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LEADERSHIP FORUM  
Date: February 25, 2005

To: Friendship Force Club Presidents, Field Representatives, District Administrators, and Exchange Directors
From: George Brown, FFI President

WORLD FRIENDSHIP DAY! 

Don't miss our big day on March 1 when we celebrate World Friendship Day. As of today, we will have 203 clubs participating around the world, beginning in New Zealand and ending 24 hours later in Hawaii.

Thanks to Ann Harding in Devon, UK for helping with the initial concept; and to Susie Smith for serving as our honorary chair of the global event.

Thanks also to the hundreds of club leaders around the world who have organized their local events.

You can look now at our website to see the preliminary information--and you can even click-on to see my short video greeting. All of this will be updated throughout the day on March 1. During the day of the event each club's World Friendship Day page will become active at the time their event begins.

In addition to the set messages and the club pages that will be available throughout the day, there will be a series of live webcasts from Atlanta. The schedule will be posted on the website. Please alert your members to log on to the website at various times during the day to watch these short broadcasts from Atlanta, which will also include audio (by telephone) conversations with some of our participants around the world.

It will be a lot of fun and together we'll be making a huge statement regarding the strength of our organization around the world. But as you participate, please keep in mind the three goals of the event:

1. For our members to have an enjoyable time together in their local community, highlighting their Friendship Force experiences.
2. To honor the memory of Wayne Smith, and
3. To raise money that will be used exclusively for the development of new clubs and to train new leaders.

Regarding the fundraising, our clubs are following a variety of methods for carrying this out: direct contributions, raffles, auctions, sponsors, etc. The most important thing to remember is that all participants should be given the opportunity to make a contribution knowing that they are joining thousands of fellow Friendship Force members around the world to create a Legacy Fund that will lead to a stronger Friendship Force for all of us to enjoy for years to come.

I'm looking forward to celebrating World Friendship Day with friends here in Atlanta. It is my hope that each of you, in your own way, will be able to join the effort. We know that each of us can make a difference in the world--just think of the impact that we can have by working together as a true force for friendship!

2006 EXCHANGE MATCHING UPDATE! 

The 2006 Exchange Matching Process is almost complete and Club Presidents who are listed in our database with an email address will be receiving an email message in early March with details of the proposed exchange assignments for their club (Presidents without email will receive their club's proposals by fax or mail). Included with the proposals you will find instructions on how to accept or decline the proposed exchanges. Your club's response should reach this office no later than April 29, 2005. 

Please plan to meet with your board or club members soon after receiving the proposals so that your response will reach FFI before the deadline. 

If your club does not receive an assignment for 2006 during this first stage of matching, we'll continue to seek other opportunities for you. 

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LEADERSHIP FORUM

DATE: October 7, 2004
 

TO: Friendship Force Club Presidents, Field Representatives, District Administrators, and Exchange Directors
FROM: George Brown, FFI President

Next week FFI will be mailing a packet of information to all club presidents and field representatives. Included will be the following:

* 2005 club and exchange policies
* Club report form for 2004 and charter renewal form for 2005
* 2006 exchange planning form and guidelines
* Copy of new Friendship magazine
* Copy of audited financial statements for FFI
* Magazine subscription guidelines for 2005

The packet will also include information regarding the action of the Board of Trustees at its recent meeting, which I will also summarize below:

Finance Report: The board received management's report on FFI's finances. Currently it is projected that there will be a small operating surplus for 2004. This is good news after several very difficult years.

Election of Board members and officers for 2005: Mr. Kazuo Aichi of Tokyo, Japan, was elected to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Charlene Terrell. Mr. Aichi was in attendance, with his term beginning immediately. He will be eligible for election to a full three-year term beginning in 2006.

The following were elected to three year terms, beginning January 2005:
- Donna Lambeth, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Rita Kirk Powell, Albany, Oregon, USA
- Horst Neumann, Varel, Germany
- Robin Mulholland, Adelaide, Australia

Terry Hopkins of Devon, United Kingdom, was elected to a two year term to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Nina Davidson

The 2005 officers will be:
- Bill Blaine, Chairman (Dayton, Ohio)
- Julian Sewell, Vice Chairman (Campinas, Brazil)
- Bernard "Mac" MacKenzie, Treasurer (Trinity, Florida)
- Diana McIntyre, Secretary (Edmonton, Canada)

The Board noted with great appreciation the dedicated service provided by the three outgoing board members: Maureen Takacs, Christa Dippe and Noel Pryde

Ambassador Fees for 2005: Same as 2004.

Host Fees: No change, but beginning in 2005 the clubs will be asked to transfer funds directly from the ambassador club to the host club. (Countries using a centralized bank account for their host fees will still be able to use that system.)

Club Fees: In 2005, the club fees will be lowered from the current $10/individual, $15/family to $6/individual, $10/family. While based on the number of members in a club, this is a club affiliation fee and is not an individual membership in FFI. The board reiterated its policy that "members" belong to the clubs, with each club joining the FFI network through the annual charter renewal process and the payment of the club affiliation fee. While lowering the fee from $10 to $6 per person, the board also set a goal that fully established clubs should have fifty or more members with a minimum fee of $300 per club. This is based on the long-time experience that an established club needs fifty or more members to remain stable and strong. Clubs that fall below this threshold in 2005 will be assessed based on their current membership. During 2005, FFI will work with these clubs to devise a strategy for growth (or consolidation) with the hope that all our clubs will be able to achieve the desired minimum in 2006.

Friendship Magazine: The board noted the delays in publishing Friendship magazine and reconfirmed the existing policy that all current subscribers will receive the magazines that they have paid for. We are pleased to report we have a new production team working on the magazine to keep it on schedule. To encourage renewals, FFI has set the following publication schedule for the remainder of 2004 and for 2005:

2004
Issue #2: mailed last week
Issue #3: to be mailed during second half of November
Issue #4: will be an expanded issue in the form of an Annual Report for 2004. This will be mailed by February 1, 2005.

2005
Issue #1: mailed by April 1, 2005
Issue #2: mailed by July 1, 2005
Issue #3: mailed by October 1, 2005
Issue #4: 2005 Annual Report Issue, mailed by February 1, 2006

By including an expanded "annual report" issue each year we will be providing our members with a full report on the global activities of the organization. We think this will be something the membership will enjoy, and will want to keep from year to year.

