Civic club to honor four as cultural living treasures
By Kapono Dowson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Four Native Hawaiian seniors will be honored as cultural living treasures Sunday by the Prince Kuhio Hawaiian Civic Club at its 2001 Scholarship Luncheon at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
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Irmgard Farden Aluli, Gladys Ainoa Brandt, David Merritt Peters and Myron B. Thompson were chosen for their individual accomplishments and for their service to Hawai'i and Native Hawaiians, said club president Linda Delaney.
Irmgard Farden Aluli was inducted into the Hawai'i Music Hall of Fame.
Gladys Ainoa Brandt helped author the essay "Broken Trust."
David Merritt Peters works for Sen. Daniel Inouye.
Myron B. Thompson is a former Bishop Estate trustee.
They were also chosen because of their club contributions. Both Brandt and Thompson are charter members who have been with the club since it started in 1964.
In their 70s to 90s, the four honorees have been exemplary voices for Hawaiians in the areas of music, education, public service, culture and voyaging renaissance, Delaney said.
Aluli, a noted Hawaiian musician and composer, was inducted into the Hawai'i Music Hall of Fame in 1998. She composed such classics as "The Boy from Laupahoehoe" and "Puamana."
Brandt helped author "Broken Trust," an essay that spurred the overhaul and restructuring of Bishop Estate. Brandt, who was the first Native Hawaiian principal of Kamehameha Schools, was also chairwoman on the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents. She was also twice appointed as an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee.
Peters serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust. The trust oversees the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center. Also in recognition of his 14 years of service with Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawai'i, Peters holds the title of executive assistant emeritus for the senator. Both Peters and his wife, Mele, have been recipients of the Pualeilani Award for the Outstanding Hawaiian Civic Club Family of the Year.
Thompson, a former Bishop Estate trustee, has served as state director of human services. Serving on the boards of many community organizations, he was also one of the founders of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
The event serves as the primary fund-raiser for the Prince Kuhio Hawaiian Civic Club's scholarship program. The 37-year old club has about 200 members and is one of the largest Hawaiian civic clubs in the state, Delaney said.
Over the years, it has awarded more than $400,000 in financial aid to Hawaiian scholars.
Delaney said the club hopes to raise more than $20,000 through this year's event. The money will be used for scholarships to 18 individuals and to sponsor four Punana Leo Hawaiian language schools.
Event activities at the Royal Hawaiian will start at 10 a.m. with a silent auction and boutique. The luncheon will take place from noon to 2 p.m. in the Monarch Room. Those interested in attending should call Delaney at 941-4946.
The scholarship applications are coordinated through Kamehameha Schools. For information, send inquiries to Prince Kuhio Hawaiian Civic Club, P.O.Box 4728, Honolulu, HI 96812. Make it attention to: Scholarship Fund.
