|
| Southwest Conference Conclusion
 Our successful conference has concluded.
See Conference Handouts that are available at the bottom of this page.
See a slide show of
photos taken at the SW conference and put into a PhotoDex presentation by Ken
Walker. There are two ways you can see it, and you will leave this site by clicking on
either of these links:
 | A high quality version of the conference slideshow can be viewed
here. You will have to register with Photodex and install a viewer
application, but that gives you access to hundreds of slideshows by users of ProShow software.
|
|
A lower quality version may be viewed by FFI Facebook members
here without installing
a viewer.
|
See video on the new Performing
Arts Center as shown by Donald Winspear at our conference.
(You will leave this site by clicking on this
link.)
Some feedback:
From: Robert Urban <bob-stella@att.net>
Subject: Thanks for the wonder conference
Bob and I wish to thank everyone for the wonderful Southwest Conference. I did not think anyone could top the one that was held in Baton Rouge but you all pulled it off.
The workshops we attended were so interesting and informative, the food was the best I have ever eaten at a hotel and the accommodations were great.
I know if takes so much work and many volunteers to put on a conference such as this, so to all....thanks for your hard work.
Stella Norman
Bob Urban
[erperez note: stella got us some free audio tourguide tickets for the King Tut exhibit! gave them to the 10 folks who went!]
============================================================================
From: Debbie Powell <dpowell@thefriendshipforce.org>
Subject: Sincere thanks to The Friendship Force of Dallas
Dear Wendy and members of the Dallas conference committee:
Greetings from Friendship Force International! It’s Monday morning and I’m back in the FFI office in Atlanta . I wanted to thank you all again for your warm welcome and hospitality this past weekend. I enjoyed getting to know some of you for the first time and becoming reacquainted with old friends in the southwest region. Your choice of speakers and the workshops that I personally attended were all well-prepared and very interesting. I should mention that I took extensive notes during Michael Colatrella’s talk on handling disputes and hope to present a condensed version to our staff here in the near future. His tips are something we can all benefit from.
Kudos again to everyone who participated in the organizing of the SW regional conference, or presented or moderated a workshop. It was certainly a real success.
My only regret, of course, is that we ran out of time Saturday afternoon for further Q&A from the attendees. I do hope that anyone with questions for the Friendship Force International staff will contact me, or one of my colleagues, anytime by email or phone. As always, we look forward to hearing from you and assisting you.
In friendship,
Debbie Powell
Director of Program Planning and Development
============================================================================
From: Jim Young and Berry Bock <jim_and_berry@hotmail.com>
Subject: Great Conference
Congratulations on a great conference. We appreciate all the work that you and so many to the Dallas club did to make it such a success.
Did the SMU professor who presented the conflict resolution material leave a copy of his presentation? If he did, I would like to have a copy if possible. I would also like a copy if his hand-out which I missed. This would be very good for us to
remember.
Jim
NOTE: See below.
|
 Southwest
Conference 2009
What:
Friendship
Force SW Regional Conference Dallas Club is hosting the best conference ever!
See
how we can put into practice FFI goals to
Explore •
Understand •
Serve
Friday: Meet new friends and renew friendships from the ten clubs in our Southwest Conference in our Hospitality suite with private patio. Attend small group dinners at area restaurants hosted by FF Dallas members
Saturday: Attend buffet breakfast, hear speakers, FFI representative, morning workshops; see club displays, have lunch, attend afternoon workshops and SW Club reports, enjoy social hour, evening banquet and entertainment. (Three meals and parties included in the fee!)
Sunday: Attend optional buffet breakfast and say farewells in our Hospitality suite. Attend optional 2009 Discover China preview & Chinese New Year Brunch. Host and/or participate in one-day post-conference home stay. Visit the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art.
