(Team leader: vice president of Nippon SP Center, Inc., Member of Osaka-Tsurumi RC)
We returned to Japan in early April after 5 weeks in RI District 769 in the Piedmont, North Carolina, U.S.A.. First of all, I would like to report that all of the members were healthy without a sign of illness. We enjoyed a delightful, and very meaningful homestay experience with our North Carolina host families.
Thanks to new RI criteria for selection of the team, we were able to add a female member to our group. As good fortune would have it, she is a registered nurse, a coordinator of the English conversation classes at a Baptist Church, and a very intelligent and warmhearted Christian. The morning following our arrival at Greensboro, she asked G.S.E. Committee member Mr. Joe Gawthrop to escort her to the Sunday church service. Her regular Sunday church-going practice in Osaka appears to have enchanted the hearts of North Carolina Rotarians.
Although I personally follow the Buddhist faith, I used to sing in a church choir when I was a student and have participated in 4 District 769 Sunday church services. Each visit was to a different denomination, Baptist Church with an African American congregation, Presbyterian, Catholic, and Methodist. Yet at each, I was deeply impressed with the strong faiths of the American people.
I felt that the Christian spirit thriving for love and peace was the backbone and the standard of behavior of the people of this region.
Reidsville RC President Mr. Joe Towns, knowing of my desire to visit a southern Baptist Church with an African American congregation, asked a cook at one of his favorite restaurants for directions and accompanied me there. The preacher warmly received us and allowed us to record the service on video tape from the balcony. Midway through the service, both Joe and I were asked to make speeches. I will never forget the booming applause we received from the congregation.
Rockingham RC President Mr. Gene McLaurin and I visited the Rockingham Presbyterian Church where I was again asked to make a speech as a guest. I explained that I was a member of the G.S.E. from Japan. Then I sang the "Lord's Prayer" solo accompanied by an organ. As I had memorized the lyrics from a Mahalia Jackson movie, I thought this hymn most particularly appropriate for expressing my feelings at that moment.
There is one more member I'd like to mention about. At his interview, I had thought his English level was not up to par with that of other applicants. I found, however, that he actually possessed some quite unique abilities. He was a violinist. Music is a universal language which overcomes any language barriers to send its message straight from one heart to another.
I promised to make up for any deficiencies in his English conversation ability, so he joined our group. The right decision after all, for he was a major success. Following his beautiful violin introduction, we sang in English the famous "Getting To Know You" from the musical "The King And I," to which every American present warmly responded. Reidsville Zone Coordinator Mr. Jack Harrill even whistled this number the entire time he took us around by car.
The violinist's musical talent was so impressive that after RC meetings, many asked to shake his hand. He performed solos everywhere, at elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and churches. He also attended a class at the Winston-Salem School of Music. At one location where there was a piano, the female member I mentioned earlier accompanied him with the piano by improvising tunes which heightened the overall performance a great deal. Some Rotarians called us the "musical team." As the team's leader, I cannot begin to fathom the value of our violinist's contribution. There was no problem with his English communication either as all the Americans who spoke with him kindly spoke slowly and used helpful gestures. At the end of each week's homestay, he apologized to his host family for being unable to sufficiently communicate in English, to which his family responded by saying, "We can't speak Japanese either, so it's even." The G.S.E. Committee members of District 769 and the Zone Coordinators were scrupulous in arranging the "Vocational Day" program. Their mindfulness was apparent in the materials used for the numerous discussions and meetings, so much so that back of Greensboro Zone Coordinator Mr. Fred Reinecke's file folder ripped from the pressure by a thick bundle of the materials inside.
One of our members who is a bellman of an international hotel chain visited District 769's airport hotel, a resort hotel, and large and small city hotels. He gathered comments from each hotel's manager concerning American hotel management, a most valuable experience simply unattainable had he been an average traveler or a guest. He was also able to meet with the manager of the Marriott Marquis on Broadway in New York during his bonus trip before his return to Japan. He had this opportunity also because of a Greensboro Rotarian.