Friendship Force Global Expansion: The most important action taken by the board was to approve a proposal presented by the FFI management to expand and improve our global network of clubs over the next 2-4 years. In honor of the late Wayne Smith, Friendship Force founder, we will call this Building on a Great Legacy. The expansion plan will have the following priorities:

1. Establishing a minimum of 30 new clubs in strategic regions of the world, including a number of new countries, and targeted regions of existing FF countries. Preliminary expansion areas are: France, Italy, Morocco, Lebanon, Iceland, the Manaus region of Brazil, Vietnam, China and South Africa. We'll also look for targeted expansion in regions of the USA that have not participated in The Friendship Force, as well as continuation of our recent development in Canada. The club expansion will use a variety of techniques, including drawing on the assistance of experience club leaders who can assist in opening new regions to our organization.

2. Training a new generation of Friendship Force leaders. The goal is to identify and train 200-300 people from around the world who can provide key leadership for their clubs and regions in the years ahead. We'll use traditional training workshops supplemented by state-of-the art Internet assisted programs. To be effective we'll need new materials in a variety of languages. We'll also be calling on experienced Friendship Force leaders to participate.

3. Developing unique and bold new programs that reflect the vision of Wayne Smith. Following in his tradition, initiatives will be developed in the Middle East and with the Muslim world. We'll also be expanding the successful teacher and school exchanges of the past few years.

Rather than attempting to pay for this expansion from operating revenues (which could require an increase in fees), the board approved the recommendation that a separate development fund be established through donations. During the next six months, FFI will conduct a fundraising campaign, with all the funds collected dedicated to our expansion program. The members of the board of trustees have already made their personal pledges of financial support, and we will soon be approaching foundations, corporations and philanthropists for contributions. We will also ask our clubs to consider a one-time contribution. Finally, members around the world can participate through the World Friendship Day Celebration (see below). Details for the expansion plan will be presented at the international conference in LA next month. Clubs not represented will receive packets by mail following the conference.

World Friendship Day Celebration: Imagine a 24-hour, non-stop Friendship Force celebration. That is what will occur on March 1, 2005, as clubs around the world participate in our first World Friendship Day Celebration. Why March 1st? That is the anniversary date for the White House announcement of the establishment of The Friendship Force by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Beginning with our clubs in New Zealand, the party will progress around the world through all 24 time zones. We'll have a special website dedicated to the event, so clubs can log on, record their participation, and also track the progress of the global party. While it will be up to the clubs to design their own unique events, we are asking that they collect a donation from each participant for our Legacy Campaign (suggested donation of $10 US). With full participation by our global family, these many, individual gifts will represent a major part of our development campaign. Susie Smith has agreed to serve as Honorary Chair of this event and will be present at the LA conference as we present the details to the clubs. Please take seriously your club's participation in this event by scheduling a club event on the evening of March 1, 2005. In the weeks ahead we'll be providing suggestions for how you can make the most of the event in your local community. Keep in mind, however, that it doesn't have to be an elaborate event. Just get your members together for an evening of fun and friendship, knowing that you'll be joining thousands of others around the world.

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LEADERSHIP FORUM

DATE: September 30, 2004

TO: Friendship Force Club Presidents, Field Representatives, District Administrators, and Exchange Directors
FROM: George Brown, FFI President

September has been a great month for The Friendship Force around the world, with more than 800 ambassadors participating in exchanges. Congratulations to all our clubs on so many very successful exchanges. And looking ahead to October, the numbers are just as strong. By the time many of us gather for the International Conference in LA, we will be closing in on the conclusion of a strong year with a projected 5000 ambassadors worldwide.

Earlier this week the Board of Trustees held its biannual meeting in Atlanta. All ten members attended, including the newest trustee, Mr. Kazuo Aichi, of Tokyo, Japan who was elected to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Charlene Terrell. Some of the actions by the board are included below, but we will also be sending out a special Leadership Forum next week with a summary of all board action.

Expanding The Friendship Force: Perhaps the most important action taken by the board was to adopt a plan for expanding our organization in the next few years. Our goal is to have an expanded and much stronger organization by the time we celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2007. The full plan will be shared with club leaders at the conference and by email and special mailings in the weeks ahead. What I can tell you now is that the plan features a bold expansion of The Friendship Force into a number of new countries, as well as carefully targeted expansion in some current areas. In addition to club expansion, we will also be launching an aggressive leadership training and support initiative designed to identify and prepare the FF leaders of tomorrow. There is something for everyone, and I'm sure you'll share our enthusiasm for a growth plan that will enable us to have a much stronger Friendship Force. The Board also adopted a plan for financing the expansion plan. Rather than depend on ambassador and/or club fees, the board is launching a campaign to raise the funds needed to grow. It will be called the Legacy Campaign, and will be our tribute to our founder, Wayne Smith, who died in June. Some of these funds will come from outside sources (foundations, corporations, philanthropists) that are interested in supporting our mission. Other funds will come from within The Friendship Force family. But all the funds will be kept in a separate account to ensure they are used exclusively for expanding The Friendship Force.

Mark Your Calendars! MARCH 1, 2005: There is one feature of the development campaign that I have to share with you today. The board enthusiastically approved the recommendation to set aside March 1, 2005 for a World Friendship Day Celebration, which will serve as the culmination of our campaign. Why March 1? This is the anniversary of the day President Carter announced the establishment of The Friendship Force from the White House in 1977. It is a fitting day to honor the legacy of our founders as well as to celebrate the global family that we have created. What will happen on March 1? We are asking each of our clubs to plan a membership event the evening of March 1, 2005. It can be as simple as a potluck supper in the homes of one of your members or as elaborate as a fancy banquet. Details will follow shortly and you can decide then what formula works best for your club. Why does it have to be March 1? By having a celebration on that day you will be part of an incredible 24-hour friendship celebration. It will begin in New Zealand and progress around the world through all 24 time zones, ending in Hawaii. And by using Internet technology, each club will be able to log on, recording its participation in the global event. It will be lots of fun. It will be a way for you to promote The Friendship Force in your community. And we will also use the celebration as a way to encourage your members to make their individual contributions to the Legacy Campaign. All you need to do now is to put the evening of March 1st on your club's calendar. You'll be hearing the details in the weeks ahead. In the meantime if you have suggestions on how we can make this a great success, please let George Brown know (gbrown@friendshipforce.org)

2005 Exchange Policies: The 2005 exchange policies have been approved by the board and will be sent in the special Leadership Forum issue next week. There are no changes in fees for 2005. The one change in operating policy for the exchanges is that beginning in 2005 the host fees will be transferred directly from the ambassador club to the host club, without the need to send the funds through our office in Atlanta. This change is in response to a number of requests from clubs around the world. Eliminating the transfer through our office will reduce the transfer and transaction costs. Also, since there are often additional fees (for transportation and local tours) that are added to the basic $75, the new policy will enable the two clubs to negotiate the best way to transfer all of the funds that will be owed. Note: FFI will continue to provide oversight of the transfer and will intervene as necessary to ensure that host clubs receive all the fees that are due. In the weeks ahead the FFI staff will be providing additional information on how this new policy will be implemented. And we will, of course, be glad to work with clubs during a transition period as needed to make sure the new policy does not cause any difficulties for either side.

