President's Message

President’s Message
By Wendy Whaley

Hope everyone is staying cool during the dog days of summer!

FFDallas has had a great first half of the year, including a successful outbound exchange to Romania. We’ll hear all about it at our August meeting. We are also looking forward to outbound exchanges with Bogotá, Colombia in mid July and Sacramento, CA in early August.

Unfortunately, the struggling economy has impacted several of our international exchanges. Both the outbound exchange to China and the inbound exchange from Taupo, New Zealand have been cancelled. FF Int’l has decided to skip this year’s conference in Okinawa citing the high costs of traveling abroad. Many clubs are faced with this dilemma and are looking at creative ways to promote their international exchanges.

We are hopeful that our outbound to Izmir, Turkey next year will be a success, along with our international inbound from Haliburton Highlands, Ontario. Fortunately domestic exchanges are thriving. In 2010 FFD is hosting an inbound from Harrisburg, PA, and we are scheduling outbounds to San Francisco Bay Area, Montana and Colorado.

Interested in a leadership position in our club? The nominating committee is now looking for candidates for the 2010 Board of Directors. The slate of officers will be presented at the general meeting in September. Please consider serving. We need your talent!

~ Wendy

Upcoming Meetings

July Meeting

Sunday July 12 - 3:00 pm
Summer Games/Swim Party at the home of Marty and Diana Behannesey
We will grill some hamburgers, supplemented by dishes you bring. 

$5 at the door, but let Dora Stahl know by July 8 that you're coming. edstahl@swbell.net

August Meeting

Sunday August 9 - 5:00 PM

Report on outbound exchange to Sibiu, Romania - Teresa Wilkin
Andreas Italian Restaurant
101 S. Coit Rd. Suite 84, Richardson, TX

(Southeast corner of Coit and Beltline Rd.)

972-234-6814

Cost: $14

Reserve with Dora Stahl with your choice of menu item: chicken, tilapia, or salad (vegetarian) by August 4.

Sibiu, Romania Exchange

Two years ago our club hosted the newly formed Friendship Force group from Brasov, Romania. Our own Ed Edgren played a key role in starting the two Friendship Force clubs in Romania - Brasov and Sibiu - and he served as Exchange Director for the inbound visit to Dallas. This year club VP Teresa Wilkin led a group of 13 Ambassadors to this fascinating country. She is pictured here with Sibiu ED Tony Motronea. Her report follows:

Our group started in the capital city of Bucharest where for two days we visited its many museums and architectural sites before setting off by bus to Transylvania. We had a lunch stop our first day on the road in Sinaia, which also afforded us opportunity to visit Peles Castle (left), the summer residence of the royal family of Romania. 

Two nights in a ski resort outside of Brasov gave us ample opportunity to visit that medieval city and the surrounding sites of Harman Fortified Church and Bran Castle, made famous as the location of the Dracula film.

More importantly, our stopover in Brasov made possible a reunion with the members of the Brasov Friendship Force. Club president Marius Stoianovic and his wife Edit hosted a splendid dinner at a new Italian restaurant in the modern part of Brasov. It was the perfect opportunity to meet the Brasov Friendship Force members for a relaxed evening of fellowship and good food, and to learn of their interest in hosting us in a future exchange. 

(Photo: Ken Walker)

Finally, on our fifth day in Romania, we arrived in Sibiu and were greeted by the entire club at the home of their president Tony Motronea. Each of us found our respective host family, expressed words of anticipation and gratitude for the experience, and shared a carry-in repast that introduced us to the cuisine we were to enjoy for the coming week.

The week flew by in a flurry of activities, including a walking tour of medieval Sibiu, a visit to the world class Brukenthal Art Museum, a dance recital, day trips to neighboring sites, and a visit to the outstanding outdoor architectural museum that is the pride of Sibiu.

As has become our tradition, we took the money we had collected for a gift for the Sibiu club and donated it to a Sibiu orphanage instead. They could nor process a cash donation, and so we bought T-shirts for each of the 32 children residents. The smiles and sweet hugs we received from the children assured us that this was a wise and appreciated gesture. For each of our hosts we offered a yellow rose with a request to remember us whenever they encounter a yellow rose.

The program at our monthly meeting on August 9th will be devoted to a pictorial review of the many good times and happy memories we collected while in Romania.

~ Teresa Wilkin, 

Outbound Exchange Director

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Exchange News

Cancellations

The inbound from Taupo, NZ for this fall has been canceled, as well as the Discover China trip scheduled for September and the International Conference in Okinawa, due to lack of participation. The next conference will be in Washington, DC in 2010.