Another member of our group who works in a restaurant was escorted to several different types of restaurants during his stay and had the opportunity to sample their menus. Our group once joined a Japanese CEO of a Japan based company in America. When the CEO mentioned that American food wasn't very good, the member told him that he simply had not had good food in America yet. The CEO listened humbly to the younger man's words and realized that he had not yet had a meal in a real American restaurant, nor had he yet been invited to anyone's home for a meal.
Our Assistant Team Leader inherited his father's company which is a wholesaler of wrapping ribbons and felt materials for handicrafts. A Rotarian who happened to be sitting with him at a meeting heard about his professional interests and subsequently took him to those places he thought best for him. He and his Rotarian friend also spent a full day at North Carolina University's Japan Center in Raleigh.
The Assistant Team Leader, who performs volunteer services himself deeply involved in relations with Osaka City Hall personnel, was surprised by the extent to which the local government administration permeates residential services in America. Were he himself to set out for the political stage in Japan, this experience would undoubtedly play a major role in his development.
The nurse among us was particularly interested in the American hospital system and facilities, the medical education system, and nursing education at community colleges. She also visited day care centers, senior citizen homes, even soup kitchens where volunteers distribute soup to the homeless.
I was personally impressed by computer education in American high schools, especially at Reidsville High. With one computer for each student, they studied actual integrated software applications (Microsoft Works) instead of concentrating on computer language education. I believe Japan is several years behind the U.S. in this approach to computer education. What surprised me at the university level was the animated question and answer exchange between students and the teaching staff, discussing matters as if they were all friends. The thick textbooks they used had plenty of photographs, and visual aids. They seemed superior to the textbooks used at Japanese universities.
Lessons using overhead projectors were effective and easy to understand. The Japanese company CEO I mentioned earlier and we attended a lecture on International Marketing at North Carolina University Greensboro campus, where I responded in English to the students' questions. At Wake Forest University, I experienced an interestingly reversed situation of chatting with students and teachers in Japanese history and Japanese language classes all in Japanese.
The English language conversational ability of our group noticeably improved during our stay in North Carolina. We seemed to have adopted the southern accent, so much so that we were able to make jokes using southern accent to break the ice during our speeches.
We did not particularly try to promote Japanese culture. The single exception was Japanese tea ceremonies introduced by our nurse at some of the parties. We wanted to present our ordinary, everyday Japanese selves. I believe that American people sensed that Japanese are no different than Americans and not just an economic entity to be criticized.
Homestay family selections were well-considered according to the occupation of each member of the G.S.E. team. For example, the nurse stayed with the families of several doctors. Since the everyday itinerary usually consisted of being guided around by Rotarian volunteers in a van, there was ample opportunity for us to speak Japanese with each other throughout the day. Once we return to our host families, however, we carried on with one-to-one conversation with Americans. Among the host families, everybody was addressed on a first-name basis. We were just like members of the host families.
The housewife of one Greensboro host family confesses as follows. "I didn't really know anything about Japanese people. I actually had rather negative feelings at first. I was nervous because I didn't know what you ate or how to entertain you. But, when I actually saw you and talked with you a while, I suddenly realized that I should do what I always do and simply think that we have a new member to our family. Now, I don't even want you to go back to Japan!"
During the 5 weeks of stay, no one including the middle-aged man such as myself missed having Japanese food. One of our members even fell in love with grits, a traditional southern dish. It would appear that American food would easily win over the tastes of young Japanese. My personal favorites were cheese grits and gravy on biscuits. I have to admit, however, that the regionally famous BBQ we had in a restaurant did not taste as expected. But the outdoor BBQ one of the host families' husband prepared was even better than I could imagine. I realized that it is all in the way it is cooked with. Japanese often claim that American beef is not very good. BBQ is a pork dish, but the homemade baked beef filet mignon cooked over a charcoal grill stood up against the taste of any first class Japanese steak house. As a matter of fact, due to less fat it had, the meat tasted more succulent. The Reidsville RC President and his wife took us to a Texas-style "Long Horn" steak house where the large and tasty T-bone cost only $ 14. The same steak would probably cost over $ 100 in Japan. On our return to Japan, with our bonus air travel, we stopped off at New York City's famed Gallagher's restaurant where the very same T-bone cost $27, about double the cost in North Carolina. As in Japan, metropolitan area prices tend to be higher.
