Sri Lanka

Our chapter meetings were varied. At our first meeting, our member Dorothy Zurheide reported on the activities of HEIFER INTERNATIONAL, an organization that provides seed livestock to needy people worldwide to support their becoming self-sustaining. Many of our members have contributed to this worthy cause. An extensive history/geography/cultural report was presented on Sri Lanka, ironically only weeks before the tsunami. We supported International Education Week by manning a booth at the University of Toledo. This event is chaired by Temmulen Sunid, one of our members.

During 2004-05, we enjoyed ten programs. Highlights of the year included a special discussion on, "Children in War." We had a fellowship luncheon to attract new members, including a glimpse into the history and culture of our newest member association, Sri Lanka. Our Program Chair, Jerilyn Meripol gave a special presentation on "Self-Discovery through Creative Writing," drawing on many examples within Japanese fiction. A visiting scholar at Northwestern University spoke about the Chettiars, a traditional community in Tamil Nadu, India.