A very happy afternoon was enjoyed by members attending the Annual General Meeting kindly hosted by Elizabeth Armstrong. Sincere thanks were offered to Mitsuko Kawasaki for her leadership as President over the past two years. Appreciation was expressed for the many contributions of non-returning 2015-17 Board members: Valerie Pryce (Secretary), Terry Hodgins (Hospitality) and Margaret Michaels (Librarian). The new Board appears in https://oharaottawa.com/about/board-officers/ Left to right are Lindsay McKercher (Librarian), Derek Kitchen (Internal Communications/Newsletter), Mitsuko Kawasaki (Past President), Sandra Olney (President), Penny Davis (Membership), Elizabeth Armstrong (Secretary, Second Internal Communications-Newsletter/Second External Communications – Website), Helen Westington (Treasurer). Missing are Mitsugi Kikuchi (Honorary Advisor Emeritus), Marie-Eve Coupal (Vice-President) and Tom Nicholls (Hospitality).

On November 23, 2016 Ambassador Kenjiro Monji and Mrs. Monji hosted a reception to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. Honorary Advisor Emeritus Mitsugi Shinran Kikuchi of the Ohara School, with the assistance of Helen Jukai Westington, presented on the stage the ikebana arrangement shown here. Ambassador Monji, Foreign Minister Dion, and distinguished guests celebrated “the new era for cooperation between Japan and Canada.”

A very successful early fall exhibition by Cliff Shinju Byrnes, his students and guests from Ottawa, was held on September 11, 2016 in Gananoque. Taking advantage of late summer garden and wild blooms, grasses and branches, the hall at the Carveth Care Centre was colourful indeed. See the full gallery by clicking here!

A sample of miniatures

Two fun and educational workshops were held in Gananoque on Saturday, September 13. Second Master Cliff Shinju Burns led one in the creation of miniature arrangements in the Japanese style. Cliff then taught a second workshop in the water reflecting and realistic landscape styles of the Ohara School.

Cliff at work