Friendship Magazine: Issue #2 for 2004 is finally in the mail to all subscribers. We regret the delay. We can now say, however, that we are back on schedule, as follows: Issue #3 will be issued in November, just after the conclusion of the LA conference. Issue #4 will be printed in January and will be different. It will be an expanded issue that will also serve as our Annual Report for 2004, with information about the entire year. We think you'll like this new feature. For 2005, the production of four issues will move forward on a regular and predictable schedule. Thanks for your patience.

Youth exchange: Our newest club in Singapore, The Friendship Force of Nanyang, consists mostly of students in their twenties. They have already been hosted overseas by two different Friendship Force clubs and are now looking forward to hosting their first exchange at home in Singapore. We are seeking a group of students or young professionals who would like to make friends with these young hosts in Singapore for one week between late May and July 2005. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Debbie Powell at dpowell@friendshipforce.org.

Regional Conference Schedule for 2005: Several Friendship Force regional conferences have already been scheduled for the first part of next year. The list below shows information (the dates, the conference, and the hosting club) for those that have been confirmed so far:

January 28 - 30 GERMANY Gelsenkirchen
February 4 - 6 NEW ZEALAND Nelson
February 11 - 12 USA - Southwest Fort Worth, TX
February 11 - 13 AUSTRALIA Brisbane
March 18 - 21 UNITED KINGDOM Sussex
March 26 - 27 JAPAN Osaka 
April 8 -10 USA - Mid-Atlantic Harrisburg, PA
April 22 - 24 USA - Midwest Lincoln, NE
April 29 USA - Northern Rockies Helena, MT

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LEADERSHIP FORUM  

DATE: August 25, 2004

TO: Friendship Force Club Presidents, Field Representatives, District Administrators, and Exchange Directors

FROM: George Brown, FFI President

As I write this, we are about to enter the "high season" for Friendship Force exchanges. Our program coordination department reports that there will be approximately 90 exchanges in the months of September and October with an estimated 1,500 ambassadors. These wonderful experiences for making international friends is made possible because of the hard work by our club and exchange leaders, supported by dedicated staff in Atlanta. Congratulations to all who have been working to make this a great exchange season!

I look forward to seeing many of you in Los Angeles in November for our International Conference. It will be a great event, with outstanding programs arranged by the FFI staff and the host club. If you haven't already signed up, there is still time! (see below).

I've heard from many of you since the last Leadership Forum indicating your support for this way of communications. Thanks for your comments. I hope you'll review carefully the information provided below, passing on information to your members.

In friendship,

George Brown
President

1. Annual Conference in Los Angeles: 
The final deadline for registration is September 13, just over three weeks away! If you haven't yet registered, please do so soon. The LA Conference committee, led by Nancy Arnheim, has done a great job of preparing to make this a memorable event. This year's conference events include: A "California Casual" opening reception and banquet; twelve different workshop topics to benefit your membership, your exchange experiences and your relationships with those you encounter through the Friendship Force; your choice of three optional tours in the city and in Hollywood/Beverly Hills; speeches from a space architect, an expert on California's gold, and our own FFI President George Brown; the glamorous "Be A Star" gala dinner and dancing event; award presentations for significant volunteer achievement and our conference's friendliest delegate; not to mention a fabulous four-day fiesta where you will be reunited with old friends and make new ones from around the world! We look forward to seeing you there.

Club leaders are asked to provide their members with registration information so they can attend as well. Online registration is available here: www.friendshipforce.org/Events/LAConference.html 

2. Annual Award Nominations: 
We will be presenting awards for Excellence in Programs, Excellence in Service, Excellence in Public Relations, and Outstanding Achievement at the International Conference in Los Angeles this year. We invite you to consider nominating an outstanding individual or club that has achieved excellence during the past year in one of these categories. The deadline for nominations to reach FFI has been extended until September 30. The nomination criteria and forms are here. If you are unable to access the forms or if you would prefer to have them sent to you by e-mail, FAX or mail, please contact Talieh Monajjem at FFI, tmonajjem@friendshipforce.org.

3. 2005 exchange program summary:
We now have 305 exchanges confirmed for 2005. Thanks to all our leaders for their excellent work in bringing us to this stage in our planning for next year. The planning should now be well underway for exchanges during the first part of 2005. If your club has any questions or is having difficulty confirming arrangements, please be sure to contact your program coordinator at FFI for assistance.

4. Important Insurance Information:
Even if an ambassador visits a country with National Health Care, the ambassador should have adequate travel and medical coverage. Friendship Force's policy on insurance is as follows:

Insurance: All Friendship Force Ambassadors are required to secure adequate travel and medical insurance to cover emergencies during their exchanges. This requirement can be fulfilled in one of the following ways: a) through the Ambassador's existing insurance policy if it covers international travel, b) through the policy offered by FFI, or c) by purchasing a separate travel insurance package. The Ambassador Application includes the following statement: "I hereby agree to secure adequate travel and medical insurance for the duration of the exchange."

5. Friendship Force Privacy Policy:
Friendship Force International (FFI) respects your privacy. We do not sell our mailing lists or lists of email addresses. If you have provided us with any personal information such as insurance coverage, charge card numbers or emergency contacts, this information is also kept confidential.

