Dear fellow members of ASTE and other guests,

When Mr. Yoshida told me about a celebration for the 20th anniversary of ASTE I couldn't believe my ears. Twenty years! I thought he must have been mistaken. It couldn't be 20 years already! But when I thought back to ASTE's baby days, I realized it might have been more than 20 years because I couldn't remember how ASTE started. I had to ask just what have "we" been doing - "we" meaning mostly you and "less-ly" me.

Having apologized for not being a very active member, I wish to congratulate all of you for the many accomplishments over two decades. I will not repeat them here, but I am really impressed and proud that you have done so much in that time.
But as we say in the spiritual life, if you aren't advancing, you are not standing still; you are going backwards. So while you can celebrate your achievements, you cannot rest on your laurels. There is still plenty to do, and with so many ASTE members, some active, some passive, yo