The most wonderful aspect of the homestay program was the time spent with our host families, the opportunity to observe everyday American life from inside. Take a prayer before meals. We Japanese, too, say "itadakimasu" to express our thanks for the food before us, the American prayer thanking God for the fruits of that day differ from ritualistic custom of ours.
Family photos and portraits decorate the interiors of homes. At a first sight it seemed to clatter the walls, but then we came to realize that it is how they value the family, the smallest unit of the community.
American homes tend to be larger, more spacious, and contain more rooms than Japanese homes. At times, though, we felt that some of the families went through an extra trouble of giving us a room normally occupied by a family member. To be a host family definitely requires the true spirit of service and generosity.
Cars are more essential to life in America than I had imagined. Since the land itself is extensive and there is no mass transit, to go to work, out shopping, or to church requires one car per person per family. Some families owned as many as 6 cars. Gasoline prices in America are l/4 those in Japan. I believe that if American gasoline prices rise to equal those of Europe or Japan, or, if the government collects a sufficient gasoline tax to eliminate their budget deficit, the American way of life would have to radically change, forcing them to buy smaller cars or to build housing more closely together.
The same thing can be said about the size of houses. Houses of nearly 4000 square feet set on 1 to 2 acres of land, approximately 1,200 to 1,400 tsubo by Japanese reckoning. Houses are equipped with central hot water supply systems and central heating. Also, every bedroom comes with its own bathroom. The March 11 issue of Fortune magazine concluded that life in small American towns was probably the best in the world. On the other hand, if most people in the world tried to achieve this American styled life, how many people could inhabit the planet? When we consider the world's population explosion and the enormous difference in the standard of living between the developed nations and the third world nations, we can't help but feeling that the rich American lifestyle is like "momentary paradise" that will have existed before the world's major upheavals.
While staying with host families, we couldn't help noticing how busy they were. American society, however, is very unlike Japanese society. Americans work hard in the daytime while Japanese go to work early in the morning and keep working until late at night. Executives like Rotarians, however, within their sphere of relations with churches, the YMCA, schools, and the community, spend additional work time in volunteer services which pay nothing at all. This G.S.E. program, of course is part of their volunteer services.
Americans are said to be individualistic. I was impressed, however, by the fact that Americans have a sense of responsibility for contributing to the community in which the individuals belong to. When I visited the Moore Memorial Hospital in Southern Pines, a noble-looking gentleman was working as a porter. A Rotarian, he had retired and moved to this area in the hopes of spending a carefree, quiet life. But he also wanted to be of use to society, so he now works at the Moore Memorial one day a week as a volunteer. At this one hospital alone, there are some 600 registered volunteers. The receptionist at the Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem was also a volunteer. And in Greensboro, an elderly woman worked by decorating the nursery facilities at a children's day care center because she "would rather help society than watch T.V. at home." Everywhere we went, we encountered devoted volunteers working in social service organizations with chronic financial deficits.
We often saw "Adopt a Highway" signs along North Carolina's highways and city streets. Certain businesses and organizations had promised the state and cities to clean highways at specific intervals (empty bottles and cans, for example) by collecting this trash 2 to 3 times in a year. If the trash is put into specified bags along the roadside, state or city cleaning personnel would remove it the next day. State and city sanitation departments provided volunteers with ostentatious orange vests to prevent them from being hit by passing vehicles and protective gloves to prevent injuries from sharp objects like glass pieces.
In High Point, I joined High Point RC President Mr. Joe Craycroft and 10 other Rotarians (including a former president and a former governor) in fulfilling a High Point cleaning contract by enjoying 2 hours cleaning Johnson Street, a principal road from the city's suburbs to the downtown area.
