From the pen of our President. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

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1 Newsletter January/February (This Newsletter is prepared by Colin Ridge) From the pen of our President. HAPPY NEW YEAR. As I am writing this there is some very welcome rain outside. The garden and lawn will love it. Let it rain now and then on the weekend of our picnic the weather will have settled down and we will be able to bask in the sun. The picnic will be at the Waipahihi Botanical Gardens on the 30 th January, beginning at 12 noon. Even though we cannot use the club rooms we are able to use the lovely area in front to set up trestles for the shared finger food picnic. Sorry I will not be there but Ross will be. We have already had our first coffee morning for the year at the Coffee Club. It was well attended and if you go onto Facebook you will see some of the people that attended. Thanks to Erica for taking on responsibility for Facebook and giving Malcolm a break. Our social programme for the year has been outlined and will appear later in the newsletter so please note relevant dates. We have a mix of the old and the new in activities planned. As you know we are increasing our use of Facebook and we are introducing our web site so I hope that you all get more involved with using these forms of social media. FF NZ Conference is in Christchurch 8-10 Feb and some of our members will be attending. Colin as NZ Field Rep Co-ordinator along with other Field Reps and the Christchurch Club have put a great deal of effort into presenting a programme that we will be able to share with you. L&P Day on the 5 th of March is held in Thames and being run by the Tauranga Club. I hope that many of you will join us on that day. It is an opportunity to meet up with other FF members from other clubs in the upper North Island. Last year we celebrated our club s 30 th anniversary. This year FF International is celebrating its 40 th anniversary. We as a club will be marking this event on Wednesday 22 nd March in conjunction with the farewell dinner for the Perth Exchange. This will be a catered dinner held at the Acacia Bay hall. So as you can see our year is looking busy already. Keep in good health. Yours in Friendship Aline Fletcher Friendship Force Taupo Board for 2017 President: Aline Fletcher Vice President: Vacant Immediate Past President: Malcolm Munro Secretary: Ross Fletcher Treasurer: Jo Tinworth Committee: Bev Joyes, Colin Ridge, Brendon Donald, Roger Smitheram, Jenny Caws, Helen Bygate, Sally Doig.

2 FF TAUPO SOCIAL PROGRAMME 2017 Date Activity Organizer/s January 30 th February 7-9 th Mid-day picnic at Botanical Gardens. BYO everything. Friendship Force NZ Conference at Christchurch. Helen Bygate and Jenny Caws February Overnight at Okoroire Hot Spring stayover or other possibility. Brendon Donald March 5 th L&P Field Day at Thames. March 22 nd Perth Inbound Exchange including Farewell and FFI Committee and Alan Milne 40 th Anniversary Function at Acacia Bay Hall, Taupo. April 27 th Lunch at Lakeland House, Tokaanu Sally Doig May Rotorua Cruise on Lake and café Lunch Helen Bygate June 24 th or Pot Luck Dinner Committee 25 th July Movie and Afternoon Tea Jenny Caws August 15 th Indian Dinner Master of India Sally Doig September Letter party REAP - Committee October Waimangu Thermal Visit Helen Bygate November Tweed Valley Exchange Ross Fletcher November FF Taupo AGM date to be decided. Committee December Club News. The big club news Erica Lineham has revamped our Facebook and it looks fantastic. Type Facebook Friendship Force Taupo. YOU have a job to do by visiting this, and making comments, likes, or shares. This is the way forward for our club, and it s so easy for you to contribute. More big club news we have our very own Website Have a look at this, as it contains all sort of information, photos, and news about Taupo and our club. These two internet presences make us the most up-to-date club in NZ. We have seven members attending the FFNZ Conference in Christchurch 8-10 th February. This is an excellent turnout but if you were thinking of attending too late, registrations are closed. From time to time, you receive information from FFI about upcoming exchanges, staff and policy changes, the new website, promotions and so on. Please take time to have a look at these as they really do contain useful information and answer a lot of the questions you ask. L&P Field Day at Thames Sunday 5 th March diary for this now. Have you paid your sub? If not, $35 now please, as we have already paid your dues to FFI and are out of pocket. Well done Jo and team for the successful Japanese Language Exchange in October. A new initiative by FFNZ, and we really enjoyed the visit of these spirited Japanese Ambassadors. Report elsewhere. Roger is working on our entries for the two new FFNZ Awards. One is Newsletter which is a collation of all our Newsletters during 2016, and the other is Outreach which is a collation of all the ways our clubs has been promoted and presented to the Taupo community. You will be surprised at the number of these when you see the final list. We are looking at a revamped Membership Application form for new members, and existing members will also be asked to complete one of these, and it contains useful hosting information for future Inbound EDs. So please do this when asked.

