Newsletter
Hello
everybody,
I want to thank Felicity Sentance for all of the time, energy and work
she contributed to Friendship Force Dallas while she served as
President. As you already know, Felicity resigned due to family
obligations but she continues to support our club and work with us on
our exchanges and other activities. Our thoughts are with Felicity and
her family.
This is a year of change for FFI and FFD. In the report to the club
after the International conference last year, Friendship Force is facing
a number of challenges. The number of exchanges has decreased; its
record keeping system need improving; it is has had to cut staff, among
other things. But FFI has a plan and is moving forward to revitalize the
organization. You have received copies of the strategic plan developed
by FFI.
Local clubs were asked to develop strategic plans of their own to
identify any challenges they may face. Our club is currently in this
process. We are challenged by the increasing age of our members and
problem with recruiting younger members. We are also challenged in
getting enough members to participate in Exchanges. In the next few
months you will be hearing more about our club's plan to revitalize our
club. If you have any ideas on how to improve our club or suggestions to
make our club better please call or email me with your ideas. We need
everyone’s' ideas and support to make our club better and our exchanges
the best for our members and our visiting Ambassadors.
In friendship,
Mary Latham
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May Event: Dinner Out
Choices:
1: Sunday May 15 - 1 PM - Best Thai, 9170 LBJ Frwy (south from LBJ
on Greenville, right on Vantage Point Dr. Turn right at hotel;
restaurant is past the hotel) 972-677-7360. Order from the menu -
$12 - $14 plus tax and tip.
2: Sunday May 15 - 5 PM - Paesano's, 508 E. 14th St in Plano - about
a block east of Central Exwy. 972-578-2727 (basic old style
Italian--lots of food)
$15.00 dinner plus tax and tip. Includes 3 choices for dinner: 1)
chicken parmesan, 2) salmon, or 3) pasta sampler
Served with bread, salad or soup and steamed vegetables (except no
veggies with pasta).
OR
$10.00 dinner plus tax and tip. Includes 3 choices for dinner: 1)
soup and salad. 2) spaghetti Bolognese and salad, or 3) lasagna and
salad.
All meals include water, tea, or coffee and bread.
Contact Sharri McIntosh by May 10 to reserve –
TELL HER YOUR CHOICE
mcintosh.sharri@gmail.com
Pay individually at the restaurant; alcoholic drinks extra
Meeting June: Nicarauga Lanuage School
Date/Time: Sat June 11, 4-6 pm
Place: Renner-Frankford Library, 6400 Frankford Rd, Dallas 75252
Program: Presentation on Nicaragua and La Mariposa Eco Lodge and
Spanish Immersion program. Presenter: Felicity Sentance
Cost: Free, no reservations needed
Dinner: On your own at nearby restaurants
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March Meeting
Anne Marie Weiss-Armush presented a program on the refugees who are
being settled in Dallas. They are from Syria, Iraq, Somalia and
Afghanistan. Most are Afghans who were translators for US forces in
Afghanistan and were promised visas and relocation to the U.S. They have
been relocated with an apartment paid for 3 months and work permits. But
they move with the clothes on their backs to empty apartments.
The DFW International organization helps furnish apartments (including
furniture for families, kitchen supplies, linens, toys, baby supplies),
matches mentors to families or children in families and provides
scholarships for job training at community colleges. While we travel
abroad for contacts with those from other cultures, we can also get to
know them in our own backyard.
Several FFD members agreed to be on an email list to receive a weekly
notice of what is needed for the approximately 15 families arriving each
week who live in the LBJ area between Plano Road and Greenville. Some
are actively involved as mentors, buyers and distributors of household
items; and others participate as they can.
You can reach Anne Marie at aweiss@airmail.net to put your name on this
list. This is a worthy cause for those wishing to have a greater
understanding of our international neighbors and provide services at the
same time. More information is available at: Refugee Support Network -
www.dfwinternational.org and the REFUGEE WEBPAGE at:
http://www.dfwinternational.org/Refugees
or
annemarieweiss@dfwinternational.org
Members went to dinner at nearby restaurants after the meeting.
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April Meeting
Kathy Keith, professor at Richland College and
her husband gave us lots of tips on how to use the camera function
of our phones to take interesting photos and edit them right on the
phone.