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LEADERSHIP FORUM

DATE: July 23, 2004

TO: Friendship Force Club Presidents, Field Representatives, District Administrators, and Exchange Directors
FROM: George Brown, FFI President

A note about the Leadership Forum:
The monthly Leadership Forum is a means FFI has been using for several years to communicate to our club leaders. By sending this via email with links to our website, we are able to give you up-to-date information without the cost and time-delays of sending the information by mail. We are eager to hear if this is effective for you. Please let us know if you find these communications useful, and also what we can do to improve them. Also, we want to encourage club presidents to pass on key information to their members, directly or by inclusion in your newsletter. This month, I would call you attention to the item regarding the International Conference this November in Los Angeles, USA. The FFI staff and the Los Angeles club are working hard to make this a great event, and we hope that many of our club leaders from around the world will attend.
In friendship, George Brown, President

1. Annual Conference in Los Angeles, USA - November 4-7, 2004: The early bird registration discount has been extended until August 20, and the final deadline for registration has been extended until September 13. If you haven't registered, please do so soon. Club leaders are also encouraged to provide their members with registration information so they can attend as well. Online registration is available here: http://www.friendshipforce.org/Events/LAConference.html

2. Annual Award Nominations: We will be presenting awards for Excellence in Programs, Excellence in Service, Excellence in Public Relations, and Outstanding Achievement at the International Conference in Los Angeles this year. We invite you to consider nominating an outstanding individual or club that has achieved excellence in the past year in one of these categories. Nominations are due at FFI by September 1. The nomination criteria and forms are here. If you are unable to access the forms or if you would prefer to have them sent to you by e-mail, FAX or mail, please contact Talieh Monajjem at FFI, tmonajjem@friendshipforce.org.

3. Festival Update: We are pleased to report that the Festival to Malta will take place as scheduled in late September. We are hoping that this will lead to the establishment of a Malta Friendship Force Club. Recruiting is now underway for a Festival to India in January 2005. The full itinerary and registration information is available here.

4. Field Representatives: The volunteer field representative system is now active in the following countries: Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada and the United States. Clubs in these countries are encouraged to take advantage of these trained volunteers in their regions that are available to provide valuable assistance in the areas of club development and management, as well as in exchange planning and leadership.
We want to extend our congratulations to the following newly appointed field reps:
Australia: Brian Smith
Japan: Hideo Murata, Mitsuko Suzuki
New Zealand: Doug Dean and Ken Tarrant
United Kingdom: Cherry Payne and Tricia Thompson
USA: Barbara Boettcher, Larry Brown, Sandra Larson, Trudy Martin, Callie Waldrop, Bruce Wazorko

We also want to express our deep appreciation to the following leaders who have recently completed their field rep service:
New Zealand: June Kenworthy
Australia: Bruce Murray
United Kingdom: Ann Harding

5. 2005 Exchange Planning Update: Planning for 2005 exchanges continues to progress. To date, of the 343 exchanges initially proposed, 252 have been accepted and confirmed, 35 have been declined, and 56 are still pending confirmation by one of the clubs involved. The planning team continues to work to fulfill all requests. Clubs are receiving "It's a Match" forms as exchanges are confirmed, along with Leadership Information Forms to be completed and sent to FFI when the Exchange Director is appointed. Attention all Canadian and European club leaders! FFI has a waiting list of clubs from around the world who are hoping for a week of hosting in Europe or Canada next year. If your club might be willing to accept an extra inbound in exchange in 2005, please contact FFI at ffi@friendshipforce.org. Thank you for your flexibility!

6. Tribute to Wayne Smith: FFI will be establishing a memorial fund in honor of our founder, Wayne Smith, who died in June. This will part of a major development fundraising campaign that will be announced at the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting in September. 

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LEADERSHIP FORUM

DATE: June 14, 2004

TO: Friendship Force Club Presidents, Field Representatives, District Administrators, and Exchange Directors
FROM: George Brown, FFI President

2004 Exchanges: I'm pleased to report that our exchanges in 2004 are going quite well. Despite the usual number of cancellations and small exchanges, overall our numbers are improved from a year ago. Keep up the good work!

Matching Process for 2005: The deadline for responding to the 2005 proposed is rapidly approaching. If you haven't already done so, please complete and return the matching forms to FFI not later than Tuesday, June 15. The staff will then begin working to let you know as soon as possible regarding your confirmed exchanges for 2005.

FFI Atlanta Reorganization: As part of our goal of making our office in Atlanta more efficient, we are in the process of restructuring the staff assignments. An important element in this process is a restructuring of the Program Services Department, which provides our basic exchange and club support services to the clubs. I'm pleased to announce that two experienced FFI staff, Debbie Powell and Kathy Thomas, will now head this department. Debbie and Kathy have been promoted to "Managers of Program Services" and each will supervise a three-person staff team. For a listing of the Program Services staff members and their geographic responsibilities, please click here.

I know you will join me in congratulating Kathy and Debbie on their new positions.
This represents just part of our staff realignment, and I'll keep you posted as the new structure is completed.

International Conference: You have received the registration packets for the LA conference, November 4-7, 2004. We will be sending a similar announcement to our entire email list within the next few days. We are looking forward to a good turnout, and I hope you'll make plans now to ensure that your club is fully represented. For more information, please visit our website at www.friendshipforce.org

Fall FFI Board Meeting: It has now been announced that the fall meeting of the FFI Board of Trustees will be held in Atlanta on September 27 and 28, 2004. An important item on the agenda will be election of trustees and officers for 2005. Don't forget to let us know your suggestions for election to the FFI Board of Trustees. The nomination process is as follows: Any club or person has the opportunity to nominate (or apply) for vacant Board positions. New Trustees, whose terms will begin on January 1, 2005, will be elected at the September, 2004 FFI board meeting. All nominations must be received at FFI not later than July 15, 2004. Nominations should be accompanied by a resume along with the candidate's written _expression of desire to serve on the Board. You may send nominations to FFI, Attention: Nominations Committee 34, Peachtree St., Suite 900, Atlanta, GA 30303 or by e-mail to ffiboard@friendshipforce.org. Detailed information on the position as well as the procedures for selection can be found here.

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LEADERSHIP FORUM

DATE: May 19, 2004

TO: Friendship Force Club Presidents, Field Representatives, District Administrators, and Exchange Directors
FROM: George Brown, FFI President

The first month on the job as President of FFI has been hectic, but very rewarding. It has been my privilege to participate in regional meetings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Missoula, Montana; Hamburg, Germany; and tomorrow I will travel to Tokyo, Japan for the all-Japan annual meeting. Congratulations to the host clubs for all these conferences. I've been very impressed and gratified by the excellent programs and the enthusiastic participation by our leaders. I've shared my ideas for the future, and I've also been listening to our leaders-hearing their hopes for the Friendship Force, as well as the challenges that they face. Through all the meetings, receptions, meals, and parties, my faith in our organization and the dedication of our leaders has been strongly reinforced.

