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In early May, Ray Enstam received a notification from Saul Suarez, the
director of the La Libertad exchange to Dallas/Austin due for this week
in Austin and Dallas next week. They had not sent their deposits
to Atlanta (which was due 60 days before departure) and reported having
problems within the club because some are sick, others fear SARS or
terrorism, others have economic problems, etc.
The result is that they are canceling their inbound to Austin and
Dallas. They hope to select another date to travel here in the fall.
Because of our inter-club exchange in August and International
Conference the last half of October and an inbound that they have
scheduled, September will be our only opportunity for an exchange. Ray
thanks everyone who worked on the exchange so far, and hopes that the
committee can continue to work together if another date is agreed upon.
We will keep you posted.
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Inter-club
Exchange
Paula Harkey announced that the Asheville-Lake Hartwell outbound
exchange leaving August 14 is full. If you are going and would
like to carpool with someone, let Paula know - phharkey@aol.com. If you would like to
be on a waiting list, call Paula. The
trip to Asheville, NC is from 8/14 thru 8/18, and Lake Hartwell, GA from
8/19 thru 8/23; the total cost of the exchange is $240 plus your own
transportation. Paula reports that both clubs are looking forward to our
visit.
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October
Trips
Jim Bourn has put together two trips to precede the International
Conference in Budapest in October (Oct 30- Nov 2).
 Trip 1 is for 10 days and goes south from Budapest to Romania, Belgrade
(where we hope to meet people interested in forming a club there),
Croatia, Slovenia and Austria.
Trip 2 is for 9 days and goes to Brno,
Prague, Salzburg and Vienna. Both begin in Budapest and end there in
time for the Conference. See the trip descriptions on these
Dallas-sponsored trips in Exchanges - October
Trips. If you even think you might go, let Jim Bourn
know ASAP, so he knows if there is enough interest. We are also
marketing these trips to other clubs in our SW region. The price will
vary depending on how many people go, as cost for the bus will be
prorated. So the more people sign up, the less expensive it will be.
Since we did not have an outbound exchange this year, this would be a
good opportunity for our club members to go as a group to these areas.
(Yes, you can bring your friends!)
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Friendship
Force 27th International Conference
Budapest, Hungary - October 30 – November 2, 2003
Rejuvenation, Growth , Commitment , Dialogue
Registration is now open for the International
Conference! All
registration materials can be downloaded or printed out from our
website, www.friendshipforce.org. Or call or e-mail us at conf@friendshipforce.org with
your complete mailing address to receive a printed registration packet.
Get information on the conference program and optional activities, and
on the wonderful pre-conference tours to Prague, Vienna and Bratislava
and to Croatia and Bosnia, as well as post-conference homestays in
Hungary and Slovakia. There are lots of fun and rewarding programs
to choose from!
Rejuvenation is the theme – the renewal of our
organization, our membership, our programs, and our mission. This
year’s conference may be the most important one yet.
Our conference
site is the Hilton Hotel, in the spectacular Castle District of the Buda
hills. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage site preserved much as
it was in previous centuries. You will love wandering through the
cobblestone streets reminiscent of a past age. Don’t miss this
opportunity to play an important part in Friendship Force history while
enjoying the sites of Hungarian history.
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Upcoming
Events
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 June Meeting
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Date/Time:
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Sunday
June 8, at 6 PM
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Place:
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Home
of Jim Bourn
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Speaker:
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Zia
Shamsy will show slides of his Africa trip
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Meal/Cost:
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Jim will grill hamburgers. The rest of us will bring
“the fixin’s” and a chair. $5 please for buns/paper goods/drinks.
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Reserve:
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Please
reserve by June 4 by mailing your check to Lilliana Hollister.
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July
Meeting
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Date/Time:
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Sunday,
July 13 at 5 PM
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Place:
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Celebration
Restaurant, 4503 W. Lover’s Lane (between Inwood and Marsh).
