Hello Friendship Force Dallas,

I have enjoyed this two year term as your President. I have so many people to thank for so much help...too many to list here. You are my motivation for continuing my work in FFD. It takes all of us working together to experience the successes we are having in every aspect of the club. I leave you in the capable hands of Felicity Sentance and her cast of officers. And I will be continuing to serve in the appointed position of Program Chair.

In friendship,

Paula Rose



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When: Sunday November 9, 2014 at 1:30 PM
Everyone pays their own check + Tip + Tax
Join your fellow members for friendship, discussions, and travel stories at one of the following ethnic restaurants. We will have a host at each location.
Send your reservation stating 1st and 2nd choice to Felicity Sentence by Nov 5 -
5930 Junius St, Dallas 75214 or fsentance@gmail.com (preferable) or 214-499-5218.

Café de France
17370 Preston Rd #505, Dallas TX 75252
(East side, between McCallum & Frankford)
972-733-3400
www.cafeDeFranceRestaurant.com
Enjoy Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner: Omelets, appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, crepes, entrees (beef, chicken, fish) from $6-18. Full bar available including Mimosas!
or

Zorba's Greek Cafe
1501 Preston Rd., Plano TX 75093
972-250-0002, (NW corner Preston Rd & Plano Pkwy, one block north, west side; same center as Luna de Noche) www.zorbasGreekCafe.com
Appetizers, soups, salads from $4-13
Entrees from $12-17. BYOB $3.50 corkage




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Sunday Dec 14th, 3-5 pm
Chimneyhill Clubhouse, 9223 Emberglow, Dallas
Celebrate Friendship Force Dallas' 20th Anniversary + Holiday party
Free. Bring snack foods to share. Club will provide a big cake and beverages.
Program: Retrospective celebrating 20 year anniversary of FFDallas - Mary Williams
Reserve to edward perez, erperez@acm.org, by Dec 10.



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The Exchange to Panama in Jan 2015 could use one more woman; then the exchange will be filled. Michael Wald is Exchange Director – mwald999@gmail.com.

UPDATE: This exchange is full.






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Departing DFW May 10, 2015 arriving in Baku, Azerbaijan May 11.

UPDATE Nov 5 from Zia Shamsy, ED:
We have 25 Ambassadors going on this Exchange. This Exchange is full to capacity, and we have 25 more people on the waiting list, and I am still getting requests from interested people, every day to join us on this Exchange. It appears there is a strong interest to go to that part of the world, and this is happening in spite of Ebola, ISIS, Ukraine and all other news. The success of this Exchange to full capacity, plus large waiting list, is due partially to strategic planning, to these two countries adjacent to each other, initiating contacts with those clubs, to be invited, and effective promotion to reach worldwide membership.

In addition to participant from Dallas, Texas, we have Ambassadors participating from other states and countries, such as New Mexico, New York, Washington, Oregon, Canada, and Australia.

You may choose any or all of these four options:
• Sight-seeing in Azerbaijan, including Caspian Sea - May 11-18
(Estimated price $750/person double occupancy; $815 / person single occupancy
(includes all meals)
• Homestay in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan; hosted by FF Baku, May 18-25, $590/person
Transfer by air - Baku to Tbilisi
• Homestay in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia; hosted by FF Tbilisi, May 25 - June 1, $693/person
• Sight-seeing in Georgia, including Black Sea; June 1–8, departing Georgia June 8; estimated price $750/person, double occupancy, $850/person single occupancy (incl. breakfasts & dinners).

One roundtrip air ticket (not included) will cover flight from the USA to both countries. Transfer by air between the countries is included. Sight-seeing tours are optional.

This Exchange is moderately challenging with walks every day to explore historic city centers. We will walk on cobblestone streets or a natural trail as well as use public transportation in urban areas. This Exchange is open to all Friendship Force members or potential members.

A visa for Azerbaijan is needed for $180 application fee. Speak to Zia Shamsy about this visa before making any arrangements.

