International

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Dallas

Dallas 

Our International Conference will be here sooner than we think.  With only three more months to go, there is still much to be done. The Conference will be held at the Doubletree Hotel Lincoln Center at the intersection of I-635 and North Dallas Tollway in Dallas.  The dates are November 7 - 10, 2002.

We have a great honor to be hosting this year’s Conference and a unique opportunity for all of us to attend a Friendship Force International Conference.  A big advantage we have is we do not have to travel for miles and miles to get to it.  Most of us can stay in our own homes and not have to stay at the hotel. This is the first Conference to be held in Texas.  We hope to make everyone welcome to our state and be glad they came.  This is a team effort and we need all the team players. 

The most important thing we need is for all of our members from Dallas and Fort Worth to sign up and get involved.  We will need every member to come and help us entertain and greet the folks coming to this big event.  We will need some members to be at the hotel on Wednesday when some Ambassadors will be arriving.  We need volunteers all day Thursday to help as greeters,  registration workers, tour leaders, table decorators, and volunteers to help answer questions or give directions in the hotel.  On Friday please help as greeters and direction people.  On Saturday help get people to the different tours being given in the afternoon.  On Saturday night help greet and direct people to the banquet rooms.  On Sunday, come to the closing session (it is free).  Please make arrangements to attend all of the events or parts of the Conference. You are very much needed to help volunteer and be a part of this great event. Volunteers do not have to pay to volunteer only and may attend the events for that day. 

Atlanta has given us a great price on the Conference package.  Our member’s cost is $275.  Included in this price is:

 (1)  A welcome reception on Thursday night and dinner; where Chip Carter, President of FFI, will give the opening address.

 (2)  Workshops and speakers all day Friday with lunch included.

 (3)  Saturday  speakers and workshops in the morning and then a big Gala Banquet on Saturday night with our special guest speaker, former first lady, Rosalynn Carter.

 (4)  Sunday morning wrap up of the Conference with a World Bazaar and closing session.  At the closing session special awards will be given to outstanding clubs and members.

Friday night will be an optional dinner at a cost of $65 each for everyone.  This is for the bus transportation, dinner and entertainment.  The event will be held at the Circle R Ranch in Lewisville.  This will be our big Western night.  Dress in your western clothes.

Sunday noon through Thursday following the Conference will be a mini Exchange lasting only four nights.  We need more home hosts and day hosts for the home stay that is being offered.  Each of our Texas clubs will make their own plans as to how to entertain these guests.

If you can volunteer or have any questions, you may contact me at mlynwilson@hotmail.com or Mary Williams at txtravel@flash.net or Joy Perigo at hperigo@att.net.

Thanks for all the hard work the Conference Committee has been doing, and I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Marilyn Wilson  

CONFERENCE 2003

Friendship Force International has announced that the 27th Annual International Conference will be held in Budapest, Hungary from October 30 - November 2, 2003, at the Hilton Budapest.  Look for more information early next year about plans for the conference as well as both pre- and post-conference tours and homestays.

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We have had lots of illness, surgery and losses in our club lately. Our prayers are with all those families at this time.  Mary-Helen, our intrepid Sunshine Person, has kept the phones busy keeping in contact with members. Remember to keep her informed, so we can keep you informed.  

Still no action on the website – sorry. My class in Front Page for June was cancelled, but Ray, Ruth Keehn and I are now scheduled for the first four Saturday afternoons in August at Richland. I’ve already made a stab at transferring pages from the Morning News site to Front Page software with some success. So with the information from the class - I promise to get to it in August. Our name is already registered;  we will be at www:friendshipforcedallas.org.  

UPDATE: You are here!

My own summer has been busy with painting the interior of my house, my youngest daughter’s wedding, teaching church classes and attending classes in Kansas City for a week.  While there, I stayed one night with FF folks who are Evergreen Club members; they had a young Brazilian man staying with them who was the son of their Brazilian hosts. (Ask Mac, LaNell or me about staying with Evergreen Club members when you travel in the U.S.)

