Newsletter
Hi
friends.
2018 has come to an end and I have great expectations that 2019 will be
another eventful year. Our club members continue to be very active with
our 2019 membership enrollment doing well. Congratulations.
The international outbound Journey to South Africa in March is fast
approaching. Mary Williams, the Journey Coordinator, has been very, very
busy refining the details.
Our club plans to host an inbound Journey from Denver from May 1st to
May 8th. At this time we have one member interested in being the Journey
Coordinator for this Journey. The position is open to all members of the
club. It will be voted on during the board meeting January 14th at
1.30pm at my house, if anyone else would like to be considered please
contact me by Sunday, January 13th. The Coordinator would be eligible
for an allowance and the information about this is on P. 35 of your 2018
yearbook.
Our club is offering a mini inbound Journey July 19th for 4 nights,
prior to the International Conference in Boulder. We are looking for a
club member to be the Journey coordinator for this, also. It will be a
great opportunity for a new member to learn how an inbound journey is
designed, as it will be for only 4 days and be much simpler than usual.
The member will be compensated for his/her work. We can take up to 10
guests and have already received 2 applications from Florida and
Massachusetts.
Next weekend will be our monthly meeting on Sunday January 13th 1-3 pm
at Outback Steakhouse, Plano. Gerry Arens plans to give a very
interesting presentation about the recent club Journey to Central
Israel. It should be great, so please plan to come. RSVP to Paula Rose
by January 8th.
Next board meeting January 14th 1.30pm my house. All members are
welcome.
All for now.
Julia Cooper, President
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January, 2019
Israel Outbound
Date/Time: Sunday January 13, 1 pm
Place: Outback Plano, 1509 N. Central @ 15th St, Plano
Cost: $16
Program: Presentation: Israel Outbound Journey
Presenter: Gerry Arens
Choice of meal
Deadline to reserve: Jan 8; after that cost is $19
Reserve to Paula Rose - paularose2000@hotmail.com
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February
Meeting - Japan
Date/Time: Saturday February 9, 3-5 pm
Place: Renner-Frankford Library, 6400 Frankford Rd, Dallas, TX 75252
(just east of Preston Rd.)
Program: Presentation on Intergenerational and Youth Journey to Japan
Presenter: Lou Ann King
Cost: Free / Dinner afterwards on your own
No reservation needed.
Info: Paula Rose - paularose2000@hotmail.com
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November
Meeting
Meeting at Outback in Plano,
Mary Williams gave a presentation on the Ancestral Puebloan Journey
in New Mexico
that she took in May 2017.
The Albuquerque club hosted participants from the U.S. and
Canada for this 2-week Global Journey. They explored the
archeology and present day pueblo culture in New Mexico in this
interesting Journey - unique to the Southwest. They had a
classroom experience with Julia Garratt, a retired archeologist
specializing in Southwest Indian culture as well as field trips
to pueblos and ruins at Acoma, Chaco Canyon, Isleta, Taos,
Bandelier, Salinas and Puye; to Coronado monument and to the
petroglyphs and Indian Museum in Albuquerque. Mary explained
some of the new knowledge of early life that archeologists have
attained since DNA and better dating methods have been
discovered.
She also shared the experience of meeting local residents
and artists, one of whom (Joe Cojero) was a consultant for the
design of the newly opened boutique Chaco Hotel in Albuquerque.
Joe provided insights on Puebloan arts and architecture -
particularly at Chaco Canyon - for the hotel and designed the
giant bronze scupture in the center kiva/lobby. His wife Althea
is a gifted artist in silver jewelry.
The club also had its annual business neeting and election of officers.
Officers from last year continued in their present posts:
Lou Ann King - Treasurer
Carolyn McMurray - Vice-President
edward perez - VP Membership
Julia Cooper - President
Pat Andeweg - Secretary
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December Party
Club members and guests met at Chimneyhill Clubhouse for our
annual holiday celebration.