Costs for the tours may vary depending on the number of people who go. If you select all four options with double occupancy, your total would be approximately $2783. Send Exchange Application and deposit of $250 to Zia Shamsy (zia_shamsy@yahoo.com), Exchange Director ASAP; final deadline is November 30, 2014. A late fee of $250 will be added after that date.

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Mary Latham

Dallas Friendship Force hosted eight Ambassadors from Gold Coast Friendship Force and eight more Ambassadors from the Southwest Region and Florida the last week in September.

We welcomed them with a Southern dinner of fried chicken and all the trimmings.
< Party coordinator Sandy Kaiser and host Betty Mayeur




Then we were off for a tour of downtown Dallas. It was a surprise to our guests when they found an Australian meat pie food truck parked next to Thanksgiving Square.

We traveled to Fort Worth to see money rolling off the printing presses at the Bureau of Engraving and printing and then watched the Longhorns in the Stockyards in Fort Worth.

       Pat Richardson from Gold Coast >

On still another day, we saw how Stetson hats were made. Our Ambassadors also had a chance to buy Western boots, clothing, and, of course, Stetson hats. Many of our members joined on this tour and did a little shopping too.

< After lunch of traditional American hamburgers, we strolled through the pumpkins and fall flowers at the Arboretum.

Other highlights for our Ambassadors were the tour of the Sixth Floor Museum, the Wiley and Winspear theaters, a visit to the State Fair and tours of special exhibits at the Dallas Museum of Art.

We sadly said goodbye to our Ambassadors at La Hacienda Ranch. But our Australian Ambassadors had one more adventure awaiting them. They would be on one of the first direct flights from DFW to Australia on the Quantas Airbus.

< Exchange Directors Geoff Malloy from Gold Coast and Mary Latham from Dallas.

                                           Gold Coast, Dallas and SW participants at Pioneer Plaza

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Paula Rose
 
UUnfortunately, Indonesia has cancelled the inbound exchange which was scheduled for March 2015. The Board has now voted to try to get an inbound domestic exchange for March or April of 2015. Patty Niemeyer, Domestic Exchange Coordinator, will start contacting clubs about this opening immediately. She will look first in the Northeast US so that we could hopefully get a return exchange there in the following year (2016).

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We do have an inbound from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in October of 2015. Since the International Conference of Friendship Force will be in Vancouver in August, 2015, and many of us will be attending that, this inbound is of special significance. Pat Andeweg has been appointed Exchange Director. It looks like a great year coming up!





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We have an agreement to have a domestic inbound exchange with these clubs in 2016. More about this later.

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Remember that you are welcome to join other clubs on their exchanges if there is room. Please contact clubs well in advance, as an exchange may cancel if the Exchange Director doesn’t know about your interest. Among the many members who have done this were Isabella and Jerry Arens who went with another club to Morocco. And, there was a time in 2005 when only five people signed up for a two-week exchange to Romania but were joined by sixteen members from clubs across the country. See where some clubs are going on the Other Clubs page.

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Isabella Iverson, Delegate to the Conference
 
“FRIENDSHIP FOR THE FUTURE”

That was the theme for the FF World Conference in Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 14th-16th. 300 participants representing 15 countries and 60 clubs attended.

FFriendship Force International President, Joy DiBenedetto, discussed a Strategic Plan for 2015-2018. She gave a review of the FF organization and necessary actions to take to ensure its growth and sustainability. More information about this at our January 2015 meeting.









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FFI is thrilled to announce that the 2015 World Conference will be held in Vancouver, Canada. The conference will take place August 28-31, 2015. More details will be available as the time approaches.

News just received is that the 2016 International Conference will be held in Marrakech, Morocco. We will have more information about this in the future.

