Please register at http://zagny.org/register

Schedule
Prayers: 6:30 pm;
Cocktails:7:00 pm;
Live Band – DJ Alan :8:00 pm;
Dinner:9:00 pm

Please note that at the Gate charge is a courtesy only for last minute guests, and not to be considered as a norm.

We request our community members to register, either by mail or on line, by the deadline of Aug. 10th.

This will assist us to plan for the event and make it enjoyable one for all. We truly appreciate your cooperation and help.

If interested in attending the prayers, please contact the host families and submit the names of your dear departed ones on the enclosed form along with your check and mail it to reach us by August 3rd, 2010. All names will be recited as submitted when prayers are performed on the above days. Lunch, hosted by Noshir & Testar Irani,will be served after the prayers on Sunday, August 15th at the Darbe-Mehr.

Please contact Nina Mistry at 914-722-0229 / ninamistry@hotmail.com or Vispi Kanga at 609-448-0192 / kangavs@yahoo.com.

Rohinton Rivetna is one of the early founders of FEZANA, the parent association of ZAGNY. He served as its President and is still an active member in the organisation.

[Hat Tip: Parsi Khabar]

ZAGNY SUMMER PICNIC – JULY, 25th 2010

Join us with kids, families and friends for our annual ZAGNY picnic at the:

Cheesequake State Park
300 Gordon Road
Matawan , New Jersey 07747
Phone: 732-566-2161 http://www.stateparks.com/cheesequake.html

Bring your favorite potluck picnic dish (enough to share with 8-10 people), and come prepared to have a great time! Grills are available for cook-outs. ZAGNY will provide watermelon, iced tea, hot tea and charcoal for the cook out.

Call Kerman ( 732-494- 7976), or Vispi (609-448-0192), if you plan to attend.

On the day of the picnic, once you are in the park, Kerman and Vispi will have their cell phones switched on in case you need directions to the picnic area. ( Cell numbers for day of picnic: Kerman-732-742-2275, Vispi-201-248-7208.)

Additional details are on the Park’s website.

So folks, do mark your calendars and plan to join us at our annual picnic!

Cheesequake State Park’s uniqueness lies in its geographical location. Not only is it situated in the middle of the urban north and the suburban south, it lies in a transitional zone between two different ecosystems. Open fields, saltwater and freshwater marshes, a white cedar swamp, Pine Barrens, and a northeastern hardwood forest are the main characteristics of the park. There are five designated trails at the park. Spring and summer are the seasons for viewing the magnificent selection of wildflowers located along the trails of Cheesequake State Park. The park contains a vast array of wildflowers, which are easily viewed from the various hiking or walking trails.

The six-acre Hooks Creek Lake offers an opportunity for freshwater fishing. Crabbing is also available from the Crabbing Bridge which is reachable from the lake parking area. Swimming is permitted in Hooks Creek Lake.

Several picnic areas with table and grills are located throughout the Park.

Swimming: Swimming is permitted in Hooks Creek Lake from Memorial day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Fishing and Hunting: The six-acre Hooks Creek Lake offers an opportunity for freshwater fishing.

Directions

From the Garden State Parkway: Take exit 120 and make a right at the end of the exit ramp and follow to the first light. Make a right. At the next light make a right and follow road into the Park. From Route 34 South: Make a left turn onto Disbrow Road which is the light immediately south of the Marketplace Shopping Plaza. Make a right at the end of Disbrow Road. Make a left at the first light and follow into the Park.

From Route 34 North: Make a right turn onto Disbrow Road which is the light immediately north of the Berg Animal Hospital. Make a right at the end of Disbrow Road. Make a left at the first light and follow into the Park.

