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三月三十一日星期五，聖城舉辦了歷來最盛大一次的懷少節，這是第八屆，約五百位來賓參加，其中四百多位是兒童。由於人數眾多，從上午九點四十五分至下午一點十五分，所有的表演節目全移至大齋堂進行，有來自凱貝拉、波特維、沃道夫小學曼都仙諾郡分校、聖瑪莉、新晨蒙特梭利、威利查特、六所小學的孩子們參與此一盛會。
慶祝會首先由培德女校的「Laudamus Te」和「Barcarole」合唱曲揭開序幕，接著聖瑪莉小學帶來一齣影子劇，講述黑奴的歷史。七六歲高齡的 Momoko Shemada 女士身著日本和服、手執紙扇，為大家表演了一段優雅的日本傳統舞蹈；培德中學的四位女生表演了一曲「Sebben Crudele」四重奏；來自「瑪莉迺舞蹈中心」的六位來賓，在老師莎拉‧貝克的指導下，表演了「胡桃鉗」等幾段融合了東西文化之美的芭蕾舞，莎拉老師亦是培德女中校友；育良小學的男生，隨著錄音帶也唱了一首歌。
十一年級的史黛西‧拉金，及另外四位低年級的女生表演了體操特技；她們的老師卡洛‧馬丁娜，目前在女校教體操。午餐前最後一項節目是女生表演彩帶舞及紙傘舞，內容完全由學生自行設計、編排，十分引人。
上午的表演結束後，出家眾領眾進人齋堂，誦供養偈後共進午餐。當與會大眾享用廚房精心準備的素齋時，男女校的國樂團分別演奏「弓箭舞」等國樂曲以娛大眾。
方丈恆律師對所有來賓表示歡迎，做了簡短的開示；曼都仙諾郡督察委員會，本區代表麥可‧德巴表示對懷少節價值的認同。他回憶起自己童年時代，本郡也有類似的慶祝，而這項傳統，目前似乎已被淡忘了。
曼都仙諾學院教授湯‧麥米倫博士引述〈三字經〉說：「子不學，非所宜；幼不學，老何為？玉不琢，不成器；人不學，不知義。」聖瑪莉學校校長湯如尼，對孩子們說：「你們是我們最大的財富，我們生在一個充滿仇恨、暴力、種族歧視的社會中，孩子們！能否改變就看你們了。有一樣東西可以改變這種現象，它跨越所有文化、宗教、道德標準……那就是愛；只有透過愛你的鄰人，愛惜自己，愛神所賜給我們的一切，才能真正消弭仇恨、暴力、種族歧視這些破壞人類的因素」。接著，沃道夫小學五年級的學生，朗誦了一首詩「幾何」，並唱了一首歌「智慧之光照耀我」；育良小學一到四年級的小朋友，表演了一齣朗讀劇「鹿王」；沃道夫小學二年級的學生唱了三首兒歌，並背誦了兩首詩。
培德男校的學生以四隻色彩絢爛的獅子，表演舞獅。每當舞獅者在高高的檯上，以疊羅漢的方式表演立獅、拉幡等驚險動作時，觀眾都為之屏息。這些捲軸上分別寫著「老師是我們的一切」、「少年人，未來的心」、「老師令學習變得有趣」。
女校合唱團最後邀請全場的孩子一起合唱約翰‧丹佛的，「我要活下去」，同時逐一分送小禮物－－聖城沒用化學肥料生產的核桃，給每一位來賓。結齋後，所有來賓移師到齋堂外欣賞男校的舞龍，鮮綠色新的長龍，在男孩們的熟練技巧下，呈現各種彎曲、旋轉、盤繞等動作，贏得滿堂采。
最後，聖城的學生祝來賓們懷少節快樂，並邀請有興趣的人，前往道源堂參觀學生的作品－－粉蠟筆及中國畫展。此次慶祝活動由於表演者、策劃者及廚房工作人員的努力而圓滿成功。
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The eighth annual Cherishing Youth Day on Friday March 31st was the largest ever at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. About 500 people, including over 400 children, attended. Due to the size of the audience, the entire program from 9:45 a.m. till 1:15 p.m. was held in the Five Contemplations Dining Hall. Children from six other schools participated: Calpella Elementary School, Potter Valley Elementary School, Waldorf School of Mendocino County, St. Mary's Elementary School, New Morning Montessori School, and Willits Charter School.
The program began with Developing Virtue Girls School Choir singing
Laudamus Te and Barcarole. The fifth graders from St. Mary's School performed a shadow play about slavery. Mrs. Momoko Shemada, age 76, dressed in kimono and holding a fan, did an elegant Japanese traditional dance. Four girls from Developing Virtue School performed a quartet,
Sebben Crudele. Six girls from Mary Knight Dance Studio performed selections from the
Nutcracker and other ballets, under the direction of Sarah Babcock, a graduate of Developing Virtue Girls School. The Instilling Goodness Boys School played songs on recorder. Then 11th grader Stacy Larkin did stunning gymnastics with four younger girls. Her teacher, Ms. Carol Martinez, teaches gymnastics at the girls school. To end the morning program, the Girls School performed a lovely Ribbon Dance and Umbrella Dance that they choreographed themselves.
At that point, the assembly came into the hall, the meal offering chant was recited, and lunch began. The boys and girls orchestras performed "Archer Dance" and other pieces as the audience enjoyed the delicious vegetarian food prepared by the kitchen. The Abbot, Dharma Master Heng Lyu, welcomed all the guests. Mr. Michael Delbar, our district representative to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, reflected on the value of a day for celebrating children, and recalled that his childhood community had had such a tradition, but that this country seems to have forgotten this tradition. Dr. Tom Macmillan, professor at Mendocino College, commented on a quote from the Chinese
Three Character Classic:
For a child not to learn is not as it should be.
If a person does not learn while young,
what will become of him when he is old?
If jade is not polished, it cannot become a vessel.
If a person does not study, he will not know about righteous duty.
Mr. Tom Rooney, principal of St. Mary's School, said, "You children are our greatest treasure. We live in a society where there's hatred, violence, and racism. Young people, it's really up to you to change that. There's one thing that can change that—one thing that resounds across all cultural, religious, and ethnic lines—and that one thing is love. It is through love of our neighbor, love of ourselves, and love of all that God has given us that we will truly take away the hatred, the violence, the racism, and all that is dividing us as people."
Next the fifth graders from Waldorf School recited a verse "Geometry," played their recorders, and sang a song, "May Wisdom Shine Through Me." Then the first through fourth graders of Instilling Goodness School acted out "The Deer King," a Readers Theater play. The Waldorf second graders sang three songs and recited two verses. The Boys School entertained the crowd with four colorful lions in a spectacular lion dance. The audience held its breath each time a lion climbed onto a high platform and stood on its hind legs to unroll banners with the messages: "Our Teachers Mean the World to Us," "Youth... The Heart of the Future," "Teachers Make Learning Fun."
The Girls School Choir sang John Denver's song about children, "I want to live," and invited all the children to stand and sing with them. Meanwhile, gifts of CTTB's organically grown walnuts were distributed to all the guests. After the Ending of the Meal Ceremony, the assembly moved outside to watch the Boys School Dragon Dance. The long, green dragon winded, spiraled, snaked, and crossed itself, as the boys performed acrobatic feats to applause.
Finally, CTTB's students wished everyone a "Happy Cherishing Youth Day" and invited interested guests to view students' oil pastel and watercolor paintings and Chinese brush paintings on display in Daoyuan Hall next door. This special day of sharing and celebration was made possible by the hard work of all the performers and organizers, as well as the kitchen staff.
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