EDITOR'S NOTE

The new committee is in action in full swing, working on multiple fronts. We have a series of events lined up, starting from the Indian Visa Camp on Nov 16th, followed by Feaster 5K run/walk on Thanksgiving morning and then our flagship event, the Republic Day Mela. Registrations for Republic Day Mela are already in progress, stay tuned for more updates. 
We are starting a new series this month, where we will be spotlighting a different regional organization in every issue. 

In this issue you will find:

  • From the Director's Corner - Sanjay Kudrimoti
  • Introduction of Incoming IAGB EC - Ashok Shetty
  • Guest Column - Jaya Pandey
  • SPOTLIGHT - Seetaram Amaravadi, President - Telugu Association of Greater Boston (TAGB)
  • IAGB Upcoming Events
  • IAGB 2019 Corporate Sponsors
  • IAGB Recent Events
  • Community Calendar
  • Our Sponsors
  • Our Media Partners

Like always, we invite you to submit guest columns on diverse topics for inclusion in the newsletter. Your feedback and suggestions and welcome!! Please contact via Email if you wish to make community event announcements through this newsletter.

Please visit our Website to sign up for annual family/single or life membership of IAGB. Contact Us if you are interested to volunteer at our upcoming events.

IAGB wishes Happy Diwali to all its members!
I n the midst of the festive season IAGB extends its warm greetings to all IAGB members and their families a very happy Diwali! Diwali signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair. As Indian Americans let us use our positive energies to spread light, knowledge, goodness and hope in the world around us.


-- Sanjay Kudrimoti & Yogita Miharia

FROM THE DIRECTOR'S CORNER

FACTS ABOUT MONEY (LAKSHMI)

-- Sanjay Kudrimoti
As many Indian Americans celebrate Lakshmi Puja - some interesting facts about money (Lakshmi).

1. One bill weighs 1 gram and 454 bills equal one pound. This means if you have $1 million in singles, it would weigh over 1 ton! A suitcase of $1 million in $100 bills weighs over 20 pounds!
Speaking of $100 bills, close to 80% of the U.S. currency is in $100 bills. The odd thing is I rarely see a $100 bill, not to mention most places I go have signs saying they no longer accept them.

#2. The Federal Reserve is missing 2/3 of the $100 bills they printed. They counted up all of the $100 bills there are in banks, cash registers, etc. and found that close to 2/3 of the $100 bills are unaccounted for. In other words, they are most likely overseas. Conspiracy theorists are on the case and blaming  The Illuminati !

#3. The most counterfeited denomination of money is the $20 bill. The next most counterfeited bill is the $100 bill. In foreign countries, the US $100 bill is the most frequently counterfeited. And since we are on the topic of counterfeiting, according to the Coinage Act of 1972, counterfeiting by Mint employees is punishable by death.

#4. North Korea is the largest counterfeiter. North Korea has mastered the art of counterfeiting U.S. currency, specializing in a perfect replica of our $50 and $100 bills. Their fakes are so impressive that they are referred to as “superdollars,” and require specialized equipment at the Federal Reserve to be detected. As of 2009, an estimated $45 million worth of these fake bills have been identified.

#5. Emerich Juettner was a pro at counterfeiting. Actually, he was horrible at counterfeiting but was smart in how and when he spent his fake bills. He worked his scam by counterfeiting $1 bills and made just enough to survive. As a result, it took the U.S. Secret Service 10 years to catch him. And when they did, he only spent 4 months in prison. The best part of this money fact is that a film was made about Emerich Juettner and his counterfeiting ways, which ended up making him more money than he made from counterfeiting.

#6. The typical lifespan of a $1 bill is just 18 months. While the lifespan of a $100 bill is close to 9 years. And you thought dogs aged fast! Here is a total breakdown:
  • $1 bill: 18 months
  • $5 bill: 2 years
  • $10 bill: 3 years
  • $20 bill: 4 years
  • $50 bill: 9 years
  • $100 bill: 9 years
  • Coins: 30 years

#7. You can make your worn out money crisp again. It takes about 4,000 double folds (first forward and then backward) before a bill will tear. You can  restore the life of your bill somewhat by ironing it .

