President’s Message

By edward perez

FF Dallas members and friends, Welcome to spring!! Well, at least according to the solar calendar, we're almost there. And what a spring and summer it's shaping up to be.

Thanks to Dora Stahl, Audrey Schlecht, Georgia Sigalos and Paula Rose, we have some great monthly meetings planned. In March, Nikki Ashcraft [who joined our club in 2009 and is a Ph.D in Adult Education] will present her experiences and memories from living and working in Chile at the Universidad Catholica del Norte as a Professor of English Pedagogy [teaching Chilean university education students and in-service teachers]. 

Come April, spring should be in full bloom as we host ambassadors from the FF Haliburton Heights Canada club, with several new events in an exchange organized by Paula Rose and committee. Hopefully, we'll have lots of May flowers at the home of Kathy Morris as she hosts our annual club picnic [let's ask Mother Nature to hold off on the rain that weekend]. 

Our second exchange of the year comes in June as we host members of the FF Harrisburg Pennsylvania club, organized by Dale Klosterman and committee. These and future event events provide you many opportunities to make new friends, learn about other parts of the world, and share parts of your world with others. Attend our meetings, greet guests at our meetings, help organize or host an exchange event, be a home or day host to incoming ambassadors, go on an exchange, shuttle members to/from our local airports. In addition, as a member, there are worlds of opportunities to participate in exchanges hosted by other clubs [see articles in this newsletter]. All with the mission of promoting global understanding among people in different parts of the world. Paraphrasing Dr. Rafael Molina of the Andina Area University in Bogota, Colombia, whom Paula and I met when we delivered to the university two computers for the visually impaired, "With information and understanding, you have the power to serve."

Soon, we will hold a new member orientation to let our new members learn more about FF International and its mission, our club's organization, our activities, and our opportunities to participate. If you have suggestions for topics or would like to participate in the meeting, please contact Sandy Kaiser or me as soon as possible. 

One such opportunity to connect and understand is our regional and international conferences. In early February, Jim Bourn, Carolyn Williams, Dale Klosterman, Dora and Ed Stahl, Mary Suther, Paula Rose, and I traveled to McAllen, TX to attend the Southwest Regional conference hosted by the FF Rio Grande Valley. Although theirs is a small club, they held a great conference, with 70+ regional members and Dr. George Brown (FFI President). 

George presented the current status of FFI (a 20% drop in exchanges during 2009 resulted in additional staff cuts) and future plans for expanding the reach of FFI (including starting 10 new clubs in 2010). Randy Thompson (FF Ft. Worth) gave a great "what if..." presentation on things that might happen when planning and running an exchange. Vicki Vance (FF Baton Rouge) presented a great summary of the many kinds of exchanges FFI offers - mission, discover, and themed (such as the Spanish Language Exchange to Bogota, Colombia attended last year by several FF Dallas members). George Gause, John Yochum, and Juli Klement [from the valley community] presented information about the area's history, state parks & wildlife refuges, and citrus & agriculture in the valley, respectively. Turns out that the valley is one of the most biologically diverse areas in Texas. In addition, we were able to reconnect with friends from past conferences and exchanges, make new friends from our region's clubs, and understand how their clubs operate.

I look forward to exploring, understanding, and serving with you this year, 

edward perez 

Meetings

March Meeting - World Friendship Day

When: Sunday March 14 - 5 pm

Where: El Fenix, 1601 McKinney, Dallas. (Exit off Woodall Rogers at Field Street and turn north (right if you are coming from north Dallas). El Fenix is right there – big parking lot in front.

Meal: Your choice of:
• Saltillo - one cheese enchilada, one meat taco, one soft cheese taco
• Martinez - one cheese enchilada, one meat taco, one guacamole tostada
• El Favorito - one cheese enchilada, one soft cheese taco, rice and beans

Cost: $10 for meal and tip. Drinks (coffee, tea) are extra - $2.09 plus tax - pay individually. Walk-ins with no reservation pay $12. Please help us plan with your reservation.

Speaker: New member Nikki Ashcraft will present "Living in Chile." Nikki is new to Dallas and to the faculty of UNT. She served as associate professor in the English Pedagogy Program at the Universidad Catolica del Norte in Antofagasta, Chile where she has taught English as a Second Language (ESL). 

