The 2009 Junior Division Graduation Camp was successfully held on the 19th and 20th of March, 2010. There are total of 137 JDs and 119 PICs that joined such a meaningful camp.

Previously, the camp was supposed to be held in December of 2009. However, the camp had to be postponed due to the spreading of (A) H1N1 disease. This time, the graduated juniors are all high school students when they joined the camp. Yet, it is a very unforgettable camp for everyone of us.

The silent morning was filled with the noise of welcoming from the passionate PICs. As the JDs gathered in groups and had their ice-breaking activity, we officially start the Graduation Camp with a joyful gongkyo and daimoku session. After that, the PICs prepared a dance to welcome the JDs to this year’s Graduation Camp. Following up would be some words from the Camp PIC. The following is the sharing from Camp PIC.

“Welcome everyone! I’m the Camp PIC. I hope that you will gain more understanding towards the Soka Gakkai, Mr. Ikeda, and Nichiren Daishonin. But above of all, I hope that you’ll have fun! I heard that some of you have joined us to be the Junior Division’s PICs! I thank you for your effort. Please take this significant responsibility as a PIC, helping the brothers and sisters that have taken care of you, to take care of the Junior Division now. Their growth, will also be your growth.

Let’s have a joyful and successful camp with all your brothers and sisters. Please let your PIC know if you’re not feeling well. Don’t leave the activity without informing your PIC. Lastly, I’d like to thank you all for joining the camp! Enjoy your camp as the PICs have arranged interesting and fun activities for you! Please give a big hand to them. Thank you!”

After the opening ceremony, everyone stood together for a photo session. After that, the JDs began designing their flags and motto of their groups.

And now, the fun and exciting activities begin!

The exciting games that come ahead are “The life of Nichiren” treasure hunt, and “Ikeda Footstep” board game. Both of these games are played for 3 consecutive years now! They’re significant activities of the camp.

This year, we’re glad to have PICs that threw themselves fully into the preparation of these activities. They’ve all been thinking of various ways to make these activities in such to implement Nichiren Daishonin and the 3 Presidents of Soka Gakkai into the JDs’ hearts. Everyone has given a great effort and in return, the result of these activities is amazing. Many of the JDs have a deeper understanding towards these noble people. There are even PICs that have decided to follow the path of the mentor and take this as their aim.

After two of these activities, the JDs would have better understanding among each other now. The next activity they’re going to challenge, is the “Itai Doshin Go! Go! Go!”. This is a game that requires team work. The JDs are given different challenges and they have to complete the task as a group.

There are also two self-motivated programme in the first day of the camp, which are self-prepared dinner ingredients and tent setting. This helps the JDs to understand the hardship of doing the things on their own without the help of their family. Before bedtime, we’ve prepared a “Creative Night Show” and there is popcorn sponsored! The show is a sketch done by the PICs, bringing the message and possible challenges from the High School Division. It shows how we should overcome our problems with the guidance from Mr. Ikeda. At the end of the show, there’s a “Pillow Talk” session where PICs and JDs get to talk and share views and feedbacks of the sketch.

As it is named the “Graduation Camp”, this will be the place where our children leave the Junior Division and step into a new chapter of life. Hence, the second day of the camp is full of activities and sharing that are related to the High School Division.

First of all, there will be a sharing of a video on the topic “Greatness of the Infinite Power” which will be separated into two parts. The first part of the video is experience sharing by two Youth Divisions, and the second part of the video is Mr. Ikeda’s guidance for the Future Division.

The first sharing from the video is by an American YWD and also a famous actress, Vanessa Show. In her sharing, she mentioned her challenges in the entertainment career and how she gets to differentiate what is a life with value. She said: “We must stand strong, and believe in ourselves no matter what. We shall never give up. Mr. Ikeda is the greatest example.” Her words remind us that we shall never fall deep into confusion, but to stand up and challenge everything that came across in our lives. Then, she mentioned: “Every step is a mission, an effort, a challenge. You could never be a successful person in just a moment. All of the victory comes with effort and consistent challenge.”

