The Brackett Foundation

enote 17              April 27, 2005

 

Introduction:

 

Check out our new logo!  It is an abstract design of a student reading a book.  I have tried for years to imagine a logo to symbolize our Foundation better than simply a book, but I was unable to come up with one.  Recently we approached Jana Laxa, a local Hamilton artist, to ask for her help.  She showed us some ideas including one of a student reading a book.  That did it.  I got out my graphics program drew four ellipses and a straight line, cut and pasted them together to produce the image.  I hope it has not been patented –or whatever they do with logos– and I hope you all like it.  A big thank you to Jana for her inspiration.

 

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Meet  Kaw Ray Htoo

 

I have known Kaw Ray Htoo since the first day I visited the Karen people thirteen years ago.  At first he impressed me with his strength, but I soon found out that all Karens are strong and agile.  Those who have met and worked with the Karens are generally agreed that they are self effacing, of good humor even with their adversity, hospitable to a fault, and grateful for help provided by others.  Kaw Ray Htoo is all of these, but he is also caring and generous, and I would like to give you the most recent example of that.

 

When he is not on some excursion into Burma, Kaw Ray Htoo lives in Mae Salit and runs a store there.  He does not run it very well, I suspect because he is too naturally generous.  When we visited with him last year, we encountered a young man sometimes walking around the village, sometimes sleeping near the store.  In that area it is not uncommon to see derelicts of the war, but this person was different.  He never spoke, and was so dirty and unkempt that he repelled any attempts to approach him.  This February we saw another similar person hanging around.  This time Kaw Ray Htoo gave us an explanation.  Both persons had been soldiers in the Karen army.  Both had been victims of landmines.  Both were now so mentally impaired that they could not care for themselves.  Both had been fed, bathed, covered at night, and otherwise cared for by Kaw Ray Htoo.

 

 

March, April Activities

  • Mar: 21 – 22: Returned to US and recuperated.

  • Mar: 23 – Apr: 1  Prepared Reports for the Trustees Meeting.

  • Apr: 02  21st Met with the Board of Trustees.

    • Topics Discussed:  Fund-raising; Tsunami Needs; Internal Communication; Board Expansion; Using Graduates or other refugees as workers in the Foundation.

    • Actions Taken:  Adopted 2005-2006 Budget with grants of $149,000 for scholarships and projects; Re-elected Dianne Becker to a second five year term.

  • Apr: 18 Gave a talk to the Hamilton Club on our recent trip to Asia.

  • April:  Communicated with our new and continuing students making agreements and transferring funds.

  • April:  Arranged a talk May 23, at the Common Ground, Cazenovia, and May 25, at the public library, Hamilton.

 

Best Wishes to all,   

Tom & Liz

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(315) 824-3435   The Brackett Foundation P.O. Box 8 Hamilton, NY 13346   tomb@twcny.rr.com

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