Shortly after arriving in Binzhou, I was informed that the Director General of Binzhou, Mr. Zhang Mantang, wanted to have a meeting with me. During the meeting we discussed the importance of building a lasting relationship between our two districts and the need for both cultures to communicate in order to form a better understanding of one another. The Director General also wanted me to relay the invitation to Dr. Stella to come to Binzhou and meet with him, the school, and the students.
Near the end of the meeting, I was informed that the Director General was an accomplished and award winning Chinese brush writer. The Director General was very influenced and imitated the style and writing of the late Chairman Mao. After showing me some of his work, he decided he wanted to create one for Beecher Road School. The message he wrote is roughly translated to, “even though we are separated by seas, we are friends.” It is a wonderful and very true message.
