Last night we had our regular Monday night chanting meeting. This time it was also a planning meeting. There were four of us - my WD group leader, our chapter study liaison, our MD district/chapter leader, and me. We planned for next month and our district meeting next week and we talked about the new district that the chapter and area are trying to form. This always leads to the discussion of the Japanese Pioneer Women's Division (JPWD) members who seem to be opposed to everything we do. A year ago, our district had two women who were already taking care of other members. We wanted to promote both to group leader. Our Japanese WD chapter leader came to my house and told me what the JPWD said about my appointments. Neither was ready for promotion for various reasons (one was still learning gongyo and I think they just didn’t like the other one). I explained that these women were already doing the job and, coincidentally, districts can appoint their own group leaders.
After the meeting, our group leader asked to speak to the district leaders alone. She had gone to dinner with the JPWD member who introduced her to SGI. She said the JPWD member was going to talk to us, but our group leader was asked to “break the ice.” She was told that the JPWD members had noticed that our MD chapter leader sometimes walks out during the PI video at World Peace Prayer and that is not the correct behavior for a district chief. Funny thing is… he sat through the last one. I left because my older daughter had gone to the car and I went to check on her. Man, those videos are boring and way too long. We both want to support the activity, but just can’t sit through the video.
My MD chapter leader is going crazy. He is equating the JPWD members to yakuza. He’s not going to take this… you get the picture. He called our area WD leader last night and she was very upset. She has been aware of the problem for some time now. Their behavior is in opposition to the area goals. The other upsetting thing is that they sent a group leader to chastise a chapter leader. This could have been so bad for us, but we all have a very open friendship so this crap won’t cause problems in the district.
I, OTOH, think this is the perfect time to get this out in the open and fix it. I have been in this chapter for almost 9 years. I noticed, from the very beginning, that the JPWD acted like a clique. They get together, speak Japanese, and then tell the rest of us what’s going to happen. I took that for years thinking that was just the way it was around here. Then one day I talked about it with some other district members and found out, it happens to all of us. These are not your grandmotherly types – more like piranhas. Now it all comes out. It’s not paranoia if someone is really out to get you.
This is a very dysfunctional area. It’s not going to grow until we fix it. Now I can see what has been happening. If you have ever seen those nanny shows or the dog training shows, they point out that the kids or dogs are out of control because no one ever stopped the behavior or set boundaries. That’s what we need to do here, help them understand that they are hindering growth in the area and explain the goals of the area.
I brought this on last fall when I wrote down three big determinations. One was that our chapter becomes an area. After that, things started to happen. The JPWD started to oppose every idea, every promotion, everything new. I learned how to push back in a kind and understanding way, but I did begin to exert myself for the chapter and district members. I am taking everything that is happening as a stepping-stone toward my goal. We must overcome this division and work together to build SGI in Salinas and Monterey.
I have just read blogs by Ryuei, Byrd and Joe. All three seem to point to Guilt by Something.
First I read Ryuei's blog. He alludes to Guilt by Reading. I giggled when I read this. Not at Ryuei, but at the idea that reading FWP can be cause for excommunication for SGI. Taken out of context, it sounds absurd, but in this context, it seems plausible, but still silly. Is this in response to Byrd's blog or did you hear something else?
Then I read Byrd's blog about the SGI leader who thought she should apologize for having opinions about the SGI-USA organization. Cool, SGI headquarters outs itself. I agree with Bryd's response - 100%. Again, it sounds absurd, but strangely plausible. So that's Guilt by Stating Your Opinion.
Then Patrick tried to take responsibility for tattling on FWP. Not so fast, Patty, the SGI-USA has been checking this sight for awhile. So you just turned this one guy/gal onto us and he/she knew Byrd. Guilt by Lack of Understanding or Guilt by Tattling.
Then I read Joe's blog about the Leadership Manual and the Code of Conduct signature form. Very enlightening. I knew about the form, but hadn't read it or even thought much about it. Now I'll check it out and decide for myself. That's Guilt by Non-Compliance.
We had a study meeting last week. I hadn't really studied the material (I'm just not as interested in this material as I was with the Gosho), but fortunately, our MD chapter leader had some stuff ready and another member who just move here had the SGI party line prepared. I enjoy some of the stuff our chapter leader talks about because he reads the gosho and some outside scholars. Then the new member took over. She talked about the Lotus Sutra - did a great job - and then said the one thing I can't agree with, "Only the SGI is practicing Nichiren's Buddhism correctly."
Actually, there was another thing I couldn't get around - Pres. Ikeda is our mentor. PI is YOUR mentor. I can't deal with this. The chapter leader stopped me from blowing a cork. Good thing,'cause I was gonna get kicked outta SGI for this one.
Many years ago, I was involved in the founding of a SGI group. Our mission was to be non-judgmental and any subject was open for discussion. The first meeting we talked about the validity of the diagohonzon. Later one guy wanted to talk about aliens. I don't remember how that was related. We had a great time and the small groups grew from 3 members at our first meeting to over 20 by the time I moved away.
I've had it! I'm gonna read the Gosho.
Nancy