As I take on the flag of Kerala Cultural Society of Metropolitan Washington (KCSMW) for the year 2012, I am humbled, honored and ever grateful to this association and the Kerala community for giving me this opportunity. I understand the huge responsibility entrusted upon me, but I take great pride in serving and leading an organization that represents the Malayalee community in the tri-state of Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC. I promise to do my best to ensure that the 2012 committee will work to make this year a fun filled year for the Malayalee community. I will ensure that your trust in us is well placed.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Anil Nair and his team on completing a wonderful year 2011 that showcased varied entertainment programs and charity work.

I would like to simplify what I see and how we are going to serve you in this coming year. We have come into United States of America, most of us as immigrants, we live the American way of life, we speak their language, we work here, we celebrate their festival, eat macaroni and cheese (smile) and go to Olive gardens and Burger King and feel we are part of the society. We have blended into what we call the fabric of the United States. But you know what, there is this one corner in our heart, I know I can relate to most of you, where we miss those green paddy fields, mountains, the festivals, the hustle and bustle on the streets, the times we spend as kids with our family and friends celebrating Easter, Ramadan, Vishu, Onam or Christmas. You know what, I miss those days and I am sure most of you too.

My goal and my objective is to be able to re-live and recreate these precious moments for each one of you in this coming year. So let us plan for that. Let’s plan to celebrate where we come from let us celebrate the tradition we cherished all our life, let us celebrate and re-live those magical moments that made us what we are today. You will see as we put together the plan for 2012, we will re-live our traditions, hold it on, celebrate these occasions and will make sure that we pass it on to the next generation, so that they can do exactly what we are trying to do today.

We have formed a great team of individuals who are very enthusiastic about serving this community. As we work together as a team towards our common goal of preserving and enriching our rich cultural heritage, I request you, on behalf of the KCSMW 2012 committee, to help us in this venture by providing your valuable support and suggestions. Looking forward to meeting you at our events. Please visit www.kcsmw.org for updates on upcoming events.

Thanks again for the opportunity to be your President for the coming year. I will do my best along with my team to meet your expectations.

Sincerely,

Priti Raman,

President, KCSMW