EMAIL from Lion's Club Dear All, > You are all well-informed about how one of the greatest festivals of  > Nepali women, Teej, had not yet been celebrated in our Boston Community until  > last year. The GBNC had been requested to celebrate Teej but the request had  > been ignored time and again and had never been taken seriously. This was the  > only reason why Lions Club decided to step forward to formally, institutionally  > and grandiosely celebrate Teej festival in Boston community for the sake of all  > our Nepali sisters living in this area. Lions Club even included Teej  > celebration in its annual calender months ago for the same reason. Since we only  > had best  > intentions in mind and no selfishness involved, we tried to make it a  > inclusive committee. As a Program Director, I and other members and well wishers  > of Lions Club had personally approached people who were actively involved in the  > Teej program last year, and people from other diverse background to be a part of  > this program. Most of the people had positive reactions when they were  > first approached to join us in the committee. However, even though we had tried  > to be as cooperative and as inclusive as possible, certain people did not like  > the idea of Lions Club sponsoring the Teej program and declared their own  > separate program to celebrate Teej festival in the same date and time that we  > had originally planned to celebrate it. Despite their uncooperative action  > and decision, we tried to compromise with them and come to an understanding  > to celebrate Teej together in a harmony. However, our efforts to come to an  > understanding was continuously ignored and information on their Teej program  > was published in the media without once informing or consulting us. In order to  > not clash the dates for these separate Teej programs, we tried to be flexible  > and accommodating, and decided to change the date of our own program to a  > different date than we had originally planned. Therefore, I request all of you  > to participate and support this program in every way, as well as to promote this  > program among your friends and acquaintances to make  > this Teej Program, sponsored by Lions Club, a success.   In response to the the email that was sent out by the Lions club members, and directors: Last Year there it was advised by the so called members of Lion’s club, then there existed no Lions club, that the local women should be organizing the Teej festival. To respect and taken as we women can do things, and make things happen, we, non-affiliated to any organization decided to do the TEEJ festival this year. Along the line when organizing the Festival, So, called members/directors of the lions’ club had called names to us as “ Boston ma Pothi Basyo”, some called over the phone and named us Maoists. The organization has no other motif than its name and fame. Many of them calling on the phone and asking to put the organization’s name as the organizers, where we women had no affiliation to no organization as for as this years’s TEEJ celebration goes. Why this made a big deal with the name of the Lions club? Is the harassment over the phone off the record is what Lion’s Club stands for? When there was a concern of women were organizing this festival, lions club created so many female members over night and put them forward to counter our effort. Only cooperation that was sought from the Lion’s club was to withdraw our plan so that they can do it. And no meeting was offered, to discuss about their date/time or anything and their plan for that matter. All the blames by lions club are false. There was no other effort than to put the organization name to be put on the Festival organizers. Where as we only wanted to have all the women participate and celebrate TEEJ and have fun. The above email is nothing but the director and the members of Lions club, as to where they saw the our posting on Sajha 2 weeks prior to their posting of the event, now you make the wise decision of who is doing what. I and my friends are considering seriously about issuing a complaint against this Lion’s club to Lions club international for harassment over the phone to our organizers and calling political names. We have no other intension than to celebrate our holy festival without any involvement of any organization. How lame it is that such a big organization would be coming pointing fingers at we few women trying to organize a celebration of our festival TEEJ.