In the months ahead I'll be spending most of my time at the office in Atlanta, working with the staff as we complete this year's exchanges and plan for next year. I'll also be looking for new opportunities for Friendship Force International as together we seek to fulfill our vision that "a world of friends is a world of peace."

Here is an update on some items of interest.

Nominations for Board of Trustees: The FFI Board of Trustees seeks your input as it prepares to fill vacancies for 2005. Any club or person has the opportunity to nominate (or apply) for vacant Board positions. New Trustees, whose terms will begin on January 1, 2005, will be elected at the September, 2004 FFI board meeting. All nominations must be received at FFI not later than July 15, 2004. Nominations should be accompanied by a resume along with the candidate's written expression of desire to serve on the Board. You may send nominations to FFI, Attention: Nominations Committee 34, Peachtree St., Suite 900, Atlanta, GA 30303 or by e-mail to ffiboard@friendshipforce.org. Detailed information on the position as well as the procedures for selection can be found here.

International Conference: Make plans now for your club to be represented at the 28th International Conference, which will take place in Los Angeles, November 4-7, 2004. Conference registration materials are on the FFI website and online registration will be available shortly. www.friendshipforce.org

Exchange Assignments for 2005: All clubs were sent their 2005 exchange assignments via email earlier this month. Our staff worked very hard to design a strong series of exchanges for 2005. Club presidents should review these carefully and then send their exchange acceptance forms to FFI not later than June 15, 2004. This will enable all clubs to have ample time to prepare for their 2005 exchanges.

USA Field Representatives: Clubs in the following regions of the USA are encouraged to give careful consideration to the nomination of experienced FF leaders to fill vacancies in the position of field representatives: Florida, the Mountain States, West Coast, Pacific Northwest, Southeast and Northeast. Application information and materials may be obtained from Laurie-Ann Scott at LALPSCOTT@aol.com

LEADERSHIP FORUM

DATE: April 20, 2004

TO: Friendship Force Club Presidents, Field Representatives, District Administrators, and Exchange Directors
FROM: George Brown, FFI President

It is a great honor for me to be writing you for the first time as President of Friendship Force International. Having spent almost thirteen years on the FFI staff, it is a bit like coming home. Today I welcomed to our offices the Ambassadors and Hosts for an exchange from Busan, Korea to Atlanta. It was so refreshing to see them and to hear of their experiences. And I was particularly impressed that one family of Ambassadors included three generations! Club President Dr. Bok Il Kim is participating on this exchange along with his daughter and two grandchildren. What a great way to keep the Friendship Force tradition growing.

I look forward to communicating with you, our leaders, on a regular basis through the Leadership Forum. In the next six weeks, I'll also have the opportunity to meet many of you (or representatives from your clubs) as I participate in the final series of regional meetings scheduled for 2004: April 24-26, U.S. Midwest Region; April 30-May 2, U.S. and Canada Northern Rockies Region; May 13-16, European Conference in Hamburg, Germany; May 21-22, Japan National Conference; and June 25-27, U.S. Pacific Northwest Region. At these and other gatherings I will be sharing my ideas on the future of Friendship Force International. But I'll also be doing a lot of listening. And together we'll be able to build an even stronger international organization.

Staff Changes: Two of our staff members at FFI/Atlanta will be leaving us in the next few weeks to pursue new career opportunities. Susan Harrison, Program Coordinator for Latin American and West Coast, U.S. will leave effective April 23, and Harriet Kuhr, Director of Program Services, will leave us effective April 30. I know that you will join me in thanking both of them for their service to our organization and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Board of Trustees Meeting Summary: The summary and associated documents from the March meeting of the FFI Board of Trustees will be provided in the next Leadership Forum. 

Who to Contact: If you need any information from FFI/Atlanta and you are unsure of which staff member to contact, begin with the Program Coordinator assigned to your club. Your Program Coordinator will be happy to assist you with any questions and to direct your inquiry to the appropriate staff member if necessary. If you are not sure who is the Program Coordinator assigned to your club, you can check the listing on our web site, www.friendshipforce.org/about/exchangesstaff.html.

Liability Insurance: FFI/Atlanta is covered by a corporate liability insurance policy that extends to all clubs in the U.S. and Canada. However, it is not possible to arrange for a corporate policy that extends to operations in other countries. Friendship Force clubs in some countries, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, have worked together to purchase insurance coverage for all of the clubs and members in their countries. Friendship Force leaders need to acquaint themselves with the laws and regulations regarding the operation of nonprofit, volunteer organizations in their country, and to arrange for appropriate insurance coverage as required by law. 

Web Site Password: Those of you who have had a chance to visit the new FFI web site, www.friendshipforce.org, may have noticed that part of the site is now password protected, including the area to download forms and other resources. This password will be changed periodically and the new password advised in the Leadership Forum. Please share this password with your club officers and members. The current user name is FFI (upper case) and the current password is mamahuhu (lower case.) 

Amateur Radio: A group of amateur ("ham") radio enthusiasts in Atlanta, USA, is interested in organizing a reciprocal exchange with a similar group of radio operators. If you know of anyone interested in organizing such an exchange, please contact Peter May at FFI, pmay@friendshipforce.org.

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LEADERSHIP FORUM
DATE: March 24, 2004

FROM: Susie Smith, FFI President

I am very pleased to report that the FFI Board of Trustees met last week and decided upon a candidate who will lead our organization during its next important stage of development. You can expect to receive an official announcement with information regarding the new FFI president within the next few days. Stay tuned!

As promised in the February Leadership Forum, we are sending you via the postal service the 2003 year-end balance sheet and financial summary, as well as the 2004 operating budget. In the meantime, here is a narrative summary of our financial results for 2003 that you may share with your club members.

2003 FFI Financial Summary: To begin with the end, as well as the good news, FFI remained financially solvent in 2003 with its assets exceeding its liabilities by $114,278. From a budgetary standpoint, we concluded 2003 in a virtually break-even position on a cash basis. Considering the difficult world events of 2003, this result took great effort on the part of our volunteer leaders, board and staff. We could not have achieved this positive outcome had it not been for the many cost-cutting measures we took at FFI, as well for as the tremendous support FFI received from Friendship Force clubs. A total of $63,451 was donated from clubs and individual supporters alone. Thank you for making such an important difference to keep FFI going during a challenging year.

