By the end of 1960s, several Indian families had moved into the South Jersey region and had begun to feel the need to get together. On May 16, a typewritten flyer invited Indians living in the area to come for a picnic on June 16 at Clementon Park. The letter said, "We hope to form an organization, like an Indian association for the residents of South Jersey at that time." But the enthusiastic fer
vor of the pioneers could not wait that long. Therefore, on May 31, a meeting was held and the organization was launched. The annual dues for family membership was $5. The aim of the association was "to cater to the social and cultural needs of the people of Indian origin and to encourage International understanding." The association was founded as a non-profit organization. It received its tax-exempt status on November 20, 1980, adopted its logo in 1995, and was incorporated as a New Jersey-based non-profit organization in June 1998. In the beginning, holding annual picnic, celebrating August 15 and January 26, and showing Indian movies were the main activities of the association. Movies in Cherry Hill Community Center were big attractions. Over the years, the Association has grown stronger and larger. From the membership of about 40 families in 1974, the association has now grown to encompass more than 500 families. Its activities also have increased tremendously. In addition to holding annual picnic and celebrating the Indian Independence and Republic Days, the association offers scholarships to various schools, organizes dance competitions, holds programs of dance and songs to showcase the talents of our members and their children, grants recognition to Indian students by awarding them scholarships for their academic excellence, and awards scholarships to several local schools to indicate our commitment to education. During this decade, we have expanded our activities even further. We have held several seminars, taken children to Dorney Park, staged Beauty Pageant, held leadership training sessions for our youth, organized senior citizen activities, and provided critical help through a 24-hour hotline. IASJ is the oldest Indian association in the area. It also has the distinction of publishing a monthly Newsletter regularly for the longest period. The Newsletter, which started as a one-page, hand-written announcement for upcoming movies and other programs in 1974, is now in its 25th year of publication and contains 8 to 12 pages. Send mail to [email protected] with questions or comments about this page.
