State Society Officers Make Plans for the NCSS 60th Anniversary Cherry Blossom Princess Program April 6-12. Lantern Lighting & concert on Sunday, April 6.

Mr. Mitsuru Kitano, Public Affairs Minister for the Embassy of Japan, in dark blue suit and pink tie, stands to the left of NCSS President Lourdes Barrett in a light blue suit after his talk to the NCSS Governing Board at the Hall of States on Jan. 10. His colleague Mr. Nobumitsu Kamio, Second Secretary and Cultural Attache for the Embassy, is standing behind Minister Kitano.  Other NCSS delegates attending included state society officers from the Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Maryland, Guam, Massachusetts, Idaho, California, Delaware, Illinois, Hawaii, Ohio, Arizona, and Maine state societies.  Plans were announced for the Cherry Blossom Princess program from the Lantern ceremony and concert on Sunday, April 6 to the parade and Sakura Matsuri (downtown street festival) on Saturday, April 12. Tennessee State Society President Elizabeth Clement Webb, who is also NCSS First Vice President, and Lillian Iverson of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc., both spoke on festival plans.  The United States Cherry Blossom Queen will be selected at the Grand Ball on Friday, April 11 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.