After the superb article in the Dallas Morning News about our club, thanks to Myrna Ridings, we are welcoming many guests and new members who are excited about what we are doing and are volunteering to help with the convention and host. We are so glad to have all of you and look forward to getting to know each of you. Our membership committee of Lee Schomer, Mary-Helen Lyons, LaNell Koch and Brud Kisner held a new member orientation meeting to give them the scoop on what we do. Thanks to all of you and to Darwin and Myra Smith for hosting this meeting.  

We are gearing up now for the International Convention in November. Soon we will be getting some real registration numbers (we hope); more specifics on the program are already on the International website. Please register using the Dallas/Fort Worth (only) reduced rate registration form (ask me for one). We also need an Exchange Director for this 4-day exchange, as Lilliana had to bow out. Please volunteer for this! We can all be on the lookout for free giveaways from Dallas companies. Let Pam Varney Terrell know if you find some for gift bags for our conference visitors. Tell her about places where you do business for pens and pads, free samples, etc.   

UPDATE: Emily Dee has volunteered to be ED for this mini-exchange. Lilliana Hollister and Mary-Helen Lyons are organizing the farewell party.  

Thanks again to all of you who make this club function so smoothly, who volunteer, who show up for events and who are such great people to know. We can make a difference.

Mary Williams

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AUGUST MEETING

When:           Sunday August 25, at 5 PM

Where:          “Mr. Sushi” Japanese restaurant - 4860 Belt Line Road in Addison. Tel: 972-385-0168

Food:            Soup, salad, entree with choice of beef, chicken or shrimp, steamed vegetables and Japanese tea. Vegetarian dinner will consist of several vegetarian dishes: soup, salad and tea.

Cost:             $12 including gratuity. Cash bar.

Program:      Business meeting; election of officers; report on Japanese exchange in September; speaker Michiko Makita from the Japanese Association. She is a teacher at the Japanese language school and is bringing two of her American adult students, Gloria and Patti, who have traveled quite a bit in Japan. 

Reserve:       Please send reservations (see page 7) to Dale Yost.

COMING UP

There will be no meeting in September.

UPDATE: Mary-Helen Lyons in planning a get-together in September while some of the members are on an exchange. Get the details from her at MHLTX@mymailstation.com.

In October we will meet with a German club for Octoberfest, but the date is not set yet. We’ll keep you informed.  

UPDATE: The October meeting will be at the Sokol Club hall on October 5. German food is served from 6:30 - 8 pm. Beer and soft drinks are for sale or you may bring your own bottle. Music and dancing start at 8:30 p.m. The Sokol Club is at the SE corner of Walnut Hill Lane and Greenville, behind the office building and Gershwin's Restaurant. 

Price is $12.50 (our group rate) plus any food or drinks that you buy. Please reserve with a check to Lilliana Hollister by October 1. E-mail: LHolli2568@aol.com.

PAST MEETINGS

Thanks to Jackie and Jerry Bluhm for hosting the July meeting in their backyard. Members and guests enjoyed a great barbecue dinner - thanks to Jim Bourn with the hottest job in town at the grill - and a dip in the pool.

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SLATE OF OFFICERS - 2003

We will be voting on the following proposed slate of officers at our August meeting:

Nominations may also be made from the floor.  

PINS AND PENS

A Dallas pin design was selected and will be available by the time of the exchange to Japan. Price: $1.50@ A limited number of conference pins will be sold at the conference for $3@.  The design is the conference logo, which will also appear on the bag and gift tile to be given to those getting a full conference registration. Both pins will be 1” across.

We will also sell ball-point pens and pen-pencil sets at the coming International Conference in November.  All pens and mechanical pencils are finished with a rosewood finish and printed with The Friendship Force name. The sets are in a desktop rosewood presentation box and are printed on top with Friendship Force Of Dallas and FFI logo. Pre-Conference price for our members is $3.00 for the pens and $8.00 for the sets.  They make great gifts for your hosts or ambassadors. You may buy pens from John Funk at monthly board meetings,  general meetings or by calling him.  

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 tentative meeting dates for 2002 are:

August 12

Sept 4 - change of date; location to be announced  

UPDATE: The September meeting has been cancelled.

October 14

Nov 18 - change of date

PUBLICITY

Thanks to Myra and Richard Ridings for getting the wonderful article on Friendship Force Dallas published in the Dallas Morning News Texas Living Section on June 8.  The article, entitled “Worldly Circle of Friends,” gave readers a good picture of our mission and activities. Ray Enstam and Jackie Bluhm have been responding to people interested in what we do.

