Hello friends,

Spring is now upon us and the flowers and trees are looking beautiful. I was lucky enough to be at the Dallas Arboretum last weekend and saw an amazing collection of Gary Lee Price's 25 hand crafted, life size, bronze sculptures throughout the garden. This year the theme is "Celebrate the Children;" it was so lovely and I would thoroughly recommend seeing it.

July 23rd starts the 2019 FF World conference in Boulder, Colorado. We have been invited to offer a mini pre-conference of four nights’ home stay beforehand. We have two ladies who will be coming on the 19th. Pat Andeweg will be the Journey Coordinator. She will host one lady but still needs a home for the second lady. This is a short Journey of three days with activities planned. Please contact Pat if you could host.

Our next outbound will be October 2nd - 8th to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Cedar Rapids club plans to give us a fun trip possibly seeing the Amana Colonies, a collection of seven German villages during Oktoberfest, the famous "Field of Dreams" film site and the Hoover Presidential Library, just to mention some activities. More information will follow. We’re seeking applications for the position of Journey Coordinator.

Our next club meeting will be May 18th [3rd Saturday] at 3pm at Renner-Frankford library. Anne Neal will be giving us a presentation about the FF Festival at Sea, sailing from Buenos Aires to Santiago. It will be very interesting.

Our board meeting will be May, 20th 1.30pm, my house. All are welcome.

Julia Cooper, President

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May Meeting
Meetings coordinator – Paula Rose paularose2000@hotmail.com

Date/Time:  Saturday May 18 - 3 pm
Location:  Renner Frankford Library, 6400 Frankford Rd, just east of Preston Road!

Program:  Our May meeting will feature a presentation on the cruise to South America taken by seven of our Dallas members along with other FF folks from around the world. Anne Neal will present the program.

This 15-Day South American cruise from Argentina to Chile was taken on the Holland-American ship Zandaam from February 21 to March 8, 2019. The cruise was the third one sponsored by FFI, and had about 150 Friendship Force worldwide members participated.

We will have dinner nearby at the Banana Leaf Restaurant (Thai), 17370 Preston Rd afterwards.
No reservations are needed.

UPDATE: This meeting was canceled due to bad weather. This presentation has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 19 - same time and place.


   Dallas participants: Patti PIerce, Anne Neal, Wendy Whaley, Patty Niemeyer, Leslie Parker, Jim Kerr

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June Meeting

You will want to hear all about our Outbound Journey to Cape Town, South Africa and safari to Botswana to be presented by Mary Williams at our June meeting - with some great photos!


                                          The Friendship Force Group at Cape Point

Date/time: June 8 (Sat) 1 pm
Location: Outback Plano 1509 N Central at 15th Plano

Meal: Choice of 6 oz sirloin, 8 oz tilapia, or premium salad with eggs and cheese; includes house salad, vegetable side, tea and tip

Reservation: $16 per person - check made to Friendship Force Dallas

Send check and meal choice to Paula Rose. Info: paularose2000@hotmail.com
Deadline: Received by June 3...after this date $20

Reservation form is included on the flyer sent to members. Additional reservation forms can be obtained on request from Raula Rose.

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Journey to Cape Town, South Africa
By Mary Williams, Ambassador Coordinator

The Dallas Club was awarded a trip to the Cape of Good Hope Club for 2019 and I was chosen Coordinator for our club. My decision to take this post was the prospect of visiting one of the world’s most beautiful cities at the end of the world – a place I had never visited. In addition, I would be able to renew my friendship with CGH members Hilda Sedras and Ian Atwood who had visited me for a week in 2017. And to add to the prize – I could choose a safari to supplement our South Africa experience – and did choose the Okavango Delta of Botswana for a week add-on trip.

