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| Outbound Exchange to Turialba, Costa Rica
Part of
excursion group with Edgar, the guide
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 Ray
Enstam led an exchange to Costa Rica from Oct 7-14, 2008. Ambassadors were:
Dallas Club: edward perez, Paula Rose, Dale
Klosterman*, Hilda Klosterman*, Ed Stahl*, Dora Stahl*, Roger Kaiser, Sandy Kaiser, Mary
Jane Wilson, Mary Ledenham (Mary Jane's daughter from Florida), Zia Shamsy, Ruth Barrow,
Georgia Sigalos*, Martha Durst*, Henny Houston*, Kathy Morris*, Audrey Schlecht*, Ray
Enstam*.
The tour boat to Tortuguero
Austin Club: Gerhild Rogers*, John Franks*, Karen
Franks*, Ethel Kutac*, Mae Scheib*.
* indicates those who also went on the extension
trip to Tortuguero National Park, Arenal Volcano and other sights.
Photos and captions from Ray Enstam
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Dale and Hilda Klosterman and Gerhild Rogers (Austin) climbing down from
Arenal Volcano |
Lunch on the
mountaintop
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Mary Ledenham, Henny Houston,
Mary Jane Wilson |
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President's Message
 “What’s Your Favorite Season?”
That is one of the survey questions I posed to my students this school year, and guess what they answered? Summer. I love summer too. What teacher wouldn’t want a summer break? However, there are students who voted for autumn. They saw this season as a time for football, jumping in leaf piles, collecting colorful foliage, carving pumpkins, going trick o’ treating, and visiting the State Fair. One student (a future politician) added Election Day. I also like autumn – except for sneezing!
Autumn does usher in cooler weather and a renewed focus on those things most important to us. In the spirit of the season Friendship Force International is introducing a fresh marketing plan designed to better spread the news about our global organization. Details will be unveiled at the Southwest Regional Conference, which takes place in Dallas. So please plan on attending the event February 6-8. Yes, the weather might be a little chilly, but we’ll try to make things warm, cozy and informative. Conference registration can be accessed on-line and will be available at the club meetings.
We recently elected the following officers for the 2009 Board of Directors:
President - Wendy Whaley
1st Vice President - Teresa Wilkin
2nd Vice President/Membership - Sandy Kaiser
Secretary - Ruth Barrow
Treasurer - edward perez
Additionally, Dora Stahl will be in charge of Programs, Teresa Wilkin will take on Membership Data Management and John Whaley will edit the Newsletter.
Exchange directors will be Mary Williams (outbound Sacramento), Hilda and Dale Klosterman (inbound San Francisco), Ed Edgren (outbound Romania), Paula Rose (inbound New Zealand), Ray Enstam (outbound Colombia) and Teresa Wilkin (outbound China).
Thanks to all for taking on these responsibilities. I know that 2009 will be a memorable—and busy—year for our club. I also want to express my appreciation to those who are stepping down from their appointments in 2008. Paula Rose, Georgia Sigalos, Ken Walker, Brud Kisner and
Frits Andeweg have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to FFD, and I very much appreciate their service over the year.
Our 2009 membership campaign has started, but the deadline has been changed to December 15th, 2008. We have been informed that effective January 1, 2009, magazine subscription fees will increase. Please remember to send in your payment now to Brud Kisner, or bring your check to the next club meeting.
Finally, FFDallas will be celebrating our 15th anniversary in November. Please join us on November 9th to look back at all the years, and the changes we’ve made since 1993!
In Friendship,
Wendy
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Upcoming Meetings
 November
When: November 9
- 1pm Lunch at Cafe Express
- 3pm Tour of Thanks-Giving Square
Where: Thanks-Giving Square
1627 Pacific Ave. Dallas 75201(Downtown Dallas between Akard and Bryan) 214-969-7012
Program: Tour of the building and grounds by Tatiana Androsov, Executive Director; a speaker from Interfaith Council speaking about Islamic Thanksgiving Traditions; a tribute to FFD founders and charter members (it's our 15th anniversary). Coffee will be served at Thanks-Giving Square.
