February 2016 Newsletter

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Flora Strickland
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1 February 2016 Newsletter Explore Understand Serve Upcoming Meetings and Events February 21 Monthly Meeting, 1:30 PM* IHOP, 3010 Northside Dr., Canton John and Glenda Wilhelm - The Republic of Georgia March 8 Board Meeting, 2:30 PM Bowyer s home, 573 Hunters Trace, Big Canoe March 20 Monthly Meeting, 1:30 PM* Provino s, 1610 Marketplace Blvd, Cumming Jeremi Snook, FFI President/CEO April 1-9 Open World Visit, Republic of Georgia May 15 Monthly Meeting, 4:00 PM Fuego s, Foothills in Marble Hill The Costa Rica Exchange June 26 Monthly Meeting, 4:00 PM Big Canoe Wildcat Pavilion, Potluck Picnic Sep 2016 FFI International Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco (Registration open) Note: Meeting time change for February & March. Meet & Greet at 1:30, program and meal starting at 2:00 PM. Be Sure to Mark Your Calendars! President s Message Your president's message will be short again. We re looking forward to a good year with many exciting meetings! If you have any ideas or suggestion for programs for our meetings please forward to Sherry Wileman. We have accepted the Open World Exchange and it will be April 1st to 9th, The participants will be from the Republic of Georgia. We have identified host homes for several of the delegates, if you are interested in hosting please let Barry Kadechuk know (ED of Open World exchange). We have received feedback from FFI and none of our International requests have been matched for However we have seven exchanges that are open for U.S.A ambassadors for If we have enough people interested in any particular one of the exchanges we can try and send a group of people from our club for the

2 exchange. You can go online to check out the exchanges at The list is as follows: All USA to Surabaya, Indonesia---May 2017 All USA to Nairobi, Kenya---June 2017 All USA to Tashkent, Uzbekistan---August 2017 All USA to Hobart, Tasmania----- September 2017 All USA to Nepal----December 2017 All USA to Azrou, Morocco---December 2017 We have an inbound exchange from New Zealand in April 2017 and outbound domestic exchanges to Sacramento, California and Willamette Valley, Oregon. The next board meeting will be Tuesday March 8th at 2:30 p.m. at Margie and Ray's home in Big Canoe. Linda Kadechuk, President of Friendship Force of Big Canoe/North Georgia Meeting Summaries Board Meeting Summary January 12, 2:30 PM. The Board of FF Big Canoe/North GA met at Mary s Bread Basket with 14 present. President Linda Kadechuk presided. There was no old business. Netherlands exchange set for April - Robert. No members of the East Netherlands club wished to serve as ED and no members of that club had signed up to come. It was decided that the exchange will be cancelled. Robert will follow through on this motion. Minimum number for Incoming Exchanges. It was decided that 12 is the minimum number of visitors for Incoming Exchanges. Thailand Incoming Exchange for October Linda K. Linda said that no one had responded to the exchange because since most members are teachers and cannot travel in November. FFI will be informed that we are still open for a domestic exchange in November. Biarritz Exchange Huw. Twenty people (10 couples) have signed up for the France/Spain exchange for October. The Biarritz Exchange will be October 2-8 (Approximately $180/person) and the Spain bus trip will be from October 8-15 (Approximately $630/person). More information will be provided as details are worked out. Open World visit from Georgia Barry. The visit is scheduled for April 1 9, and will be shared with Atlanta. Each club will host 6 Georgia Ambassadors with a translator, and will exchange Ambassadors at mid-week and repeat the program. Participant information will be received 6 8 weeks prior to their arrival. At that time we will match up hosts with them. We will need 7 hosts. The program requires 32 hours of professional training in how nongovernmental entities interact with government. The club will receive $4100 to cover the week. Barry will set up a committee. Activity plans Sherry. Working to set up programs geared to our exchanges both incoming and outgoing. They are trying to get someone with recent knowledge of Georgia. Membership Fred. Linda and Sherry shared an from membership chair Fred Mullins about his plans and contacts in the Cumming area to reach potential new members. Phone reminders. Margie will continue to coordinate phone reminders for meetings. February 2016 Page 2

