By Barry Villamil
Photos by Barry Villamil, Mr. Joshua Darby and Reiko A. Namiki-Le
Videos by Barry Villamil
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge (RCOP) and RCOP board member and corporate sponsor Eric Fujimoto from the Ho’ea Foundation, are proud to continue their support for the financial needs of Aiea and Pearl City schools with their recent monetary donation to the Pearl City Elementary School (PCES) Chess Club that will go towards entry fees for upcoming Hawaii Chess Federation (HCF) state competition in February/March 2024.
In 2023, the chess team’s inaugural year, they captured 1st place in the K-2 Primary School category at the April 2023 Annual Hawaii State Scholastic Chess Championship Tournament. They have expanded their chess club this year to include teammates from Highlands Intermediate School in Pearl City.
The PCES Chess Club is led by team coach and parent volunteer Major Joshua Darby, USMC. Major Darby volunteers his time to reach the program’s goals of building team skills, good sportsmanship, while having fun and enhancing their confidence. Monetary donations to the school’s chess program make it possible for the team to compete at state-level chess tournaments. The success of the chess program also has helped chess program teammates representing the different grade levels with critical thinking and developing a competitive spirit.
Major Joshua Darby, Chess Club Coach and Parent-Volunteer, Pearl City Elementary School
The purpose of having a chess program at PCES is to foster critical thinking skills and instill good sportsmanship in students while having fun and building confidence. These donations are opening up key opportunities for the Title I student body in Pearl City to compete at nationally-rated, state-level chess tournaments, which helps fulfill this purpose. Thanks, Rotary Club of Pearlridge and Ho’ea Foundation for these incredibly valuable resources.
James Suster, Principal, Pearl City Elementary School
I am so grateful for your involvement. The Chess team has been a great addition to our 21st Century after school program. Having chess has expanded the types of classes we are able to offer after school. Chess has garnered interest from students in the lower and upper grades and helped them with critical thinking as well as developing a competitive spirit. The donations will go a long way to help students play in these tournaments where it may not be possible for them to pay for the tournament fees. We appreciate the support of Pearl City Elementary School.
Dick Mosko, President, Past District Governor, Rotary Club of Pearlridge
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge board of director had vote to support the Pearl City Elementary School chess team with a $500 donation to their outstanding team. Eric Fujimoto’s Ho’ea Foundation also made a donation of $250 to the same chess team. The development of the mind in our young students involving strategies and critical thinking is a goal we actively strive for in our help to our communities. We wish them well into the future.
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge recently invited Major Darby to speak at the club’s weekly Friday lunch meeting held at the Pearl City Shopping Center conference room. Major Darby introduced RCOP club members to the PCES Chess Club with a wonderful presentation highlighting the chess program and its success, as well as current fundraiser efforts to support the chess club Spring competition expenses. Major Darby also brought along the 1st place in the K-2 Primary School championship trophy from the April 2023 Annual Hawaii State Scholastic Chess Championship Tournament.
On Thursday, February 15, 2024, RCOP President and Past District Governor Dick Mosko and I visited Pearl City Elementary School to present Major Darby, Principal James Suster, and a group of PCES Chess Club teammates (grades 2-6) with a $500.00 RCOP donation check and a $250.00 donation check from the Ho’ea Foundation. It was a very rewarding and inspirational visit as we were able to chat with Major Darby, Principal Suster, and the PCES Chess Club teammates about the success of the chess program, their love for the game of chess, their learning experience, and excitement of preparing and heading off to state chess championship competition.
The RCOP would like to express our deepest appreciation for the opportunity to meet and support Major Darby and the PCES Chess Club students. Major Darby has put his heart and soul into the PCES Chess Club and school. The success of the chess club and bond between him and chess club teammates and their ohana, serves as a shining example and testament to sharing exceptional leadership skills and commitment to building leadership skills in our youth through their educational experiences while also being supported by the community.
Bio – Pearl City Elementary School Chess Club
The PCES Chess Club formed January 2022 with 24 students, coached by parent-volunteer Maj Joshua Darby, USMC. Its purpose is to foster critical thinking skills and instill sportsmanship in students while having fun and building confidence. The club began competing in Hawaii Chess Federation (HCF) scholastic tournaments in February 2023. HCF is the Hawaii State’s representative chess organization, under the United States Chess Federation (USCF). In the USCF-rated April 2023 Annual Hawaii State Scholastic Chess Championship Tournament, the Pearl City team won 1st place in the K-2 Primary School category, a tremendous victory for a first-year club. In October 2023, Coach Darby expanded Pearl City’s scholastic chess program to Pearl City Highlands Intermediate School (HIS), thus increasing potential participation in HCF’s K-8 tournament bracket by 500% (from two 6th graders at PCES to eight additional 7th grade players at HIS). This year, the Pearl City Chess Team hopes to win individual and team awards at HCF tournaments in Feb & Mar, before winning the State Championship in K-2, K-5, & K-8 team bracket categories.
The PCES PTO was founded as a 501(c) non-profit organization in 2011. Its corporate purposes are to promote, establish, and maintain a working relationship among parents, school, & community; to encourage parental support and provide financial and other support for school improvements, student morale, & quality education; and to liaise between the families of students and the school. The organization voted in a new Board of Directors in March 2021, and parent participation has increased dramatically since then, going from 3 volunteers in 2020 to over 20 volunteers currently, in 2024.
For more information regarding HCF events, please visit their new website: https://hawaiichess.com/
Rotary Club of Pearlridge President and Past District Governor Dick Mosko, and President-Elect
(2024-2025) Barry Villamil, presented Pearl City Elementary School Chess Team Coach Joshua Darby,
Principal James Suster, and a group of PCES Chess Team members with a $500.00 donation check
from the RCOP and a $250.00 donation check from Eric Fujimoto and the Ho’ea Foundation on
Thursday, February 15, 2024, at Pearl City Elementary School.
Mr. Darby was invited as a special guest speaker to the Rotary Club of Pearlridge lunch meeting at
the Pearl City Shopping Center conference room on Friday, January 26, 2024. Mr. Darby presented
the Pearl City Elementary School Chess Team and their success achieved in 2023-2024 along with
the chess team’s championship trophy.
Below: Pearl City Elementary School Chess team members pictured in competition on
Saturday, February 17, 2024. Photos courtesy of Mr. Joshua Darby and Reiko A. Namiki-Le
Pictured: Levi Darby (purple shirt on left) & Jacob Medearis (purple shirt& hat on right) face off against older,
higher-rated opponents in the open section of the 17 Feb 24 HCF Action Chess Championship Tournament
(photo taken by Joshua Darby)
