Executive Committee - GSOD Shah Directors Kuldip Bhatt Jawlant Lakhia Jignesh Mehta Archana Parikh Darshan Parikh Nimish Pathak Praful Bhuta (GSS) Aditi Modi (GSY) Board of Trustees

Executive Committee

President Rakesh Patel

Vice President Ashish Tikiwala

Secretary Chandrika Patel

Joint Secretary Jigna Shah

Treasurer Ashok Rayathatha

Joint Treasurer Jesal Shah

Directors Kuldip Bhatt

Jawlant Lakhia Jignesh Mehta

Archana Parikh Darshan Parikh Nimish Pathak

Praful Bhuta (GSS) Aditi Modi (GSY)

Board of Trustees

Chairman Bhavesh Joshi

Vice Chairman Arun Bhavsar

Secretary Shirish Shah

Trustees Bipin Mistry

Mayank Parikh B. D. Patel

Harendra Patel Mukesh Patel Pankaj Patel Hemant Shah

Visit us Online at www.GSOD.org September 2007 Issue 6

For more information on upcoming events look for details inside Samaj Darshan or visit www.GSOD.org

PAGE 2 SAMAJ DARSHAN: A GUJARATI SAMAJ OF DETROIT PUBLICATION SEPTEMBER 2007

COMMUNITY SECTION Renewal/New Membership Information Please support your Samaj by renewing your membership on time and encouraging

your friends and relatives to become members of this elite Gujarati organization. Join GSOD today by completing the membership form available on our website, www.gsod.org

2007 GUJARATI SAMAJ MEMBER DIRECTORY—DUE BY OCTOBER 15, 2007

We are pleased to inform you that Gujarati Samaj is going to publish the 2007 Member Directory this year. We request all members to visit www.gsod.org to update or verify your membership information before October 15th, 2007 to ensure that your information is accurate. This year we are also adding a Business Section in the directory. If you have a business and would like to list the Business Name in the Direc-tory, then provide the details by going to our website at www.gsod.org and update your business name and information on-line. Please note that ONLY current Gujarati Samaj members will be provided the 2007 Member Directory, so please become a member as soon as possible. Read ‘Why Join Samaj’ on our website be learn more about the benefits on becoming a member of Gujarati Samaj. Membership forms are available on website.

You can also submit Advertisement, Articles, Cartoons, Jokes and Po-ems to print in the member directory. You can mail or email the infor-mation to Ashok Rayathatha. The deadline is October 15th 2007.

Advertisement Rates

Color Advertisement

Front Cover Inside Page: $1,000 Back Cover Inside Page: $800 and Back Cover Page: $1,000

Black & White Advertisement

Full Page: $500 Half Page: $250

For additional information contact:

Ashok Rayathatha at 29695 Sierra Pointe Circle, Farmington Hills, MI 48331

Telephone: 248-661-2333 Email: [email protected]

2007 Scholarship Forms—Due to popular demand, Deadline extended to October 1, 2007 Gujarati Samaj is committed to awarding scholarships to outstanding students in high school. One of our goals is to make our members aware of this scholarship as early as possible so that we can get a wider spectrum of students to select from. Information about the require-ments, criteria, necessary information to apply for this scholarship is available on the website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bhavesh Joshi at [email protected] or Pankaj Patel at [email protected].

The scholarship form is available on our website: www.gsod.org.

Scholarship Award

We will proudly announce your son or daughter’s schol-arship award during GSOD’s Diwali program on Novem-ber 3rd, 2007.

Sponsorship for Scholarships

Each year, Samaj looks to our community members and leaders to help with scholarship sponsorship. If you would like to help sponsor this year’s scholarship awards, please contact Bhavesh Joshi at [email protected] or at 734.495.0107. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Sponsorship for 2007 Gujarati Samaj of Detroit has published its sponsorship package and it is available on our website. GSOD needs your support, so please review our sponsorship package at www.GSOD.org and help us with sponsorship.

DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING FOR MEMBER DIRECTORY


THE BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING FOR SAMAJ

• Are you interested in volunteering your time and expertise to Samaj? • Are you a high-spirited, enthusiastic and dedicated team player? • Are you ethical, motivated and committed to Samaj’s Mission, Vision & Core Values? If you answered yes to all the above questions, look no further. Gujarati Samaj of Detroit (GSOD) has the right oppor-tunity for you.