3 The Next board meeting will be Tuesday, March 8, Margaret Logan for Charlene Terrell Minutes of January 17, 2016 Meeting The FF of Big Canoe/NGA met at Muirfield Clubhouse at Windermere in Cumming at 4:00PM on Sunday, January 17, 2016, with 28 members present. Linda Kadechuk presided and welcomed the group. Members joined in the FF Pledge. Linda gave a special welcome to new member, Robert Lyle, and presented club pins to him and his wife. Linda introduced officers and committee chairs: Alan Johnson, 1st VP; Jeannette Waldrop, 2nd VP; Robert Logan, Treasurer; Charlene Terrell, Secretary and Publicist; Sherry Wileman, Activities; Fred Mullins, Membership; Margie Bowyer, Historian; Ray Bowyer, Website; and Cecil Schneider, Newsletter. Dan Hunsberger, Peggy Anderson, and Margaret Logan will be filling in for treasurer, publicist, and secretary when needed. The board has suggested that we consider a temporary shift in meeting times because of a conflict at Big Canoe. Margie moved that we meet at 1:30 PM on the third Sundays in February and March. Motion carried. Next month we will meet at 1:30 in Canton. Robert Logan stated that the charter renewal with FFI was returned to him because the office has moved and the PO didn t forward it. He has resent it, but members should be aware of the new address. Sherry presented the program on host/ambassador responsibilities. She had a handout with some of these plus a schedule for the coming year. There was a group discussion with members adding their opinions and suggestions. Robert Logan, ED, reported on the Netherlands exchange which was scheduled for April. He learned from his discussions with the East Netherlands Club, the Shelby, NC Club, and FFI that there is no interest in the exchange from the Netherlands Club. Two couples from Germany and one couple from Belgium were the only ones to sign up. Our board voted to cancel and this has been indicated to FFI. Barry Kadechuk reported on Open World. It is a go for April 1 to April 9. This will be shared with the Atlanta Club. The group will be split into two groups of 7 with a swap on Wednesday. The program will consist of 32 hours of professional study on the role that government plays in the operation of NGO s (Non-government organizations). Barry will need about 7 hosts for the group of possibly younger participants than our usual exchanges. Barry will be forming committees to plan this week. Volunteers will be welcomed. Thailand had been discussed for September, but they are mostly teachers and can only come in October. We are open for an incoming exchange in November. Huw Williams reported on the October exchange to Biarritz, France. He has 20 people signed up, and the club will accept all 20. He is currently working on travel routes. The best bet seems to be direct ATL to Paris and Paris to Biarritz. Flights are in a range from $1500 to $1800. Hosting fees will be about $180/person. At the end of the Biarritz week (October 2 to 8) we will be taken to the Spanish border to board our bus for the tour of Spain (October 8 to 15). The tour will cost approximately $700. The group will fly home from Madrid. Jeremi Snook, new President/CEO of FFI, will be our program for March. He has asked for our suggestions about our desires for the direction February 2016 Page 3