This photo of Kathy was taken with the panorama function.
Members went to dinner afterward at restaurants in the area.
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Meeting Changes for the Year
At our meetings scheduled for Renner-Frankford Library we are unable
to have refreshments. We would like to be able to have food and a
program featuring Friendship Force to better attract visitors and
new members. The club has had difficulty in finding restaurants with
private meeting rooms that can accommodate our group. In many cases,
FFD has to guarantee a certain number for a meal, and has to make up
the deficit when that number is not reached. If you know a private
room that can seat at least 50-60 people with affordable meals,
contact Paula Rose.
Mark your calendars for these changes in upcoming meetings. They
include more meals and more speakers from our own club. We will have
some meals at Outback in Plano and at Best Thai; and we added
programs on starting clubs in Romania (Dale Klosterman and Carol
Chapuis) and the Discover China trip (Zia Shamsy).
If you have a presentation about a Friendship Force exchange you
attended, contact Paula Rose
(paularose2000@hotmail.com) to be considered as a presenter.
(She doesn’t know where everyone has been; tell her!)
July Meeting - Santiago Exchange Presentation
Date/Time: Sat July 9, 1 pm
Place: Outback Restaurant - 1509 N Central (NW corner Central and
15th St. in Plano)
Program: Santiago Chile and Peruvian Amazon exchange
Presenters: edward perez and Gerry Arens
Cost: $10 - Choice of Outback burger and fries, coconut shrimp and
mixed veggies, chicken quesadilla and mixed veggies or cheese
quesadilla and mixed veggies
Reserve with choice of meal and check to Friendship Force of Dallas;
send to Paula Rose by Friday July 1; reservations after July 1 or at
the door - $15. Info at
Paularose2000@hotmail.com
August Event - Sweet and Savory
Date/Time: Sun Aug 14, time TBD
Places: Members' homes
Event: Share sweet and savory snacks
Cost: Free; bring a dish
Volunteer to host by July 20 or Reserve by August 4: Sharri McIntosh
-
mcintosh.sharri@gmail.com
September Meeting - Discover Romania
Date/Time: Saturday Sept 10, 1 pm
Place: Outback Restaurant - 1509 N Central (NW corner Central and
15th St. in Plano)
Program: Dallas: Discover Exchange to Romania: Setting up New Clubs
Presenter: Dale Klosterman and Carol Chapuis (former Peace Corps
volunteer)
Cost: $10 - choice of Outback burger and fries, coconut shrimp and
mixed veggies, chicken quesadilla and mixed veggies or cheese
quesadilla and mixed veggies
Reserve with choice of meal and check to Friendship Force of Dallas;
send to Paula Rose by Friday Sept 1; reservations after Sept 1 or at
the door - $15. Info at:
Paularose2000@hotmail.com
October - Columbia Cascades inbound exchange
Oct 15-22
Welcome and Farewell parties TBD
Reserve: A reservation form will be sent for all exchange activities
Volunteer to host, day host, coordinate events or welcome party;
contact Mary Latham –
mary_m_latham@yahoo.com
November Meeting - Discover China
Date/Time: Saturday Nov 12, 1 pm
Place: Best Thai Restaurant, 9170 LBJ Freeway (off Greenville S of
LBJ, enter from Vantage Drive behind hotel)
Program: Discover Exchange to China
Presenter: Zia Shamsy
Food: full Thai buffet
Cost: $15 (club will pay gratuity)
Reserve with check to Friendship Force of Dallas; send to Paula Rose
by Friday Nov 5; reservations after Nov 5 or at the door - $15.
Infor at
Paularose2000@hotmail.com
December Event - Holiday Party
Date/Time: Sun Dec 11, 3 pm
Event: Holiday Party
Place: Chimneyhill Clubhouse, 9223 Emberglow, Dallas (off Abrams,
north of LBJ)
Food: Holiday snacks - potluck
Cost: Free; no reservations needed
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2016 Exchanges
Santiago, Chile Outbound
by Ray Enstam, Exchange Director
Our club’s outbound exchange to Santiago, Chile was held April 20-27,
2016.
