I just learnt wit a lot of sadness that Andy Adams, one the greatest characters in the history of the FCCJ, passed away in California . You
will already find below two reactions, one from George Faas and another one from Mike Tharp, our FCCJ president between 1989-90. Our publication, the Number One Shimbun will honour the life of Andy Adams in one of our next issues. Andy was instrumental in making sumo known in th rest of the world. And the French president Jacques Chirac has been a loyal reader of his Sumo World magazine.

Georges Baumgartner
President
FCCJ

By George Faas:

Andy Adams, 89, passed away at his San Diego home on December 13th. Andy had mild alzheimers and some trouble breathing. He wasn't eating, and he had "apparently lost his will to live", according to his nephew Steve Adams, who plays senior softball with me. Andy's brother Ed, aka Burke, 92, who also lived in southern California, passed away three months earlier. Andy was cremated, and there will be a ceremony in San Diego next Friday, January 21st.

Andy is survived by his wife Chieko, his daughter Misa, her husband Rick, two grandchildren, and Burke's wife Doris. Cards can be sent to Chieko and Misa at 7421 Sean Taylor Lane, San Diego, CA, 92126-6091.

George Faas

By Mike Tharp:

Andy Adams was as much a fixture at FCCJ as the photographs on the walls of past presidents or the books in the library, where he often could be found.

Alone, he translated sumo to the western world, with his magazine and his stories in international publications. When any of us reporters
ignorant of the sport and its rich culture and traditions needed a quote for the occasional story on sumo, we went to Andy first. He provided history, background, nuance and acerbic quotes that suited his monosyllabic style.

Even with such an unapproachable carapce as he sometimes wore, he was, underneath it all, a nice guy. And he was intensely loyal and devoted to the Club. He volunteered each year for many committees, where the real work of the Club got done, and Andy did more than his share of the work.

If you could ever win a smile from Andy, you know you'd done something deserving of it. He passed out praise in the same doses that sumo
wrestlers toss salt--in grains, but you knew it meant something.

For decades, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan was richer for Andy's presence and participation.

Thanks, Andy, for many jobs well done.

Respectfully submitted,

Buck Tharp
President, 1989-90

By Ron Yates:

I am sorry to hear this... yes, Andy and I were members of the original Alley Cats... and he was involved with helping to start the Tokyo International Softball League (TISL). Andy played catcher on our team and was a real competitor. He did not like to lose. He was also the most knowledgeable person about Sumo that I ever met in Japan.

Ron

FCCJ ADVISORY
Yurakucho Denki Building Power Shutdown
From 23:00 Saturday, November 6, 2010
To 23:00 Sunday, November 7, 2010

Mitsubishi Jisho will shut down power to the Denki Building from 11:00pm Saturday, Nov. 6 to 11:00pm Sunday, Nov. 7 to conduct its annual check of the building's electrical systems. It will not be possible to access the Denki building during these hours.

On Saturday, Nov. 6 all members and guests are kindly requested to leave the Main Bar by 22:00. The Reception Desk will close at 22:30 and all members and guests are requested to leave the FCCJ by this time. The Club will be closed on Sunday, Nov. 7.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation.

FCCJ Management

Intro to Social Media for Journalists
19:00-21:00 Monday, October 25, 2010

You've heard the hype about social media. You may have even tinkered with it. But you're still not quite sure if it's for you.

Join us next Monday night for a workshop that will erase your doubts and teach you how to harness the power of social media to enhance your reporting and profile. Learn the lingo, discover new tools and find out how social media is changing journalism in Japan and around the world. Experts will share their own tricks and best practices to help you hit the ground running.

Our speaker / trainer will be Nobuyuki Hayashi, a popular tech journalist, blogger and consultant. With 200,000 followers on his Twitter account "nobi," he was one of the first journalists in Japan to embrace social media as a powerful professional tool. He is a highly sought-after speaker and has given lectures at trade events, universities and within Japanese companies. He has also been writing about Apple since 1990 for more than a dozen major IT publications in Japan.