Japanese companies that have moved into America are about to face a cultural gap related to the relationship between the community and individuals. Japanese working at Japanese companies in the U.S. are not only members of the company but members of the community around them and, as such, are naturally expected to participate in its activities. Businesses are equally expected to be active in the concerns of their surrounding communities. I observed one case in which the recently arrived CEO of a Japanese company was, unlike his predecessor, had a limited knowledge of the community effort, and this perplexed the American executives of the company.
My host in Reidsville was Mr. Joe Towns, manager in charge of the district's gas transmission, the midway point for a gas company which sends natural gas by pipeline from Texas to New York. His midpoint district has existed since before the population of the area increased. With such increases, however, he has had to be especially concerned with ultra-low frequency sound generated from the gas pressure pumps and the community's perspective on its effect. For a company, maintaining good relations with neighbors is, to some extent, a matter of life and death. In addition to contracting for cleaning jobs, Joe's company is also trying to establish good relations in its community by such projects as setting up nests for the surrounding forest's bird life.
The American government is largely configured to include volunteers and seems to welcome their activities and contributions. Where there are volunteers, local government costs naturally decrease, resulting in welcomed lower taxes. This attitude differs largely from that of local Japanese governments which disapprove of volunteer work on the grounds that it would deprive city employees of jobs. As Japan rapidly becomes a society largely populated by senior citizens, we should certainly give some thought to providing places for volunteer work in Japan.
Having seen the light of "community" that shines in America, it is easy to understand why Japan incurred American anger during the Gulf War. There was simply no way on earth that 65% of the world's oil resources should be allowed to pass into the hands of a dictator. Although Japan imports 70% of her oil from the Middle East, it seems as if we had left the dirty work up to America and ignored the issue. The point Americans may have wanted to make was that, if we Japanese are to belong to the same world "community" as theirs, we have got to bear the same responsibility as a member of society.
Japanese products in America are especially noted for their high quality. Winston Salem Zone Coordinator Mr. Richard Burr took us around on our last day in a new GM wagon. Suddenly, it started to rain heavily, severely limiting frontal vision. To top it off, the wipers wouldn't work due to an electrical short circuit.
I clearly remember Richard's expression when he spit out the words, "American cars! " Another person bought an American car only to have 14 breakdowns in one year which required taking the car in to the dealer. Of course American consumers love their country, but it is also plain that, as consumers, they believe it perfectly acceptable to buy any country's products, as long as they had good qualities and they are inexpensive. Free trade is, after all, for the consumer. American consumers apparently obtain Japanese cars for 25% cheaper than their European counterparts because import restrictions are less severe in the U.S. No matter what Mr. Iacocca says, American consumers probably wouldn't agree with severe import restrictions.
Changes are occurring not only in the auto industry but in the American computer industry. Downsizing of the computers as exemplified by the emergence of book-size computers has already begun to drastically shake up the entire computer market, and most of these small book-size PCs are Japanese products or OEM. I took a notebook PC and a portable ink jet printer with me to North Carolina. People admired their high performance and low cost. Americans were quite shocked to learn that the computer could handle Japanese language and print out Kanji (Chinese characters) and kana (Japanese alphabets).
Considerable time has passed since Japan shed the image of "copycats" and began to produce its own original products. Japan by itself has announced principal technological advances which European and American industries cannot access. Japanese can freely access American technological data because we can read English. Since Americans, as a whole, cannot read Japanese, however, they do not even have access to open data and this is perceived as a problem. Japan has all of a sudden technologically and economically increased the awareness of its existence. Yet it does not show its true face, and remains, I suppose, full of mysteries.
Studies of Japanese tradition, literature, and culture overseas are naturally important, but I have come to believe that interest in practical Japanese language education truly necessary to understanding modern Japan is even more important. I'd like to consider exactly what kind of Japanese language education would be most effective for foreigners to read Japanese trade newspapers and technical magazines, to meet and understand Japanese engineers, and to search and access essential data from databases in Japanese.