“BE A PART OF 2008 GSOD EC OR BOT TEAM”

It is time to apply for the open positions on the 2008 Executive Committee (EC) and Board of Trustee (BOT) Teams (see nomination form on the other side).

At GSOD, volunteering is offered by choice - it is not mandated. Each of us who joined EC/BOT became proudly involved so that we can provide a service to our Samaj and its members. At GSOD, we have a long tradition of vol-unteering and as volunteers we aim to foster community integration and unity by encouraging members, friends, col-leagues, and neighbors to work together through sharing of a common goal. The EC/BOT team works as a cohesive team where sharing of ideas are encouraged and respected, the work load is shared based on expertise, and most importantly, WE HAVE FUN ALONG THE WAY. Each of us recognizes the fundamental reason we volunteer at GSOD…TO GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY!

As with any volunteer work, serving a non-profit organization is not easy; Samaj needs your time, efforts & positive attitude and in return YOU will get a sense of achievement, sense of fulfillment, sense of ‘making a difference’ in our community. So, COME JOIN US! You’ll be glad YOU did. If you are not ready for a full-time commitment, you may want to consider volunteering on a part-time basis or during a Samaj event of your choice. Please visit the ‘volunteer page’ on our website to learn the ‘Benefits of Volunteering for Samaj’ or simply contact any of the current EC/BOT team members.

The potential EC/BOT member should have the following characteristics:

• Should have the commitment to GSOD (after work/life balance) and is looking to make this a longer-term (more than one year) commitment.

• Should have good interpersonal skills and must be able to treat all our members with courtesy and respect. • Should be professional at all times and a team player. • Should have good communication and computer skills.

2008 ELECTION COMMITTEE GSOD is pleased to announce the new Election Committee to oversee 2008 EC and BOT nomination process. The committee members are:

Ramesh Patel - Chairman Pratik Shah - Secretary Dilip Desai Parimal Mehta Bhushan Modi Daksha Pandit Jitendra Patel

Please join us in welcoming these dedicated members who have accepted the challenging task of nominating hard-working, committed and enthusiastic members to serve our Samaj in 2008 EC and BOT Teams.

GOOD LUCK & WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!



GUJARATI SAMAJ OF DETROIT 2007 ANNUAL ESSAY COMPETITION ENTRY FORM

www.GSOD.org/essay

To promote and preserve our culture, Gujarati Samaj of Detroit organizes various events and activi-ties throughout the year for its members. To promote our language and to encourage our youth to display their writing skills, we are introducing the Annual GSOD Essay Competition. The competition is open for GSOD members and their immediate family. GSOD would like to provide a platform for its members to bring out their literary talents and it is our sincere hope that you will participate with great enthusiasm. Following are the ‘rules and guidelines’ for the competition.

Competition will be held in three age groups as follows:

Group A: 8 – 12 years Group B: 13 – 18 years Group C: 19+ years

Competition is open to current GSOD members and their immediate family only.

There is a limit of one entry per person.

The essay may be written in Gujarati or English, preferably in Gujarati.

A list of suggested topics for each age group is below.

The essay should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words; double spaced on 8.5” x 11” size paper. All pages must be properly

numbered, titled and stapled together on the top left corner.

The essay must be submitted as an individual effort and must be original work of the author. Any evidence of plagia-rism will immediately disqualify the entry from the competition.

The essays will be assessed in confidence by an independent panel of judges. Judges’ decision will be final. Essays will be judged based on the following criteria:

Content relates to the topic.

Essay has a logical development (flow), and ideas are organized appropriately.

Quality of description (creativity, clarity, etc.).

Mechanics such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, neatness, etc.

How effectively candidate can portray his / her views and thought.

Originality (e.g. a parent should not be writing the essay for a child).

All essays become the property of Gujarati Samaj of Detroit and will not be returned. GSOD reserves the right to edit and publish the essays.

All entries must be mailed to the address listed on the other side and must be postmarked no later than Friday, Octo-ber 19, 2007.

Entries that do not comply with any of the competition rules will be disqualified.