Johnie Tincher, a highly multi-talented performer, gave a
musical presentation for us, featuring lots of oldies that many
of us remembered from awile back.
And true to form, of course,
there was lots to eat!
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Cape
of Good Hope Outbound
March 21-27, 2019
by Journey Ambassador Coordinator Mary Williams
Our 2019 outbound Journey is
Journey #15039 to the Cape of Good Hope club, South Africa is on schedule for March 21-27, 2019 with 16 ambassadors from Dallas and distant places anticipating a wonderful experience with the CGH club in Cape Town. Eight people will also participate in the safari to Botswana following it.
Anyone wanting to be on a wait list for this Journey (yes, stuff happens!) should contact Mary Williams at
mwilliamstxtravel@yahoo.com.
For more information click for the pdf files on the homestay on the
Journeys tab.
Note: Mary no longer has a land line. Use cell phone for calls.
Ambassador and Agreement Application
See pdf flyer for Homestay:
Cape of Good Hope Journey.
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2019
Festival at Sea
15-Day South American Passage from Argentina to Chile aboard the Zandaam
February 21 to March 8, 2019
ALL ABOARD FOR FRIENDSHIP AND FJORDS!
Join us on the second installment of Friendship Force's Festival at Sea
cruises! This fifteen-day Voyage aboard the Zaandam will be one of the
greatest cruising experiences anywhere, with spectacular scenery and
wildlife: fjords, glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, penguins, eagles, and
whales. Whether you come alone or with friends, you will be right at
home with your fellow Friendship Force travelers during this two-week
voyage of workshops, team-building activities, and of course, plenty of
sightseeing in each of our ports-of-call!
We will visit the following locations:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Montevideo, Uruguay
Puerto Madryn, Argentina
Stanley/Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas
Strait Of Magellan
Punta Arenas, Chile
Cockburn Channel
Beagle Channel
Daylight Cruising Glacier Alley
Ushuaia, Argentina
Scenic Cruising Cape Horn
Canal Sarmiento
Chilean Fjords
Puerto Montt, Chile
San Antonio (Santiago), Chile
View a day-by-day itinerary on the Friendship Force catalog!
Prices start at $2,684 USD
Interior cabins from $2,684 for double; $4,033 for single
< UPDATE: Wait List only >
Ocean view cabins from $2,884 for double; $4,383 for single
Vista Suite Verandah cabins from $4,434 for double; $7,983 for single
Mid-ship Vista Suites from $4,854 for double; $8,823 for single
*All above prices include FFI Fee.
Flyer:
https://friendshipforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FAS-2019-Flyer.pdf
Online registration form was not working, it may have improved since.
Call Sherry Riggs at 1-502-420-4615. While there are plenty of spaces
left, the ocean view cabins are most popular and are filling up quickly.
* Note: Several Dallas members are signed up to go *
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Denver Inbound
May 1-8, 2019
An Inbound Journey with Denver is planned and we’re seeking applications
for a Journey Coordinator for this event. Carolyn McMurray has been
appointed as Host Coordination Others will be needed to coordinate events, to host or to day host.
Please contact
Carolyn to
volunteer.
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Pre-Conference Hosting
July 19-23, 2019
Mini (4 night) Inbound to Dallas starting July 19th prior to the
International Conference in Boulder, CO.
It’s customary for Friendship Force International to offer pre and post
homestays along with the International Conference and Dallas is offering
one of these. As you read in Julia’s letter at the start of this
newsletter, we have two applicants for this homestay.
Pat Andeweg has been
appointed Host Coordinator for this event. Pleae contact her to host or
volunteer for this short stay.
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San Antonio Inbound
Fall dates for a long weekend TBD.
Journey Coordinated wanted.
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Opportunities with Other Clubs
When you travel with another club you help fill their seats and make new
friends in another club as well as your destination club. See the FFI
openings:
https://www.friendshipforce.org/journeys/
They are also listed on our
Other Clubs
page.