4 of FF for the next 2 years. We can Linda if we have any suggestions. A representative from NGA College is interested in having some joint ventures with our club. We will have further dialog with her about this. Sherry thanked Fred for arranging today s meeting. Robert Lyle suggested that we compile a list of people who can speak languages other than English and their level of expertise. This could be an important resource for when we host people from other than English speaking countries. Dinner was enjoyed by all. Margaret Logan for Charlene Terrell Future Exchanges 2016 Outgoing Exchange Biarritz, France, October, October 2-8, bus tour October 8 15 (all dates are tentative) Huw Williams, ED 2016 Incoming Exchanges Republic of Georgia Open World, April 1-8 Barry Kadechuk, ED 2017 Outgoing Exchange Sacramento/Central Oregon Barry Kadechuk, ED 2017 Incoming Exchanges New Zealand, April 2017 Membership News Please share your anniversary/life events by sending a notice to the editor for inclusion in the Newsletter. In Memory of Betty Laughlin Betty Irick Laughlin, age 88, passed away on January 20, She was born in Warsaw, Indiana, and also lived in Crawfordsville and Bedford, Indiana. Growing up she loved camping, Girl Scouting, and sports Hail Purdue! Betty attended Furman University and graduated with a degree in Political Science. She was involved with the Theatre Guild, Alpha Psi Omega, and was elected a member of Senior Order at Furman, and stayed active in Alumni events for over 50 years. After graduation Betty was hired by the Houston/Harris County Girl Scouts in Houston, Texas, where she started out managing several Girls Scout camps in East Texas. She had the opportunity to chaperone a Houston TX Girls Scout troop on a summer trip to Europe in 1952, visiting the International Girl Scout Headquarters in Switzerland, Our Chalet, as well as visiting Girls Guides in France, England, and Belgium, including spending the 4th of July at the American Embassy in Paris and meeting Helen Keller. It was while living in Houston that she met her future husband, J Heath Laughlin. Several years later, Betty and Heath relocated to Atlanta, Georgia. Betty continued working with the Girl Scouts in Atlanta as a volunteer and Board Member, as well as being a Troop Leader and also summer Camp Director for Camp Concharty in Pine Mountain, Georgia for four summers. Betty was very involved with her church at North Avenue Presbyterian, running one of the nurseries for several years. She also worked with Bible School and Downtown Atlanta Senior Services. After retiring, Betty and Heath moved to Big Canoe where they became involved with the Big Canoe Chapel and the Big Canoe/North Georgia Friendship Force. Betty also served a term on the Chapel Board of Trustees. Besides working on a variety of committees at the Chapel, Betty gravitated again to working with the nursery. Betty also enjoyed writing a small monthly column for the Smoke Signals newspaper at Big Canoe, was a member of the Jasper Friends of the Library, and volunteered with the Georgia Marble Festival as a tour guide for several years. Betty and Heath were able to enjoy travel, February 2016 Page 4

She is survived by her daughter Diane Laughlin and her extended family, including Judy Irick and Ben Lary, Jack and Charlotte Laughlin, David and Pam Waldron, Elizabeth and Tim Ignasher, and

5 both with the Friendship Force as well as with a wonderful group of friends, traveling to both domestic and international locations. Betty was also a member of the Girl Scout Trefoil Guild of North Georgia. Betty was predeceased by her daughter Linda Laughlin, her sister Marilynn Irick, and her husband Heath Laughlin. She is survived by her daughter Diane Laughlin and her extended family, including Judy Irick and Ben Lary, Jack and Charlotte Laughlin, David and Pam Waldron, Elizabeth and Tim Ignasher, and Courtenay and Mark Nantz. A Memorial Service will be held at the Big Canoe Chapel on March 5, 2016 at 11:30 AM. Friendship Force members will be setting as a group. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Big Canoe Chapel. A. S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home, Decatur, GA Happy February Birthdays! Marie Williams 5 Joann Layton 5 Susan Hicks 5 John Paolino 8 Sherry Wileman 11 Joe Crawford 12 Huw Williams 23 Friendship Force International With 2015 now behind us, we can definitely say that you are "In!" raising over $73,000 toward our total project cost of $97,500. Clubs and members far and wide have stepped up in a big way with 100% of these funds going directly toward developing new web and database tools for club members and leaders. These tools will go a long way to improving our communication with you as well as with people interested in joining this extraordinary organization you helped to build. Our new goal of $100,000 by July of this year reflects our full understanding of the costs required to build the database and bring our website current with today s technology (for more information on the project, go to FFICEO.blogspot.com). We are within arms reach of having this project entirely covered by the Friendship Force family. You ve stepped up in such a big way and we want to say Thank You! If you haven't said "I'm In!" yet, it isn't too late and if you re feeling inspired to give, you can donate here today! Bob Duncan, Chair, Board of Directors Jeremi Snook, President/CEO Friendship Force International In August 2015, we asked Friendship Force clubs and membership to say "I'm In!" and help Friendship Force raise $40,000 by the end of 2015 to go toward a new website and upgraded database. From Tom Laggy SE Regional Rep Following is a list of outbound exchanges for the Southeast region. If any of our members are interested in an exchange, please the ED to have your name added for that exchange. This may help us to fill the exchanges. The FF catalog should be used for international exchanges. In friendship, Tom February 2016 Page 5