GSOD will not be responsible for lost, late, mutilated, incomplete or illegible entries and/or any condition caused by events beyond the reasonable control of GSOD which may cause the competition to be cancelled.

To ensure anonymity, it is important that the author’s name does not appear anywhere on the essay. Please fill out the form on the back (page 2) in its entirety and mail it with the essay. Do not staple the form to the essay.

Group A My most favorite Indian festival / holiday. OR How I spent my Summer Break.

Group B Our Culture and its role in my life. OR That was the best vacation of my

Group C “C” in “A B C D” (American Born Confused Desi) – truth or myth ? OR What does “Gujarati” mean to me ?


Age Group (please check one): Group A Group B Group C

8 – 12 years 13 – 18 years 19 + years

Title of the Essay: ______________________________________________________________

Author’s Name: ________________________________________________________________

Author’s Age: _______ years Author’s Grade (if applicable): __________

Total Word Count: ___________ Words GSOD Membership Number: ___________

Parent’s Name (in case of minor child): ____________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________ Email: _____________________________________

Author Acknowledgment: To the best of my knowledge, all information provided on this form is correct and I agree to abide by the rules and guidelines for GSOD Annual Essay Competition.

Author or Parent (in case of minor child) Signature:

_______________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Results of the competition will be announced during the Annual Diwali Dinner Event on November 3, 2007.

Top three entries from each group will be selected. Winning entries will be awarded a certificate and a cash prize. In addition, all entries will be published in the GSOD member directory, a future issue of Samaj Darshan and on GSOD website. The essay may also be sent for publica-tion in a leading Gujarati news paper.

For questions, please send an e-mail to [email protected] OR Call Rakesh Patel at 248-894-6553

Please mail your entry (postmarked no later than 10/19/2007) to:

Rakesh Patel, 4377 Cherrywood Dr., Troy, MI 48098

For more information and tips on the GSOD Annual Essay Competition,

GUJARATI SAMAJ OF DETROIT

2007 ANNUAL ESSAY COMPETITION ENTRY FORM

GSOD ESSAY CONTEST 2007

BIG PRIZES, FAME!

www.GSOD.org/essay

GSOD PHOTO CONTEST 2007

TOTAL PRIZES $250!! www.GSOD.org/photo

GUJARATI SAMAJ CULTURAL CENTER-TOWN HALL MEETING With our changing demographics, a diverse generational composition and growing community, it is vital to iden-tify organization priority to sustain its growth. It is very important for any organization to evaluate their cur-rent activities and chart its course to better meet the needs of their members. We strongly believe that if we stop moving forward, we will stifle our progress. As the saying goes…”Progress is the activity of today and the assur-ance of tomorrow” As you may know, the Samaj established an Ad-hoc Committee of dedicated members, who have spent numerous hours over the past year, to identify the needs and created the guidelines for the Gujarati Samaj Cultural Cen-ter. We are happy to inform you that we are now ready to present the formal business plan to our community. We continue to strive to achieve our goals and remain hopeful that ‘together’ we will make our dreams come true in the creation of the Cultural Center. The Ad-hoc Committee plans to invite all our members and leaders from our community, who share the Samaj Vision, and provide them an opportunity to review the future plans for the Cultural Center. Input and feedback from you is valuable to us in establishing the next steps to move forward to achieve our goal 'together'.

Town Hall Meeting detail as follow:

Date: Sunday, October 14, 2007 Time: 3:00 pm—5:00pm

Venue: Jain Temple Location: Farmington Hills

We sincerely request your presence and please join us at Town Hall Meeting. Your input is valuable to us in establishing the next steps to move forward to achieve our goal ‘together’.

— Strategic Planning Ad-hoc Committee



UPCOMING GSOD EVENTS—Mark your calendar and Join us for FUN! FUN! FUN!

Business Seminar Date: Sunday, November 16th, 2007

Time: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Place: Radisson Hotel, Novi

Some of the key topics that are planned for this business seminar are:

Current/Future Economy and Opportunity:

Talk about current and future Michigan Economy and opportunities

Operating Successful Business

Talk about Marketing, Cost Cutting like Payroll, Healthcare, HR etc.