The distribution of information should not be a one-way affair. I believe that as we Japanese can have access to information in foreign countries, free access to information in Japan from overseas will enable international mutual understanding and, in its turn, aid in promoting world peace. I embrace the hope that I can take an active role in this area as a link to Rotarian vocational services.
I believe that this trip has freshly instilled in all of us the importance of "the people of different countries meeting and getting to know one another."
We arrived in North Carolina just after the coalition forces advanced into Kuwait. We had worried whether or not Americans harbored bad feelings toward the Japanese, but we were overwhelmed by the warm welcome we received from past-governor Mr. Richard Meisky and all the members of the G.S.E. Committee who greeted us upon our arrival at Greensboro Airport. A photo of the scene of our first meeting was even published in the local newspaper.
That evening, we were invited to dinner by G.S.E. Committee members Mr. Patrick Barfield and Mr. David Jones. The following day, past-governor Chip Wood and other committee members held an orientation where we could learn about the American government, judiciary, and police system, and money and banking systems. That evening at the Airport Marriott Hotel, a Welcome Banquet was held with Governor John W. Justice, Jr., Governor Nominee Everett B. Padgett, Jr., and all the host families in attendance. Here, everyone prayed for the safe return of those who had gone off to the Gulf War, and our team members decorated a yellow ribbon on their chests. I later heard from a Rotarian that our wearing these yellow ribbons had relaxed the Americans and instilled a feeling of welcome.
After the Welcome Banquet, we headed out for our first host families in Reidsville for the night. Thinking back on the fact that the host families from Rockingham had to drive 3 hours round trip that night made me even more thankful.
One of the nicest things we experienced at each zone was that we received a summary orientation. In Reidsville, Jack explained to us from the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution to present conditions of Rockingham County taking half a day. Ms. Suzie Stroud, a war bride of a soldier in occupied Japan, spoke to us about American local communities. Suzie was also invited to the Reidsville RC Anniversary and Founders Night where she almost brought tears to her eyes listening to the Japanese children's songs we sang there.
In Rockingham (Richmond County), Rotarians invited a Japanese war bride to the RC meeting for which we were very thankful. This day was also Mr. Matsumoto's birthday so everyone sang "Happy Birthday". Mr. Jim Hicks kindly showed us a video to orient us to the community and its businesses. In Greensboro and High Point, we received materials prepared by the Chamber of Commerce. In Greensboro, Japanese narration accompanied the video they showed us, but we were a bit surprised to find that it contained some discriminatory expressions no longer used in Japan. We informed them of inappropriate word usage and asked that they correct it when they had the chance.
In Winston-Salem, Richard, the Zone Coordinator, spoke to us in a room at the Twin City Club about the origin, history, and present circumstances of the city. After lunch at this historical club, Richard took us around to the Old Salem where the old buildings are preserved and Reynolda House which was under renovation.
It is always interesting to visit tourist attractions. Jack took us to the Chinqua-Penn House in Reidsville. The Penn House has been donated to North Carolina University as a museum. Such a great building and its interior furnishings were quite a sight in the countryside. Even the room Churchill stayed in was on display. Jack is a charter member of the museum but was surprised to learn that his name had been inscribed on a plate without his knowledge.
From Rockingham, we went to see a Hornets pro basketball game in Charlotte. In High Point, the host families invited us to the ocean, the mountains, and golfing.
In Greensboro, we visited the Guilford Battlefield, old site of a decisive battle in the American War of Independence, and saw some old houses that were built over 200 years ago. The Rotarian Director of the Historical Museum also showed us Civil War armaments.
In Winston-Salem, we climbed Mt. Pilot which stands shaped like a table in an open field. Pete, who drove us in his van and helped us out for 3 days during that week, had just recovered from an operation for a brain tumor. That he could take so much of his time from his work as a stockbroker for us simply overwhelmed us.
Many other Rotarians besides Pete voluntarily took us around in a van which they were not used to driving. Among these volunteers were the past-presidents of RC. We really admire the spirit of American Rotarian volunteers.