6 Friendship Force Southeast Region Outgoing Exchanges Club Date Outgoing Exchange to Host Exchange Director Address Alabama Birmingham 1-Nov Tucson, USA 15 Charlotte George chg926@aol.com Huntsville 6-Aug Lincoln,USA 25 Carolyn Kitterer ckitterer@gmail.com 1-Sep Nor & Tarapoto, Peru 20 Gwen Goins-Pratt ggpratt@gmail.com 6-Oct Birmingham, USA 15 Georgia Big Canoe 2-Oct Biarritz, France 20 Huw Williams huwwilliams@comcast.net Grtr Atlanta 1-Sep Braunschweig, Germany 20 Kent Vickers kvickga@hotmail.com Lake Hartwell 8-Jun West Alajuela, Costa Rica 15 Barbara Walter barbara_walter@hotmail.com North Carolina Charlotte 1-Mar Utah, USA 15 Shirley Brown syountbrown@yahoo.com 1-Sep Haliburton Highlands, CA 20 Anne Stewart asbasket@carolina.rr.com Central N C 13-Jul Pikes Peak Region # Judy Greene green111184@bellsouth.net Colonial 1-Jul Bogota, Columbia 20 John Hindsley hindsley1@suddenlink.net Morganton Hobart & Mt Grambier, 1-Oct Australia 20 Kevin Huitt kevin@huitt.com Raleigh 18-Feb Cape Town, South Africa 16 Carol Reilly bobcarolreilly@aol.com 1-Nov Las Vegas, USA 15 Bob McCamy bobmccamy@gmail.com Shelby 12-May Sacramento,USA 20 Ellen Gragg gragg@rocketmail.com Western N C 25-Feb Sarasota, USA 25 Karen McDomald machogan2@gmail.com 13-May Greater Des Moines, USA 12 Becky Elston beckyelston1@gmail.com 25-Oct Nagasaki, Japan 15 Jack Mullen jfmullen@aol.com South Carolina Florence 1-May Cheyenne, USA 15 1-Sep Penticton-Okanagan, CA 20 Lynn Bailey subman55@att.net Memphis 13-Oct Huntsville 20 We Need Your Help This newsletter is for the members of the Big Canoe/North Georgia Friendship Force, and is intended to bring up-to-date information and news of interest to the membership. To make it informative and interesting we need information about what is going on in the club. If you are chairing a committee and have news of interest please send it to me. Even if you are not on a committee, and have something you want to share, send it. Photos of your recent travels, along with a description of the photo will make an interesting article. I appreciate anything you can share. Cecil Schneider cwsfromga@windstream.net February 2016 Page 6

7 Officers President Linda Kadechuk First Vice President Alan Johnson Second Vice President Jeannette Waldrop Secretary Charlene Terrell Treasurer Robert Logan 741 Oakdale Rd. Canton, GA Membership Fred Mullins Publicity Charlene Terrell Web Site Ray Bowyer Historian Margie Bowyer Past President Bob Anderson Exchange Directors Open World Sacramento Barry Kadechuk Blkade1@yahoo.com Biarritz, France 2016 Huw Williams huwwilliams@comcast.net Activities Sherry Wileman slwileman@mindspring.com Newsletter Editor Cecil Schneider cwsfromga@windstream.net February 2016 Page 7

June 2016 Newsletter

June 2016 Newsletter Explore Understand Serve http://ffbcng.org Upcoming Meetings and Events July 17 Monthly Meeting, 5:00 PM The Ridge in Cumming. 1035 Turner, Road, Cumming Program: Tim Anderson; Experiences