Reserve: Please contact Audrey Schlecht at aschlecht@earthlink.net. 
Send a check of $10 per person made to Friendship Force of Dallas by March 10 to Audrey .

April Meeting

Our April meeting will be the going away party for the Haliburton Highlands Ontario, Canada Exchange. A copy of the program of all activities/signup sheet has been emailed to all the members. If you do not have one, request one to be e-mailed to you: txtravel@flash.net. Reserve for this party on this signup sheet.

Farewell party: Saturday, April 24th - 7pm at Chimneyhill Clubhouse

Catered BBQ dinner; entertainment 

Cost: $16

2010 Exchanges

See more details on the Exchanges page.

Inbound Haliburton Ontario Exchange - April 17-24

Twenty Canadians from Haliburton Heights Ontario are rarin' to experience our Texas hospitality (and weather!) April 17-23!

Lots of old favorite activities and some new ones. Come join us for all or any of these. You should have received an email with the planned group activities, maps, and a sign up sheet to return indicating the activities you will be attending. If you do not have one, request one to be e-mailed to you: txtravel@flash.net. Reserve for the welcome and farewell parties and other activities  on this signup sheet. Also see the schedule for the week on the Exchanges page.

Martha Durst still needs one more home host (a great chance to see what home hosting is about with English speaking guests!). Contact her at marleo9039@tx.rr.com for questions or to sign up.

Ruth Barrow and Pat Andeweg still need small dinner hosts for Monday April 19th. Contact Ruth at  rbarrow@wt.net with questions or to sign up to host.

This is our only international inbound this year. Let’s give the Canadians (and ourselves) an exchange to remember.

Outbound Colorado Exchange - August 13-20

Our club has been invited to have an outbound exchange with Friendship Force Northern Colorado from the 13th to 20th of August 2010. This is the week preceding our exchange with the Montana club. For those Dallas members going to Montana, it would be a chance to add a week to your trip. For those not going to Montana but who would like to spend a terrific week in the Front Range of the Rockies, this is your chance!

FF Northern Colorado is a large, very active club whose members live in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Windsor. Rocky Mountain National Park is in the club’s back yard, and the entrance is at Estes Park.

Other places of interest include two sculpture parks in Loveland; Centennial Village in Greeley where Poudre Trail, noted for its wildlife, is located; and several well-known breweries that include the famous Fat Tire beer and Budweiser with its famous horses. Nearby also is the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory with its famous Mint Room that takes your breath away and the interesting Leaning Tree Card company that has a wonderful collection of western art.

Contact Dallas Exchange Director Jim Bourn at airbourn@tx.rr.com for an application. Return the application and your deposit of $100 to Jim by April 1, 2010. A final cost is pending (under $200). GOOD NEWS – they can take as many as 30 people! Fourteen people have already made deposits.

Exchange Openings - Other Friendship Force Clubs 

If you are interested in participating in any of these exchanges, please contact the ED listed below. 

New Mexico - going to Big Canoe, GA in Apr 2010
ED Julie Littlefield: LJLittlefield@comcast.net
number openings: unknown; fees unknown

Fort Worth - going to Memphis, TN on May 25-30, 2010
ED Bill Worthley: wcWorthley@sbcglobal.net
approx 10 openings; fees $50 for FFI, approx $50 to FF Memphis.

San Antonio - going to Salt Lake City, UT on May 20-26, 2010
ED Millie Elmore: millieElm@att.net
approx 10 openings; fees unknown

Oklahoma - going to the Netherlands on September 6-13, 2010
ED Joyce Rulon: joyspath@cox.net
fees (estimated) $1500 (airfare, train, fees and 1 week home hosting)

Northern Colorado - going to New Zealand on Oct 28-Nov14, 2010
ED Nancy Brigden: brigden@comcast.net
fees $1535 (without airfare), 2 optional 5-6 day excursions available

Columbia Bridgebuilders Trip

By Paula Rose and edward perez

In January Paula Rose and edward perez went to Bogota Colombia South America to donate 2 computers with special software for the blind and to set up a program for the computers' use at Univ. Area Andina in Bogota. 

These donations are a project of FFDallas' Bridgebuilders headed by Bob Langford. The university is setting up a special room in their optometry department for these computers. The room will have plaques in print and braille dedicating the area to FFDallas! Univ is also donating the time of a low vision specialist with connections to the school for the blind in Bogota who will instruct the students on the use of the programs. Now blind students in Bogota will be able to access the internet, send emails and further their educational and vocational opportunities as a result of this project.