3 Upcoming Exchanges. We have Perth coming in rd March, and this is outlined elsewhere. And we may (may) have a 3 day stopover exchange in September from Greater Lansing, USA club. Still being considered by the Board. Watch this space. We have our Outbound Exchange to Taiwan and Taipei commencing 11 th October. We have 18 Ambassadors going and will visit 3 clubs Greater Taipei and Hsinchu in Taiwan, and Tokyo in Japan. Plus a short side trip to Kyoto. We could take one more person if interested cost about $4300. And finally in November 2017, we have Tweed Valley visiting us. Ross Fletcher has offered to ED this. At the time of writing, we haven t learned our Exchanges for 2018, but we have requested Washington Inbound, and Costa Rica / USA, or Perth/Albany/Adelaide as possible Outward. Watch this space. FFI & FFNZ News The new FFI website is not yet up and running, but I m told that it is an any day now event. The next World Conference is in Manchester th August Erica Lineham has registered, and is looking for others from NZ. Interested? The new FFNZ website has been running since September, and is attracting a lot of interest and enquiries. Have you had a look - Graeme Dimmock Past President Recently Deceased. Thank you for the news re Graeme- he was such a lively chap, full of jokes/ anecdotes and reminiscences of growing up in London during the war- he reckoned the war was made for him --- his escapades were so full of danger and young boy bravado until the buzz bombs came and "chased" him... A very active couple in our club for many years, very generous hosts. Margaret charming with her Irish brogue and charming personality. Old age and ill health have bothered them in recent years Fondly remembered, Mary Lockwood The Friendship Force Pledge As a member of the Friendship Force, I recognise that I can make a difference. I recognise that I have a mission. That mission is to be a friend to the people of the world. As I embark upon this adventure, I know that others are watching me. I know that through my example to my own fellow citizens and the people of other nations, the cause of friendship, love and peace can be furthered. I can make a difference

4 A real surprise!!! Colin Ridge was gobsmacked when presented with a Wayne Smith Award at our last AGM. The citation reads.. Colin joined Taupo Friendship Force in 2003, and was Secretary for 8 years and President in He has been ED for 10 exchanges, both inbound and outbound, and he and Janet have hosted some 15 times. Colin was a co-organiser of the successful Taupo Membership Drive of 2011 which resulted in that club winning the Outstanding Club of the Year Award in Colin continues to serve on the Board of Taupo Friendship Force. This award also recognises Colin s outstanding contribution to the Friendship Force of New Zealand. He was appointed NZ E-Flyer Coordinator in 2009, and has held that role ever since; he was the Field Rep for the northern NI from ; and he has served as NZ Field Rep Coordinator since Colin led a pioneer exchange to the Philippines in 2014, which lead to the establishment of the Friendship Force of Baguio and the Friendship Force of Naga, Philippines. Colin was Deputy Chair of the 37th Friendship Force World Conference in Auckland in 2014, at which he was presented with the FFI Understand Award. Throughout his long service with the Friendship Force Colin has been wonderfully supported by his wife Janet. Exchanges from NZ for 2017 that still have vacancies and Thames- Coromandel, NZ to Big Canoe-North Georgia and Fort Worth, USA. Date: later in Cost: On application to ED. Contact ED : Bev Sanford jsanford@xtra.co.nz & Hamilton & Waikato to Manitoba and Edmonton, Canada. Date: 16 th June 2 nd July Cost: Approx $4500 (includes all FFI and club host fees) Contact ED : Vivienne Gellert (Hamilton & Waikato) davienne@xtra.co.nz and Kapiti Coast NZ to Adelaide & Casterton, Australia. Date: 1 st -15 th Sept Cost: $ approx. (includes all FFI and club host fees) Contact ED : Allan Taylor (Kapiti Coast) allandb@clear.net.nz and Marlborough, NZ to Lethbridge, Canada and Seattle-Tacoma, USA. Date: 6-20 th August Cost: $2,500 approx. (includes all FFI fees, club host fees, accommodation for 2 nights, and transfers to and from first exchange, but airfares and additional tours your responsibility) Contact ED : Gillian Cooper ffmexchange@gmail.com