To understand how far we came last year in achieving our goals, it is important to understand where we began. We entered the year 2003 with an operating budget that was reduced by approximately $300,000 to reflect the decreased revenue we estimated would result from the administrative fee changes instituted in January 2003. However, it quickly became evident that, due to world events such as the war in Iraq and SARS, many exchanges would cancel due to fear of travel. Our already reduced budget proved to be unrealistic under these specific circumstances, so we took immediate and decisive action to reduce the budget further by another approximately $300,000. In November 2002, we had 21 people on staff. By the end of 2003, this number had been reduced to12 people who all took salary cuts to help FFI remain in good financial health. A monetary comparison of total expenses in 2003 versus 2002 helps to show the significant reductions made last year, with total 2003 expenses at $1,235,624 compared to $1,771,930 in 2002. 

While we literally lived up to our legal status of being a "non-profit" organization in 2003, we anticipate that a more peaceful world climate will motivate people to travel again and help our organization maintain financial stability to continue on even stronger than before. The FFI staff and board recognize the importance of building a financial reserve that can be invested in our organization's future. This will allow FFI to improve upon its core services to clubs that will help our entire organization grow, such as new club and program development, membership retention and growth, and training materials. Thanks to the great determination and hard work that you, FFI staff and board put forth in 2003, we have a good chance to spread our "goodwill through personal friendships" far and wide in the coming year. After all, a healthy financial status is only a necessary means to our true goal of furthering friendship and understanding among the people of the world. 

New Club: Please welcome the newest club to our worldwide family, The Friendship Force of Nouméa, New Caledonia. Nouméa was developed with the assistance of The Friendship Force of the Gold Coast, Australia and will enjoy their first exchange with them.

Additional 2004 Exchanges: If your club is looking for an additional outbound exchange assignment for 2004, please let your Program Coordinator at FFI know as soon as possible. Due to cancellations and rescheduling, hosting has become available in several countries such as Japan, Turkey and Germany. Let's not waste these valuable opportunities to make friends!

Web Site: The new FFI web site is up and running! Take a peek at www.friendshipforce.org to check out the new look. Improvements are being made daily, and your comments are appreciated. Downloads of FFI documents and resources are password protected on the new web site. All club leaders and members are encouraged to use the Club Resource section to download the materials they need. The current user name is FFI (upper case) and the current password is mamahuhu (lower case.) The password will be changed periodically and the new password advised in the Leadership Forum.

For U.S. Clubs:

Hosting China: A group of approximately 10 Ambassadors from Nanjing, China would like to come to the U.S. for one week of hosting in July or August, 2004. If your club is interested in hosting Chinese, please contact Debbie Powell at FFI, dpowell@friendshipforce.org.

Open World: We still have one or two openings for hosts for the Open World Program, which brings young Russian professionals to the U.S. under the sponsorship of the American government. If your club is interested in hosting a group of 10 to 15 Russians for a week as part of the Open World program in July, September, or October, please contact Harriet Kuhr at FFI, hkuhr@friendshipforce.org.

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LEADERSHIP FORUM
DATE: February 20, 2004

FROM: Susie Smith, FFI President

This is a busy time of year for Friendship Force International all over the world due to the high volume of exchange preparations and planning in progress for both this year and the next. We are fortunate to have so much exchange activity compared to this time last year. According to a January 2004 report from the World Tourism Organization, international tourism experienced the biggest annual drop ever in 2003 with some 8.5 million less international arrivals than in 2002. (Go to: http://www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/Releases/2004/janvier/data.htm.)

This affected our organization in many ways as you can imagine, and over 30% of our planned exchanges cancelled. However, due to a mid-year upswing in exchange participation and early expense reductions at FFI, I am proud to report that we held up to the financial challenges and essentially broke even in 2003. Within the next couple of weeks you will receive a 2003 financial summary that will explain in greater detail how our organization stayed solvent during a tough year so that we could continue with renewed optimism in 2004. 

We know how much work goes into recruiting a full exchange and managing your club, but the rewards are great and long lasting. Thank you for approaching your important volunteer role in Friendship Force International with the dedication and determination needed to fulfill our organization's mission of international understanding and friendship.

Leadership Transition: The search for a new FFI President generated much interest as evidenced by the over 250 applications received by the Transition Committee. The number of qualified candidates was narrowed down to several dozen, and then ten of these candidates were interviewed recently by the Transition Committee. We expect that a decision will be reached soon and that the new President can begin by April 1st. During the next six weeks, I will continue to serve as President until my work can be carefully turned over to my successor. In the meantime, the transition has gone smoothly at FFI and we fully expect to continue business as usual, with the new President getting all the extra support he or she may need in the coming months. We will keep you updated as we receive more news regarding the executive search process. 

National and Regional Conferences: We wish to thank and acknowledge the following clubs who hosted Friendship Force conferences in their region thus far this year: Australia - TFF of Queanbeyan-Canberra; Germany - TFF of Merseburg; New Zealand - TFF of Wanganui; Southwest United States - TFF of Austin. We know how very challenging hosting a conference can be. Congratulations on all your hard work and resulting success! If you think your regional clubs are ready to conduct a local conference or if you are not sure whether or not a conference is already scheduled, please contact your Program Services Coordinator for more information. 

Scholarship Programs: We have been contacted by some clubs who would like to initiate scholarship programs to sponsor participants on exchanges. They are looking for advice from other clubs who have ongoing scholarship programs, especially concerning policies that have been established for the selection of participants. If your club has an active scholarship program and you are willing to serve as a mentor to other clubs, please contact Harriet Kuhr at FFI, hkuhr@friendshipforce.org.

Exchange and Club Manuals: FFI is actively working to create completely new and updated Exchange and Club Manuals. Our goal is to have three volumes -Outbound Exchange Manual, Inbound Exchange Manual, and Club Manual - within the next year. The first volume, the Outbound Exchange Manual, should be completed within the next few months. We continue to provide copies of the existing versions of the Club and Exchange Manuals to Club Presidents and Exchange Directors as the majority of the information contained is still pertinent. As soon as the new Outbound Exchange Manual is completed, it will automatically be sent out to all Ambassador ED's with upcoming exchanges, and we will keep you appraised of the progress of the new versions of the remaining manuals.