Twelve members of the club have now returned from a week of homestay in
Santiago, Chile and, for nine of us, another week in the Amazon. We
found lots of great planned events and a few interesting additions. As
we arrived the first democratically elected president of Chile after
Pinochet just died. As we went downtown to see the elaborate ceremony of
the changing of the guard at the presidential palace, we ran into huge
crowds for the state funeral. At the same time there was a student march
with demands and disturbances resulting in use tear gas. We were passing
under the demonstration in the subway station and we could smell the
tear gas seeping down from above.
In all we saw many interesting places in Santiago with great hosts, as
well as a trip to the coast to visit Valparaiso and Viña de Mar. While
we were in Viña de Mar we met briefly with Maruja Corona who had been
the ED for the visit of that club to Dallas in 1996 and the host ED for
the Dallas visit there in 1999. She came out to greet us. Long memories
of friendship.
Our extension started with a day tour of Lima, and we ran into another
protest march by an indigenous community, and there were police
everywhere with those large plastic shields ready for trouble and many
streets blocked off. More unexpected excitement.
The final few days involved a day tour of Iquitos and then three nights
in the jungle at the Tahuayo Lodge The same lodge was written up in the
travel section of the Dallas Morning News on April 28, so that was good
timing. It was the rainy season and fortunately the lodge was built on
tall pillars so it stood above the floods which surrounded us. We went
everywhere by boat!
We had great tour guides and really saw a lot from
pink dolphins to monkeys and an anaconda (shown here with Michael Wald).
There is much more to say about the exchange but pictures speak better
than words and there will be lots of pictures at the July club meeting.
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Birmingham, AL Outbound
Eight members are looking forward to an exchange in Birmingham AL May 27
to June 3. Activities include visits to the Civil Rights Museum, an
antebellum mansion, the National Historic Landmark Sloss Furnace,
several sports activities, the state capitol in Montgomery and
Tuscaloosa. We will host Birmingham next year.
Mary Williams is Exchange
Director.
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Columbia-Cascade Inbound
Columbia-Cascade FF (Portland OR / Vancouver WA) will visit us this year
on an Inbound Exchange October 15-22. Those of you who traveled there in
2014 will want to reciprocate the wonderful hospitality they extended to
us. Please contact ED Mary Latham at
mary_m_latham@yahoo.com and
let her know ASAP how you can help with this exchange.
She needs volunteers to coordinate:
Home hosts
Downtown Dallas tour
Day hosts
Fort Worth day
Welcome party
Gift bags
State Fair day
Arboretum day
We also have a few new activities planned and need coordinators to
organize those activities.
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Georgetown Outbound Weekend
A mini-exchange return visit to Georgetown will be the weekend of
November 5-7, 2016. They can host ten people. Contact Patty Niemeyer to
volunteer to be the ED or express interest in attending:
peanutpatti1@gmail.com.
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2017 Exchanges
International Exchanges
Thanks for volunteer Exchange Directors for our International Exchanges:
• Inbound Sydney, Australia – Feb 23 - March 2, Sharri McIntosh, ED
• Outbound to Saskatoon, Canada – end of July/August, Paula Rose,
ED
• Inbound Saskatoon, Canada in October (during State Fair), Patty
Niemeyer, ED
Domestic Exchanges
Thanks to Patty Niemeyer for arranging these exchanges:
• Outbound Exchange to Southern New Jersey Club (Philadelphia
area) – April, 2017.
This is an area rich in history and sights to see!
• Inbound Domestic Exchange (return visit) from Birmingham, AL –
first week in June, 2017.
Contact Patty Niemeyer to volunteer to be Exchange Director for either
of these exchanges:
peanutpatti1@gmail.com. It is time to start planning
these exchanges.
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Future ExchangesPatty
Niemeyer has arranged an Inbound Domestic Exchange with Southern New
Jersey - Dates TBD in 2018.
A Little Help for Exchange Directors and Hosts
• The Board approved a monetary stipend to be given to Inbound Exchange
Directors: a $300 credit for use on a future international outbound
exchange to be taken within the next 24 months.
• Outbound Exchange Directors may build in a fee for the outbound
exchange that they lead to cover some of their travel and fee expenses.
• Home hosts receive their farewell dinner free.
