May 1, 2024

Dear Fellow Birankai North America Members,

In 2023 we saw our organization moving boldly forward. This was a stark change from just the year before, when we were still in the waning days of the pandemic. Our ukemi training extends beyond the mat.

I can’t thank the Aikido Daiwa team enough for their commitment to bringing Summer Camp back. Camp 2023 was hugely successful; we needed 75 participants to break even and had around 145 participants. It was a strategic decision to move forward with Summer Camp that we made in late 2022, and Birankai North America (BNA) members delivered. The community came together for the first time in three years, and it was everything. Connected, Centered, Whole, Lively and Open. We expect Camp ‘24 to be all that and more, we’re on again June 19 – 23 at CSU Channel Islands in Camarillo, California. Let’s go!

The Board also continued to fund seminars, intensives, and events across our organization as well as introducing a new model of a Technical Team Event. One was hosted at Tacoma Aikikai in 2023 featuring Diane Deskin Sensei and Darrell Bluhm Sensei. Another Technical Team Event is planned at Multnomah Aikikai in Portland Oregon in fall of 2024. If you would like to host a similar event, reach out to us at https://birankai.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Seminar-Grants-Application.pdf. Also we continue to fund Summer Camp Scholarships, this is a long-standing program, so please inquire with the Scholarship Committee via the Summer Camp web page well ahead of Camp if you need help.

The Board has continued to be conservative in our financial approach, which has resulted in seeing a surplus of funds instead of a deficit or simply breaking even. This has allowed us to activate projects that were on hold as we can pay folks with specific technical skills and expertise for work that benefits the organization, and mostly by people who know or are part of the organization. We have a vast network of professionals in BNA in a variety of areas. If you have skills we need, or think we need, reach out to us! I would be remiss not to acknowledge the volunteers who give their time to keep us on track, you are the heart of the organization. I am with you. We are still in need of more volunteers to keep us moving strongly forward, if you have capacity and skills please reach out to Mark Sharp at msharp01@ameritech.net.

We are growing and continue to have new dojos. It is never lost on us on the Board that the individual dojos and teachers are what makes us an organization. Thank you to all of you who have kept the fire burning; please know that we all volunteered our time to support you and to further Chiba Sensei’s vision. We are all “Protecting the princess” as Sensei would say. Also, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly with any input, ideas or suggestions on how we may better serve you or the organization. My email address is birankainapresident@gmail.com.

Lastly, I want to thank all of you for your dedication and commitment to BNA. Connecting with each of you at seminars, events and Camp really humbles me and makes me proud.

Gassho,

Todd R. Fessenden