November 2007

Quick Look!

November Meeting

When: November 11, brunch at 1 pm 

Where: Your choice of
          • Fadi’s Mediterranean Restaurant
            3001 Knox St. (facing Central Expwy service road – west side 
            just south of Knox St.) 214-528-1800
          • Amigos Mexican Restaurant
            940 E Belt Line Rd # 142, Richardson (east of Greenville) 972-235-0116
          • Café Greek 
            12817 Preston Rd, Dallas (SW corner LBJ/Preston – down from Chili’s) 
            972-934-9767

Program: Small group discussions 

Cost: Reasonably priced full buffet at Fadi's and Greek Café, order at Amigos  - pay at the restaurant

Reserve: Let Paula Rose know of your preference and she will place you according to your choice as far as possible.  Reserve by Nov 7.

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December Holiday Party

When: 5 pm - December 9, 2007

Where: Chimneyhill Clubhouse, 9223 Emberglow, Dallas 75243 (west of Abrams Road just north of LBJ) 

Program: Party with great musical entertainment - Balki plays several instruments and is funny to boot! Dance and sing along to your favorite songs.

Food: Appetizers, finger foods & desserts - brought by club members. Drinks furnished by the club

Reserve: $5.00 per person. Send check made to Friendship Force of Dallas to Paula Rose.  Please reserve by  Dec 3rd.

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Contact Paula Rose with your suggestions for program and places to meet (for 70-80 people) for next year.

Autumn – cool nights, clear skies, an occasional thunderstorm, leaves turning, and pumpkin malts from Braum's (my favorite!!). We might not all have oil wells and a herd of longhorns on our farms, but Dallas has seasons (Summer & Winter - editor). And, like Mother Nature, the cycle of our club comes around again.

By the time you read this, we will have completed our annual business meeting and elected our officers for 2008 - Wendy Whaley [pres], Teresa Wilkin [1st vp], Brud Kisner [1st vp - membership], Paula Rose [1st vp - programs], Georgia Sigalos [secretary], and me [treasurer]. My view is that our club's primary purpose is all about people. Our officers and board committee chairs reflect that. They have helped create a great year - three inbounds, one outbound, interesting meetings, small group dinners, attendance at regional and international meetings - all to help realize our mission of promoting peace and friendship in the world by building global goodwill through personal friendships.

Realizing that missions take effort - effort from each of us. Some of us communicate news and information to the club. Some organize meetings, exchange events, or parties. Some greet guests and provide them with info about our club. Some publicize our club's events to the general public. Some check up on us if we're sick, just had surgery, or need some friends in times of loss. Some help organize and fund our club. And some learn a few phrases in our inbound ambassadors' languages to make them feel comfortable.

To all who have helped out this year, I appreciate your efforts!!! Muchisimas grácias! (many many thanks!)

Another cycle of our club involves your annual membership. As previously publicized, we kicked off the membership renewal drive a bit earlier this year. Please join us for another year by filling out the membership form and send it along w/ your dues to Brud Kisner (membership chair). As you do so, please consider how your skills and interests can help us realize our mission. Then, contact me, Wendy Whaley, or any board officer and let them know how you would like to help - hospitality, public relations, telephone committee, membership, communications, meetings, etc - upfront or behind the scenes. And, as the wheel, goes round and round, we can look back and enjoy memories of places we've visited and friends we've made. We can look forward to thinking about the places we will travel to and the people we'll meet in the future. And we can be glad we're here, glad we are here with each other, and glad we're here with each other doing this.

Peace and friendship be with you,
edward perez

Lima/Tarapoto Exchange 

September 2007

The inbound from Lima and Taropoto, Peru, September 15-22, 2007, was a big success. Again, the visit to the Mandolyn Horse Farm was one of the big hits of the week. Visits to Fort Worth, the Arboretum, salsa dancing and Oktoberfest, dinners in the evenings with good friends, and the tour through downtown Dallas were great fun. Many thanks to Pam Varney Terrell for her hard work. She is certainly blessed with great ability to organize and pull off such a successful event. 

Also thanks to the hosts and many volunteers who made this exchange a success. Many thanks to Ken Walker for putting together a fabulous DVD and the several FFD photographers who contributed to it. It made a wonderful remembrance of the exchange to Dallas.