If you are interested in any of these journeys, contact the Coordinator
ASAP. The decision for a journey to go or to cancel occurs at least 90
days preceding a scheduled date. Notice of remaining seats can be out of
date as journeys fill and there are cancellations. Contact the
coordinator concerned for the most current information.
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Board Meeting
The next Board meeting will be Monday, January 14th at 1:30 pm at Julia
Cooper’s house. All members are welcome to attend.
Remember - you can order your own FFD business cards from Mary Williams.
Give them to people who ask about Friendship Force. This service is
free.
Facebook
You can also let your friends and family know about Friendship Force by
sharing yours experiences on your social media account(s). Invite them
to attend an upcoming monthly meeting, an event or an inbound or
outbound journey. FF of Dallas has a Facebook page that you can like and
follow as well as share with your other FB friends.
https://www.facebook.com/FriendshipForceDallas/
However, remember Facebook rules: Anyone may post comments or photos on
our page, but only posts about FF are acceptable. The club can get in
trouble with the IRS for posts that advertise or endorse commercial
products or businesses, so please do not do that.
Sunshine Report
Cathy Ignatin, Sunshine Chair
cignatin@hotmail.com
Galen King has been transferred to The Resort of Plano Healthcare Center
and is always up for cards or visitors. UPDATE: Galen is now at home.
If you know of anyone who needs anything from Sunshine, please give me a
call: sometimes I don’t hear of a need until they are well. Thanks.
FF
Photo Club
Join the FF photo club to practice you photography skills, share photos
will FF members everywhere and get ideas of subject to practice on.
Dallas members are Mary Latham, Mary Williams and Al Currie. Please
contact Roz Worrall, FFI Photo CC Coordinator at
ffiphotocc@gmail.com and copy
our members, if you’re interested in jparticipating.
Shuttle Service
The shuttle service is available to any FF of Dallas
member who needs transportation from their home to either airport or
from the airport to your home. You can also use this service to
destinations other than airports. After your ride, you make a donation
to FF of Dallas.
If you need a ride, send an email to
ffDallas-shuttle@googleGroups.com and all
club members who are shuttle drivers will receive your request.
If you would like to be a shuttle driver, contact edward perez
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.
If you would like to manage the shuttle driver list, contact
edward perez and he'll help you learn how to manage the list. It's very
easy - you just need access to email and the internet.
In friendship,
edward perez
Shuttle Service Manager
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Chair edward perez
erperez54@acm.org
Welcome to a new year of Friendship Force - exploring and discovering
common ground!!!
Membership Renewal
Thanks to all who gave me or mailed me your renewal dues and form!
Without your support of time, energy, and money, FF of Dallas wouldn't
exist. We create & nurture our club and it creates & nurtures us.
The new yearbooks are at the printer - I will have your copy at the
January meeting. If you are unable to attend, I will mail it to you. In
addition to the updated membership roster, there's plenty of info about
2019's programs, your board of officers and committee chairs, bylaws,
policies and more.
You can still renew your membership in our club - just give me or mail
me your renewal dues and form. I'll include you in the first directory
update (to be emailed to all members).
Again, THANKS FOR BEING A MEMBER OF OUR CLUB!
Membership Updates
With the renewal drive complete, our club now has 69 members - 64
members, 3 emeritus, and 2 associates. 10 individuals joined in 2018.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE INVITED YOUR FRIENDS TO MEETINGS AND SMALL
GROUP DINNERS. Word of mouth is one of our best ways to attract new
members!!
Three members joined in November and December. Please extend a hand and
welcome them to our club!
* Jim Bourn (rejoined)
* Julia Doan (friend of Doris Rodriguez)
* Joyce Smith (friend of Isabella Iverson)
Remember - if you move or change your contact information (phone number,
email address(es) or need a replacement badge $14, $10.50 if you pick it
up in Richardson), let me know via email
to
erperez@acm.org. I'll update
the records and let others know (telephone tree, email list manager,
etc).
