Tenrikyo Boys and Girls Association Headquarters held a seminar for nurturing committee heads of all branch chapters in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Boys and Girls Hinokishin Corps at Dining Hall 2 on May 25. The event was attended by heads of diocese chapters, nurturing committee heads of all branch chapters, and diocese chapter officials in charge of the corps activities.
Brief background
In 1972, an announcement was made to establish the Boys and Girls Hinokishin Corps, after which local chapters were started in many parts of the world. Since then, the Boys and Girls Hinokishin Corps has promoted nurturing junior high school age members by helping them conduct hinokishin activities rooted in local communities.
Also, the Boys and Girls Hinokishin Corps Training Course has been aimed at encouraging young members to savor the joy of hinokishin and develop appropriate attitudes as the children of the path through experiencing an orderly group living with their fellow members in summer in Jiba under the motto, “Let us spread the joy of serving others.”
Taking advantage of the Boys and Girls Hinokishin Corps’ 50th anniversary, the association is revisiting the original purpose of the corps’ activities and reassessing how these activities should be carried out. In addition, the association is working to promote and enrich hinokishin activities with the guidelines: “Let us promote hinokishin activities in dioceses and districts—Let us convey the joy of hinokishin to association members including junior high school students.”
Although association activities continue to be subject to some restrictions due to COVID-19, the association promoted the Children’s Hinokishin for Summer Vacation this year. Furthermore, the association designated July and August as the months for all district chapters to implement hinokishin activities aimed at conveying the joy of hinokishin to young members including junior high school students. Moreover, the Boys and Girls Hinokishin Corps Training Course was held in the Home of the Parent this year.
Promoting activities in local communities
During the seminar for nurturing committee heads of all chapters, Association Chairperson Isaku Nishida took the podium to speak. “In this commemorative year, let us promote hinokishin activities rooted in local communities to ensure that we return to the original purpose of the establishment of the Boys and Girls Hinokishin Corps, which is to say, the nurturing of junior high school age members. We would like to take this anniversary as a springboard for providing children with a place where they can continue to engage in hinokishin,” Chairperson Nishida said. “A key to promoting hinokishin activities rooted in local communities is how chapters’ nurturing committee heads play their roles. I hope that this seminar will help them carry out future activities.”
After that, Rev. Tokuhiro Nakagawa, head minister of Ikoma Grand Church, delivered an address entitled “The role and importance of local activities.” Furthermore, presentations were given by Rev. Eiji Sakamoto, nurturing committee head of Musashichuo Chapter in Saitama Diocese, and Rev. Naruto Komatsubara, nurturing committee head of Seibu Chapter in Tottori Diocese, to share some of their local activities such as church sleepovers and hinokishin.
Lastly, a video created by the association, entitled “In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Boys and Girls Hinokishin Corps—Aiming for the implementation of the motto ‘Let us spread the joy of serving others,’” was shown.