These Exchange Director positions require a lot of work and
responsibility over a long period of time that is over and above what a
volunteer normally does for our club. Home hosts on our inbound
exchanges pay their own way to go to events; the dinner fee reduces
their out of pocket costs. See details in another part of this
newsletter about revised policies.
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Exchanges for 2017:
INBOUND INTL EXCHANGE
Sydney, Australia to Winnipeg and Ottawa, Canada and Dallas, USA -
February
OUTBOUND DOMESTIC EXCHANGE
Southern New Jersey Club (near Philadelphia) - April
INBOUND DOMESTIC EXCHANGE
Birmingham, AL - first week in June
OUTBOUND INTL EXCHANGE
Dallas to Saskatoon, Canada - July/August
INBOUND INTL EXCHANGE
Saskatoon, Canada to Itanhaem and Ribeirao Preto, Brazil and Dallas, USA
-
October
Following the resignation of Felicity Sentance as President, Mary Latham
(Vice-President) was elected as President for the remaining of this
year. Mary’s election as President created an opening for
Vice-President. The Board elected edward perez for the position of
Vice-President.
Pat Andeweg, Membership Chair, announced the New Member Luncheon will be
held at Brud Kisner's home on Saturday May 21. Members joining this past
year and those who have visited as guests will receive an invitation.
She will need some help for this party. Contact Pat at:
pja72@sbcglobal.net.
Dale Klosterman has resigned as Newsletter editor. Mary Williams has
been appointed interim-editor until someone else can do it. This is an
open position. If you have writing and computer skills and are
considering taking this position, contact Mary Williams for more
information –
mwilliamstxtravel@yahoo.com.
Dale has set up a Friendship Force page on Facebook. If you are on
Facebook, you can type Friendship Force Dallas in the search line and
get our page. Then
LIKE us and you will receive regular
notes, news and photos from our page.
The position of chair of the Ways and Means committee is also open. If
you have an interest in fund-raising for our club, contact Mary Latham -
mary_m_latham@yahoo.com.
A committee is being formed to search for volunteers for our unfilled
positions. If you are interested in being on this committee, please
contact Mary Latham - mary_m_latham@yahoo.com or call 972-808-9316.
Edward perez has headed a committee revising our policies and bylaws.
The last policy changes have received Board approval and are listed at
the end of this newsletter. In addition to policy changes (which may be
changed by the Board), there will be by-laws changes published in a fall
newsletter for a vote by the membership at the November meeting. Some
changes were recommended by John Whaley as part of an audit of our
club's books.
See
Policies proposed.
The Board will meet next on
Monday May 16 at 1 pm (new
time) at Mary Latham's house. Any club members are welcome. The Board
has considered the possibility of partnering with other organizations.
There are many opportunities for members to participle in projects and
activities of other organizations with similar objectives as ours. Our
club will announce availability of these projects to members for their
individual consideration, but will not take an official role as a club.
(Examples: ramp-building project, refugee project)
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Shuttle Service
If you want a ride to an airport or other location or a pickup:
• Look in the back of your FF Dallas yearbook. You send an email with
the place, date and time you need to go - to the Shuttle Drivers list.
If someone is available, they'll contact you. When your ride is
complete, make a donation to the club. Easy!
• How do you know if you have a driver? Since all of the drivers get
your request, the person who can drive you will Reply to All including
you so the other drivers know you have a driver. Respond (Reply to All)
accepting the ride.
If you want to volunteer to drive:
• Contact edward perez at erperez@acm.org to volunteer.
• What do you need to be a shuttle driver? Email (to receive requests
and post replies) and a car (to take people places).
• How many times do you need to shuttle? As much as you're comfortable
with, once a year, once every few months or whatever.
• What if you cannot do it anymore? Contact edward perez at
erperez@acm.org and let him know.
• Do you need to collect any money/checks? No, the rider(s) is/are on
their honor that they will send a donation (recommended $30) to the
club's treasurer. If the rider wants to give the money/checks to you to
mail/deliver, that's up to you. The rider may offer you toll fare or gas
money. It's up to you to accept or decline.
Thanks to all drivers and riders who help support our club.