Pam with ED Lita Sanchez at the Arboretum.

See photos from the exchange. 

Monday, October 22, 2007 – Update from Tarapoto!

Dear Ray,

We received the CDs with the Photos of the exchange. They are beautiful, and we showed them in the meeting Sunday the 14 and the friends of our club were amazed by the places we visited and the affection of our hosts. Thanks for all the shows of affection and friendship that you offered to us. Greetings to the friends of Dallas and tell them that we hold them in our hearts.

Carlos

FFD contributed $650 to Peru Earthquake Relief Fund. Our club donated $250, and $400 was given from individual members. Thanks to the following members for their contribution – Mary Suther, Mary & Lee Latham, Ken Walker & Peggy Benton, edward perez & Paula Rose, and Ray Enstam. A letter of appreciation from Peru was sent to Ray October 12th:

I have received the following letter from Lita today which I translate:

Hello Raymond.  I am letting you know that the donation that all of you so nicely gave us I deposited in the account of Caritas which is a organization taking care of the victims of the earthquake.  I have sent them a letter with a copy of the deposit slip and as soon as I have a reply from that organization I will send you a copy of the response and the deposit slip.  The friends from Houston also gave $335 and those in the school where my niece teaches in Houston also gave $400.  Many thanks to all with friendship.  Lita

Our condolences to Bob Langford and his family on the passing of Doris Langford.

Doris E. Langford, 79, passed away at her home on Wednesday, September 26th, surrounded by life-long friends and family. She was an honors graduate of Furman University in South Carolina, and a long time Lions Club and Friendship Force member. Her husband, Robert P. Langford, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren survive her. She will be greatly missed by Marty Norris and Kelly Wells of Austin, Texas; Lee and Sheri Langford of Virginia; Lynn Langford and Frank Burkhart of California; and Mark and Susan Langford of Plano, Texas.

Recently, Mrs. Langford gathered her family around her for an early Thanksgiving celebration. She chose to say her good byes to her loved ones prior to her death. The family thanks the dear friends of Doris and Bob who provided airport shuttle service, food and love.

In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Langford requests donations to the American Cancer Society or your local Hospice organization.

Dr. Robert Langford invited Friendship Force and Lions Club friends to an informal Celebration of Life for Doris on Sunday, the 30th of September at the Parish Hall of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Many people told stories about their relationship with Doris. 

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WOW! - We recently received an article about Mary Williams from the October issue of The Triangle, the magazine for Mu Phi Epsilon music fraternity. It seems that in an alternate life she is a musician and 50+ year member of the Dallas Alumni chapter. They sponsor a free series of Sunday concerts at the downtown library that she has been involved in since time began. She also does their newsletter and website: www.muphiepsilondallas.org. 

The article states that she will receive a national award for the outstanding alumni chapter member that will be presented at their November 12th meeting. 

Congratulations, Mary!

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Joan Nolan, friend

UPDATE 10/26: It is with a heavy and sad heart that I announce the passing of Joan Nolan Thursday night, Oct 25th. Joan was one of our earliest members, joining FF of Dallas back in 1994. She was a very active member in our club, attending most monthly meetings, serving as a gracious hospitality person checking in members and guests at meetings, assisting with decorating welcome and farewell parties, and helping out wherever she could. Whenever I would setup the check-in lists, or double check addresses, etc., her name was right there near mine "Nolan Paramore Perez." I will miss her gentle nature, our discussions about New York City, and her sweet and quiet smile.

Peace be with you, Joan. May you find many, many friends wherever you are now. Respectively, edward perez president, FF Dallas

From the memorial written by her family on www.mem.com:

Joan Theresa Nolan - Born January 31, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, died peacefully at home in Richardson, Texas on October 26, 2007. A beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt, she will be missed by all whose lives she touched.

Her parents, Thomas and Vivian LaForte, were first generation Sicilian-Americans who grew up speaking Italian first and English second. She was born just as America was entering WW2, and her brother Jack was born 4 years later in 1946. In the LaForte house family was everything, so Joan was very close to her parents and brother. While she grew up with a few close friends, her best friend was always her cousin Jeanie. Every Sunday was spent socializing, cooking and eating with grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles. Food was love, and love was food.

