Fo Guang Club Online Bonding & Handover Ceremony
On the 13th of October, Fo Guang Club organised an online bonding session. Despite joining through Zoom, the 20 participants that attended felt deeply connected to one another as though they were at the Temple in person. The session was led on by Edwin, who welcomed all the members with a bright and vibrant smile. The session was started by reviewing some activities that had been carried out throughout the recent years. These included but not limited to FGC Uni Buddha’s Day, Cherry Blossom Festival, Rock Climbing, FGC Orientation Day, YAD Consensus Seminar, and the Deep meaningful Conversation. The fun activities of the past were proofs of the achievements of Fo Guang Club by upholding its aim, 'Work together hand in hand and introducing Humanistic Buddhism to the student community'.
Up next, with the presence of Abbess Manshin and the Guiding Venerable of YAD Venerable Rulian, a Handover Ceremony was held. The current President of Fo Guang Club, Edwin, announced his long-awaited successor. With drumrolls, cheers and laughter, the position has been passed down to the new president, Sin Jun Chong, who has always been considerate and helpful to everyone at Temple.
Abbess Manshin congratulated SinJun for taking over the role as the President. Abbess has been witnessing the growth of SinJun since he was a young child, and she is pleased to see how far SinJun has progressed and improved through all these years. In Abbess Manshin's speech, she emphasised on the importance of teamwork. Teamwork helps the temple community to care for each other, share each other's loads and help to make progress in everything. Even simple chores such as the preparation of food, temple's maintenance and organising events require teamwork. "We support, we learn from each other and help each other without hesitations or complaints, and that's the most beautiful thing about this Temple," Abbess said.
Subsequently, a video recording entitled 'See the Power of Dreams' from Venerable Master Hsing Yun, was played. Venerable Master emphasised that our mind should always be given the highest priority above sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste in the six senses. The video was then followed by a fun Kahoot session to let the participants reflect on the concepts that they had learnt, but in a more relaxing and interactive way.
Next, Venerable Rulian made her concluding remarks for this event. Even though hard work and perseverance are the key ingredients in making a dream come true, it is also important to make sure that the dream being pursued is right by referring to the teachings of Humanistic Buddhism. For instance, SinJun had made a vow to be the President of Young Adult Division Subchapter 3 since he was 8, he worked hard to make it turning into a reality right after he turned 12, which was the minimum age of being a committee member in that subchapter. The bonding session was enjoyable to all members as it lifted the spirits of members despite being in lockdown.