All the businesses we visited in North Carolina were intriguing, each in its own way. In Reidsville, we visited the Miller Brewing Co., its can plant, and the American Tobacco Co. Both companies are some of the largest in the world. Pine Hall Brick and Karastan Carpet Div. are local companies that are closely tied with the construction and interior decoration fields in the region. We also visited the Japanese company Kobe Copper's Halstead Copper Tubing, a joint-venture plant using Japanese know-how for the internal processing of high value-added copper tubing for air conditioners. They seemed to work hard to build relationships with the local community. One of their Japanese employees' worries was that their children tended to forget Japanese language. So they sent them to a weekend Japanese language school opened by the company's executive volunteers. It seems there were some problems with securing teachers and texts.
Almost every morning in Reidsville, the team members would gather at Jack's house and partake of the wonderful breakfast his wife, Ann, had prepared. Other than the world renowned group of golf courses and the golf hall of fame, what impressed us the most was the main factory of Burlington Industries and the Harris Nuclear Power Plant.
Burlington Industries Manufacturing imports raw thread fromTeijin and manufactures cloth of its own woven patterns. The effort put into the training of this plant's personnel really stood out.
The Harris Nuclear Power Plant is near the state capital of Raleigh, situated right in the center of the plains. In spite of its location, the plant fervently carries out its PR and offers a splendid exhibition. Given its size and the amount of money required for its construction, it is probably not up to scale with Kansai Electric Company's Mihama Nuclear Power Plant, but I thought that the inside offered a vast array of information. Take the safe transport of used fuel, for example. A video of transport vehicles loaded with containers of fuel crashing against a wall is available for public viewing. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the fuel containers will not be disturbed even when a vehicle is totaled.
At the State Congress in Raleigh, Senator Koundhaus, elected from Richmond County, kindly introduced us to the congressional facilities and committees. And with State Senator Sandy Sands, a Reidsville Rotarian elected from Rockingham County, he introduced the G.S.E. team to the state's legislators, sending the message that Rotary contributed to the international understanding through our program.
The exhibition at High Point Zone Coordinator Mr. Bill Kester's company, Rose Furniture, was enormous representing the area that is declared as the world center of furniture. Various styles of furniture were splendidly displayed, any of which could be purchased on the spot or ordered by dialing toll free. Twice each year, the High Point Furniture Fair is held with people from all over the world in attendance. I thought I'd like to return for this occasion.
We felt that safety of the workers is questionable at a yacht factory and a school bus factory we visited. I felt, however, that High Point RC President Mr. Joe Craycroft's company, Mac Panel, had implemented splendid policies to improve the working environment for oriental and black workers at his company.
We were really impressed with the scale of the Cone Mills White Oak Plant in Greensboro which produces the denim cloth for Levi Jeans. The manager's family members are also Rotarians who are well-known for their generous donations and contributions to the community.
The existence of a Center for Creative Leadership in this area was also quite impressive. Rotarian and executive of the organization, Vicky, runs a training camp designed to educate and develop corporate leaders. In cooperation with the Greensboro RC, the "Rotarian Youth Leadership Camp" has been opened. Since Vicky has the opportunity to visit Tokyo once or twice a year, we at District 266 will have a chance to invite her for a visit by paying for her way between Tokyo and Osaka and her stay. Winston-Salem, the names of 2 well-known tobacco brands, was developed thanks to the efforts of the Reynolds Tobacco Co. The company's plant in Tobaccoville is one of the most advanced in the world, actively employing such technology as carrier robots for its operations.
In addition to visits to businesses, we toured the local government, schools, hospitals, and welfare facilities. To the greatest extent permitted, we took pictures and shot a total of 80-hour video of our exploits. We sincerely appreciated the accompaniment of fellow Rotarians and all the people of District 769 in this video recording. As soon as this valuable materials are edited, we will offer them to the 2 districts' video libraries in the hopes that it will serve as an invaluable reference in the future.