Verna Jansen, CGH Coordinator, Mary Williams, Margi Muller, CGH President >

My anticipation was great, and the rewards even greater. Both homestay and safari were great experiences for the 13 ambassadors who participated in the homestay and the 7 who went on safari. We were an international group: three from Dallas, a couple from the Sacramento club, two ladies from the Madison, WI club, a man from Oklahoma City, a lady from Missoula MT, a man from Australia, a lady from San Antonio, and a lady from Devon, England. Sadly we had a last-minute cancellation of our Canadian couple, but added a man from Germany.

< Mary Williams, Roger and Sandy Kaiser - Dallas

Our Dallas contingent lost Noah Coad and Martha Marin who got as far as Paris but were turned away at Air France due to lack of a visa for South Africa (Martha has a Mexican passport) required of Mexican citizens. Disappointments for those not able to make this trip – but an excellent time for those of us who made the long journey.

We saw most of the sights in Cape Town that were on the schedule. Two favorites were dependent on weather: Table Mountain (often covered in fog: it’s “tablecloth”) and Robben Island (often shrouded in fog or high waves, canceling ferries). We lucked out on Table Mountain, which we saw the first day, but missed Robben Island – even on a rescheduled day. But there were plenty of other things to do in the harbor area that were quite entertaining.

The club rented a bus with a guide, so we were all together all the time and had the same history lesson and route. In Cape Town we visited the downtown Slave Lodge (with its history of slavery back to the 1700s through apartheid and reconciliation), the Parliament area and Victoria Park, with lunch in the park; the waterfront area with its museums, sculptures, shops and restaurants; the Kirstenbosch Gardens and Houts Bay, and the colorful Bo-Kaap area. A highlight was a visit to craft center where local artists made used tea bags into colorful gift items.

We spent a day at Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope – the Southern-most points in Africa, visiting the lighthouse and park area at each place, and then on to see penguins at Boulder Beach. On another day we drove out the Stellenbosch in the wine country where we had a wine tasting at the Spier Winery, which also hosting animals, craft items and sculptures and beautiful grounds. In the town of Stellenbosch some of us visited shops and other some of the vintage buildings preserved there.

             Roger Kaiser >

We met our new friends at a Welcome Lunch after our mid-day arrivals, and bade them Farewell at a party where flags and gifts were exchanged, we sang and danced a little, and our ambassador Key Coy presented a magic act and Barbara Beaman told of an experience in Southeast Asia. The time passed way too quickly in this beautiful city.

Boulder Beach penguins	Hout's Bay	Harbor area

           
The safari in Botswana was attended by seven people and went quite smoothly. It was a wonderful experience for us all, ending with a quick look at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

There will be a presentation on this trip at the June meeting – Saturday June 8th at 1:00 pm at Outback Restaurant in Plano. A flyer has been sent to members for lunch reservations. Contact Paula Rose for additional reservation forms. MEAL SELECTION AND $16 IN ADVANCE IS NEEDED TO ATTEND THIS LUNCH AND PRESENTATION. Deadline is June 3.

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Domestic Journeys
by Domestic Journey Coordinator – Sharri McIntosh

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. Pat and Marty Latham will host and Julia Cooper will host a dinner.

If any members would like to join in any activities, please contact. Pat.

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Outbound Journey to Madison, Wisconsin and Cedar Rapids, Iowa
September 25 - Oct 1 and October 1 – 7, 2019

We’re invited to enjoy the Autumn leaf colour and the other locations noted in Julia’s note above, with this club in October. The Board has appointed edward perez as Journey Coordinator for this trip. See more information and a link to the application on the Journeys. This Journey is sure to be a GO - as we are limited to 10 people. Deadline to apply is June 29.



Express your interest in this Journey to edward perez at erperez@acm.org.



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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, May 20th 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

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.


Photography Cluster

Interested in photography? Want to learn how to be a better photographer to record your Journeys and help sell FF to others? Join our Dallas group and participate in structured photography challenges. Heading this effort is Roz Worrall in California who has lots of ideas. If you are interested, contact Mary Latham at mary_m_latham@yahoo.com.

These topics are coming up:

Monthly FOCUS for May (MF5) is Architecture.