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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Wanda Hamilton

E-mail:  wanda-h@swbell.net

Lee and Mary Latham

E-mail:  marylatham@swbell.net  and   hlatham@swbell.net

Terry Mackey and Jody Reed

E-mail:  Tmackey@chicagobridge.com

Joan Nolan

E-mail: j.t.nolan@worldnet.att.net

Ken and Marie Briggs

E-mail: maria.delmar@earthlink.net

Monica Ebaugh

E-mail:  mcebaugh1@cs.com

Add returning member: 

Marijo Gibson

E-mail:  MjoGibson@aol.com

Changes:

Add e-mail address for Helen Marie Al Haddad: shemsi@hotmail.com

Change Lillian Fipps to: Lillian@tel1.net

Change Paula Rose to: paularose2000@hotmail.com

Change Darwin and Myra Smith to: FromTXtoNC@aol.com

Add e-mail address for Margie Tareilo: margiet@peoplepc.com

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION

On Friday July 19^th, a dozen newish and a handful of “old timers” met at Darwin and Myra’s Smith’s heritage Swiss Ave. home to become acquainted with each other and the background of Friendship Force Dallas.   They enjoyed a tour of the house and soon discovered those areas of shared interests and adventures that will make our joint memberships in FFD rewarding. Lee Schomer, “newish” himself, showed us that you’re never too new to have your talents discovered and put to work, as he led the orientation, assisted by Mary-Helen Lyons, LaNell Koch and Brud Kisner. It was fun and satisfying, and we anticipate the next one.

MENTOR PROGRAM

Brud Kisner has paired up new and established members in a mentor program. Lee Latham has agreed to take over the writing of letters to prospects and new members.  Please tell Lee of any prospects or new members so that he may send them a letter and brochures.  Then tell Brud Kisner so that he may remove new members from our prospect list and add prospects to the list. Lee and Mary are brand new, so you won’t find them in the yearbook, but they are listed in our New Member section

SUNSHINE REPORT

In Memoriam

We offer, as a club, our condolences to Helen Marie Al Haddad and Mary-Helen Lyons on the loss of  member Sulaiman Al Haddad in June. He had been on kidney dialysis for several years and died of cancer. He is the husband of member Helen Marie  and son-in-law of Mary-Helen. There was a Moslem service for Sulaiman with a non-Moslem memorial service planned later.

Roy Murray, Susan Cooper’s long-term friend died in July and a military service was held at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery on July 26^th. Susan and her mother, Opal, will be in our thoughts and prayers as we share their loss of a fine man and loving friend.

Lilliana Hollister’s father, Velimir Davinich, who lived in Belgrade, died in early July.  Lilliana had planned to visit him just as she received word of his passing. At 92, he was the last member of her immediate family.  Our prayers are with you.

UPDATES:     

Mary-Helen Lyons reports that LaNell Koch’s daughter, Cindie Griffith, who now lives in Alabama, has been subject to severe on-going pain for the past year resulting from a rear-ending auto accident that fractured four of her vertebrae. To date, no treatment has brought her relief, so periodically LaNell goes to stay with her to help and give her some diversion. 

Debbie Erb, daughter of Don and Beverly, is now living with her parents and is experiencing an equally painful situation with bone cancer that is not responding to treatment. Their second daughter, Dari, has had a good recovery and is now at work again. We’re always so sorry when any of our members experience situations such as these and hope that sharing the knowledge so that we can send our concerns and prayers will reassure you of our friendship.

Lillie White has had successful knee replacement surgery this summer and now is recuperating at home anticipating a new teaching position in the fall. Cards and calls are welcome, or a visit if you haven’t seen Lake Texoma recently.   

UPDATE: Please remember Ruthelle Wilson's little granddaughter, Isabelle Erickson, who has cancer. 

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Jerry and Jackie Bluhm had a nice visit in July with Friendship Force friends from Hamilton, New Zealand, where they visited  in  1996,  hosted by Noeline and David  Mackintosh. This year the Mackintoshs visited America for a 3-month period, including the Bluhms on their way back to New Zealand. They are currently living in  Mooloolaba, Australia and belong to the  Sunshine Coast Friendship Force Club in Australia. They all had an enjoyable visit for one week and were sad to part. Jackie says, “We have met many wonderful friends through Friendship Force around the world.”   