The next person that’s going to share is Doctor Arai from Japan. Doctor Arai was lucky enough to have an encounter with Mr. Ikeda in a sports day of his primary school. From that encounter, he could felt Mr. Ikeda’s warmth. Even though Mr. Ikeda wasn’t in good condition that time, he would still care about every person and encourage them during the event! Arai was touched by his mentor’s sincerity.

To achieve his ambition as a doctor that can contribute to the society, he never gave up on his way of challenge even though his academic results aren’t that good. While he was studying abroad at America, he had language problems. Suddenly, he felt that his ambition is getting further away from him. However, his mother sent him a copy of “Seikyo Shimbun” news, and there was a piece of Mr. Ikeda’s guidance that says “Once we are determined. We must keep on challenging.” As Arai read this guidance, he decided that he must make his challenge again! As he graduated, he chanted one million daimoku and at the end, he got accepted into the American Hospital University as a training doctor.

One day, Arai got a call from the principal of Soka University. The principal said: “Mr. Ikeda knows that you’re suffering, so he asked me to call you up to encourage you. Our mentor and fellow comrades will be challenging with you.” Once again, Mr. Ikeda’s caring attitude has touched his heart and encouraged him. After a series of consistent challenge, he became a successful doctor. Before the video ends, he said: “If you sit there, grabbing your dream on your hand, a dream is still a dream. But if you chanted and make an action for that dream, you’ll get victory at the end. There’s nothing impossible!”

After the sharing of the video, there’s a small group discussion. There are two topics that we will talk about, which are “What kind of attitude do you need while facing new environment, new subjects, new friends and etc.?”, and “Do we have to put our aim towards the university by the time we enter high school?”. Other than that, we’ve also shared about mission and dreams.

To conclude about this sharing, the Chief of High School Division, Wai Leong will be giving us encouragement. In his sharing, he mentioned: “All the successful people in the world give their effort and challenge before they could be so successful. Just like an athlete that goes through practice, training, and competitions before he/she could success. But, we still need something important, which is known as a “do” (way). Just like Ju-Do, and Tae-kwon-Do! This “do” represents each step we take as we go towards victory. From white belt, we slowly improve ourselves until black belt. These are the steps of challenges we take in life. As our mentor once said “There are times when the sea is calm, and there are times when the sea is full of angry waves. Just like our life. If we couldn’t overcome our problems, they’d maintain at the same place as troublesome problems.” To obtain victory in life, we must challenge with the power of daimoku. But of course friendship plays an important role. We must also meet new friends and keep on enlarging our network.”

Once again, the HSD Chief’s sharing deepens the Future Division’s understanding on praying and challenging. Dreams and aims are just like the Buddhism, easily accepted but hard to maintain. And today’s message, is how we keep that fire of dreams burning in us!

After two days of activities, it’s finally time to evaluate the marks and result of the games! Here, we will be giving prizes to the groups that have given a great effort in achieving a well done result! I could still remember the spirit of the JDs. Even though some of them were told that they’re not the winner, but somehow they still believe that they are the excel ones! They might get a little bit disappointed at first, but this will never defeat their great spirit!

After this one and a half day of interaction, most of the PICs and Future Divisions have built a good relationship among each other. We grow together, learn together, and challenge together. These experiences are touching stories that will be engraved deep in our hearts. In this year’s experience sharing session, 2 Future Division and 4 PICs have shared their personal thoughts towards to camp. One of the Future Division’s sharing touched everyone.

This boy had a brain cancer when he was 8. But his parents never gave up on him, but to continuously encourage him to chant the Nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo. Since then, he had started his challenge against the illness with the power of daimoku. He had gone through tough surgeries at this young age. This caused his intelligence to decrease and also cause hair fall problem. He had to stop going to school while he was standard 3 because of this illness. He only returned to schooling life when he was standard 4. Missing a year of education, he had no choice but to keep on chasing up the learning progress. This is all uneasy for him but still, he never give up. Through chanting, he could even get 5 A’s from his UPSR examination. His parents are proud of him. When he graduated from primary, he took the responsibility of activity announcement in the English Discussion Meeting. His language might not be very well, but his courage is far greater than anyone of us. Before this, he used to be worried that he couldn’t join the camp because of his illness. But today, he made it! There he is, standing in front of us, sharing his experience! Let’s chant for his growth and for his infinite potential!

