2012 President’s statement

JCI Fukuoka 60th president
Hirokazu Suematsu

Let’s?establish?the?raison?d’etre?and?act?as?leaders!

The first campaign of JCI Japan was started by young people who love Japan with their mission to rebuild their homeland. Along the same lines, JCI Fukuoka was established by 50 young people to achieve postwar economic recovery and a bright future in Fukuoka. Since then, thanks to our seniors with flame of enthusiasm and efforts, campaigns of JCI Fukuoka have been making great impacts to town development of Fukuoka. With inherited traditions, JCI Fukuoka will mark its 60th anniversary next year.

To the contrary, look at the present social situation. Many groups with expertise and NPO are campaigning like us. And now, people call for public interest, which is used to be nothing special. Under this time background, we need to verify again how we should be and what kind of activities we should do. In the past 59 years, JCI Fukuoka has been responding to the expectations of citizens and government in the each period. Those actions earn some respect from not only members of JCI Japan, also JCI abroad. I am purely happy and proud of being a member of JCI Fukuoka like this. And I really appreciate the history and seniors of JCI Fukuoka which make me feel this pride.

A history is made up by years and only emerged in the series of years. We have to keep growing in the series of this history and tradition and continue acting. While we take care of our tradition and protect things which we shouldn’t change, we positively change things which should be changed as revolutionary actors. Let’s take the first step steadily for the new generation.

The goal of JC is to establish a bright and prosperous society and a duty of JC would be to develop leaders who lead citizens to bring that society into reality. It means that JC is the organization which trains ability of self-advancement and leadership. And we are expected to display these abilities and expand our campaign.

By now, JCI Fukuoka has been developing various projects, such as social service activities, proposal to government, inviting professional baseball and football teams and The Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention in Fukuoka. What makes us, JC, different from the rest of organization is the spirit that we should do something which no one begins ahead of others. And leadership with strong networks, coordinating and cooperation is the JC’s power. First of all, it is important to establish the raison d’etre as JAYCEE（JC） and become leaders. And let’s act with that mind and pride.

To achieve our goal to produce leaders and establish a bright and prosperous society, we should consider what kind of campaign is requested and practice campaigns to change the society actively. We have made numerous proposals at each juncture. But we can’t end up being a pie in the sky. Our raison d’etre is the power of execution for acting to make them come true.

In recent years, when we work on projects, we receive lots of cooperation and support from not only local enterprises, also nationwide ones. This means that they understand our campaign because they also work not only for a quest of profit, but also for community development. And if we try to work together for local community, we shouldn’t depend on each other financially and materially. We need, in the real sense of the term, “Partnership” under the clear goal with organizations and associations in different positions.

So far, it seems we ended our projects with only transmitting information. However, if we want to create an action seriously, we need more effective transmission of information. We need to enhance the transmission of information in terms of the fact that JC gets recognize as an organization for urban development and how much valuable information can give to citizens. Then, our responsibility and result will be expected. Why don’t we change our town seriously?

Recent years, Asia is the one of our keywords. To become a hub of Asia, we have to build city where people gather. Let’s see Fukuoka from the standing point of city where people get together. People say that Fukuoka is a livable city because it has an enough city function, is close to the nature and commodity prices such as housing are low. And festivals typified by Hakata Dontaku and Hakata Gion Yamakasa are held in Fukuoka, and also, many events, such as Nakasu Jazz, which was started by JCI Fukuoka are taken place. As for sports, Fukuoka has professional teams of baseball, football, rugby and basketball. Furthermore, there are only 4 cities, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka in Japan which have Sumo tournament and international marathon. We can also enjoy fresh seafood from the Sea of Genka, Motsunabe, ramen, strings of food stalls which are rare in Japan. We must convey the charm of Fukuoka in where we can enjoy sports, culture and food with good living environment. To do this, it is important for us, citizens, to reaffirm the charm of this city. And then, we should think how we convey and expand those to Kyoshu and also Asia.

In late years, please started criticizing a cramming system of education and changed to an education free from pressure. But after all, people now say that this education free from pressure is the reason of declining academic standards in Japan. I am sure that there are quite a lot of people who feel uneasy about modern public education system because of the appearance of monster parents, who see the society as opposed to individuals, insist on the right of only children and make a complaint about nothing to do with the real issue. And no educationist can do anything to these parents. I am not blindly giving the glory to the past, but it is important to learn the aesthetics as Japanese, customs and rules through our history and tell these to people. Our JC generation is a parent generation. We, parents, have a responsibility to take an interest in and act for educations for children who will forge the future of Japan.

Opportunity?and?Gratitude

There are lots of opportunities at JC and our seniors and fellows give you those. We sometimes encourage, get lectured and pull, get a supportive push. And, we move forward to be better.

Here, I would like to think about “opportunity”. One person gets an opportunity and grows himself. Then, he gives opportunity to another person and let him grow. If this cycle works well, an organization becomes activated and grows automatically. We can also say the same thing to the enlargement of our membership. If there are more members with feelings for their own city, we can have bigger campaign. In simpler terms, if more and more citizens can achieve their feelings, that city must become the happiest city in the world. Let’s be conscious about this virtuous cycle all the time.

In the year of 2012, JCI Fukuoka produces a vice-president of JCI Japan for the first time in 14 years. It means that we will have more opportunities to feel closer to JCI Japan, district and block than usual. Once you step out of Fukuoka area, you will find a world you never imagined. So, please try harder and use the opportunity to broaden your view. And you cannot forget about your boss and colleagues at company and family who send you to JC. We always have to remember the gratitude for our company and family who let us work at JC. And we should let them feel that it was good to let us join JC or worth joining JC. We join more JC activities, we should make them happy. If you cannot change your close people and make them happy, you cannot change your local community, country and the world. Let’s make the gratitude engine and act with a sense of responsibility, consciousness and energy.

Conclusion

 

We are facing to many kinds of problems. Whose fault are they? The thing constructing this society is each of us. It means that we have a part of the responsibility to those problems. Just complaining about politics or systems doesn’t solve anything. You might expect someone else will do. We are JAYCEE. Why don’t we become valuable existences and make an organization we can proud of?

JCI Fukuoka is made by each of us and each of us is JCI Fukuoka itself.