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Inbound exchanges consist of a visiting club coming to you;
members of your club will host the visitors for one week. Both clubs will participate in
some events; at other times, the individual host family and/or day host will spend time
with their guests, showing them the culture and lifestyle of their country.
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Outbound
Exchanges
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Outbound exchanges usually consist of one
club visiting another club for one to three weeks of homestay (one week with each club) in
another country, living with people in the host club. The homestays may be followed by an
optional tour. Groups are from 10-40 people, with 20 being an average.
See the article in AARP Magazine: Real
Deal
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Exchanges
for 2012
International Exchanges for 2012:
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We will be hosting an inbound from Bogotá, Colombia -
May 12-19, 2012 jointly with Fort Worth. Many of you will recall that our club went on a great exchange to Bogotá in 2007 as a joint exchange with Houston. It was a marvelous exchange and they were great hosts. They also hosted our Spanish Language exchange in 2009. So to many of us they are old friends. Since they normally travel with 40 persons, which is beyond our capacity to host, it has been assigned as a joint hosting with Fort Worth. This is a new concept for hosting and we will be coordinating joint events and hosting with Fort Worth, acting together as one exchange. That will make it doubly interesting. On a related note, the Bogotá president, Cuqui Ardila, is now on the FF International board, having replaced our own Mary Suther. For more information, or to work on the committee, please contact Raymond Enstam,
Exchange Director, at
enstam@sbcglobal.net. |
Since Ray will be the Exchange Director,
another person is needed to be the Exchange Treasurer for this exchange. Contact Ray
or edward if you are willing to take on this
responsibility.
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We will have an outbound to Haliburton Highlands, Ontario, Canada
from Sept 25 - Oct 2 - UPDATE: Dates have changed by one day. This is the same club that we hosted in 2010 and enjoyed on
their wonderful visit. They have invited us back and FFI has approved this exchange. This should be a popular one because travel costs and time will be less than many more distant places, and the hosts are old friends of ours. And Canada is a great place to visit! Paula Rose has been appointed Dallas Exchange Director (she was also the Exchange Director when we hosted that club in Dallas).
Application forms will be available after Jan 1, 2012. Click
here to see the Haliburton flyer.
For more information and an application, please contact Paula Rose at
paularose2000@hotmail.com.
Flyers and applications will be available at the January
meeting. |
Domestic Exchanges for 2012 :
| We have an inbound from Sacramento
- April 7-14,
2012 - a return visit from our friends in Sacramento. Wendy Whaley has been appointed Exchange Director. |
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Our planned inbound exchange from Northern Colorado and Great Falls, Montana
has been postponed. |
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Morganton, N.C
Outbound Exchange
5 Day Exchange, Last week of July
Morganton:
Nature’s Playground
Year-round adventure and plenty of vacation venues to help you recharge, refresh and relax in Nature’s Playground.
Join us for five beautiful days of cultural activities and beauty in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The City of Morganton offers the unique charms of a small city yet embraces technology, new development, and progressive thinking. The town was recently profiled in The 50 Best Small Southern Towns.
This exchange’s activities have not been finalized. but here are some activities from past exchanges.
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Welcome party and farewell party |
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Trip to the mountains in Boone, N.C. in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains |
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An introduction to the city during which the Mayor will often greet guests |
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A unique cultural experience to the Waldensian community in Valdese. This was founded by a group of Italian immigrants seeking religious freedom. |
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Depending upon the desires of the Ambassadors, there may be a visit to the world famous Biltmore Estate in Asheville which is the largest privately owned home in the US and was built by the Vanderbilt family. It is only an hour's drive from Morganton. |
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Group dinners |
Only 16 spots available. Get your application in early! Deadline
is March 1.
Contact Sandy Kaiser, Exchange Director at coachs@abilene.com
Cost of trip is still to be determined. Estimate is between $160 to $200 plus transportation.
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| We are scheduled to visit Cincinnati on a domestic exchange just prior to
Haliburton - Sept 18-24, 2012. (perfect timing if you are driving). |
- Mary Williams has been
appointed Exchange Director.
Dale says: “September is a good time to see the changes in colors in Cincinnati and the city has a lot to offer. The FFI web site has a description of what is available in the Greater Cincinnati area and what the club usually offers to people when they have an exchange.
Covington, Kentucky is a Cincinnati suburb – right across the river – and homes on the Kentucky side are famous as the last stop on the “underground railway. If you would like to collect fossils, Cincinnati is world famous for its invertebrate fossils that date from the Ordovician Period (450,000,000 years ago). You can buy your own collection of fossils from the Natural History Museum. It also has a world class symphony orchestra, arts district, and zoo. And, so much more.“
It is always exciting to begin planning a new exchange, and Cincinnati sounds like a very exciting addition to our outbound schedule. This would make a great driving trip for those who would like to experience two homestays. Many people who hosted Ottawans may want to also go to Ottawa from Haliburton, as it is not far from Haliburton. And looking ahead - Cincinnati is interesting in coming here in 2013.
Click here
for a Cincinnati exchange flyer.
Request a
Cincinnati Domestic Application form. Deadline is April 1.
Information
and flyers are available at meetings and by e-mail.
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Discover Eastern Turkey
Zia Shamsy's trip to Eastern Turkey to meet with college students and government leaders for the
purpose of cultural exchange and exploring interest in new clubs HAS BEEN
CANCELED.
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2012 Southwest Conference
Mark your calendar to attend the next Southwest Regional Conference at the newest city in our region – Wichita, Kansas on
March 23-25, 2012. The Kansas Club is doing the work now to provide members of our region with a great conference. Set aside this weekend in March to renew acquaintances and make new friends in other cities, learn some new things about Friendship Force, and explore ways to build a better club. And – it’s always fun!