We also recorded segments from the home parties of each zone. This is an extremely interesting video expressing the open and generous American spirit and the beautiful interior of the houses. Host families in Zone 1 gathered at the Gwyn family party in Reidsville, where, with this entertaining ex-hippie couple, the festivities proved exhilarating. During the party, President Bush announced the end of the Gulf War, which brought us an unusual degree of excitement.
At the Swinnie family party in Rockingham following the Gwyn's fete, Ms. Sugino presented a tea ceremony to everyone's applause. The morning we left this area, we had a breakfast party at Zone Coordinator Mr. Jim Hick's home with the Senator, Representative, Rockingham City Mayor, and Hamlet City Mayor present. On the last Saturday of our Greensboro stay, the 4 RCs in this zone threw a dinner party at the traditional Greensboro City Club. As I listened to Zone Coordinator Mr. Fred Reinecke's warm moving speech, I ended up shedding tears of joy unexpectedly.
In Winston-Salem, all the host families in the zone, children and all, had a pot luck party with their favorite casseroles at the McMillan's.
The day before we left North Carolina, an unseasonable tornado struck, causing the creek to flood, serious enough to cause deaths. Nevertheless, the Governor, Governor Nominee, all the members of the G.S.E. Committee, and most of the host families gathered at the Winston-Salem City Club and held a Farewell Banquet for us. The festivities began with a speech by Reynolda RC President Mr. Will Mann and a prayer of thanks offered by Mr. Joe Gawthrop. Governor Justice offered us this praise. "I have not heard a single negative comment about this team." Governor Nominee Padgett promised to send a great team to Osaka next year. Former Governor Meisky offered up several toasts. This was followed by a presentation of a shield in the shape of State of North Carolina to each of the member with his/her name inscribed on it, my own speech of thanks as the Team Leader, and a brief, fluent(?) statement in flawless southern accent from each of the team members.
As we parted, the singing began with the team song, "Getting To Know You," then "Sakura, Sakura," and then, we added "We Are The World" to a medley of children's songs ending with "Haru No Ogawa," (Stream in Spring). Finally, we passionately offered a Japanese camp song, "Kyo No Hi Wa, Sayonara," (Goodbye For Today).
The next day, the G.S.E. Committee and the Winston-Salem host families came to the airport to see us off and, feeling as if we were leaving our hearts behind, we left North Carolina.
These 5 weeks seemed long yet short. How much we were helped by so many wonderful Rotarians and volunteers! All of the members are talking to each other about how wonderful it would be if we can return the kindness bestowed on us by being as helpful to the visiting G.S.E. team next year.
There were 13 regular Rotary meetings, and meeting procedure differed quite a bit from that in Japan. Most of the RCs used their meeting times to introduce the G.S.E. team. During these meetings, however, sometimes guest speakers from the start of the year (for example, a member of congress) were determined as part of the meeting's program. Even at these times, we were introduced before the start of the regular meeting.
In either case, first, the Zone Coordinator or that RC's International Service Chairman explained the significance of the G.S.E. and introduced me as the Team Leader, whereupon I was called to give a speech. In most cases, the team members individually introduced themselves and, with Assistant Team Leader Mr. Matsumoto leading, we sang songs. "Getting To Know You", as our theme song and a medley of Japanese children's songs for every season followed it. When time was limited, I introduced the team all at once and we cut our medley down to just spring songs. Prior to the meeting just before St. Patrick's Day, Mr. Nishimura performed a violin solo of the Irish folk song, "Danny Boy."
Were I to list in writing what I observed at the American RC club meeting, it would be as follows.
1) The meeting's meal begins with a casual buffet style. Then the President rings the bell, everyone joins in prayer, then says the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, and the program begins.
2) The President himself presides over the meeting and requests reports from people in charge of various areas as required.
3) Until the bell is rung again signifying the end of the meeting, one rarely sees visitors leave their seats.
4) Once the meeting has ended, the President has talks with the board of directors. There are no songs or exercises.
5) The visitor's fee is inexpensive ($6 to $7). The membership fee is also relatively low. (I believe less than $1,000 annually.)
