under Mr.Yasuhiro Kuroda, Chairman, will produce pamphlets, take photos and footages of the Anniversary day, so that they will be utilized for further progress of our club.
Further developments will be available through a dedicated page within the Tokyo RC website in alliance with IT・HP Committee Chairman, Mr. Masami Yagi. Let me ask for your cooperation and support to make our Centennial Anniversary a most successful and memorable one.