Expand your Horizon

Talk about expanding your business, other alternatives, Government Contract, Certifications, MMBDC, SBA etc.

Contact: Ashok Rayathatha at 248.346.6717 or Chandrika Patel at 248.489.4894

Sunday, September 30th Sunday, November 16th

For more information on upcoming events look for details inside Samaj Darshan or visit www.GSOD.org

2008 GSS NOMINATION FORM I would like to nominate myself for the following Gujarati Samaj Seniors (GSS) committee position. I meet the following criteria as of July 31, 2007: • I am at least 55 years old & I am current member of Gujarati Samaj

• I will be able to participate in all GSS meetings & activities starting from for 2008

Nominee’s Name:______________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email:_________________________________

Signature ____________________________ Date: ___________________

Committee Position Name

Director

Co-director

Co-director

2007 Gujarati Samaj Diwali Program

Dinner and Entertainment Show Ticket Order Form Diwali program Saturday, November 3rd 2007 at Seaholm High School, Birmingham

Dinner & Bollywood Entertainment Please reserve the Diwali program tickets for our family. We are current members of Gujarati Samaj of Detroit. We understand that submitting this form does not guarantee the tickets.

Member Number: _____________________

Name: __________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________

Phone: _____________________________ (must be provided)

Adult Tickets (over 18 years) ______ x $24.00 / ticket = $________

(Includes Dinner & Musical Entertainment)

Children / Youth Tickets (under 18 years) ______ x $8.00 / ticket = $________

(Includes Kids Dinner & Special Entertainment)

TOTAL AMOUNT = $__________

Please mail this completed form along with the check for the total amount payable to Gujarati Samaj, Inc. no later than FRIDAY, October 26, 2007 to:

Mr. Ashok Rayathatha 29695 Sierra Pointe Circle Farmington Hills,MI-48331

Important Information • Mail this form promptly as the seats are assigned on first-come-first-served basis. Auditorium capacity is

limited seats. The postmarked date on the mailed envelope or the date of receipt for hand-delivered form to above address will be used in determining priority seating.

• No tickets reservations will be accepted over the phone. Ticket order must be sent to above address. PLEASE DO NOT MAIL THE FORM TO EC OR BOT MEMBERS.

• If your children (under 18 years) need auditorium seats, instead of Kids Special Entertainment, then please pur-chase adult tickets for them.

• The Diwali Program is strictly for current Gujarati Samaj members only. Non-members must become members prior to ordering tickets for the program.

• If you like to sit with your friends / relatives, then send all the completed forms with checks in one envelop. Each family must submit a separate ticket request form. We will verify the membership before sending tickets to you.

• Tickets are required for the admission to dinner hall and the auditorium. Lost tickets will not be replaced. These tickets are not refundable.

• Executive Committee (EC) and Board of Trustee (BOT) reserve the rights to revise and/or modify these instructions and make final decisions.

Contact between 7 PM – 9 PM:

Rakesh Patel 248-894-6553 | Ashish Tikiwala 248-895-3926 Jesal Shah 734-721-5703

Mark your calendars: Diwali Program – Saturday, November 3rd 2007 @ 5:00 pm

4 – 5 PM Diwali Puja 5 – 6.45 PM Dinner 7.00 PM onwards Diwali Program

GSOD Chandrika Patel 28088 Gettysburg Street Farmington Hills, MI 48331

We apologize for any printing errors or omissions

-Visit Samaj Website for- Samaj Event Details

FOGANA & Special Events Buy Events Tickets Online Membership

Scholarship & Other Forms Member Discounts/Specials

Online Samaj Darshan Archived Samaj Darshan

Business Directory Useful Website Links Feedback/Suggestions

Gujarati Recipes & much more!

www.GSOD.org

Vision

Preserve Gujarati cultural and linguistic heritage through

diversity and sense of belonging for the upcoming and future

generations of the membership

Mission

Preserve and promote Gujarati heritage by providing

exposure and opportunity to the membership

www.GSOD.org

Documents

Executive Committee - GSOD Shah Directors Kuldip Bhatt Jawlant Lakhia Jignesh Mehta Archana Parikh Darshan Parikh Nimish Pathak Praful Bhuta (GSS) Aditi Modi (GSY) Board of Trustees