A Chapter in Your Life: Sendai

Writer(s): 
Lorne Spry

This column is open to all JALT chapters large and small who wish to describe their approach to meetings, their successes, experiences and achievements. We welcome a 900-950 word report (in English and/or Japanese). This month, Lorne Spry of JALT Sendai communicates to us the warmth and support he feels in his chapter.

JALT Sendai, the Friendly One

In one of my favourite movies, "Tunes of Glory" (1960) , Alec Guinness as the former acting regimental colonel says to his adjutant, "We have always been known as 'the friendly one'." This is bitter irony because he and his fellow officers are bent on isolating and destroying the younger and less aggressive replacement (played by John Mills). This sort of irony in no way exists in JALT Sendai; everyone is unreservedly welcome. In the movie, the new colonel is a plummy-voiced Sandhurst graduate who is bullied by the embittered brogue accented regimental favourite who has, over the years, risen from the ranks to become the temporary commander. The new colonel's eventual suicide in a lavatory results in a promise from his near mad rival - a grand regimental funeral "...with all the tunes of glory...."

JALT Sendai proceeds from year to year with much less drama, but I like to think that is distinguished as "the friendly one." Indeed, I think that friendship is the driving force in our chapter. It's the kind of friendship where we are not in each other's pockets, but there is always a helping hand for those who need it. It's true to the extent that even visiting presenters have commented on it. Before meetings start, there is a flurry of excited conversation, and break time is a blizzard of greetings and chatter which often has to be gavelled to closure so we can restart the speaker. The term participant truly means something in our chapter, and this has also been favourably commented on by presenters. Often the floor of our meetings is as engaged as the podium. Invariably, there is a party afterwards at a nearby izakaya, and usually our presenters attend as our guest. These can be noisy affairs - at least as exuberant as a highland regimental mess well after the haggis has been piped in.

JALT Sendai is a sterling bunch of interesting and active Japanese and foreign teachers who represent the entire spectrum of the teaching profession: K-12, tandai, daigaku, juku, eikaiwa, school, public education classes and tutoring. It is our boast that we can provide a scintillating year's program from in-house talent, experience and expertise. Recently, our members have presented on, among other things, comprehensive reading in English courses, adapting Monbusho materials to greater interactive usage, neuro-linguistic programming, and the innovation of fresh techniques. One of our members is to be a featured speaker at JALT98, and another will soon give a presentation on "chaos theory" with regards to learning.

As president of JALT Sendai, I have not had any of the problems experienced by the colonel in the movie. I have received encouraging support from all of the members. I have always been able to call upon the wisdom of the most experienced including a charter chapter member and a charter member of the national organization who helped write the national constitution. I have always felt that the chapter is much more than just executive committee meetings and presentations. One new member wrote to me recently to say that she felt much less isolated after spending time with all of us. I noted at that time how quickly she had been included in the group. It does no disservice to anyone if I say we are often able to learn at least as much during our social time together as we do in the formal presentation itself. At any one time, there are several threads of conversation going on which are in themselves mini-symposia. And what better way to enjoy a presenter than to talk shop with him/her over beer and squid?

Like many chapters, perhaps less than a third of us in JALT Sendai are regular participants at a meeting. Some people in JALT have felt that this represents a problem. And I guess it is, but I, for one, consider it a room which is 1/3 full - not 2/3 empty. All our regular participants would agree that JALT is about face-to-face contact. Furthermore, I think that all of us agree that vibrant personal contact among our members, as well as that of all the other chapters across Japan, is where the energy comes from to drive JALT forward from year to year. For a long time, JALT Sendai has had members who have been at the very center of national affairs, but we all agree that the local chapter is the starting point for what people do in JALT.

I have heard it said that maintaining chapters to service the needs of some lost and lonely teachers absorbs a lot of JALT's energy and resources. I've thought about this, and I cannot say that this is never true. Perhaps, no dedicated teacher alive has not had some sort of crisis, or been at some crossroads during their career. JALT Sendai is by no means an enclave of the lost and lonely, but there is always support and understanding here for those who need it, and members do not hesitate to give it. Like any good regiment, you can always come home to JALT Sendai.

Lorne Spry in Sendai