Although she understood a little Italian, Joan really could not speak it. Whenever the adults discussed something they did not want the kids to hear, they spoke Italian. It wasn’t until she took Spanish in school that she could decipher what was being said – much of which was definitely not for kids’ ears.

Joan’s straight “A” average from the first grade through her senior year in high school earned her a full scholarship to Brooklyn College at the age of 16. She had a lifelong passion for learning, and chose to pursue her degree in elementary education. Not many folks know this, but Joan was the first person in her family’s history to graduate from college (1963), and the first to earn a Master’s Degree (Hunter College, 1968). At 21 she was hired by the New York school system to teach underprivileged students in a tough neighborhood. It was a difficult and demanding assignment, but one she loved. Her greatest joy was connecting with the students. She believed it was her responsibility as a teacher to expose them to the larger world outside of their neighborhood, and she did this by taking them to the museums of Manhattan.

A chance meeting in the summer of 1965 during a weekend trip to the Jersey Shore was the beginning of her relationship with Gerard Thomas Nolan. They soon began dating and became engaged in less than a year. Dad remembers that he wanted her to be engaged before school ended in May so she could show off her ring. They were married in New York on November 19, 1966. It is obvious from the wedding album that day was celebrated with great joy by all the family and friends who attended.

After the wedding, Joan taught school for two more years until Kenny was born in April 1968. Drew’s birth followed two years later in September 1970. She often said her two pregnancies were the happiest times in her life – she loved being pregnant and the feeling of being part of the cycle of life. She said she was so happy during her pregnancies that she never experienced morning sickness.

From 1968 to 1976 the family moved several times with addresses in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and finally, Texas. Joan returned to teaching; first as a substitute in 1978, then as a full-time teacher at Forestridge Elementary in the Richardson Independent School District. She taught at Forestridge from 1981 to 2002. She worked tirelessly, grading papers and planning her lessons until 10:30 at night. She was encouraged her to lighten the workload by delegating some tasks to her aide, but she refused to do so, fearing she would lose touch with what the kids were learning if someone else graded their work. Joan would never brag on herself, but those in her immediate family knew she always received perfect ratings in her annual evaluations at school. Simply put she was a dedicated and outstanding teacher.

Joan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998. She had part of her breast removed, and then underwent oral chemotherapy treatments for six weeks followed by 30 days of focused radiation. She would have easily said it was the most difficult time of her life, but she was not a quitter. Her divorce in 1994 forced her to find an inner strength she did not know existed. It was this strength that carried her through her battle with cancer. In 1999 the first follow-up tests showed no signs of cancer, and through nine years it never came back. Mom always hated pink, but at the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, she proudly wore the pink ball cap and ribbon of a Survivor.

In 2002 Mom retired from teaching after 27 total years of service. She spent her first year of retirement catching up on books and pursuing interests, but she missed the classroom and school environment, so she returned to teaching as a substitute. It was a perfect fit – she could work as little or as much as she wanted with none of the pressures of full-time teaching. In addition, she was back at her school, which allowed her to keep in regular contact with the wonderful family at Forestridge.

Joan’s semi-retirement years were spent pursuing all of her interests. She had as full a life in retirement as possible. Her calendar was packed with social meetings, the performing arts (opera, symphonies, the theatre, cinema), foreign travel, book clubs, lunches, dinners, and lectures. Mom also treasured her associations with the Friendship Force, the Eucharistic Ministers, and the American Association of University Women, of which she was a longtime member.

In keeping with the values of her upbringing, nothing mattered more than family. She defined the role of “Mom.” No matter how busy she was, Joan always made time for her children and grandchildren. There was never a doubt of how much she loved them or to what extent she would go to help them. She never missed a special event – ever. Hallmark Cards owes much of their success to Joan Nolan – no holiday passed by without a card from her. Inside was a thoughtful and meaningful, handwritten note in perfect “teacher” cursive. You could feel the love come through the message and wrap you in a hug.