Each month FF Photography Clusters FOCUS on a specific genre to coach one another and practice their skills. The FOCUS for the May FOCUS is Architecture. Photos for this FOCUS must be taken in the month of May 2019, shared within your cluster in June, and the three best photos submitted by your Cluster's leaders to FFIPhotoCC Monthly FOCUS Album for May by the last day of June.

Quarterly Challenge - "Acts of Kindness" for the second quarter (QC2) of 2019 ends on June 30.

The Challenges are intended to capture the essence of building peace through acts of friendship and showing the world how we see the world through the lens of Friendship Force. Challenges are not easy and are rarely candid. Challenges take some forethought, planning, and sometimes production. Engage your cluster and club in a discussion about daily acts of kindness they engage in or witness on a daily basis. Reproduce the scene so that it can be captured in a photograph. Random acts of kindness are almost impossible to shoot, but anticipated or reproduced acts of kindness are not. The more we recognize acts of daily kindness, the more opportunities we will have to digitally capture it.

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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by Vice-President Membership - edward perez, erperez54@acm.org

Spring has sprung and summer is right around the corner. Hope that you will be able to take a Friendship Force journey this year and Explore and Discover Common Ground.

We have had no new members since February.

THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE INVITED YOUR FRIENDS TO MEETINGS AND EVENTS. Word of mouth is one of our best ways to attract new members!!

If you know of a group or organization to which we can present info about Friendship Force of Dallas, or if you know of any advertising media where we can get out the Friendship Force word, please let me know (see contact info below).

Remember - if you move or change your contact information (phone number, email address(es), etc.) 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).
 
If you have an idea for a friendship gathering (food tasting, arts event, festival, etc.), please let me know.

Remember to attend our programs, events and journeys. Invite your family & friends to attend an upcoming monthly meeting, an event or an inbound or outbound journey. Just forward our meeting announcements and/or newsletters.

You can also let your friends and family know about Friendship Force by sharing your experiences on your social media account(s). 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/

Wishing you a great spring with friendships and fun!

Friendship Gatherings

- Meals with Gatherings

We hold these casual events (either at lunch or dinner time and either on weekdays or weekends) to allow you time to meet with other club members and share stories about our lives and journeys.

If you know of a restaurant than can accommodate 10-20 in a separate space or would like to coordinate these events, please let me know at the email address above.

- Wine Tastings Update

Patty Niemeyer is working on setting a picnic & wine tasting at the San Martino Winery, north of Rockwall and northeast of Lake Ray Hubbard. These will be small groups. Dates, times, and costs to be announced.

If you would like to host a "Wine Tastings with Friends" or would like to coordinate these events, please let me know at the email address above

"How can I help?"

Know of a restaurant than can accommodate 10-20 in a separate space??

Want to host a "Meals with Gatherings" or a "Wine Tastings with Friends"??

Have an idea for a different kind of friendship gathering (food tasting, arts event, festival, etc)??

Want to coordinate these events??

If so, please let edward know (see contact info above).

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2020 Journey Fee Announcement

After nearly a year-long discussion about the rising cost of doing business, the International Board of Directors unanimously approved a small increase to FFI Journey fees starting in January 2020.

It has been five years since Journey fees have increased, and in that time, global inflation has increased nearly 8%. Friendship Force International continues to use both Journey fees and donations in efficient, cost-effective ways. These funds support existing clubs, create and sustain exceptional friendship-building programs, and help establish new opportunities to encourage peace through friendship around the globe. This small increase in Journey fees will help us to remain in step with rising business costs worldwide and better support our mission now and for years to come.

The Board is optimistic about the upcoming launch of FFI’s new strategic plan as well as several new clubs that are currently in development. Although we cannot avoid fee increases from time to time, our greatest strength remains the sustainability of our clubs and growth of new ones to carry us into the future. Thank you for your continued involvement and support of Friendship Force!

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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 - Registration Closes May 23, 2019

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

More details about the Conference on the FFI page.


               

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