214-351-2456
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Program:
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All About Hungary with Toni Kaufman and Eva Rowe
(both Hungarian born). Let’s learn more about our Conference country.
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Cost:
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$15
per person or $20 at the door.
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Reserve:
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Please
reserve by July 8 by mailing your check to Lilliana Hollister
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News of Note
DALLAS
INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL
Nov.
8 and 9
at
St. Mark’s School of Texas
on
Preston Road
Details and participation forms are now available on the website: www.dfwinternational.com.
The festival needs volunteers to help
plan and organize this great event.
If you are interested, please contact Anna Marie Weiss-Armush at
aweiss@airmail.net.
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Russian
Leadership Program Needs Hosts
In March Jim Falk, President of the World Affairs Council of Greater
Dallas spoke at the monthly dinner meeting of the Friendship Force of
Dallas. Mr. Falk explained the Community Connections project
funded by the US State Department which brings Russian business
people to Dallas on a business management leadership program.
Dallas receives three groups of 10 participants each every year.
Next week we will be receiving a group from Chuvashia and we need home
hosts. Each participant lives in with a Dallas metroplex family.
Each participant speaks fluent English and the program provides
transportation to and from their individual internships at local
businesses. If anyone would like to volunteer as a host in this
worthy project during the month of June, please contact Monica L.
DeLorenzo - 214-865-8403 or mdelorenzo@DallasWorld.org.
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U.S.
Curtails Cuba Travel
Ray Enstam reports: To all past participants in the Friendship Force of
Dallas to Cuba Exchange:
I just want to let all of you know that I just got word that Friendship
Force International has lost its permit from the Treasury Dept. to send
exchanges to Cuba, as have all similar person to person and University
exchanges. There won’t be any more. I am glad we got to go
when we did, because there is no knowing when trips like ours will be
allowed again.
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Youth
Exchanges
There is a group in Moscow that would like to send a group of 15-20
chaperoned high school students on a two week exchange to the U.S. They
would like to attend classes in a U.S. high school. If you are
interested in hosting this group, or finding out more information,
please contact Peter May at pmay@friendshipforce.org.
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Jim's
Jewels
 Greetings from the President’s corner!
I was very sad to hear that the Peru trip has been postponed until
possibly later in the year. In the meantime the August exchange to North
Carolina and Georgia is nearly full. A really big time is being planned.
Several are planning to drive (a two-day trip) that will even add to the
fun. Contact Paula Harkey for more information.
Our two trips to precede the conference in Budapest are beginning to
come together. I have planned them so that by booking your own airfare
you can use your frequent flyer miles or stay in Europe longer if you
wish. I can put you in touch with consolidators who will get you a great
price on airfare. But I need to know if you’re interested.
This is a great opportunity to travel as a predominantly Dallas
group, see Central/Eastern Europe and possibly meet people in Belgrade
who may be interested in forming a Friendship Force club there. See
October Trips for details. So let
me know if you want to join us.
FFI has also announced it will have two trips - one
before and one after the International Conference in Budapest. So check
them all out and decide where you would like to go.
Lastly it is with regret that I must report the death of Marijo Gibson.
I will always remember her pleasant smile and friendly nature.
In friendship,
Jim Bourn
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From
Susie Smith, President of FFI
 I am pleased
to report that, despite the recent challenges of our international
landscape as presented by the war in Iraq and SARS, 56 exchanges have
taken place to date in 2003. Thank you for encouraging your club members
to participate in Friendship Force activities that help everyone to feel
a part of our international network of friends.
Ours is the
business of overcoming differences through the love and understanding
that friendship can bring. We are reminded again that, despite the
choices that governments might make to resolve differences, we as
individuals can take the valiant step of reaching out to others in
friendship.
We recognize
that caution must be used as we carry on with our mission through
international friendship exchanges. We also recognize that it is up to
each one of us to create a more peaceful world through the force of
friendship. We urge you to act wisely and do what you can to make a
positive difference. Please stay in touch with each other and FFI, and
know that our hearts go out to you and all our friends, even those whom
we have yet to meet.