Joan lived in the same house for the last 31 years. She loved Texas, but New York was where her soul was; for her it was the ultimate city in the world. She kept a book about Brooklyn in her bedroom, often re-reading it and showing her family the places she used to go to when she was growing up. She never missed an opportunity to go back there, even if it was only in her daydreams.

While her death was shocking, and we are sad that we did not have the opportunity to say good-bye, we are so thankful her passing was peaceful and dignified – she simply went to sleep and never woke up. She was a lady - full of warmth, kindness, and compassion. We will miss her, but we will never forget the beautiful woman she was, or the legacy of love she left behind.

She is survived by her sons, Kenny and Drew Nolan; daughter-in-law Nicole; brother Jack LaForte, granddaughters Kylie Nolan and Mary Carol Nolan; nephews Geoff Nolan, Scott Bregman, and Ethan LaForte, niece Rebecca Scarlott, close friends Annice Gibson, Gerry McKinney, Diane Killion, Shirley Turecki, Johnny McKinney, and countless others.

Visitation is from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Friday November 2, 2007 at Sparkman Funeral Home in Richardson. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday November 3, 2007 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Richardson. A reception at the church celebrating her life will follow the service. Donations in memoriam may be made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. To donate please call the Komen Foundation directly at 888-888-3317 so the family can acknowledge all gifts made in Joan’s name.

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New Officers

At the October 14th meeting our nominations for 2008 officers were voted in by acclamation. 

Our club officers for 2008 will be (left to right): 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brud Kisner: 2nd Vice President – Membership, Wendy Whaley, President , Georgia Sigalos, Secretary, Teresa Wilkin, 1st Vice President, Paula Rose, Program Coordinator,  Edward Perez, Treasurer

Congratulations to these people who will all do a great job!

Member Dues

All Members: Dues are different this year. Friendship Force HQ in Atlanta has told us we must have all dues to them by December 17 of this year! This is a membership for the calendar year 2008.

If this deadline sounds like a long way off, don’t be fooled. Please pay your dues now! Rather wait until the November meeting? OK, but no later than that. Better still - complete a membership form and just mail your dues to Brud Kisner right now before you forget.

Individual $30.00
Household $35.00
Magazine $10.00 (Optional)

Donations

Good Info from Mary Suther. Did you know that if you are 70 1/2 and have started receiving distributions from your IRA, you can make tax free direct contributions from your IRA to your church and other charitable organizations? This is an excellent opportunity to make a contribution to the Friendship Force and get a tax break. This offer is only good for the tax year 2007. If you would like to take advantage of this one time offer, all you have to do is call the person or firm that handles your IRA and ask for the form, complete the form and return it. A contribution will be paid directly to the non-profit organization of your choice. (Hint: Friendship Force International could use your donation to support expansion of the organization to other countries and for new programs.)

Board Meetings 

Your board continues to meet to monitor club activities and finances, plans for upcoming exchanges, and reviews new business. If you would like to attend a board meeting, they’re held every 2nd Monday of the month at the home of edward perez.

Ways and Means

FFD has a list of shuttle drivers (members) who will get you to the airport on time. Proceeds will go to FFD. It's easy and it’s fun. Contact edward perez at  to get the list and schedule your ride [$30 each way, $40 each way from Plano and points north] Henny did it and is glad she did!

Gifts Available

Looking for a special gift? Pam Varney Terrell is taking orders for the .925 sterling silver “Kennedy Half Dollar Coin Pendants” (includes the 24” SS Chain) that we give to incoming ambassadors. Cost is $35.00 each. To place your order; contact Pam. The sale of the pendants is a fundraising effort to offset the costs of Ambassador gift/tote bags and will be an ongoing project.

You can also purchase a lovely pen and pencil set in a wooden box that doubles as a pen holder, engraved with the name The Friendship Force, or individual pens, from Ray Enstam. These make great gifts for FF friends. 

Bridge Builders

We are planning to send refurbished computers to a school for the blind and partially sighted in Brasov, Romania. Tentative plans are also in the works to send computers to schools in other places that have a need. Ed Edgren and Bob Langford chair this committee.

The inbound from Bundaberg, Australia previously scheduled for May 2008 has been canceled by the Australian club due to lack of travelers.