ED Training

Have you ever felt you might want to be an Exchange Director but felt a little insecure about it? Or didn’t know what was involved? The Board of Friendship Force of Dallas feels that we have a lot of untapped talent among our members, and the club will be holding a free Exchange Director Training program. The program is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 9 AM to 3 PM (lunch will be provided) and will take place at the Center for Nonprofit Management at 2902 Floyd Street, Dallas, Texas 75204. It is a beautiful facility located near downtown and has free off-street parking. The training will cover both inbound and outbound exchanges, both international and domestic. If you have ever thought that you might want to be a director, or simply want to find out what is involved, you are invited to enroll in this free course. Taking the training does not carry any obligation to accept an exchange directorship! For more information, or to sign up, contact Ray Enstam, International Exchange Coordinator at enstam@sbcglobal.net.

UPDATE: Exchange Director training is cancelled - due to lack of interest

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Exchange Director Positions Available

Friendship Force of Dallas has one international inbound exchange for 2010, and it is seeking applications for the position of exchange director. The club has been offered an inbound exchange from Haliburton Highlands, Ontario, Canada in April of 2010. Most of us will remember the highly successful inbound from Medicine Hat, Canada in 2007. This second inbound should be one of the high points of the year 2010. 

We also have one international outbound exchange for 2010 and are seeking applications for the position of exchange director. The club has been offered an outbound to Izmir, Turkey in October of 2010. Izmir is the modern name of the ancient city of Smyrna with 5,000 years of history. It is located on the Aegean coast not far from many ancient classical sites such as Ephesus and Troy and the ever-fascinating city of Istanbul. (See related articles about Exchange Director Training and about travel expense reimbursement elsewhere in this issue).

The Board is responsible for selecting Exchange Directors (ED) for both these positions and hopes to have EDs chosen by October of this year. The people chosen will have access to full backing by the Board and from prior Exchange Directors. Anyone who would like to apply or to receive more information about being ED for either of these exchanges should contact Ray Enstam, the International Exchange Coordinator, by phone or at enstam@sbcglobal.net. 

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New Outbound Exchange Policy

At the June meeting the Board of Friendship Force of Dallas adopted a new policy regarding expenses of outbound international exchanges. The club will now add an additional $50 on the exchange fee (now set by Friendship Force International at $265.00). The proceeds of this fee will be used to pay the air travel expenses of the exchange director. No club assets will be used to pay this expense. The amount paid will not exceed the amount collected from this fee and will be the lesser of $1,000 or the price of the airfare. In the past when Friendship Force International made the travel arrangements for the exchanges using group rates the airlines would give free airfare to the director if there were 20 travelers, and a prorated amount for fewer travelers. Since Friendship Force International stopped arranging air transportation the directors have lost this benefit and the Board thought that this was discouraging many persons from applying for the job. A survey of other Friendship Force clubs revealed that most have adopted a similar policy. 

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Sacramento Exchange

Twelve Dallasites are looking forward to an exchange to Sacramento from August 3-8: Mary Williams, ED, Paula Rose, edward perez, Wendy Whaley, Brud Kisner, Zia Shamsy, Sandy Kaiser, Dale Klosterman, Carina Vanlaet, Betty Mayeur, Gerda Kreyer and Sandy Phelps will be making the journey. Several people will combine the exchange with other travel in the area. Tom Flynn is the ED from Sacramento. UPDATE: Sandy Kaiser was not able to go, and Cathy Ignatin took her place.

Spanish Language Immersion Exchange

A group of serious Spanish students are heading for Bogota, Columbia July 11-18 for some intensive language school study plus homestay and visits to Bogota. Ray Enstam is ED for this national exchange. Ray announces:

We now have 13 persons going on the exchange, and all is on schedule to leave on Saturday July 11 and return Saturday July 18. Following are the participants:

                                                                                   

Raymond A. Enstam - Dallas                          

John Whaley - Dallas

Paula Rose - Dallas

Shaaron Salyer Fulkerson - Dallas

Dale Klosterman - Dallas

Barbara Jones - Dallas

Susan Carpenter - Dallas

James Trapp - Central Arizona (Phoenix)

Dauna Donato - Western North Carolina (Hendersonville)

Saundra Mitchell - Cincinnati, Ohio

Andreas Strobel - Bavaria, Germany

Mercia Mason Fudim - Greater Orlando, Florida

Sarah Blonshine - Suncoast, Florida

 

We have seven from Dallas and six from various other clubs.  Note that we have one participant flying all the way from Bavaria, Germany.  Sarah Blonshine from Suncoast, Florida knows Mac & Gaby Mackenzie.  Small world! We have now all received our home host assignments and are ready to leave.

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Invitations for Fall

 
Still looking for one more trip this year? The Kapiti Coast, NZ club is inviting members of the Dallas club to join them on their exchange to North Bay, Canada September 8-29, plus an optional stay in Charlottesville, VA. Please see the Exchange page for a complete description. Contact Paul Rose (paularose2000@hotmail.com) if you would like additional information.