After that, a PIC gave his sharing about his growth. Last year, he joined the camp as JD. Back then, he was mischievous and he gave his PICs a lot of troubles. However, his PICs never stop treating him sincerely with love, care and responsibility. Her consistent encouragement gave him a deep impression towards the camp. Ever since, the PIC would give him encouragement and help whenever he faces problems and challenges. This PIC was the one to turn this mischievous child into an independent and fine boy. The PIC that encouraged him was there too. As they hugged each other, they cried those touching tears. That boy promised that he will then become other people’s role model, and be a good YMD that brings joy to the rest.

All these touching experiences, made the PICs to determine on making a better Graduation Camp by each year!

Next session is the certificate awarding ceremony. As they receive their certificates and took their photo, all of them would run in a semi circle formation of PICs where we welcome them to the HSD. This is a ceremony that proves their growth and graduation, where we pass the responsibility of kosen-rufu.

At the end, Chief of Boys Division made a conclusion. With a sharing of a girl’s experience, he brought out the message that says “Without Nichiren Daishonin’s noble challenges, there wouldn’t be any noble contribution from the 3 presidents of Soka Gakkai.” There are many outstanding Soka disciples because of all the mentors’ greatness. All of their vigorous challenges are to improve our fate, to let everyone obtain the absolute happiness. However this noble task couldn’t be done just by Mr. Ikeda alone.

What made Mr. Toda keep on challenging to reform the organization even though he wasn’t in good condition?

It’s that strong ichinen that was born from the spirit of mentor and disciple between him and Mr. Makiguchi.

Who was the one that’s trying to change the world’s fate? Who was the one that’s been facing a lot of challenges because of this? Who was the one to spread the Buddhism and the mentors’ idea around the world?

He’s Mr. Toda’s successor, Daisaku Ikeda.

After that, he also shared another story of a Youth Division who never favoured in joining any activities of the organization but at the end, who had determined to start challenging on his life and contributing towards his mentors’ noble task. No matter where the mentor went, he was there following his mentor and challenging beside him. This is because he was touched by our mentor’s caring and loving attitude. This is just one of the person that’s challenging with the mentor.

Hence to achieve world peace, is not a task that can be done by just one person. We have 3 presidents ahead, but the following years it’s up to us! Mr. Ikeda is still striving on the stage of world kosen-rufu at the age of 82. But after 50 years, he’d be 132 years old then. Perhaps he wouldn’t be there anymore. But who’s going to take the responsibility of kosen-rufu? No doubt, it’d be everyone here!

As the disciples of Mr. Ikeda, we must be happy and joyful! This is just a part of our life, not the ending. It’s like graduating from primary school, your life never ends there, it goes on towards high school. And since you’re all HSD and not JDs anymore, you must be the person who can “bear responsibility” and “contribute”!

Just like the Future Division that had cancer and shared about his experience just now. You could all obtain victory like him when you have the courage to uphold a 100 percent belief in yourselves and the Gohonzon. No one’s fate is destined. And there’s nothing we can’t do either. What it takes is your effort! Your life will be shining when you consistently and vigorously strive and challenge!

The Chief of Boys Division encouraged everyone to vow to follow the path of our mentors towards a life of happiness.

Other than strengthening up JDs’ understanding towards Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda, President of SGI, we also try to implant a sense of belonging to the organization in every JD within these two days. Other than the growth and realization of the Future Divisions, the participated PICs are learning and growing together too. This year’s PICs gave a great effort in preparation. Their effort and spirit, is what made the Graduation Camp successful! In the same time, together with “hope, courage, and friendship”, everyone vowed to be the rising suns of the 21st century that are continuously creating values in life.

Thank you.



Reported by Hope, Heroism, Happy, and Friendship.

Edited by Primitive.

Labels: g. Activity news