Host Fee Procedures: As per the standard procedures outlined in the 2004 FFI Exchange Policies, hosting fees are to be sent to FFI along with the administrative fees for all outbound exchanges 60 days before the departure of the exchange. FFI will then forward the fees to the host club(s). If a club prefers to either send or receive host fees in another form, such as hand-carried in cash, this can only be allowed if all of the clubs participating in the exchange agree to the alternate arrangements and if specific written permission is received from FFI. These procedures have been set up to protect clubs, especially those hosting, so that they can be confident of receiving the full amount of their host fees in a timely manner.

Planning Forms: This is a reminder to all clubs that your 2005 Planning Forms are due to FFI by March 1. If you have not yet received your forms or if you have any questions concerning the forms or the planning process, please contact your Program Services Coordinator immediately. Keep in mind that forms received after the March 1 deadline will receive a lower priority in the exchange matching process than forms received on time. 

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LEADERSHIP FORUM

DATE: January 16, 2004


FROM: Susie Smith, FFI President

Happy New Year! I hope that 2004 is getting off to a good start for you and your club members. This year promises to be an exciting one for FFI. Regional Conferences are predicting high attendances and first quarter club exchanges are filling up. A calmer global climate is inspiring people to get out and explore our fascinating world of faces and places. The search for a new FFI president is well underway and the transition committee has received dozens of applications. If you know of any qualified person interested in this position, please direct him or her to write to transition@friendshipforce.org.

The early months of the year are among the most active times for club officers due to all of the information that needs to be obtained and shared between club members and FFI. In this Forum you will find important 2005 planning forms, club fee and magazine subscription information, and other items that require your earliest response. The sooner you can send this essential club information to us, the greater is your club's chance to have a fulfilling friendship program in the coming year. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

2004 Club Officers: If you are receiving this e-mail and you are not a 2004 officer of your club, it means that FFI has most likely not received the updated list of officers for your club and that your new officers are not receiving information from FFI. Please follow up as soon as possible with your designated staff contact at FFI to review the listings we have for your club and officers. If you are unclear of whom your assigned contact is at FFI, please e-mail Harriet Kuhr at hkuhr@friendshipforce.org for further assistance.

2005 Planning Forms: Attached at the bottom of this message you will find the 2005 Planning Forms consisting of one page of information and two pages of forms to be returned to FFI by March 1, 2004. You may also receive these documents separately by e-mail from your staff Program Coordinator and printed copies will be sent to each club later this month. If you are not able to open these attachments, advise your FFI Program Coordinator as soon as possible as to the best format for you to receive this information. You may notice that we have significantly revised the planning forms to make them easier and more convenient to use. We appreciate your comments as to how to improve this process in the future, so please do let us know if you have suggestions for improving the forms and the planning process for the future. Please note that requests submitted to FFI later than March 1 will receive lower priority than those received on time. If you have any questions at all concerning the 2005 exchange planning process, please contact your FFI Program Coordinator.

Passport Discounts: We would like to remind you that 2004 is the last year in which Friendship Force passport stamps can be redeemed for discounts on FFI exchange fees. No discounts will be accepted for any exchange departing later than December 31, 2004. Please note that discounts only apply to arrangements made through FFI. In most cases, this is limited to the FFI administrative fee. Discounts apply as follows:
4 stamps - 15% discount or $200, whichever is less
5 stamps - 20% discount or $250, whichever is less
6 stamps - 25% discount or $300, whichever is less
If you would like to use a passport discount, please send a written request (mail or e-mail) to Linda Ector at FFI, lector@friendshipforce.org, stating the exchange you will participate in. Linda will respond to you confirming the amount of your discount.

Welcome New Staff Member: Please join me in welcoming Maryam Jordan to the FFI staff. A native of Atlanta, Maryam has an outstanding background in international and intercultural affairs. She speaks both Japanese and Arabic, having studied in Egypt and worked for several years in Japan. She will be working with many of our clubs in Europe once she completes her training period. 

Welcome New Canadian Field Representatives: I am pleased to announce the appointment of two new Field Representatives to our program in Canada. Marjorie Eckert will be working with clubs in British Columbia and Alberta and Joan Hodgson will be working with clubs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Eveline Janis, the Canadian Field Representative Coordinator, is continuing her work with clubs in Eastern Canada. 

2005 International Conference: I am happy to announce that the 2005 International Conference will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in late October/early November 2005! Watch for further details in upcoming editions of the "Leadership Forum"!

2004 Club Fees and Magazine Subscriptions Now Due: It's that time of year again - time to forward club fees for the current year to FFI. The fees remain the same as last year - $10 for individuals or $15 for families - depending on the system that you use for your own club's dues. You can forward your payment to FFI in the same way that you transfer other fees, by check, bank card, or wire transfer. Please include an explanation of the number of club members you are paying for. If appropriate, we hope you will include a list of your members with their postal and e-mail addresses. This is particularly helpful for U.S. clubs since it allows us better coverage when advising members of upcoming exchange opportunities. For members outside the U.S., FFI would like to be able to contact those who wish it with occasional information on upcoming Festivals and the annual International Conference. If your club collects subscriptions to "Friendship" magazine on behalf of your members, it is also time to forward those to FFI. Subscribers from 2003 will receive issues through January 2004. The next subscription cycle begins with the April 2004 issue. Club Fees are due to FFI by April 1, 2004 and should be sent to the attention of Linda Ector at FFI, lector@friendhshipforce.org.

For U.S. Clubs:

Open World Program: If your club is still looking for additional hosting opportunities for 2004, we are in the process of finalizing our list of clubs that would like to participate in the Open World program in anticipation of submitting a grant proposal to the U.S. government in the next few weeks. The Open World program brings groups of 10 to 15 young Russian leaders to the U.S. for an educational and professional program. If you are interested in learning more about Open World, please contact Harriet Kuhr at FFI, hkuhr@friendshipforce.org.

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LEADERSHIP FORUM
DATE: September 18, 2003

This Special Edition Leadership Forum includes the summary of the recent meeting of the Friendship Force International Board of Trustees that took place September 10-11, 2003. I am pleased to report that the Board meeting was very productive and resulted in the election of four new Trustees whose terms begin on January 1, 2004. Friendship Force club leaders will be apprised of new FFI Board vacancies as they become available in the future. 

