New Jersey: Mangalorean Association Elects Mark Mendonca as President
News and pics: Bernie D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - New Jersey (SP)

New Jersey, Jul 1: Mangalorean Catholic Association of the East Coast had organized a family get-together for its members recently. The stately Duke Island Park in New Jersey, with its beautiful green lawns and a shaded sitting area, where one could get away from the heat, proved to be a perfect venue for the event.

People came from all over the East Coast, and after registering themselves, headed for the breakfast table for some well brewed coffee and munchkins. There were great games to keep the kids on their feet. Fun games like three-legged race and lemon and spoon race had them asking for more. The highlight of the day was the gigantic tug-of-war game, which was played with such great vigour that the rope broke apart and both the teams were declared winners.

The iceberg game was truly fun for all those who played it, and was even more amusing for all those who watched it. For renewing the energy of the members, there were delicious appetizers, such as mixed pakodas and chicken kebabs.  DJ Vijay played some great music from Konkani Masala to Cotton-eyed Joe to the CHA-CHA slide, and had everyone moving their hips and tapping their toes. The lunch menu was a wonderful blend of spicy chicken biryani, chicken curry, and some other dishes with a north Indian flair, which were enough to tantalize the South Indian taste buds. A game of bingo was an ideal choice, after a hearty meal.
Then Manesh Aranha, president of the committee for the previous year, took over, and the crowd had an official felicitation of the members. After soliciting nominations for various positions, the new board was elected unanimously. 

The new board is as follows:

President                 : Mark Mendonca 
VP of  Programmes           : Vanitha Furtado
VP of Public relations    : Bernie D’Souza
VP of membership          : Christopher Monis
Secretary and Treasurer   : Marina Correa

Dilip Lewis and Collins Lewis will continue as the webmasters. Joe Colaco, Vivian Kamath and Dilip Lewis were chosen as mentors to guide the executive board.
Then there was another round of typical Indian games comprising Kho-Kho, dog and the bone etc., which were something different for all the American-born Mangalorean kids to learn.  The watermelon served at the end was truly a welcome treat to quench the thirst.
 
It is but common for a Mangalorean to find some relationship when he meets another, and this occasion was no different. There are a lot more programmes planned, and new horizons to reach with new bonds to form and new reasons to meet.  Plans are afoot to celebrate Monthi feast in New Jersey early in September this year, where the Mangaloreans will come together and re-live their experiences from their motherland, and help the children grow up, duly learning the Mangalorean traditions.

Please find updates at www.mca-ec.org

For more pictures, click on the link
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