Members of Da’ Hawaii Seniors Club of Cerritos met on Thursday, May 22, 2025, to enjoy performances of members and plan for their Club Picnic in the Summer of 2025. Club President Carmelita Tiongson welcomed members and guests and asked David Ethington to lead members is saying the Pledge of Allegiance. She introduced the quartet of Winona Chang, Gloria Kunimoto, Glenda Ujiie, and Gladys Yoshii, to lead members in the singing of Hawai’i Pono’i.
As part of the business meeting, Carmelita received the Membership and Treasurer’s reports from Treasurer Ken Matsuno, and Ohana (Family) Care Co-Chair Malu Gascon. As part of the club’s Ohana, May Birthday Celebrants were honored by the club singing Happy Birthday in Hawaiian and in English, led by Hedy Anduha. Members who were present were Remy Convento, Edna Ethington, Cesar Franco, Winston Goo, Calvin Kunimoto, and Albert Ujiie.
Carmelita then announced that if members wanted to have any guest speakers or perform at the next club’s next meeting on June 26, 2025, they need to notify Program VP prior to the meeting. She also said that the club’s Christmas Party will be held on Sunday, December 14, 2025. Her last announcement was that the Club’s Summer Picnic date has finally been secured for Camp Liberty at Liberty Park in Cerritos, for Saturday, August 2, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Camp Liberty is in great demand by Cerritos residents so six of the club’s Brave Buddies camped at Liberty Park in shifts, from 4:00 a.m. to10:30 a.m. to be sure they would be the first in line to ask for the picnic date. The Brave Buddies were Malu Gascon, Cesar Franco, Irina Soleymani, Carol Roxas, Liberty Santiago, and Carmelita Singson. Hedy Anduha brought doughnuts for the Brave Buddies, and Ann Kho treated everyone to breakfast at Aloha Stacks, Hawaiian style food. Club members thanked the Brave Buddies for securing the picnic date.
Carmelita then distributed sign-up sheets for the Christmas Party on December 14, 2025, asking members to let the Christmas Party Committee know who planned to come and how they could participate and help. More information will follow at future meetings.
Prior to the Program part of the evening, there was a Refreshment Time when the Refreshment Committee served refreshments to everyone.
After this time, Carmelita introduced Program VP Loke Manetta who announced the members who performed in the Kanikapila part of the program with performers volunteering to sing or dance. Kanikapila performers included Ann Kho, singing a solo of the song “O America,” a duet by Hedy and Larry Anduha of the song “O Makalapua,” and Susan McCormick, Hedy and Larry Anduha singing “That’s the Hawaiian in Me.” The audience was so moved by the last song that nine members gathered at the back of the room and danced the hula to “That’s the Hawaiian in Me.”
The last part of the program was the Sing Along of songs led by Susan McCormick and the Audio Techs Cesar Franco, Carrie Kumabe, Irina Soleymani, and Ping Chen. Ping put all the words of the songs on the TV screen so members could join in singing Songs included “Battle Hymn of the Ageing, “Blue Suede Shoes,”, and Cuando Caliente El Sol,” an instrumental piece played and sung by Cesar and Irina.
After the meeting is adjourned, members usually sing “Hawaii Aloha” and “Aloha, O’e. However, on this night, Hedy Anduha taught members how to do the hand motions for the hula to “Aloha, O’e,” and members tried to do the hand motions as they sang “Aloha, O’e.”
Danny Chang and Calvin Kunimoto led the singing of “Hawaii Aloha,” and “Aloha, O’e” when the meeting was adjourned after 4:30 p.m.