Co-trainer and moderator is former FCCJ President Martyn Williams, Tokyo bureau chief and mutlimedia editor for IDG News Service. He was a social media skeptic just a year ago. Since then, however, he has actively incorporated Twitter, Facebook and less well-known services like Scribd into his work and conducts social media workshops for his colleagues at IDG.

There is no charge for members, but please reserve in advance at reception desk (3211-3161) as soon as possible.
Only FCCJ member will be able to attend this event, no guests and friends.

Professional development committee

Associate Members' General Meeting

Associate members are invited to the Associate Members' General Meeting, to be held on Monday October 25, 2010, from 18:30-20:30.

FCCJ President Georges Baumgartner and other Board members will provide updates on the Club's current priorities and plans in response to the recent difficult economic climate, and Associates will have the opportunity to put forward suggestions and raise questions.

Doors will open at 18:00 and a served dinner will be provided from 18:30, the meeting itself will run from 19:00 to 20:30. Beverages will be available at reduced prices. Please note that attendance is limited to Associate Members.

We hope very much that you will be able to join us. Please reserve in advance at the reception desk (3211-3161) so that the appropriate preparations can be made.

Associate Members' Liaison Committee

Save the Date: Hear The Candidates

The FCCJ election committee would like to inform all members of a chance to hear speeches from and debate between candidates for senior board positions ahead of the upcoming club elections.

The elections scheduled to take place are between June 21 and 25.

Midway through the campaigning on June 17 the Club will host the event at which the election committee will request the presence of candidates for president, 1st vice president, 2nd vice president and treasurer.

Candidates will be given time to deliver prepared remarks, ask each other questions in a debate format and take questions from the floor. All FCCJ members may attend although in the interests of time preference will be given to questions from voting members.

Any members considering running for these positions are asked to make themselves available on this evening. In a change from previous years the failure or inability of a candidate to attend the event will not mean their opponent is denied a chance to speak.

FCCJ Election Committee

To All Regular Members:

There will be a regular meeting of the General Membership on Wednesday June 9, at 6:30 p.m. The tentative agenda will be as follows:

1. Approval of the minutes of the March GMM
2. Nominations for the Board of Directors
3. President's report
4. Treasurer's report
5. Committee reports
6. Old Business
7. New Business

If you cannot attend the meeting please sign the statement below and give it to another Regular Member to vote on your behalf. Make sure your proxy is planning to attend and does not already hold more than two proxy votes. No member may hold more than two proxy votes. If you send a proxy please do so by fax, mail or hand delivery since a proxy has to be a signed statement, according to our bylaws. Please don't send your proxy to the President, as he may not vote except in the case of a tie or a secret ballot.

Since we need a quorum of one-fifth of the regular membership for the meeting to be valid, please let us know your attendance by phone, fax (3211-3168), or email to kubo@fccj.or.jp

Monzurul Huq
President

***************************************************************************************************

PROXY STATEMENT

I am unable to attend the meeting of June 9, 2010 and in accordance with Article 22 of the Articles of Association and Paragraph 9-8 of the bylaws of the FCCJ do hereby assign

Proxy's name:
as proxy to vote for me on any and all business to come before the General Membership Meeting.

Member's name:

Member's Signature

Membership Number

Date

To All Regular & Professional/Journalist Associate Members:

March 24th is this month's Happy Hour!

It's a week earlier than usual, but with the same great value-for-money that has made the FCCJ Happy Hour for Journalists so popular with members and guests alike.

Members pay only 1,000 yen (1,500 yen for guests) for an hour of free-flow draft beer, house wine, gin tonic/vodka tonic and soft drink/juices. A variety of light snacks is included in the ticket price.

Sign your friend up for membership to receive a FCCJ dining voucher and a bottle of wine! Facility tours and FCCJ membership explanations will be available for those who are interested in joining the Club.

Orders taken beyond the hour will be charged to members, and guests can purchase coupons (valid for the same day) at the Front Desk to continue imbibing.

Membership Marketing Committee