Univ Area Andina is the first in Bogota to be certified for their programs of outreach for social service in Colombia. The university provides free eye exams and glasses for children from low income families, a respiratory therapy program, a cancer prevention program, nutritional programs aimed at children and many other outreach efforts. 

Dr. Rafael Molina, director of the computer program with edward and Paula

Johana Rozo, teacher of the program, being interviewed by a local TV station reporter.

Paula and edward had the pleasure of being the guests in Bogota of Fernando and Patricia Laverde and their three daughters who Paula met during the language immersion exchange led by Ray Enstam of FFD in July. Dr Fernando Laverde is the national rector of the Univ. Area Andina Paula and edward also were treated to several great family outings with the Laverdes such as a day at a mountain lake with about 40 members of Patricia Laverde's family and Sunday dinner at a sister's home. Oh and Paula got to go to Zumba exercise class with Patricia and the teenaged girls.

In addition to the donation day, Paula and edward were able to be a part of the Ottowa Canada FF club exchange which was taking place at the same time. Small world! Ottowa is FFDallas international inbound group for 2011! So it was doubly fun to get to know these folks (and to speak English!) Other than making extemporaneous (sp) speeches in Spanish to a board room full of Univ dignitaries and TV cameras during the presentation of the computers, nothing frightening took place in Colombia. We walked downtown with and without our hosts and encountered no problems at all. It was great to have lots of time in the fantastic gold museum, to go to a big outdoor concert for Haitian relief and to go dancing and to some really fine restaurants. 

Paula, edward, Fernando Laverde, Camila Laverde, Patricia Laverde Hernandez, 

Juanita Laverde, Maria Fernanda Hernandez, Lise Ramsden (Ottawa FF club)

Worldwide Exchange Opportunities - Chiapas

By Ken Walker and Peggy Benton

Peggy and I just returned from an exchange to Chiapas (Chee-ah’-pahs), Mexico with the Western North Carolina Club. There were 21 ambassadors, 11 of which were from North Carolina. The other participants were from Texas, California, Nebraska, Virginia, Florida, West Virginia and New Hampshire. 

Dancers in traditional Chiapaneca dresses at our welcome party. Our adventure started right here in Texas on Feb 11 with the largest 24 hour snowfall ever recorded. Many of our group were routed through Dallas and had flight delays, two got stuck overnight at DFW. Eventually we all made it to Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Toox’-tlah Gootee- ehr’-rehz), capital of the state of Chiapas (population 700,000) for our 5 day homestay, followed by a 4 day tour of Mayan sites in Chiapas.

Our new members (and others) may not be aware of the many opportunities available to them for Friendship Force travel. If an exchange is not filled by members of the originating club, it is advertised on the FFI website. This opens up more exchange opportunities and enables interaction between members from a variety of clubs during an exchange. 

A delicious breakfast of tamales and fruit with our host 

Carmelita Benito. Lisa Dexter from Florida also stayed 

Carmelita operates the cafeteria for a private school 

(600 students). She is responsible for buying and preparing all the food that is served. Every weekend, 

in her home kitchen, she and her 2 maids (Marie and Rosita) cook 13 kilos (28.6 lbs) of pulled pork, 10 

kilos of chicken and 3 kilos of black beans. 

We have long dreamed of seeing the Mayan ruins, which first attracted us to this exchange. An opportunity to get to know local people through a homestay was a huge added benefit. You can’t get an experience like that with a commercial tour.

Every homestay is different, every one is a new learning situation. People open their homes and their hearts to you. They offer what they have, graciously accept whatever is offered. It would be a grave mistake, however, to just view Friendship Force as a cheap way to travel. Homestays are an opportunity to contribute to the people and to the communities that welcome you.

We had many opportunities to buy nice local crafts, from textiles to jewelry. 

Getting to know new friends.

Jerry and Jan (WV) - 1562 fountain in Chiapa de Corzo, the first city founded by the Spanish in the State of Chiapas (1523).

Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque (Pahlehn’- keh). The tomb of Pakal, ruler for 68 years, was found under the pyramid in 1952. 

Whatever your travel interests are, you are likely to find a club’s exchange that will fulfill them. Check out the catalog of exchange possibilities at the FFI website. This list is constantly changing. You can sign up on the website to receive updates by email.