#8. Money is recycled when worn out. Worn out coins are melted down and used to make new coins. Worn out bills are shredded, recycled, and then made into roof shingles or fireplace logs.

#9. Money is dirty. We’ve all heard how dirty money is and how reportedly there are traces of cocaine on 90% of paper money, but did you know that money is dirtier than a household toilet?
How about the fact that the flu virus can live on a bill for up to 17 days! Note to self, stop putting money in your mouth when in a hurry at the checkout line!

#10. The Secret Service was originally made to fight counterfeiting. In July of 1865, the U.S. Secret Service was created during the Civil War to fight counterfeiting. Counterfeiting was a huge problem back then, and by the end of the war between 1/3 and 1/2 of all U.S. paper currency in circulation was counterfeit.

Source: Jon Dulin, MoneySmartGuides.com

 
Introduction of 2017 - 2019 IAGB Executive Committee
IAGB welcomed one more new member to Executive Committee.
Jeyanthi Ghatraju - Director
Jeyanthi Ghatraju is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and teacher from Westford, MA. She started her dance school, Natyanjali, 25 years ago with a mission to perform for charity and bringing the art form to those who cannot get to it (such as the Elderly in nursing homes). Since then, Jeyanthi and her students have performed regularly at nursing homes and raising funds for noble causes. Jeyanthi has been recognized for completing 25 years of teaching in 2019 by the House of Representatives and the State Senate recently and with 4 MA Cultural Council grants this year. Jeyanthi was recognized recently with the US Presidential Service Gold Award for recording over 500 hours of community service in 2013 and 2017. Jeyanthi served in the IAGB Executive Board and as the cultural committee chairperson from 2015- 2017.
GUEST COLUMN


TIME FOR A TALK, A REAL ONE...





-- Jaya Pandey
Writing about special needs, family support, or special education, support system for families, support for mothers comes very naturally to me as a mother of a son on the spectrum. But a conversation with a friend who works in the school system made me write about the need for talk about mental health. She was talking about the increase in suicide in some affluent towns, how the parents and educators missed the signs and couldn’t provide the help these kids needed.
I feel our kids go through so many unspoken pressures. They are exploring unknown territory, they are growing up with smart phones and social media. It’s not only peer pressure: the peer pressure has gone global. These kids are achieving their dreams, they are working hard, trying to be multi-talented, multitaskers. But at the same time, they are also dealing with so many unknown factors which are new to us as parents. We try to understand and be supportive, but we don’t even know how to do it.
Our parents worked hard, provided, took care of our education, weddings, and many other things, and they sometimes took care of the grandkids so we could achieve our dreams. We were raised to do well in studies, and were assured that everything else will follow. We did whatever we were told or what was expected of us, and we expected the same with our kids. But we never had a sit-down conversation with our parents about adulthood and its many aspects. We never talked about anxiety, depression or any kind of support: what if we didn’t fit in the “normal” mold? There was no education about providing support, or tools to deal with what was boiling inside the heart and mind. So when we were raising our kids, I don’t think many of us thought in that direction. We tried to raise our kids the only way we knew. But parenting is not so much a “hand-me-down” skill anymore.

We underestimate the pressure our kids go through. Everyone wants their kids to be on top of everything, to score the best marks, to go to an Ivy league college. My older son decided to go to UMass Amherst for his undergrad. He needed a big school, and with our family situation we would have preferred him local too. While having a conversation about it, someone reacted with an “Oh, state school?” in such a derogatory way that I still cannot forget, even after 4 years.

We do belong to a culture where going to a big private school, driving a fancy car, living in a mansion, and making big money is the only way to define “success.” If we raised kids in that mindset, it will be very hard to invite them for an open conversation about mental health.

Through my son and his friends, I have learnt a lot about this generation and their struggles. They are afraid to talk to their parents, for fear of letting them down. But I think we need to create a better environment and a better society to support them, not only in being successful but in being happy. Teach them how to ask for help when needed, support them in the process of growing up, and encourage them to be themselves--not a reflection of our dreams.