Doris Rodriguez (who joined our club in 2017) leads our telephone tree -
she and her team contact members prior to monthly events. If you haven't
been receiving calls, contact me so I can make sure you are on the
calling list. Also, if you know a member who has not be attending
recently, please give them a call and invite them, perhaps offering to
carpool with them. Your yearbook has members sorted by zip code (pages
23-25).
Membership Anniversaries
Congratulations to these members for being members!
26 years - Brud Kisner (founder)
25 years - Jackie Bluhm, Diana Bosworth (founders) and Ana-Marie Grunder
Lee
10 years - Leyla Akgerman, Gerry Arens & Isabella Iverson, Patty
Niemeyer
5 years - Kathy Jacobs, Carolyn McMurray
Friendship Gatherings
Meals with Gatherings
We'll also be restarting these small group gatherings at restaurants.
These are casual events either at lunch or dinner time and either on
weekdays or weekends. If you know of a restaurant that can accommodate
10-20 in a separate space, please let edward know.
If you want to coordinate these events, let me now -
erperez54@gmail.com
Wine Tastings Update
THANKS to Barbara Taylor & Julia Cooper and Patty Niemeyer for hosting a
wine tasting in November and December. We'll host several of these
throughout 2019. If you're interested, you signup, pay the host a fee,
and bring an appetizer or snack to share; the host purchases the wine.
Then, we meet, enjoy the wine and visit with our friends. You can invite
non-members, but the host will have discretion as to how many can
attend.
If you want to host a "Wine Tastings with Friends" or coordinate these
events, let edward now at
erperez54@gmail.com/
In both cases, we'll publicize the event via email and announcements and
do signups prior to each event.
***You can also visit with another member by using or being a driver in
our volunteer shuttle service to go to/from a local airport or to/from
an appointment (see page 43 in your 2019 yearbook). ***
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With a little planning ahead, offline maps
are a convenient way to navigate without Wi-Fi
by Michael Wald
I just returned from a trip where I led a group. During the trip, we
were unconnected to Wi-Fi for most of the time when we were not in the
hotel.
I wanted to use my Google Map function to find my way to a grocery store
and restaurants, but without Wi-Fi, my GPS could not bring up the map.
So I decided to download the map for offline use. This worked well, even
when I didn’t have Wi-Fi.
I was surprised to learn that the others in my group did not know about
this important feature. They encouraged me to write this column.
I assume you have a smartphone. With it, all you need to do, first, is
make sure your phone has Google Maps loaded. If it doesn’t (some Apple
phones come with an alternative map program), you need to install Google
Maps. You do this by going to the Apple store or the Android Playstore
and search for Google Maps. Download this app. You will need to be in a
Wi-Fi zone to download an app or you can use your cellphone service if
you are connected to a cell network.
Once the Google Maps app has been downloaded, make sure your GPS is set
to on. You do this by turning on location. With GPS on, open the app and
type in an address. Google Maps will bring up a map of that place. Then
hit “Get Directions.” The app will ask you FROM where and TO where. The
address you just searched will automatically be the TO place. The app
will automatically know where you are and give you directions from
there. You can override this and type in an alternative address.
Now it is time to download the maps you see for offline use. Hit the
three lines at the top left of the app and then hit “Offline Maps.” Once
that page comes up, hit “Select Your Own Map.” This will bring up a
default map area. You can expand or shrink it. The larger the map, the
more memory of your phone will be used. Then click OK. The map will
start to be downloaded. Again, you will need to be in a Wi-Fi area to do
this download or you can use your cellphone service. Before downloading,
the map will ask you if you want to give the map a particular name. If
not, the app will name the map with a generic name.
Once downloaded, the map will only stay on your phone until it expires.