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 Dallas
Club News
Board
Business
President Jim Bourn announced the appointments of Chris Michalek as 1st
Vice President, Paula Harkey as Asheville Outbound Exchange Chair and
Marilyn McRae as Scrapbook Chair.
The Board voted to have Jim Bourn nominate Mac Mackenzie to be on the
national board.
Sound
System
The Board has voted to purchase a sound system for the club with
amplifying systems and mics included.
Bridgebuilders
Back from a recent trip to Romania, Ed Edgren requested that club help
pay $100 per computer for 8 computers for a school for the blind in
Romania. Ed said the need is tremendous. The $100 per computer
represents Bob Langford’s costs to upgrade the computers that are
already on hand. Rotary Club will pay for the shipment of the
computers to Romania. The Board approved this expenditure to be paid
from FFD’s Bridgebuilder Fund, which is already being used for
computers sent to schools for the blind in Peru and Chile. We will
first complete four computers and ship them; Ed will go to Romania to be
sure they are being used effectively before committing to the final four
to the school. As we are not doing much right now in the way of
exchanges, this is a good way for us to make a difference in the world.
Get-acquainted
Coffees
Mary-Helen Lyons reports that the Get-acquainted Coffees were a lot of
fun for those who participated, thanks to the hosts, Ruthelle Wilson,
Jackie Bluhm and LaNell Koch.
Mary-Helen said she had a delightful visit at a beautiful
home/yard with three really neat people including our roving ambassador
Jim Bourn. “We have some remarkably interesting members. With the
flexibility of our recent in-home monthly meetings and the June dinner
at Jim Bourn’s, we’ve had more opportunity to meet each other.
Wear your name tag and a smile and get acquainted.” Thanks to
Mary-Helen for organizing this event!
April
and May Meetings
The April meeting was held at the lovely home of Betty Mayeur and Pat
Peters in Plano. Over 60 people attended with 8 or 10 visitors. Among
the visitors were Joyce and
Malcolm Estham from St. Albans. Those of us on the exchange there had
tea at their lovely home and garden and were glad to see them again.
They were the guests of Nancy and Al Hicks who have stayed with them
twice. Speakers told of their experiences teaching English in other
countries. They were Wanda Hamilton, who taught in Russia, Madolyn
Stewart who taught in Poland and Marketa Cross, who taught in China.
They inspired all who heard them.
In May the club met at Nancy and Jeff Monson’s home. A lovely buffet
dinner was followed by songs sung by Lu Mitchell – a very young lady
who claimed to soon be 79. In her career she had sung with The
Kingston Trio. She sang songs such as the Ballad of Tammy and Jimmy,
Mammogram, Come Back Jimmy Swaggart to Tony’s Hotel, Shall
We Gather at the Dumpster, Back in the Stirrups Again and
many more. It was soon evident that she had a good following in the
group as a chorus joined her. Everyone had fun and we were sorry to see
it end.
Board
Meetings
The Board meets the second Monday of each
month (with exceptions during exchanges) from
7-9 pm at the Richardson YMCA, 821 Custer Road in Richardson.
These meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend.
The next Board meeting will be June 16. UPDATE - This is a change from
June 9.
In July, the Board will meet on July 21.
Newsletters
Thanks to all contributors to this issue. Send information about club
news and members to Mary Williams at
txtravel@flash.net. For the August newsletter, please submit by July 28. She
will be traveling from July
10-28.
Add
to Your Yearbook
Apologies to Charles and B.J. who were inadvertently left out of our
yearbook - Bsummers@DHC.net.
Joel Hamilton of Texarkana is a returning member:
Welcome new member Charles Anker.