UPDATE: We have been assigned Kempsey, Australia as an inbound; they will arrive sometime in the first two weeks of May - date to be arranged. 

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Outbounds

The club has one outbound exchange in 2008 to Turrialba, Costa Rica and it is scheduled for November. The exact dates and price have not been set yet but it is anticipated that by December 2007 we will have that information and will be accepting applications. This information will be distributed to all members of the club as soon as it is available. There is a very high interest in this because it is a joint exchange with Austin and the number of places is limited.

The Exchange Director is Ray Enstam.

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Inter-Club Outbound Exchange to Harrisburg, PA

For those wishing to go on the domestic exchange to Harrisburg, PA, Exchange Director Ed Edgren needs a completed application form and $100 made out to FFD by November 14, 2007. We will be limited to 16 Ambassadors. If you do not have an application or if you have any questions before submitting your application please contact Ed Edgren. 

The Harrisburg Club has made reservations for us to tour the governor’s mansion and their State Capital, Hershey (need I say more), Lancaster with its Amish countryside, and Gettysburg’s battle field. We will celebrate July 4th along the river in Harrisburg on this special day with the club.

Travel plans are the responsibility of each person since many of us will be driving. If you would like to drive so you will have local transportation, it may be practical to car pool. 

Open Doors

The "Open Doors Southwest" weekends are underway. Each club in the Friendship Force Southwest Conference has agreed to home host members of other SW Conference clubs for a 3-day weekend. The weekend may be chosen to coincide with a special event in the host club's city. 

FF Oklahoma will host an "Open Doors" from November 15-18, 2007 in conjunction with the celebration of the Oklahoma State Centennial (the weekend that includes the day of statehood). There will be many special events in Oklahoma City and nearby cities, including a concert at the OKC Ford Center featuring "Big Name" Oklahomans on Nov 17. Guthrie will have reenactments related to statehood. Many events are yet to be announced, and some events may require pre-registration. We hope to have regional club members join us for this fun weekend by arriving Thursday November 15, having great activities and friendship building November 16-17 and departures on Sunday, November 18. To register, send your name and contact info to Beth Allen-Eden - President FFO. Also let edward perez know if you are attending.

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FFI Discover Guatemala Exchange 

March 20 - April 1, 2008

A group of Friendship Force Ambassadors led by Ramon Villarreal, Dave Bentzin, and Rosalie Summers Bentzin (FF Greater Denver, CO) will travel to Guatemala to introduce Friendship Force. They are hoping to have many friends in the Southwest Region join them. Please consider joining this exchange, especially if you are Spanish-speaking, or younger, or who might like to be involved in spreading the message of Friendship Force.

The trip begins with three days in Guatemala City beginning on Good Friday, the time of Semana Santa. Our new friends will host us during the day as we visit their important places by charter bus. In addition, we will enjoy two evening meals together. Following that experience, we will visit:

The land price of this adventure is not expected to exceed $2,100 including group transportation within the country, 12 nights hotel (double occupancy) with breakfasts, some other meals and tours, and FFI fees. Roundtrip airfare to Guatemala City is presently under $700 from many cities.

If you are interested in taking the Friendship Force message to Guatemala, contact us to receive a more detailed itinerary and an application form. We hope to complete our ambassador list soon. Contact:
Ramon Villarreal: Villarreal@cahs.colostate.edu

Dave Bentzin: dbentzin@yahoo.com

Rosalie Summers Bentzin: eisor01@yahoo.com

Note: if you are interested, email them ASAP and copy edward perez.

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2008 Southwest Conference

The 2008 FF Southwest Regional Conference will be held Friday-Saturday January 11-12th, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Select in Baton Rouge (make your own reservations with the hotel and ask for the Friendship Force rate). This is six days into the Mardi Gras season and Louisiana is gearing up for a good time. Conference planners have been hard at work putting together informative workshops and interesting activities. Bob Duncan, FF Baton Rouge, is the Conference Chairman.

The registration fee for the FF SW Conference is $80.00 per person (before December 12).  If you are interested in attending, contact edward perez and he will send you a conference bulletin and registration form. Copies will also be available at the FF Dallas November meeting.

Don't forget: New website address for Friendship Force International is: www.thefriendshipforce.org