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Newsletter Editor
Send your news to Mary Williams,
mwilliamstxtravel@yahoo.com - by the end of June for the July/August
Newsletter. Share what you are doing with your FFD friends. If
you have writing and computer skills and would like to be the Newsletter
Editor, contact Mary Williams for more information –
mwilliamstxtravel@yahoo.com.
Sunshine
Contact Cathy Ignatin to let her know about members who could use a
little sunshine - a call or card.
cignatin@hotmail.com
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Website and Email
Remember to use our website for your club questions, dates,
opportunities to travel with other clubs, photos, articles and much
more.
When you get mail from our FFD e-mail address, please do not hit REPLY;
that address is not monitored every day. Reply to the person organizing
the meeting or exchange. Our address and email:
Friendship Force of Dallas
P. O. Box 551151
Dallas, TX 75355
friendshipforcedallas@yahoo.com
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Member News
James Corley, husband of Felicity Sentance, died on April 30th after a
long bout with cancer. James was born in Portland, OR, and according to
Felicity was “a loving husband and father, proud Navy man, sentimental
in spite of himself, voracious reader, memorably dry sense of humor,
woodworking enthusiast and pessimistic optimist.” His memorial service
was held at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Dallas on Friday May 6. Our
condolences to Felicity and her family. Donations may be made to the
Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center –
http://swmedical.org/makeagift
Diana Bosworth has moved to Atria Willow Bend, Assisted Living in Tyler
to be closer to her son Mark, who lives there. Contact the President or
Webmaster for her new address. She has the same phone number. She says
hello to all her FFD friends and would love calls or visits if you are
in Tyler.
Prayers for Robin Yaklin, Robert Cavanaugh and Hilda Klosterman who have
health challlenges.
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Southwest Regional Conference
The SW Conference was held in Austin TX - April 1-3, 2016 and was
attended by Dallas members Julia Cooper, Felicity Sentance, Mary and Lee
Latham, Paula Rose, edward perez, Sharri McIntosh, Ray Enstam, Isabella
Iverson and Mary Williams.
Laurie Ann Scott, consultant and former staff member of FFI, was the
major speaker on "How Do We Select Ambassadors for Exchanges?"
Workshops were on the topics of Member Retention, the Albuquerque Pueblo
Exchange for 2017, Colombia, Best Asian cities, and Living in China.
Tom Garza (left), professor at University of Texas Austin spoke on
Vladimir Putin and the impact of his policies in Russia and neighboring
countries.
Kay Binder (right) from Austin is our new Field Rep for our Southwest
region.
In future we will be alternating Southwest Conferences in years when
there is not an International Conference.
The banquet on Saturday evening featured a local band and dancing.
Paula Rose and edward perez enjoyed it.
On Sunday tours were offered to the LBJ Library, the State Capitol and
to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, led by Austin members. Shown
here is Sally Scott from Austin.
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2016
International Conference - Marrakech, Morocco
Friendship Force World Conference Registration is open. Conference
website is:
https://www.eiseverywhere.com//ehome/150979
Fee $375
CONFERENCE DATES: Sep 16th (9:00am) -19th (12:00pm), 2016 – Plan to
arrive 9/15
CONFERENCE HOTEL: Kenzi Farah Hotel, Avenue du Président Kennedy,
Marrakesh 40000
Morocco. The conference venue/hotel is in the L'Hivernage district of
Marrakesh, a 10 minute drive from Marrakesh Menara International Airport
(RAK).
Please contact the conference homestay manager, Pallie Savoie, at
pallie@friendshipforce.org if you have specific questions or require
information about the homestay. Pallie will email you the details of
your homestay assignment within 30 days of registration.
See the PRE & POST CONFERENCE OPTIONS tab for more information about the
homestays as well as tours. For online registration and details, please
visit our conference website at
http://www.etouches.com/ffconf2016
UPDATE: MAY 2016: See the
FFI
page on the Conference for more information.
2017: International Conference
Location and dates have been announced: Manchester, UK - August 25-27,
2017
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Friendship Force
International
Friendship Force has relocated to: 260 Peachtree St NW, Suite 402,
Atlanta, GA 30303
Same phone number 404.522.9490.
See the latest news from FFI on
2016 policies and plans
on the
FFI page.
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Join Exchanges with
Other Clubs.
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.
See where these and other
clubs are going on the
Other Clubs
page.
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