Jaya Pandey is a story teller Mom, blogger and builder of Moms Network. She writes about her parenting journey at  MomLovesAnand.blogspot.com . If you know anyone who has kids with special needs, please connect them to her.
IAGB SPOTLIGHT
Our community spotlight this month is on TAGB (Telugu Association of Greater Boston). We spoke to Mr. Seetaram Amaravadi, the current President of TAGB. Visit https://www.tagb.org/ t o know more about the organization .

IAGB : Thank you Mr. Seetaram Amaravadi for talking to IAGB. Tell us more about TAGB, its history and its structure
Seetaram Amaravad i: TAGB stands for Telugu Association of Greater Boston. It was founded in 1960 as an informal group of people speaking the Telugu language. In 1984, the organization was registered with the state of MA. The bylaws were written in 2009. TAGB
 is a membership based organization (life membership and annual membership), where everyone is a volunteer. There is a Board of Trustees of seven members and Executive committee of Seven. The founders of TAGB are still around, and constantly provide support and guidance even though the younger generation has taken over the running of the organization. TAGB is the only Telugu organization in the Greater Boston area.
 
IAGB : What is the mission of TAGB? And where do you see the organization in the next five years?
Seetaram Amaravadi : The mission of TAGB is to promote the (Telugu) language and culture by bringing together the Telugu community so that next generation can stay connected to their roots. We also partner with local charities to give back to the community. We believe in doing charity for the land that we live in. As part of this effort, we volunteer in soup kitchens and partner with local organizations to give out blankets during the winter months. We also organize sports competitions for different age groups for the members of TAGB. Over the next years, we five would like to increase our charitable work and continue recruiting younger generation into TAGB to keep our culture and language alive.
 
IAGB : Tell us about your flagship events
Seetaram Amaravadi : We have 3 flagship events every year. Ugadi – the Telugu New Year and this is when the new committee takes over (and it is Flagship Event and Biggest Cultural Event) Dussehra/Diwali event happens in Fall. Sankranti is the last event for existing term and elections are announced in it. All our events are in Telugu, and we do not allow any Bollywood music as that takes away from our mission of promoting the language. 
Last couple years we have started overnight camping trip in summer. It has been very successful with around 300 people participating and is a great opportunity for families to connect and play a variety of sports together.
 
IAGB : Please tell our readers a bit about yourself, Mr. Seetaram
Seetaram Amaravadi : I was born and brought up in Hyderabad, and did my Masters in Statistics from Osmania University. I came to the US in 1995 on an H1B visa. I live in Westford with my beautiful wife Valli who is a Carnatic music teacher and a son who is a high school junior. I have been a member of TAGB since 2002 but became an active volunteer in 2008. I have also been an active volunteer for the Shirdi Sai temple in Groton for the last ten years and volunteer for other organization Like Manaseva, VT Sewa and Team Aid.

-- Yogita Miharia

IAGB upcoming Events
VISA CAMP

Join us at the Indian Visa Camp to get your PASSPORT/ VISA/ OCI applications pre-approved.
Happening at the Swamy Narayan Temple in Lowell MA on Saturday, November 16th 11am-3pm .
Let us know if you are coming!
FEASTER FIVE RUN

To promote a healthy and energetic lifestyle, IAGB would like to invite you to participate in a 5K /5 Mile walk/run which is the largest race in the Merrimack Valley and 2nd largest in the state (only 2nd to the Boston Marathon).
The race occurs on Thanksgiving Morning (Thursday) at 8:30am. Over 10,000 runners run this race. The Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Road Race, presented by Schneider Electric, has been a Merrimack Valley tradition since 1987.
Register now for some exercise before the big meal on Thanksgiving and join Team “IAGB”. You can register for either the 5k or the 5-Mile. Even if you do not run but walk, run/walk, the experience is unbelievable and you will want to do it every year. Just give it a try!!
Please do not forget to join Team IAGB as part of the registration.
How about a beautiful commemorative race hoodie for 5k/5 mile runners and children in the Kids' race. If you've already entered, you are guaranteed to get one! If you haven't, enter TODAY....only the first 9,000 entrants qualify.
REPUBLIC DAY MELA 2020