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Hosted by FF Houston, Texas
March 27 – 29, 2015

Join us at the luxurious South Shore Harbour Resort & Spa on Clear Lake
2500 South Shore Dr., League City, TX
Keynote Speaker: Ann Smulski, FFI
Leadership Training, Breakout Sessions, Dinner Cruise

Close to Hobby Airport (Shuttle available)
Room Rate $99/night

Optional Excursion to Galveston. Come Early and Stay Late and Enjoy the Space City.
See a link for SSH’s video promo:
http://vfmii.com/exc/aspquery?command=invoke&ipid=1066235&ids=95865
and a link to the cruise boat company: http://www.majesticventures.com/

See SW Conference page for more information.

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Dues are due. See the Renewal Form for 2015; complete and return it with your check to Patti Pierce.

The Friendship Force of Dallas voted for the following officers for the year 2015 at the October General meeting:
 
President  - Felicity Sentance
Vice President - Mary Latham
Vice President/Membership - Isabella Iverson
Treasurer - Lou Ann King
Secretary-  Ruth Barrow

The nominating committee included Raymond A. Enstam, Chair; Darlene Anyzeski, Cathy Ignatin, Dale Klosterman and Zia Shamsy.

Send your news to the Newsletter Editor Dale Klosterman - daleklosterman@sbcglobal.net.

Cathy Ingatin has been appointed to the position of Sunshine Chairperson. Let her know who needs a card or a call - cignatin@hotmail.com.

FFD will make a donation of $50 to UNICEF in memory of Henny Houston.
 

Remember to support our airport shuttle service. The passenger(s) make a donation of $25-30 per ride ($30-40 north of Plano), helping our club. See page 42 in the Yearbook for detailed information or to be a driver. Or, just go to ffdallas-shuttle@googlegroups.com

If you would like to be a shuttle driver, send an email to edward perez (erperez@acm.org) and he'll add you to the list. Take this opportunity to help out your club while meeting and learning about your fellow club members. You are not obligated to handle every request, but please do what you can.

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UPDATE December 2:

FF Dallas members,
It is with sadness and caring that I inform you that Leo Durst, long-time FF Dallas member, passed away on Dec 1, 2014.

Cards to Martha and family would be appropriate.

Dallas First Unitarian Church has set up a Care Calendar to signup for meals at =C2=A0 http://www.carecalendar.org/index.php?cid=3D199104

Use Security Code "3750" to login. If you want to signup to take her a meal, click on "Meal" (in red text) for a
specific date, then fill out the "HELPER SIGNUP" part.

Per Leo's wishes, no memorial service is planned.

In sympathy, Paula Rose, FF Dallas President

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Changes:

Contact the Newsletter Editor or President for new phone number for Al & Nancy Hicks in Hendersonville, NC.

New e-mail for Diana Behannesey - dibehann@gmail.com.

New e-mail for Marilynn Cowley: marilynncowley@me.com.

New members Vijai and Rashmi Jain have emigrated from India and have been settled in the Dallas area (over 35 years). Vijai is retired from Banking/ lT industry and Rashmi is about to retire from Healthcare industry. Vijai and Rashmi enjoy traveling along with volunteering. They both have lived and worked in Singapore & Bangkok,Thailand, and Jakarta, lndonesia. Vijai is Certified SCORE Mentor and Rashmi is certified ESOL Tutor.

Eli and Niki Baron were inadvertently omitted from the last Yearbook supplement. Contact the Newsletter Editor or President for their full information.
EB.boatman@gmail.com
N.baron45@gmail.com

Welcome New Members:

Helen Lee
helenlee.liu@gmail.com

Carolyn McMurray
murray0582@sbcglobal.net

Contact the Newsletter Editor or President for their full information.

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In October Sandy Kaiser presented an interesting program on the trip she and Roger took to Brazil and the Amazon. Thanks to Sandy for the presentation. A record number of guests attended this meeting. Many of those there followed the meeting with dinner at May Dragon.












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See the FFI page for a message from Joy DiBenedetto regarding the recent Survey sent to club members and leaders.

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