Language Exchange; one week in Wanganui and one week in Taupo.

With differing levels of English, they were all very enthusiastic and willing to participate in the activities offered and they made good use of the Programme book with its various vocabulary sheets

5 Exchange # Japan English Language Exchange to Taupo, NZ October 2016 In October we hosted 13 delightful Japanese women from eight Friendship Force clubs throughout Japan, in New Zealand for an English Language Exchange; one week in Wanganui and one week in Taupo. Three Taupo members travelled in the charter bus to Wanganui to meet and return with the group, via Whakapapa where they got to throw a few snowballs, and the Chateau. With differing levels of English, they were all very enthusiastic and willing to participate in the activities offered and they made good use of the Programme book with its various vocabulary sheets and questions. We visited the Taupo-nui-a-Tia College marae where we were welcomed on and entertained by the talented students from the kapa haka group. There was time for a soak in the hot pools at Taupo Hot Springs, followed by a club BBQ; dancing with Lakeland Linedancers and a 1950 s style afternoon tea with flowers on the tables, lovely cups, saucers & plates, embroidered cloths, napkins and cake forks, with three handsome waiters who poured the tea and kitchen wallah. A trip to Rotorua one day, which coincided with the Tulip Festival was popular as was the walk in the Waipahihi Botanical Reserve and information session on flax, followed by making plaited flax flowers. As part of the floral afternoon we saw a western style arrangement created and Kuniko demonstrated her ikebana skills. Other activities included making flower brooches; a musical sing-along afternoon, followed by a fish & chip dinner and hokey pokey icecreams; a car rally and sheep dog demonstration. Our guests went food shopping and cooked dinner for their hosts and we shared pot luck dinners and a farewell at the Coffee Club. It was a busy and enjoyable week with many opportunities to practice and improve their English, which the Japanese group rated as the best exchange they d been on. Very special thanks go to all members who hosted and helped during the week you made it the success it was. Jo Tinworth ED

PERTH INBOUND EXCHANGE. 16-23 rd March 2017. Thank you everyone who responded to our request for support and ideas, there was a good list of volunteer hosts and some really good ideas.

6 PERTH INBOUND EXCHANGE rd March Thank you everyone who responded to our request for support and ideas, there was a good list of volunteer hosts and some really good ideas. We will have eleven ambassadors, two couples, two single men and five single women ranging from about 60 to 85 years in age. Hosting is virtually arranged and most of the programme is coming together. Our ambassadors arrive on Thursday 16 March and we will have a small welcome function for ambassadors and hosts at Jo and Bob's home that evening. During the week we will have a Mayoral welcome, some short walks, a day seeing some of the local sights that you have suggested, plus Rotorua and Ruapehu days and two free days. We plan on having some get together small dinners, pot lucks, BBQs and fish and chips evenings in members homes and hope that you will be involved. The farewell function will be a catered affair combined with our celebration of Friendship Force's 40th Anniversary at the Acacia Bay hall on Wednesday 22 March - you are all invited and we hope for an enthusiastic turnout of members to mark this milestone and to farewell our guests. Mark your diary now! ED Alan Milne tel , alan.mary@paradise.net.nz You can help our club by supporting the Facebook Page Go on and Comment, or Like, or Share. Easy!

President Aline s Byline

President Aline s Byline Newsletter January / February 2018. (This Newsletter is prepared by Colin Ridge) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------