Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 10, 1 October 2017 — Celebrating generations of Hawaiians [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Celebrating generations of Hawaiians

LEO ELELE V TRUSTEE MESSSAGES '

ater this month, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

will hold their 58th annual convention, ™being hosted this

year in Seattle, Washington by Nā Lei Makalapua, the Mainland Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs. This year's theme is He Hawai 'i Mau A Mau, Celebrating Generations of Hawaiians Around the Globe. As Chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, I will be addressing the convention delegates and sharing my mana'o

during the plenary session. I am also looking forward to participating in the convention as a delegate of Ho'olehua Hawaiian Civic Club of Moloka'i. Founded in 1918 by Pnnee Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs is the oldest Hawaiian community-based grassroots organization. The Association cmrently has more than 60 civic clubs across the pae'āinaand on the continent. Civic clubs promote civic engagement, peipetuate the Hawaiian language, history, music, dance and otlier cultural ti'aditions, and have a commitment to education. The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs has a strong voice in advocacy at the loeal, state, and federal levels. Throughout the course of this year's convention, the clubs and their delegates will have the opportunity to participate in special workshops, heai' from special speakers who are leaders in the Hawaiian community, and deliberate to set the Association's priorities for the upcoming year. If you have never been to a civic club convention, you are missing out on a unique opportunity to see policy being made and advocacy in action. In committee meetings, delegates will consider resolutions that have been submitted by their respective clubs. Delegates will have the opportunity

to propose revisions to the resolutions while they are being discussed in

these respective committee meetings. Those resolutions passed out of committee

are sent to the floor for final consideration by the convention delegates. All meetings and deliberations during the convention carefully follow parliamentary procedure. Resolutions that are enacted form the Association's positions taken. One such way this policy is used is to form positions that are later provided at the Hawai 'i State Legislature during the legislative session.

Business aside, the convention is also a time for aloha and camaraderie, a time to reconnect with 'ohana and friends,

and a ehanee for civic club leaders to discuss the great work being done in their respective eommunities. Civic clubs provide an ai'ray of services to their loeal communities, ranging from sharing cultural knowledge, perfoiTning community service, and fundraising for and awarding of scholarships for higher education. Clubs and individuals are recognized during awards ceremonies at eonvention for the work they do in their respective communities, and kupuna are recognized during the Kukui Lama Kū ceremony. An 'Aha Mele Songfest promotes and perpetuates Hawaiian a eappella choral singing as well as promoting a competitive spirit among participating clubs. There is also a somber time during Hali'a Aloha as delegates remember and memorialize their civic club 'ohana who have passed in the last year. Mueh hard work goes into the eonvention, and I commend and mahalo PelekikenaAnnelle Amaial, the Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, Conventions and Meetings Chair Lorna Akima, Mainland Council, and the many countless others whose hard work and dedication go to making eaeh convention a success. Look forward to seeing you at eonvention. ■

Cūlette Y. Machado Chsir, TrustEE Mulūka'i ard Lāna'i

He Hawai'i Mau a Mau Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs 58th Annual Convention Oct. 29-Nov. 5, 2017 Seattle, Washington www.aohcc.org