When: Friday - Sunday, February 6-8,
2009
Where:
Crowne Plaza Hotel North Dallas-Addison
14315
Midway Road, Dallas, TX 75244. 972-980-8877
website:
http://cpgalleria-nr.crowneplaza.com
Hotel rate $79+tax
Fee:
$90
Registrations
received by December 31, 2008 pay $90 (regular
rate). Registrations received after December 31 pay $100 ($10 late fee).
UPDATE: Late fee waived - pay $90 rate!
Mail your registration form with check or money order
payable to Friendship Force of Dallas to FF SW
Conference, c/o
Edward Perez,
9511 Liptonshire Dr., Dallas, TX 75238.
Once we process your registration, we will send you a
confirmation per your selection.
|
|
Thanks for coming!
edward perez: erperez@acm.org.
Registrar, Friendship Force 2009 Southwest Conference
Treasurer, Friendship Force Dallas
|
Workshops and
Events
We had three sessions running simultaneously in the morning and three in the afternoon. Each of our three rooms
was dedicated to one theme or subject matter during both sessions.
They follow FFI's theme of explore, understand, and serve - exchanges, communication, club administration.
We are excited about the quality of the presenters and relevance of the topics.
Handouts received are available at the bottom of
this page and on request.
10:45 AM Room 1, Communications
It’s One World After All
Sue Jones, guest presenter from Richland College-DAL – Cultural Sensitivity Workshop: interactive activity
Moderator: Teresa Wilkin
10:45 AM Room 2, Exchange Management If You Build It, They Will Come
Ed Edgren-DAL – Domestic exchanges; Jerry Tuttle-FW - Outgoing exchanges; Joyce Rulon-OK – Recruiting ambassadors; Randy Thomson-FW – Directing an inbound exchange
Moderator: Jim Bourn
10:45 AM Room 3, Club Administration Moving Into the 21st Century
Mary Suther-DAL and Ray Enstam-DAL – Tax update for non-profits and new 501(c)(3) regulations; Ken Walker-DAL – Slideshow presentations; edward perez-DAL – Finance record keeping and software
Moderator: John Whaley
****************************
1:30 PM Room 1, Communications
Ben Franklin Would Love It
Ken Walker-DAL – Newsletters; Mary Williams-DAL - Designing websites
Moderator: Chris Michalek
1:30 PM Room 2, Special Exchanges We’re Off to See the Wizard
Ed Edgren-DAL – Planning a special exchange; Dave Kalan-Wis – Eco-adventure tours; Peggy Benton-DAL – Discovery trips
Moderator: Ray Enstam
1:30 PM Room 3, Club Administration The Rocky Factor: Building Strong Clubs
Jim Young-FW and Brud Kisner-DAL – Recruiting, care and keeping of new members; Recruiting and training new officers; edward perez-DAL
– Database management
Moderator: Wendy Whaley
****************************
* We had two keynote speakers -
Donald Winspear from the
new Dallas Performing Arts Center and Michael Colatrella from the SMU Dispute Resolution program,
plus Debbie Powell from FFI and Jim Young, our Southwest Regional Rep.
* We enjoyed an optional Chinese New Year Brunch
Banquet on Sunday noon to introduce the Discover China Exchange led by Teresa Wilkin in fall
of 2009. |
|
Discover China
Luncheon
Chinese New Year Brunch Banquet
Welcomed the Year of The Ox!
Contact: Teresa Wilkin, teresawilkin@yahoo.com
for more information
The Olympic Games of 2008 gave us a ringside seat on 21st century China. Now, six months
later, join us for another great opportunity to learn about Chinese culture. We ushered in the Year of the Ox, a year traditionally devoted to the hard work aimed at
consolidating the glitzy progress of the outgoing Year of the Rat. There was a presentation on
China and the growth in that country, a preview of sights on the upcoming trip, and the Chinese zodiac and what it can tell us about the year ahead as China builds
on its new image as an Olympic host.
Teresa Wilkin, Discover China Exchange Director for the September 2009 FFI visit,
was presenter. If you are thinking about visiting China, contact Teresa about the upcoming FFI exchange. |
|