Lunch: 1 pm at Cafe Express at Mockingbird Station, Dallas (Mockingbird just east of 75 Central) 214-841-9444, Pay at the restaurant - $6-$11 plus tax and drink
Directions: Carpool or take DART train from Mockingbird Station at 2:30 to Thanks-Giving Square or meet there directly. Lots of free parking downtown on Sunday. DART tickets (round trip) $3 or $1.50 if you have a Medicare card. You can ride DART from your nearest station, get off at Mockingbird for lunch and go back on to go to Thanks-Giving Square. If riding DART, get off at AKARD and walk ½ block west to Thanks-Giving Square (it can be seen from the station).
For more information, check the Thanks-Giving Square website: http://www.thanksgiving.org/map.html.
Check Sunday DART schedules here: http://www.dart.org/riding/dartrail.asp
Reserve: Call or e-mail Paula Rose by Nov 7th: paularose2000@hotmail.com
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| December |
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Date/time: December
14th, 5 pm
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Place: Chimneyhill
Clubhouse, 9223 Emberglow (N of LBJ/ Abrams)
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Entertainment: Lu Mitchell's irreverent songs and Lorenzo Gonzalez, international harp music
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Food: Potluck
If your last name begins with A-L, please bring dessert
If your last name begins with M-Z, please bring vegetables/ salads
Have your dish serve 8 or more. Club will furnish turkey, ham, plates etc and drinks.
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Cost: $5 and bring a
dish
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Reserve: Call or e-mail Paula Rose by Dec 10th:
paularose2000@hotmail.com
Pay by check to Friendship
Force of Dallas, or pay at the door.
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| Past Meetings
September 14
The September FFDallas meeting was held at the Oasis Palace Mediterranean Buffet in Richardson.
Zia Shamsy spoke on the Sister City program and showed a presentation of
his trip to Egypt with that group.
New officers were installed: Wendy Whaley, President; Teresa Wilkin, 1st VP; Sandy
Kaiser, Membership; edward perez, treasurer; Ruth Barrow, secretary; and Dora Stahl, program
coordinator.
 
Frits Andeweg, ED for the Harrisburg Exchange, showed a short presentation of the Dallas
group's visit to Harrisburg last July. See Harrisburg Photos.
October
 As the club had an exchange to Costa Rica, small groups met at local ethnic restaurants
for a meal and conversation. Lee Latham, Wendy Whaley and Mary Williams hosted groups.
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2009 Exchanges
Planned Exchanges
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Inbound exchange from San Francisco - April 24-30, 2009. Dale Klosterman, Exchange Director and Hilda Klosterman Assistant ED (The SF club will visit San Antonio 4/19-24 before coming to Dallas.) Dale will be forming a committee to work on this exchange. Please contact him if you can help. |
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Outbound exchange to Sibiu, Romania - May 13-27, 2009. Ed Edgren, Exchange Director and Teresa Wilkin, Assistant ED.
Plans include a flight to Bucharest with a city tour there; visits to citadel/castles and interesting towns with a stay near Brasov for two nights; visits with our Brasov friends; one-week homestay in Sibiu (to coincide with the Performing Arts Festival); and return to Bucharest for flight home. Fees include the Friendship Force fees of $240; bus tour and transfers - $877; meals not covered - approx $360; travel insurance - $75-$150; contingency fund - $40; and airfare - frequent flyer ticket or $1100-$1300. Those participating will arrange their own air travel individually through London or Frankfurt, with a second flight from there to Bucharest. You must be able to walk at a slow pace for at least half mile, our daily walking distance. Please contact Ed Edgren if you are interested in a flyer or wish to make an application and pay the deposit of $305. See itinerary and more information:
Sibiu Romania |
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Outbound Inter-club exchange to Sacramento CA - August 3-8, 2009. Mary Williams, Exchange Director.
Sacramento has begun planning for our visit in August, and this might be a good choice for our dicey economy. They can take up to 20 people. The exchange usually includes a visit to Lake Tahoe and to a couple of small gold mining towns in the foothills, a trip to the big trees in Calavaras, a trip to the
Capitol in downtown Sacramento, and a visit to the railroad museum, "the railroad was and is a big deal here" plus a "free day." Those participating will arrange their own travel to Sacramento individually, arriving on August 3rd and departing on August 8th. Cost will be approximately $110 plus your cost to get there. Let Mary Williams know if you would be interested in this exchange and to request an application form. More information and a form will be available on this site when we get it from
Sacramento.