Speakers
on Friendship Force
If you belong to an organization that would like a free speaker for a
meeting, please contact Jim Bourn at airbourn@comcast.net. Several of our members have given
presentations on Friendship Force to other organizations, and we are
pleased to have many visitors and new members as a result. Help us
spread the word!
Dallas
Webpage
Can’t remember when the next meeting is? It's on our webpage! Not only
can you get updates as they occur between newsletter issues, but
you’ll find additional photos, articles, news from FFI, copies of
forms and other links and information. The newsletter is updated
immediately after it is printed and the past newsletter is moved to Past
Newsletters. The Profile that we send and distribute to other clubs
describes what we do on an inbound exchange and what they can expect
when visiting Dallas. (Lots of links to Dallas sites also.) Note: It has
an ORG ending. Now that you're here, bookmark it!
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Member News
Mary-Helen Lyons put it very well: “From our very beginning Friendship
Force Dallas has stressed FRIEND as the key to our club's reason for
existing - at home as well as around the world.
Friends do come and go but with each we share some memory.”
Some of these friends have moved away and others have passed on. We
appreciate them all.
Marijo
Gibson
 On Sunday, April 27, longtime member Marijo Gibson passed away quietly
in her sleep. She traveled to England and Scotland with us, and many of
us had an opportunity to know her gentle humor and broad range of
interests. A service celebrating her life was held on Thursday May 1 at
Cochran Chapel. We will miss her.
Debbie
Erb
Don and Bev Erb announced that their daughter, Debbie, died on Thursday,
May 22 at their home in McKinney, Texas. She had suffered from bone cancer and will be greatly missed
by her family and friends. A memorial service was held on Memorial Day
in Plano. In lieu of
flowers they ask that you make a donation in Debbie's name to the
Visiting Nurse Association, Sunrise
Office Centre, 2414 West University Drive, Suite #200, McKinney, Texas
75071, or a charity of your choice.
V. N. A. was a tremendous help to their family. They express
their thanks to all of you who prayed for Debbie.
Sunshine Chairman Mary-Helen Lyons asked that we please let her know if
anyone needs our attention.
(MHLTX@mymailstation.com)
Moving
  Mac and Gaby Mackenzie are bidding their
Dallas friends farewell as they move to the Tampa, Florida area to be
closer to daughter Pip and their five grandchildren. They will be
leaving June 3 for a visit there for a few days before going to England
on June 17 for their annual house-sitting . They have not yet found a
house they like in Florida, so they will be storing their furniture
until their return at the end of August. They will keep their current
e-mail address and we will publish a home address when they get settled.
They participated in many exchanges and Mac served as President and
Treasurer of our club. They will be greatly missed for their friendship,
hard work and dedication.
Newlyweds!
Yvonne
Klusman Geissler
 Congratulations to Yvonne Klusman and Erich Geissler who were married in
Burgdorf, Germany on May 5. They met when Yvonne hosted Erich in October
2001 for the Hannover exchange to Dallas. Yvonne says, “We just
clicked!” They both flew back and forth until they were ready to
settle in one place. Yvonne,
who is fluent in German, will be moving to Germany in early July. “A world of friends is… is...”
Marilyn
Wilson-Allen
 Marilyn Wilson-Allen says hello to everyone. She and Jack have been
visiting family in Atlanta and a new grandchild in Kentucky. She is
enjoying life on a horse farm in South Texas. She sent us this photo
from their wedding on Feb. 14.
Mary
Williams
 Mary Williams begins her second year as President of the Board of the
Dallas Chamber Orchestra. Since there is no paid staff, Mary and the
other Board members stay very busy working on the administrative duties
of the orchestra. See her webpage at: www.dallaschamberorchestra.org
and
come and enjoy a concert this fall!
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Other Club Exchanges
To join another club’s exchange, contact the Exchange Director (ED)
from that club as soon as possible.
See our brief listing by clicking on Other
Club Exchanges or a complete list of exchanges and more details on
national trips on the FFI webpage: www.friendshipforce.org
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