Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 6, 1 June 1987 — Mike White Assumes Chairmanship [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mike White Assumes Chairmanship

Na Mele O Maui Makes Some Changes for 1 987

"May the Songs of Maui Live Forever for the Children" is the theme chosen for the 15th Annual Na Mele O Maui Nov. 20-22 at Kaanapali and Lahaina. A new general chairman, new format and a few new locations have been established for the 1987 program. Profits from the annual three-day festival are earmarked for Maui County students desiring higher education with particular interest in art, music, dance and architecture relating to Hawaii and its history. Betsy Hinau, who serves as chairman of the scholarship fund, announced that $5,000 is available for scholarships for the school year beginning in September. High schools on Maui, Molokai and Lanai received informational material and applications for the 1987-88 school year earlier. Applications were scheduled to be returned May 1. Mike White, general manageroftheKaanapali Beach Hotel, is the new general chairman of Na Mele O Maui ine. He succeeds Dick Bacon who served for five years. Bacon moved to Portland, Ore. , since last year's festival and works as resident manager of a condominium. White is very involved with Na Mea Hawaii on Maui, especially in the Lahaina-Kaanapali community. A little over two years ago he established Project Po'okela for his employees, the only general manager in the big resort complex known to have eome up with such a unique program. Project Po'okela teaches Kaanapali Beach Hotel employees and staff how to become Hawaiians and Hawaiians at heart. Language, culture and values are taught by Keala Kealoha-Milare, former social studies, English and Hawaiian language instructor from Hawaii. The popular and very moving Keiki Song Competi-

tion, whieh last year featured 900 chi!dren from 18Maui schools, will get the three-day festival under way on Friday, Nov. 20, at 9 am. at a new location in the more spacious Westin Maui Ballroom. It will be followedthe next evening by the Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival in the Hyatt Regency Monarch BalIroom. Arts and crafts demonstrations and sales will take on

a new wrinkle this year on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Instead of having it at all the Kaanapali hotels, it will be concentrated at the Kaanapali Beach Hote! where a mini village concept is planned. Entertainment will be included. Another change this year is that the Sunday noonday luau has been dropped. A Ho'olaule'a has replaced this feature. It is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lahaina Civic Center Amphitheatre. There will be entertainment and food booths. According to the sponsoring Kaanapali Beach Operators Association, whieh took over the Na Mele O Maui program in 1978, theHo'olaule'awill feature family entertainers from different island groups. Among those serving through the years on the Na Mele O Maui standing committee is Office of Hawaiian Affairs Maui Trustee Manu Kahaialii who does a tremendous job as master of ceremonies for the Keiki Song Competition in addition to providing backup music and being involved in logistics. Others are Lori Sablas, Mrs. Hinau, Kenneth Chan, Jane Caban, Ali'i Noa, Valerie Kong, Gladys Lampkin, Perry Moyer, Miehael Campbell, Don Ross, Aunty Emma Farden Sharpe, Tanya Shito, Georja Skinner, Eleanor Sommerville and Glenda Travis. Planning for the festival is a six to eight month activity involving the business community, hotels and resorts, entertainers and just plain grass roots people. Admission is free to the Keiki Song Competition and the arts and crafts displays while a nominal charge is made for the hula festival and Ho'olaule'a. Full particulars may be obtained by contacting Miss Sablas or Sue Simon at KBOA in Lahaina, telephone 661-3271.

Mike White, far right, is new chairman of Na Mele O Maui. He is also president of the Maui Hotel Association. White is shown here with, from left to right, Mrs. Joan Brown, Sen. Malama Solomon, and Hawaii businessman and former legislator Kenneth F. Brown, during one of his many Honolulu visits.