by Armand Gutierrez, President

Once again July is coming in warm-to-hot temperatures, but nothing quite as bad as what’s transpiring on the East coast. Last year’s celebration of our country’s founding was quite a spectacle and I suspect this year’s celebrations will be even greater. So do your part over the 4^th of July weekend by raising Old Glory high above and into the field of blue.

NSC Objectives for this Season

This past season there have been two initiatives that I presented to the board for discussion: family memberships and the FWSA Website Award. The first is controversial, while the second is not.

Family Memberships. The concept of family memberships was born as a result of another way to increase our membership, something that has remained steady over the past few years but took a nosedive during the COVID pandemic. However, preliminary research indicates that, while technically feasible, there are a number of considerations: Constitution/By-Laws changes, insurance, family membership fees, annual ski week, age limits, parental responsibilities, and most important – membership approval. Frank Chang, our treasurer, suggested a series of forums to bring this discussion to the membership and, based on feedback, have a required membership vote. Since we don’t have regularly scheduled meetings I would like to hold these forums at the following events: NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic, the planned 65^th Reunion Dinner, and at the Farewell Dinner on our Jackson Hole ski week.

FWSA Website Award. As part of the FWSA International Travel team I’ve been exposed to the many programs that FWSA sponsors or supports. When I learned about the Historical Club Award I realized that the Nisei Ski Club met all the requirements and, with a little bit of work from the board, we submitted the requisite historical material and subsequently NSC was designated as an FWSA Historical Club. Well, with some changes to our website I think we can win the Website award (novice category) as well. Karen Soo has already been making changes and additional changes will be forthcoming.

Mt. View Obon Festival

The festival will be held July 15-16 so mark your calendars for this annual event. In the past, organizers of the festival have asked NSC for volunteers to work the various booths. Well, this year they have reached out to Karen Soo to see if NSC would be able to provide volunteer support for this year. Check out details this month to sign up.

NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic

The NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic is scheduled for July 22^nd/ Saturday so mark your calendars. As usual the club will be providing beverages and a lunch entree and you can bring a favorite side dish. Details will be on the Picnic Flyer.

FWSA 90^th Annual Convention

The FWSA 90^th Annual Convention was held from 15-18 June, in Boise, ID. This was my first time attending (16-18 June) in two capacities: 1) to assist Debbie Stewart (VP International Travel) with the Silent Auction and her Snow Sports Leadership Academy presentation, and 2) to provide NSC representation.

At the luncheon, Keynote Speaker Genia Fuller-Crews, a World Freestyle Champion and Honored Member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame (https://skihall.com/hall-of-famers/genia-fuller-crews/), shared her story of competing in and winning World Freestyle Championships (70s) and her work with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame for equality of recognition. And at her table during the Banquet were four of her buddies that also competed, and won, in freestyle (ballet, moguls, aerials) competitions and are also in the Hall of Fame

As a delegate representing NSC I attended various seminars, entitled to make nominations for the various open positions (I didn’t) and to vote during the elections (I did). Debbie Stewart also invited me to sit in as her guest at their board meeting. The board meeting was quite similar to our board meetings, but with a little more parliamentarian rules. Next year’s FWSA Convention is being held in Reno and hosted by our very own Bay Area Sports Council (BAC) and Sierra League & Council.

Here is the sign up form for Jackson Hole weeklong trip.

2024 JACKSON HOLE FLYER

QotM:  Your greatness is not what you have, but what you give.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Come on out and volunteer your time to help out the local community.

Mountain View Buddhist Temple is having their annual Obon Festival.

Dates – Saturday, July 15^th and Sunday, July 16^th.

The Obon Committee has developed a link for our members to volunteer

though their new volunteer webpage https://sangha.mvbuddhisttemple.org/obon/

For more information about the Obon (parking, hours, etc.), please go to the Obon website https://obon.mvbuddhisttemple.org/

If you have questions, please contact the Obon chairpersons

Sandy and Yuki    mvbt.zone13@gmail.com.

Thank you for stepping up to the plate to VOLUNTEER!

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Please join us on Saturday, July 22 at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale for our annual Nisei Ski Club Luau Picnic.

Time – 12:00pm – 5:00pm

You will receive your Evite invitation in July.

How is Karen going to coordinate the picnic from New York?

Just watch and see.

Please RSVP no later than July 19th, so we can order the right amount of food for the picnic.

NISEI SKI CLUB LUAU PICNIC INFO

Join us and meet your fellow members.

by Carolyn Wong, Nisei Ski Club Member

What could be better than a drive along the backroads in San Mateo County?

Doing it with a group of your best ski buddies.

This driving tour will start at the Steven’s Creek County Park and travel the backroads through Pescadero, along the coast through Half Moon Bay, and end at the Rossotti’s Alpine Inn for lunch.