FFI is proud to have received an unqualified opinion on its 2002 Audit that was completed by an independent, certified public accountant. There was a finding that FFI is managing its financial affairs in accordance with accounting principles and laws applicable to nonprofit organizations in the United States. A hard copy of the 2002 Audit will be mailed to Club Presidents within the next week.

Summary of FFI Board of Trustees Meeting of September 10-11, 2003

The Board of Trustees of Friendship Force International met in Atlanta, Georgia USA on September 10-11, 2003. Those Trustees present were Maureen Takacs, Bill Blaine, Fritzie Logan, Noel Pryde, Charlene Terrell and Brenda Unti. Other Trustees were absent for health reasons or due to prior commitments.

President Susie Smith reported that the war in Iraq, the SARS epidemic and poor economic conditions have all affected FFI revenue. The staff and Board have been working diligently to reduce expenses by more than 20% to match the updated 2003 revenue forecast that was also expected to be 20% less than the original budget. We have obtained a major concession from our landlord to reduce our office rent and a significant savings in database maintenance has been realized through a new vendor.

In less than two years, the staff has gone from 23 employees to 13 employees. Several crucial positions remain vacant and will be filled when the budget can support them. Volunteers have been helping the staff members in the office. All staff members have taken an 8% pay cut for the remainder of this year, and many have taken voluntary unpaid leaves of absence of a week or two. New budgetary tools have been created to help focus on cost reduction efforts and monitor financial management progress for the remaining months of this calendar year. Expense reductions made at FFI combined with unprecedented club support this year should help FFI end the year close to breaking even financially. 

Continuing on a financial note, the 2002 audit of FFI has been completed by an independent, certified public accountant, and there was a finding that FFI is managing all of its financial affairs in accordance with accounting principles and laws applicable to nonprofit organizations in the United States.

The Board reviewed the current FFI policies governing exchange and club fees and affirmed them as they now exist, with the exception of the following two adjustments that will go into effect as of January 1, 2004:

*The Youth Discount on FFI Administrative Fees presently allows for a $20 reduction in FFI administrative fees. This discount will now be 1/3 off the FFI administrative fees, which is essentially a reinstatement of the policy that FFI followed throughout its history until 2003. This will place FFI in a more competitive position to attract youth on Friendship Force exchanges.

*The Host Fee waiver for Exchange Directors implemented in 2003 will be discontinued. Host Clubs will no longer be asked to provide a Host Fee waiver to visiting Ambassador Exchange Directors. Instead, all Ambassadors, including the Exchange Director, will be expected to pay full hosting fees. Friendship Force clubs may sponsor the Exchange Director`s host fees at their discretion but FFI will not require clubs to offer this discount. Discounts provided to Exchange Director on FFI administrative fees remain in place. 

The Board unanimously elected Diana McIntyre of Canada, Julian Sewell of Brazil, Nina Davidson of the USA, and Bernard "Mac" McKenzie of the USA to the Board of Trustees for three-year terms beginning January 1, 2004. Brief biographies of the new Trustees are attached. Along with the present Trustees, this constitutes a Board of eleven members. The Board intentionally left one position open with the expectation that it will be filled later with a qualified "outside" Trustee who is not a Friendship Force volunteer, but who brings other skills and balance to the Board. 

Maureen Takacs will continue next year as Chairperson, Noel Pryde will serve as Vice Chairperson, Charlene Terrell will continue to serve as Secretary, and Bill Blaine will continue to serve as Treasurer.

The Nominating Committee of the Board reported that the new process of receiving nominations from FFI volunteers worked well.

The Board expressed its appreciation for the hard work and dedication of volunteers and club leaders all over the world that makes the Friendship Force vital and successful.

Newly Elected FFI Board Trustees:

Nina J. Davidson

Since 1993 when Nina first joined The Friendship Force of the San Francisco Bay Area, she has served as President for 2 years, Board Member for 10 years, Host Exchange Director and Ambassador Exchange Director, five times each. Nina also served as Co-Exchange Director for the All USA to Thailand Festival, and she initiated the first West Coast Regional Conference and San Francisco Festival.

Nina Davidson`s professional expertise is defined by 20 years with Fortune 500 companies: providing project planning, workflow analysis, technical support, program design, training process evaluation and implementation. She has worked as a senior legal assistant, corporate trainer and in various management positions in the insurance industry. 

In addition to her association with Friendship Force International, Nina has served in many volunteer capacities. She has been active with the YWCA, Rotary International as International Service Chair and Board Member, her community`s Homeowner`s Association as President, and she received the Citizen`s Award from the City of Pacifica. 

Diana McIntyre

Diana McIntyre has been an active member of Friendship Force International since 1998 and has played a significant role in the development of our organization in Canada, the fastest growing country in the Friendship Force world. Diana was originally a member of the Lethbridge Club before becoming the founding President of The Friendship Force of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

As a Field Representative in Canada, Diana has shown leadership and commitment to the ideals of Friendship Force International. She has taken on the responsibility for the development of new clubs in Medicine Hat, Alta and Kelowna, British Columbia and has assembled FFI policies as a handy resource for Friendship Force clubs in Canada. 

Diana has retired from her professional career where she had vast experience in health care and administrative services. She was formerly the Executive Director of the Capital Health Care Group, which is the largest publicly operated, continuing care organization in Canada. For her volunteer work in the community, Diana has received numerous service awards including the Queen Elizabeth commemorative medal for her contribution to the community. 

Bernard "Mac" Mackenzie

"Mac" Mackenzie has been a member of Friendship Force International for nine years and has held all club officer positions, including the Presidency of The Friendship Force of Dallas, Texas when the International Conference was held there in 2002. However, it is Mac's unique international background which provides another element of balance to the Board of Trustees membership. Dealing with people of many nationalities, culture and religions was very much part of Mac's everyday life. 

Born and mostly educated in England, he spent three years as the sole European attending a boarding school in Sri Lanka before its independence from Britain. As a geophysicist, he worked in North Africa for thirteen years including the period of the coup when Colonel Qadafi seized power in Libya. 

An immigrant to the USA in 1970, Mac was employed by Mobil Oil in a worldwide search for oil and gas. In this profession, he accepted long term assignments in Europe and Indonesia. He also spent extended periods in Australia, Madagascar, East and West Africa, Vietnam and Turkey. His whole career dealt with international operations where he handled all facets of these activities with multi-million dollar budgets.