The download will give you an expiration date. You can also erase the
map you downloaded anytime once you are finished with it to free up
phone memory. You can download several maps and store them on your phone
at the same time.
Once the map is downloaded, do a test to determine that it is working.
Turn your Wi-Fi off through your settings. You need to leave your GPS
(Location) on. Attempt again to do a map search and a search for
directions. You should be able to do these just as you did originally.
The system will use the downloaded map along with your GPS. Note that
leaving GPS on uses more battery. So when you do not need it, turning it
off will extend the time between charges.
Note that even in places where you do not have access for Wi-Fi signal,
leaving the Wi-Fi enabled is supposed to make doing this map function
faster. Doing this, however, will also drain your battery faster because
the system will constantly be searching for a Wi-Fi signal. So, you
might want to experiment to see how your phone’s battery is affected.
Using the technique outlined above, you should feel less lost in a new
place as long as you have your phone. You will be able to map your way
to wherever you need to be from wherever you are, but you have to plan
ahead.
Michael writes a travel blog:
Untraveled Places - Michael Wald
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Need information about Friendship Force International (FFI)?
Go to their website at
https://www.thefriendshipforce.org/
Additional Address for FFI
In an effort to expedite mailed checks, letters, and other items to FFI
Headquarters, we have acquired a P.O. box designated for immediate
receipt of mail. Please use this mailing address for any and all
payments or other mailings that you need us to receive immediately:
Friendship Force International
Attn: Finance Department
P.O. Box 570
Asheville, NC 28802
U.S.A.
Please note that our current mailing address is still active and open
for use; this new P.O. box is just to supplement that. Be sure to have
both addresses in your address book! Our current mailing address is
still:
Friendship Force International
400 West Peachtree Street NW
Suite #4-980, Atlanta, GA 30308
U.S.A.
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e-checks
As an alternative form of payment, FFI has introduced e-checks for
payment for travel insurance, Journeys and club dues. This will be a
form of payment directly from your bank to theirs. Unlike credit card
payment, which are immediate, the process will take up to 7 days to
process but, like credit card payments, are secure. For more information
look for the ‘Payments’ tab under the member resources section of their
website here
https://www.thefriendshipforce.org/resources/
If you have any questions, please contact
finance@friendshipforce.org.
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Stories of Friendship
Send stories of your FF experiences that have helped eliminate barriers
that separate us and bring us closer together. Send to:
http://storiesoffriendship.org/
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International Conference
in 2019
2019
World Conference Registration - Now Open!
Registration for our 2019 World Conference is open now! Reserve your
spot to join us and members from around the globe in beautiful Boulder
in July for a one-of-a-kind Friendship Force experience!
Conference location is Boulder, Colorado July 23 – 27, 2019. You should
have received the registration information via email or you can register
on the FFI webpage:
https://www.eventleaf.com/2019FFWorldConf
World Conference Package includes:
3 nights on-campus accommodation, with twin size bed in a room for two
and community shared bathroom, July 23-26
1 dinner, July 23
3 breakfasts, July 24, 25, 26
2 lunches, July 24 and 25
2 full days of updates and training, July 24 and 25:
- a general session with campus welcome, recognition of countries, host
cup ceremony, FFI updates, and keynote speaker
- 5-6 workshop sessions with at least 16 different topics to choose from
- Conference bag and gift
- Friendship Force's "Bluegrass in Boulder" Night: Our private party in
downtown Boulder with barbecue buffet, bluegrass band, dancing and
awards
Optional 2-Night Campus Stay Extension includes:
2 nights on-campus accommodation, with twin size bed in a room for two
and community shared bathroom, July 26-28
2 breakfasts, July 27 and 28
"Registration and Options" - has a list of optional activities during
the extension
A
Conference-Only package is available for those who
prefer not to stay overnight on campus and have arranged their own
accommodation locally. Please click on the "Register" button to read
more about that package.
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