Click here for SW Conference 2012 Flyer
Click here for SW Conference 2012 Registration
form
There will also be a 3-day homestay following
the conference. Request information on the homestay from Lottie Miller: lottimay@yahoo.com
http://www.friendshipforceofkansas.org/
FYI: Kansas is celebrating their Sesquicentennial this year with many events
scheduled in Wichita.
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| Revised Exchange Policies
FFI's Exchange Director Manual states "Participating in an exchange entails a major commitment of time and money on the part of both ambassadors and hosts." Its policies state that a) ambassadors and hosts are carefully selected to ensure compatibility with the program and b) that clubs should avoid a “sign up” process that suggests to applicants that acceptance on exchanges is automatic.
Like other FF clubs, FFD provides its members the opportunity to experience exchanges - by requesting inbounds and outbounds from FFI and offering ambassadorships and hosting opportunities to all. In the past few years, we have not had a problem offering and selecting ambassadorships. But recently we've had to deal with the situation of more applications than ambassador spaces on an exchange (oversubscribed). And given our future outbounds, we will have this situation again.
So, at our recent Board meeting - Feb 2011, your Board discussed and agreed on a FFD policy and process for selecting ambassadors including when an exchange is oversubscribed. Below is a summary of the process.
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The outbound ED announces the exchange [including a summary of physical activities] and accepts application up to a specified date. |
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Applicants submit Ambassador Application & Agreement and Club Activity forms [available from the ED]. |
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After the application deadline, the ED reviews the application, including each person's health and mobility with respect to the exchange's activities and their ability to represent Dallas as an ambassador. |
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If the exchange is oversubscribed, approximately 20% of the ambassadorship will be allotted for members or guests who have never been on or have never hosted during an exchange. The remaining ambassadorships will be allotted for other club members. |
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For those remaining ambassadorships, the ED reviews an applicant's activity and contributions in the current and previous year to our club - those with more activity and contributions will be given more consideration.
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Board members, committee chairpersons, or exchange directors = 5 points. |
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Active committee members, exchange committee chairs, home host, program presenter = 3 points. |
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Exchange day hosts, small group dinner host, or shuttle driver = 2 points. |
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Regular attendance at meetings = 1 point. |
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The ED makes the final decision [may adjust the consideration] and informs applicants of her/his decision. |
In other words, if an exchange is oversubscribed, if you have never been on an exchange, you will be given more consideration in being selected for an ambassadorship. And if you have been active in and contributed in the current and previous year to our club [this is where the "hint hint" from before comes in], you will also be given more consideration.
If you are not selected for one of our outbound exchanges, there are many opportunities to travel with other FF clubs [announced via the FFI Catalog of Exchanges and elsewhere].
On behalf of the Board, I am publishing this policy and process so that all members know in advance how the process will work. As we follow this process for the FF San Francisco Bay Area and the FF Haliburton Highlands outbounds, we are open to suggestions, revisions and improvements to the process. Let us know your thoughts and comments - contact me or any Board members.
edward perez - president FF Dallas
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New Outbound Exchange Fees
 At the June,
2010 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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2012
International Conference
Hiroshima, Japan
Oct 30 - Nov 2, 2012
35th world conference in Friendship Force
history
Registration begins in January, 2012.
Theme: Hiroshima for Peace and Friendship
Contact: Debbie Powell - Conference Director/Special Projects
+1.404.496.6615 or dpowell@thefriendshipforce.org
Highlights:
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Cultural performances (dancers & drummers) |
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Miyajima tour |
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Hiroshima city tour: World Heritage Center, Torii Gate, Peace Memorial Museum, Ground Zero of A Bomb |
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Japanese cultural workshops |
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FFI and volunteer workshops |
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Dynamic keynote speakers |
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Opportunities to meet and reconnect with friends from around the world. |
Extra Info: Post-conference hosting will be available with several Japanese clubs.
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Recruiting
for Exchanges
From Lauren Tepley, Communications
Coordinator, Friendship Force International
There are two questions club leaders always
seem to ask:
How can we get new members?
How can we fill our exchanges?
FFI has worked with experienced volunteers to develop answers to these questions, answers
that are practical and based on proven results. The purpose of the World Exchange Recruiter
program is to begin to give concrete steps to expand membership AND fill exchanges. The goal
is to fill 200 spaces on exchanges through the World Exchange Recruiters and connect with
300 hosts in the Friendship Force community.
How? World Exchange Recruiters will:
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Be up-to-date on all upcoming exchanges
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Actively recruit members from within
their club to travel with other clubs
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Be responsible for distributing the
monthly on-line FFI e-flyer to all members
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Be the contact for new and current
members to discuss all exchange opportunities available in the United States
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Promote all outbound US exchanges in
whatever way your club authorizes
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FF World Exchange Recruiter
Want the early scoop on upcoming FF exchanges? Want to help get these exchanges
filled so friendships can be formed around the world? Below is information on a new program
that FFI is starting. If you are interested in becoming FF Dallas' "World Exchange
Recruiter," contact Paula Rose at paularose2000@hotmail.com.
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Travel Insurance
Please continue to use Travel Guard Travel Insurance as your preferred travel insurance
provider if you are traveling on a USA outbound exchange. The policy is available online
at www.travelguard.com. Click on the agent
link box in the top right hand corner and enter the number 122525. Click on
the products tab at the top of the page and select your state of residence. Or call
1-800-826-7489 giving them the same number to identify yourself as a Friendship Force
member. You can use this insurance for all Friendship Force travel or your own personal
travel too. Be sure to get insurance that pays for your return to the U.S. in case you
need to come home.
As of Jan
2011 Travel Guard
has a new address. Please send all Travel Guard mail to:
Travel Guard
3300 Business Park Drive
Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54482
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Contact
Information
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