The Driving Tour is being led by an experienced tour leader. We will travel as a group (caravan) while enjoying the roads and the scenery. Any car is welcome.

Date Saturday, September 9, 2023

Meet at the Stevens Creek County Park main parking lot (drive past the small parking lot on the right and turn left to go up the hill, we will meet in the parking lot on the left near the bathrooms) at 9:30 AM. We will depart at 10:00 AM.

There will be a rest break at the Arcangeli Grocery, known for their artichoke bread, in Pescadero for a rest stop before we head north up the coast.

https://www.alpineinnpv.com/

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

Join us and celebrate – Nisei Ski Club’s 65th Anniversary.

A banquet is planned for the following date –

Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023

Location:       China Stix Restaurant https://www.chinastix.net/

                     2110 El Camino Real,

Santa Clara, CA 95050

Time – 5:00pm

Come out and get reacquainted with past presidents and your NSC members.

It’s going to be a fantastic evening!!

For more information, please send updated emails to

Jeanne Katsuro vicepresident@niseiskiclub.org

Here are some pics from our NSC 60th Anniversary DInner in 2018

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Hey Fellow Chefs,

Have you seen the prices of Dim Sum these days? Prices has sky rocketed from $5.00 to 6.00 for a plate of Shumai/ 4 pieces.

Here’s a simple recipe that you can make at home. You just need determination and a good appetite.

Shumai or Siu Mai is a dim sum favorite, with an easy pork/shrimp filling. This is mom’s traditional recipe. You can make this in advance and freeze it for future consumption.

Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

Ingredients

Ingredients

For the Pork Marinade

• 10 oz. ground pork (280g)\
• 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• For the Shrimp
• 8 ounces shrimp (225g, peeled, deveined, roughly chopped)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oil

To Finish the Shumai

• 3 shiitake mushrooms (soaked and finely chopped)
• 2 slices ginger (grated; may substitute 1 teaspoon pressed ginger juice)
• 2 scallions (very finely chopped)
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 20 egg dumpling wrappers (circular shaped)
• frozen peas (optional)

Instructions

1.To make the filling, start by mixing the pork with all the marinade ingredients. Stir the ground pork in one direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) for 5 minutes, until it resembles a fine paste. In a separate bowl, mix the chopped shrimp with salt and oil. Mix one direction for 1 minute and set both mixtures aside in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Chop the shiitake mushrooms, ginger and scallions. Add these to a large bowl along with the pork mixture and shrimp mixture. Add the oyster sauce to the bowl, and stir the whole thing together in one direction for 5 minutes. You can also do this in a food processor, but I think mixing by hand gives it a better texture. The filling is ready.

3. Lightly brush the bottom of your steamer with oil or line it with damp cheesecloth. You’re ready to assemble the shumai. Take a wonton skin and add about 1 ½ teaspoons filling to the center. Follow the photos and turn up the sides of the wonton skin around the filling. Lightly squeeze to shape the shumai. Add the green peas to the top for decoration, if using, and place in the steamer. Space the shumai about 1 inch apart.

4. Steam the shumai for 12 minutes over medium to high heat. Enjoy them while they’re hot!

Tips & Notes

Recipe makes about 20 dumplings. I would double this recipe and freeze the extras for another day.

by Judy Hom, Janet Gee, Nisei Ski Club Members

It was a cloudy June morning that eventually cleared to sunny skies at Judy’s and Winston’s spacious backyard in Castro Valley. Sixteen eager Mah Jong learners gathered to become more skilled, with beginners starting with the basics, to intermediates fine-tuning on the more complicated traditional scoring.

Of course, first we had to dine on all the scrumptious eats that everyone brought to the potluck, including spam musubi, inari sushi, grilled veggies, fruit and green salads, mapo tofu, pork, spaghetti, garlic bread, meat balls, apple and chocolate carrot cakes.

After we were sufficiently stuffed, at Jeanne’s table, newbie Roland took advantage of his beginner’s luck to the dismay of Kelvin, Toy and Tony.  Judy started her intermediate’s table playing in clockwise direction, but Jackie. Joyce, Curtis, and Greg didn’t have any trouble reversing to the correct counter-clockwise direction mid-way through the afternoon. Curtis had the highest scoring hand of the day at the intermediate table.

Angie imparted her trove of mah jong knowledge to her table of beginner players, Lennie, Carol, Amy, and Mark including practices like not going to the bathroom and washing away your luck. Janet’s table of Bev, David, Sarah and Sandy had lots of neuron-growing discussions on strategy related to points; Sarah gave up her cold seat to Winston, who turned up the heat MJ’ing on a string of winning hands, with Rod delivering a few assists.

A fun time was had by all, such that everyone stayed two hours past the planned ending time to keep playing!  Thanks to the Fong’s for their wonderful organization and hospitality, and to Sandy who donated MJ sets to two lucky attendees. CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO SEE LARGE FORMAT

Even the pooches had a great time together.