The Boys and Girls Association leaders' first meeting of the year was held on January 27 at the Home of the Parent, drawing 1,693 participants, including heads of diocese and directly supervised church corps and nurturing committee members from those corps as well as from district chapters.

The leaders first listened to an address delivered by the Shinbashira, who serves as the president of the Boys and Girls Association. Saying that followers of the path including the leaders and staff members of the Boys and Girls Association had set their sights on the milestone of the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama and committed themselves to the anniversary-related activities, the Shinbashira emphasized that they needed to be perfectly clear about the origin of Oyasama's anniversaries if they were to accomplish these activities.

The Shinbashira mentioned that Oyasama urged the early followers who were close to Her to perform the Service, even going to the extent of confronting them with Her own critical physical condition. He said that the day of origin of Oyasama's anniversaries was the day when Oyasama withdrew from physical life so as to hasten Her children's spiritual growth that would allow them to single-heartedly follow the intention of the Parent. Clarifying that the significance of observing Oyasama's anniversaries was to show our spiritual growth to Her so that we might relieve Her anxieties over us, the Shinbashira told his listeners that we could impart meaning to the current season only by making repeated efforts to grow spiritually.

Reflecting upon last year's Children's Pilgrimage to Jiba, which was the 50th pilgrimage, the Shinbashira said that the association had focused its activities last year on marking the 50th anniversary of the pilgrimage in an appropriate manner. The Shinbashira pointed out that the Children's Pilgrimage to Jiba started along with the Oyasato-yakata construction prior to the 70th Anniversary of Oyasama as "Children's Hinokishin Pilgrimage to Jiba."

The Shinbashira stressed that the followers at the time sought to bring the next generation the joy of sowing seeds of sincerity through the construction of the Oyasato-yakata building-complex; in other words, the original purpose of the Children's Pilgrimage was to impart the joy of faith to their children. The Shinbashira gave the leaders useful pointers on the basic stance of mind appropriate for engaging in the Children's Pilgrimage to Jiba and said that we need to keep that original purpose in mind and continue to translate it into action.

Referring to the approach that should be taken by those who work on helping children mature, the Shinbashira told the listeners, "Through working with the children, you also need to advance your own spiritual growth, always trying to take even a step or two forward." To explain what our priorities should be in anticipation of the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama, the Shinbashira emphasized that we must keep firmly focused on spiritual growth in this special three-year season that we designated for our decisive drive to prepare for the anniversary.

Association Chairman Harunobu Nakayama then announced this year's activity guideline and concrete goals. He said that the association is promoting the same activity guideline as last year's: "Let us convey the mind of single-hearted salvation from parent to child--promoting activities leading up to the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama." The three concrete goals are: "Conducting overnight stays at churches and encouraging parent-and-child visits to churches," "Enhancing activities that allow junior high school students to take active roles," and "Promoting participation in the Children's Pilgrimage to Jiba, which is the culmination of all association activities."