Mac and Gaby Mackenzie, house-sitting in England for the summer, have also been entertaining. Adelfried and Gisela Pobloth from Wolfsburg stayed with them for about seven days at the end of July. Then Laima Plepe and her husband from Riga are visiting for about ten days in early August. Mac says, “I need an inbound ED to organize things!”

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JAPAN

Exchange Director, Maureen Smith, has scheduled a meeting for those going on the Japanese exchange in September to be held on Aug 24. Members will practice exchange entertainment. Ed Stahl is making some piano tapes and copies of the words for the songs “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and “The Eyes of Texas.”  We will also dance/teach the Cotton Eyed Joe and an easy country-western line dance.

Members going on the exchange are: Maureen and Dick Smith, Jim Bourn, Howard Bradley, Lilliana Hollister, Bob and Doris Langford, Mac and Gaby Mackenzie, Dick and Myrna Ridings, Eleanor Roylance and Jim Ewing, Ed and Dora Stahl, Margie Tareilo, Angel Waldron and Mary Williams. They will be joined by Jo and Harold Hollman from Jackson, Mississippi, Patt Snider from Macomb, Michigan, Barbara Robinson from Maryland Heights, Missouri, and Jean Fauntleroy from Houston.  

Japan

UPDATE: We are back and had a fabulous time! Many thanks to our hosts and friends in Japan. Look for an article in our October Newsletter/Webpage.

OTHER CLUBS

To join another club’s exchange, contact the Exchange Director (ED) from that club as soon as possible.  See a complete list of exchanges and more details on national trips on the FFI webpage: www.friendshipforce.org

Other Clubs

2003 EXCHANGES

We have accepted one inbound from Libertad club (Trujillo) Peru and an outbound exchange to Tuxla, Mexico in January. We have declined Herne, Germany and are hoping for another outbound assignment during the second round of requests.  

Contacts in several other parts of the world interested in starting a club in their home town. So perhaps we will have more friends to visit soon.

WANTED: EXCHANGE DIRECTORS   

ED for the post-conference mini-exchange. We need a replacement ASAP! Short exchange - easy job!

UPDATE: See above.

Assuming that our inbound from Libertad Club and outbound to Tuxla are accepted, we will need some Exchange Directors. If you are interested, please contact Mac or Mary by August 15th. The outbound to Mexico is especially important, as time is short for a January exchange and possible tour to follow.

UPDATE: Tuxla has accepted the exchange. Ray Enstam has been appointed Exchange Director. See Exchanges. 

UPDATE: Libertad has also accepted an inbound exchange to Dallas for June. Their sister club, Trujillo, visited here a few years ago and many of their members have been here. Please contact Mac Mackenzie to apply to be an Exchange Director.

We are waiting for another outbound assignment.

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STAYING IN TOUCH

Friendship Force International (FFI)  is located at 34 Peach- tree Street, Suite 900, Atlanta GA 30303.  Tel:  404-522-9490 or 9490; e-mail: ffi@friendshipforce.org. Debbie Powell is our FFI Program Service Coordinator in Atlanta.  Check the webpage for Friendship Force International: www.friendshipforce.org

Find the Dallas Club at  972-713-4898, fax: 972-713-4898

e-mail: friendshipdallas@yahoo.com  

Also see the webpage of Dallas International for a listing of Dallas international community events: www.dfwinternational.com

YOUTH EXCHANGES

FFI wants to expand programs with students, particularly those at the middle-and high-school levels (ages 13-18).  Do you know of individuals in your club or in the community, or schools or school personnel who might be willing to partner with FFI to develop youth exchange programs?  If  you have contacts that might be helpful in this work, please contact Harriet Kuhr at: hkuhr@friendshipforce.org.

Thanks!

Thank you to all of our volunteers for their efforts in making our club a successful one.

NEWSLETTERS 

Thanks to all contributors to this issue. Send information about club news and members to Mary Williams at txtravel@flash.net. For the October newsletter, please submit by Monday, September 30.

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