BCA-USA MIRROR
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME MESSAGE
Dear Members and Friends n behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Directors (BOD) of Bali Cultural Association in USA (BCA-USA), I am honored to welcome you to the 33rd Annual BCA-USA Convention hosted this year by my home chapter, the Eastern Chapter. Thank you to each one of you for being a BCA-USA member. A profound thanks to all who have made the journey to this year’s convention in Herndon, Virginia. BCA-USA continues to grow and thrive because of the commitment and support of our members. I am very pleased to welcome those of you that have been attending conventions for a long time as well as those who are attending for the first time. Whether you are a first-time or veteran convention attendee, I hope you will find value in participating in this year’s convention. I equally hope you will leave the convention with an affirmed/renewed commitment to BCA-USA and the promotion of
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our cultural heritage. We have not been able to meet in-person since the 32nd Annual Convention hosted in Minneapolis in 2019. The past two years have certainly been challenging, as every organization, community and individual has felt the impact of COVID-19. With nationwide and state restrictions on large gatherings, conferences and large meetings had to be shifted to a virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 we hosted a virtual town hall in lieu of the convention and in 2021 we had our first virtual convention using Zoom. The approval of COVID-19 vaccines and the subsequent uptake in vaccinations has helped with reducing the spread of the pandemic resulting in the lifting of restrictions to large gatherings. However, we are not out of the woods as far as the pandemic is concerned. So, part of our preparations for this year’s convention has entailed ensuring the health and safety of our members and children. For instance, convention babysitting for kids will not be available this weekend owing to the unavailability of vaccines for children under five. As part of our COVID-19 protocols, hand sanitizers and masks will be available throughout the convention weekend. After six years (with a 2-year extension due to the pandemic), this is my last year as president of BCA-USA. As I step down, I
want to take this opportunity to highlight some of what we have accomplished during my time in office. 1. Record membership growth and Ŋkab Ntɔd enrollment. As of 2022, we have over 1000 members registered compared to 369 when I took over in 2016 and over 900 Ŋkab Ntɔd members. 2. Bore Hole Project: Sponsored construction of 5 boreholes in Bali. A historic accomplishment by BCA-USA. 3. Yo u t h revival Establishment of a BCA Young Professionals Network bringing together college students and young professionals. We created a BCA-USA Youth Instagram page, which has now garnered over 100+ followers. 4. Strategic partnership – Formalized and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BCA-USA and Ŋkù’mɨ̀ Fɛd Fɛd in 2022 establishing Ŋkù’mɨ ̀ Fɛd Fɛd as a BCA-USA partner to help with executing projects in Cameroon. 5. Supported healthcare in Bali during the pandemic (construction of COVID19 isolation ward at the Bali District Hospital) to assist healthcare in the community during BCA-USA.ORG
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