Friendship Force Houston is going to Japan with a very small group from Connecticut  in November and still has some openings for more Ambassadors. Dates are Nov 4 - 28. See the Exchange page for a complete description. Contact Joy Huntington in Houston - jhuntington001@comcast.net

The Friendship Force clubs of Greater Milwaukee and Chicago are hosting an Eco-exchange from September 9 to 22. This economical, adventurous exchange will offer participants a view of great "Outdoor Wisconsin" and how the Midwest cherishes the environment. Join a group in Chicago and Milwaukee for outdoor activities (sailing, hiking, canoeing, etc) during the most beautiful season in the Midwest, followed by several days at a northern lake home or a rustic cottage. $470 land only. See the Exchange page for a complete description. 

Contact Dave Kalan: davekalan@sbcglobal.net.

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Domestic Exchanges

Ed Edgren has been busy lining up some domestic travel for us for the next few years. On the books are:

Plans for outbounds in 2010 to Colorado and Montana are pending and will be published when commitments are made and firmer dates are known.

Photos from San Francisco Exchange

Please click here for photos now available from the San Francisco exchange. If you have others to add, please send them to the webmaster, Mary Williams - txtravel@flash.net.

Board Bios

Starting with this issue one or two FF Dallas board members will be highlighted so that you can get to know them better.

Is It Better in the Bahamas?
Sandy Kaiser, 2nd Vice President– Membership

Sandy has been a member of the club for four years and has enjoyed outbounds to Harrisburg, PA and Costa Rica. She has hosted inbound exchanges from San Francisco, CA and Medicine Hat, Canada. Would you believe her inbound ambassadors from Canada returned this year to house sit for a month for friends who live on her street!

Sandy is married to Roger Kaiser and they have one daughter Allisa, who is 27 and lives in Dallas. Sandy was born in rural Tennessee and attended the university there. She moved to the Bahamas when she was 19 and her family followed. She met her husband there. In 1986 they moved to Abilene and have lived in Texas ever since; they have lived in Dallas since 2000.

She loves to entertain, visit the Bahamas, and take part in just about any kind of water sport. She’s hooked on beaches and mountains. Few people know that she used to swim marathon races, and actually finished some! She also enjoys reading and her favorite book is The New Earth by Eckart Tolle.

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On The Road with Cesar Chavez
Dora Stahl, Program Coordinator

In her 13 years with the club Dora has participated in 16 exchanges: nine outbound and seven inbound. Home hosting is her favorite area of Friendship Force. She says she enjoys turning strangers into friends and sharing life together. One of her most memorable experiences was hosting the Japanese and later being hosted by them.

Dora is married to Ed Stahl and has one son, age 42. She has lived in Texas, Michigan and California as well as Mexico. Her occupation is in hospital, public health and school nursing, but her favorite thing to do— outside of FF activities— is to play bridge. 

Did you know that she participated in the historic grape strike in California in 1965? She drove the first aid truck for the 300 mile march from Delano to Sacramento, CA and took care of Cesar Chavez’s foot blisters as well as those of the other marchers. Ouch! She was also chairperson of a committee involved in the historic first nursing strike in San Francisco, CA in 1966.

Club News

Sunshine Chairperson Annette Dempsey would like to hear from you… Do you know a club member in need? Please contact Annette and let her know. We are a caring group and want to offer an encouraging word. Annette can be reached at asdrn@hotmail.com. 

Contact Treasurer edward perez for our latest financial statement. He says we are in good shape.

Next Board meeting is scheduled for September 30, 7-9 pm, at Churchill Recreation Center.

The Nominating Committee of Friendship Force Dallas will present the 2010 slate of officer nominees at the September 13th general meeting. At the meeting, the President shall receive from the floor any further nominations with the consent of the nominee. The meeting will take place at the downtown El Fenix restaurant, 1601 McKinney Ave. (at Field St.) beginning at 5:00pm. The nominees include:

  President - edward perez
  1st Vice President - Mary Latham
  2nd Vice President Membership - Sandy Kaiser
  Program Coordinators- Paula Rose, Audrey Schlecht, Georgia Sigalos, Dora Stahl
  Treasurer- Jim Naughton
  Secretary - Ruth Barrow

Mary Williams will be a speaker at the Richland Emeritus Series on October 21 - 1:30-3 pm. She will speak on "Expanding Your Travel Options" and will include information on experiencing another culture with Friendship Force. She will also be presenting a travelogue on Columbia at CC Young Retirement Home on October 9th. This was also a Friendship Force exchange.

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Sharing Our Secrets

Baked Butter Beans & Bacon (from our Harrisburg, PA friends)

Cut it up some bacon and fry until crisp. Drain and set aside.
Drain a can of Butter Beans (large white limas), but save some of the juice just in case you need it. Add mustard (yellow or whole grain), a little brown sugar, lots of ketchup, and some diced onion . Mix up all the ingredients. Taste to see what needs to be added. Bake at 350 until onions are done and it looks like it is getting dry. This may take about 30 to 45 min. Stand back and enjoy.