"honored... by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission... recommended as being very outstanding, and significant in contributing to bringing about a more humane society... influential in preserving Hawaiian history and the teaching of cultures in the Islands... worked... to help society...
BENJAMIN KODAMA SR. ... Kodama, who has been working with the orchid industry for about 60 years... have won top honors from the three largest orchid organizations in the United States. ... speaking on the phone from the 19th World Orchid Conference in Miami, where he had been chosen as a moderator. Kodama, 82, travels frequently to national and international orchid conferences, promoting the Orchid Society of Hawai'i and spreading the word about Hawai'i's orchids. He developed a branding method to recognize orchids bred in Hawai'i as part of promoting the state as an orchid center. "I did what I did because I would like to help the state of Hawai'i to become one of the top growing areas in the world," Kodama said. "That's one of my biggest aims." Kodama was also named judge emeritus by the American Orchid Society and has shared his knowledge and experience with many young struggling orchid growers." URL : http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080128/NEWS25/801280332/1318/NEWS25 ************* Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