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Inbound exchange from Taupo, New Zealand - November 11-18, 2009 (tentative dates). Paula Rose, Exchange Director. |
Exchanges in Planning Stage
In addition, plans are pending for:
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Inbound inter-club exchange from Harrisburg, PA - accepted; tentatively late April 2010 ; ED TBA |
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Outbound exchange to San Francisco - date in 2011 with ED TBA |
Special Exchanges
Two of our members will lead special national exchanges in 2009 with plans still pending:
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Ray Enstam will be ED for a Spanish language school experience with
homestay in Bogota, Columbia in fall 2009.
More information will be coming
later. |
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Teresa Wilkin will be ED for a Discover China
trip (similar to one this year)
with a homestay in Nanjing in summer 2009 but with an extension
to
celebrate the national holiday on Oct 1.
She will be promoting the trip during the upcoming Southwest Regional Conference with a Chinese New Year banquet in conjunction with the conference on February 8, 2009.
See the SW Conference information or download the Discover China Flyer
here for information on that banquet. Contact Teresa
for more details.
For more information on the trip, click
here. |
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Southwest Regional Conference
2009
by edward perez
Friendship
Force SW Regional Conference Dallas Club is hosting the best conference ever!
Friday - Sunday, February 6-8,
2009
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The early registration deadline is December 31, 2008. |
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If you decide to stay at the hotel, they have a great rate ($80/night, single or
double) available until Jan 16, 2009. |
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Conference registration includes three meals on Saturday. |
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There will be two keynote speakers - one from the Dallas Performing Arts Center and one from SMU. |
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Workshop themes follow FFI's theme of explore, understand, and serve - exchanges, communication, club administration. |
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If you cannot attend the entire conference, you are welcome to attend the Saturday evening banquet [check that option on the form]. |
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On Sun Feb 8 afternoon, you are welcome to join us and visit the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. |
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See more on workshops and special events; to
download the application, flyer, Discover China flyer and map - click
here. |
NOTE: All FFDallas members attending the
conference must register and pay the $90 registration fee.
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| Member News
John Funk
 In honor of long-time member John Funk, Friendship Force of Dallas recently contributed to the International Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Foundation
[http://www.iwmf.com/]. Some of John's contributions to our club include being the Exchange Director for the FF Hanover inbound in 2001 and the head of the telephone committee for several years.
Here is a note from Betty Funk, John's wife.
Oct 8, 2008
Dear Friendship Force,
Thank you for your thoughtfulness for the donation to the Waldenstrom in Johnny's memory. Hopefully, this will allow more medical research and an ultimate cure. Johnny was so special and I miss him greatly; but it is a blessing to know how much people care.
The Friendship Force meant so much to Johnny. He cared about the organization and about all of you.
With warm gratitude and love,
Betty Funk and Family
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Peggy Benton and Ken Walker's Trip to
Tarapoto and Lima Peru
Peggy and Ken joined the Birmingham AL exchange to Tarapoto, Peru and also visited FF friends
in Lima. See the article about their trip along with photos on the Articles
page.
At the Golf Club:
Back: Ken, Amelia (youngest
daughter)
Peggy, Bertha, Berthita
Front: Jorge, Maria Antonia
Ken's 18-minute slideshow of the
Tarapoto exchange is at: http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=123422.
You do have to register with Photodex and download a viewer program. Note: You may have
trouble with your anti-virus program not allowing you to do this.
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| Gary Paramore
 UPDATE:
Gary
Paramore passed away Saturday night, November
8. There will be a memorial service at 2 pm November 15 at the Horizon Unitarian
Universalist Church, 1641
W. Hebron Parkway, Carrollton, TX 75010. The church phone is 972
492-4940.
Shortly after joining Dallas Friendship Force, Gary went on the March
2005 exchange to Peru. He was the Exchange Director for our inbound from Medicine
Hat, Canada in February of 2007.
In lieu of flowers, Gary wanted donations to Heifer
International www.heifer.org
.
Cards etc. may be sent to Pam Paramore,
1415 Tierra Calle, Carrollton TX 75006.
There is a guestbook at Gary's
CaringBridge site where you can leave a personal message and read messages others
have left. Gary will be greatly missed.
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