Republic Day Mela 2020: Open for Registrations.
We are excited to announce the details for the upcoming Republic Day Mela 2020. It will be celebrated on January 25, 2020, at the Burlington High School, Burlington, MA. The Republic Day Mela is a day-long event with multiple competitions (for all ages) and multiple cultural segments.
Register for Competitions at :
Register for Cultural Performances at:
Support us through your partnership and advertisement. Early bird for booths ends on December 15th. Please visit iagb.org/sponsorship for more details. Any questions on sposorships, send an email at sponsorship@iagb.org.
PAST EVENTS

INDIA DAY 2019 in Pictures
IAGB CORPORATE SPONSORS
India Day celebration has been made possible by support of number of great organizations and individuals every year. Corporate sponsors of India Day 2019 are Harvard Pilgrim and Healthcare, Newyork Life Insurance Company, One World Cuisine, BMW of Sudbury, Indian Circle for Caring, and Nexus Holidays. IAGB would like to extend a sincere thanks for their support and generosity.
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care(HPHC)
Headquartered in Wellesley, MA, Harvard Pilgrim and its family of companies provide health benefit plans, programs and services to more than 3 million customers in New England and beyond. A leading not-for-profit health services company, Harvard Pilgrim guides members – and the communities its serves – to better health.
Newyork Life Insurance Company
At the heart of New York Life is a commitment to be there for the customers when they need -whether today or decades into the future. NY Life has delivered on that promise for nearly 175 years by investing wisely, growing a diversified mix of businesses, and remaining true to the mission as a mutual company, accountable only to their customers, not to outside investors.
People come to work at New York Life to contribute to the financial goals of millions of families and businesses each day. NY Life has a diverse, nationwide workforce that allows them to support the communities where we work. New York Life has a dedicated South Asian Unit for the past 20 years.
One World Cuisine
For over 30 years, One World Cuisine restaurants group has provided Boston with distinctive culinary excellence from the Indian subcontinent. Over the years, the family of restaurants has grown to include diverse culinary concepts ranging from casual takeout, to fine dining and nightlife, to gourmet Indian groceries. One World Cuisine is constantly expanding and pushing the envelope of Boston’s restaurant trade through innovative concepts, unsurpassed quality, and impeccable service.
At BMW of Sudbury, a Herb Chambers Company, we don't believe in providing the same old dealership experience, and we aren't interested in sticking to the status quo. We are committed to satisfying our customers' every automotive need, and we strive to create the kind of environment that they'll want to share with others. Come to this Massachusetts BMW dealer and you will find a wealth of chic and well-designed vehicles for your consideration. Browse our new 2018-2019 inventory and you'll find a large selection of  new BMW  models, including the ever-popular BMW X5 SAV®, BMW 3 Series sedan and BMW i8 coupe. We also have plenty of well-kept  used BMW  models for budget-conscious shoppers to browse, as well as trustworthy Certified Pre-Owned BMW vehicles. 
Indian Circle for Caring USA Inc., (ICC) is a volunteer non-profit organization focused on providing urgent or emergency guidance and support for our fellow community members and their families as they may encounter unplanned and unexpected events such as serious sickness, hospitalization, accidents, family crisis, and death / bereavement of a loved one. Started in August 2007, ICC has been actively building awareness in the community by working with existing social, religious, professional, services, media and other organizations as well as participation at various events. ICC has over 5,500 members and has received support of over sixty (60) organizations. In order to provide needed support to its clients ICC has built a bank of over 250 volunteers and established strategic partnership with several organizations.
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in New York, Nexus Holidays is a global tour operator with 15 offices worldwide. Our speciality is in the designing, developing, worldwide marketing and selling of high quality tour programs exploring regions such as China, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and much more. By serving over 70,000 customers annually, we are known as one of the leading brands for Asia travel, as our tour programs are designed primarily for North American travelers valuing reliability and flexibility, with attractive prices. Nexus Holidays is also a fully integrated retail travel service provider offering services in air booking, hotel arrangement, cruise reservation and holiday travel. We have established a significant presence across the United States with five offices located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC and New York. With our local knowledge and global expertise, we create value and deliver on promises to achieve the ultimate goal of offering you a seamless travel experience. Explore with Nexus Holidays now!
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
OUR PARTNERS
  OUR MEDIA PARTNERS
Editors: Sanjay Kudrimoti & Yogita Miharia
IAGB Communications
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