“It is in the national interest that our future leaders in all walks of life have opportunities to observe firsthand the important and challenging tasks of  American government ” President Johnson’s Executive Order creating The White House Fellows Program, October 3, 1964

The purpose of the White House Fellows program is to provide gifted and highly motivated young Americans with some first-hand experience in the process of governing the Nation and a sense of personal involvement in the leadership of society. Selected individuals typically spend a year as a full-time, paid Fellow to senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries and other top-ranking government officials.full-time, paid Fellow to senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries and other top-ranking government officials.

P R E R E Q U I S I T E S
? Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
? Applicants must have completed their undergraduate education and be working in their chosen professions.

Application Deadline: 1st February

Visit: www.whitehouse.gov/fellows for a video (5:20 min) about the program and instructions.

Our 5thd annual GOOL KOTHAWALA ESSAY CONTEST has arrived! Here’s a chance for them to do some writing in the summer and add to their list of achievements!

Essay Topics: (Both 7-11 age group and the 12-17 age group)

1) How do you work for goodness and resist ‘Ahriman’ (evil) in your life?

2) Have you ever seen or done an “Unexpected act of kindness”? Tell us the story and how it made you feel.

3) If you were asked “What is at the heart of the Zoroastrian faith?”, what would you say?

4) “Life is an echo – what you send out comes back” Do you agree with this Chinese Proverb? Why?

Contest Rules:

• Essays can be humorous, heartfelt, or practical.
• They should be personal and anecdotal.
• Students must submit original work, and be current members of ZAGNY.
• Essays should be about 200 words (This is only 1 typed page with double spacing), please use MS-Word (it does the word count as well).
• Entries should be emailed to navmerch2002@yahoo.com with Name, Contact number, & Age of participant, on or before August 8th 2010.
• Essays will be judged in two categories, the 7-11 age group and the 12-17 age group. One first prize of $50 will be awarded in each category. Certificates will be awarded to 2nd and 3rd place entries in each category.
• Prizes will be awarded at the Pateti function or the first religious class in September.

Judging:

Contestants names will be masked from the judges. Of course, the judges decision is final. All entries are the property of The Gool Kothawala Essay Competition.

ZAGNY welcomed Dasturji Khurshed Dastur, the Vada Dasturji of the Iranshah Atash Behram, Udvada; on Saturday May 15th, 2010 at the Darbe Mehr. He was accompanied by three priests from ZAGNY, one among them  being Pervez Patel, who has been a priest at ZAGNY for the last 40 years.

After the beautiful prayer recitation; Dasturji addressed the gathering of over 100 people in a question answer session moderated by Homi Gandhi.

The Dasturji briefed the gathering about the new Zoroastrian Information Center set up at Udvada. This center has a permanent exhibit that imparts information about the religion, culture and way of life of the Parsis in India. He urged one and all to visit the Center, the next time they are in Udvada at the Iranshah.

He also spoke about his visit to address a Jewish congregation the day before at their synagogue. Here he was given an opportunity to address the large crowd and brief them about the religion and the ceremonies; and discuss the many similarities our religions share.

He also gave a brief history of the Iranshah from the time the Parsis landed on the shores of Sanjan 13 centuries ago.

And lastly he urged the gathering; and infact the various associations in North America, including FEZANA to write letters of support for the creation of Udvada as a heritage village. This is something that he is championing and taking up with the Government of Gujarat and further with the Government of India.

This heritage status (not to be confused with the UNESCO World Heritage Site) would stop the haphazard development of property in Udvada village. With multi storey structures planned all around the Iranshah and a complete absence of sewage and sanitation system; soil and water pollution are the biggest hazards to the surrounding areas of Iranshah. He requested everyone to send letters of support via their local Zoroastrian organisations to him at Udvada.

At the conclusion of the event he was presented a shawl by Pervez Patel. The gathering then broke for lunch catered by ZAGNY and everyone got an opportunity to meet with the Dasturji on a personal one-to-one basis.

• 2010 Election Notice
• 2010 Candidate Profiles
• 2010 Absentee Ballot

ZAGNY wishes it’s sister organization Good Luck in it’s endeavor!