ROCKY MOUNTAINHIGH Taking Friendship to New Heights

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ly 13 our annual picnic at Cindy & Mike Tanner s August is a down time in club activities Join us to hear Carl and Lynn Dawson sharing

org December, 2015 HIGHLIGHTS New Year s Day Party page 3 Exchange News pages 4-6 Membership Directory Addendum page 10 DECEMBER SOCIAL.

com/friendshipforceofdenver Performance 2 PM ABOUT THE CLUB Friendship Force Denver meets at South Suburban Christian Church 7275 S.

Eckstat, Jim Stone, Jim and Donna Robinson, Debby Murdoch, John and Peggy Morrison, Bill and El Fiero, John and Linda Giles, Grace O

smith22@gmail.com President-Elect.... Carl Dawson carldawson@remax.net Secretary.......... Luree Miller lureemiller@mac.com Treasurer.

1 ly 13 our annual picnic at Cindy & Mike Tanner s August is a down time in club activities Join us to hear Carl and Lynn Dawson sharing ROCKY MOUNTAINHIGH Taking Friendship to New Heights December, 2015 HIGHLIGHTS New Year s Day Party page 3 Exchange News pages 4-6 Membership Directory Addendum page 10 DECEMBER SOCIAL SUNDAY, DEC. 6 Town Hall Arts Center 2540 W. Main St. Littleton Reception 12:45 1:45 PM Performance 2 PM ABOUT THE CLUB Friendship Force Denver meets at South Suburban Christian Church 7275 S. Broadway, Littleton, CO at 7 PM the second Tuesday of Sept. Nov., and Jan May, with special events for December and June. Come join us and bring your friends! Many thanks to Luree Miller, Linda Lustig, Mary Lou Bennington, Joanne Harvey, Nancy and Steve Crocker, Rosalie Summers, Anne Green, Les Eckstat, Jim Stone, Jim and Donna Robinson, Debby Murdoch, John and Peggy Morrison, Bill and El Fiero, John and Linda Giles, Grace O Connor, and Carol Rush. All have given a hand, in some way, to make the reception happen. CLUB OFFICERS President Anita Smith anita.smith22@gmail.com President-Elect.... Carl Dawson carldawson@remax.net Secretary Luree Miller lureemiller@mac.com Treasurer Les Eckstat eckstat@gmail.com Articles of interest from our members are welcome, and must be received by the 24 th of the month for inclusion the following month. If you know of someone who would like to receive a copy of this newsletter, please send his or her address to carolcoriell@gmail.com Carol Coriell, Editor

FROM THE PRESIDENT S DESK Anita Smith This is my last message as your president; I want to give a big thanks to the board and all those volunteers who have worked so hard to make our club s

Many thanks to those who mailed checks stating they supported FFI s fundraising campaign ARE YOU IN?

2 FROM THE PRESIDENT S DESK Anita Smith This is my last message as your president; I want to give a big thanks to the board and all those volunteers who have worked so hard to make our club s activities and exchanges a huge success. A club needs many helpers to keep it running, and all your energy and ideas are greatly appreciated. Many thanks to those who mailed checks stating they supported FFI s fundraising campaign ARE YOU IN? FFI s goal is to raise $40,000 by the end of this year to purchase a new website and data management system. By mid-november a total of $31,775 had been received, $17,407 from clubs and $14,368 from individuals. Your club will mail a check with your donations along with the $1,000 your. board voted to send in support for their financial need. FFI welcomed our new CEO & 6 th President, Jeremi Snook. He began the new job on Nov 9. He has worked many years in the non-profit sector and moves from New Hampshire to Atlanta. Those that know his work say he is a caring, can-do person who connects well with people from all walks of life. We welcome him to the FFI family. As 2015 winds down several of us will attend the play Shrek the Musical and reception on Dec 6. In the New Year, be sure you re looking for an exchange to join; join us to visit the Lake Hartwell, GA club in April or join our two-club exchange to Japan in the fall. More information is in this newsletter, you can contact the ED to join. A reminder to you all that dues are due; mail your payment to Sandy Villarreal to guarantee you ll be included in our directory when it goes to print. Carl Dawson will take on the president s responsibilities in Be sure you sign up to help on a committee. We need your help. Happy Holidays to you and your families. In Friendship, Anita Smith WEBMASTER WANTED A redesign is under way on the Friendship Force Denver s website; it is undergoing a change to modernize the look & make it easier for users to find information. Would you like to be trained in the new design and maintain & update our information? This is a great opportunity to use your creativity and make a very important contribution to the club. Contact Anita Smith anita.smith22@gmail.com Dec 2015 Page 2

3 NEW YEAR S DAY OPEN HOUSE You re invited to the Eighth Annual Friendship Force Denver Open House, hosted by Mary Lou Bennington. Mary Lou has a special talent for decorating her home with beautiful trees, villages, and a toy train, and loves to share her creations with friends. We need volunteers to help serve and clean up. Friday, January 1, :00 5:00 PM Bring snacks and/or wine to share S. Milwaukee Court, Centennial (x marks the spot) Dec 2015 Page 3

com 8-Day Driving Tour of Charleston and Savannah Followed by 6-day Exchange at Lake Hartwell, Georgia Join Us for 4 Nights in Charleston, SC Downtown Historical Sites Plantation Tours with

Sumter and USS Yorktown Other sites of your choice 4 nights in Savannah, Georgia Historic Sites Barrier Islands with Wildlife Preserves Gullah Culture and Art Other sites of your choice April

4 Spring Blossoms in the South - Exchange News Please sign up soon because remaining places will be advertised on FFI s Fill the Seat page at the end of Nov. We will have a meeting in early January for applications, full payment, more information and planning. Contact Linda Lustig ED jimlinda43@outlook.com 8-Day Driving Tour of Charleston and Savannah Followed by 6-day Exchange at Lake Hartwell, Georgia Join Us for 4 Nights in Charleston, SC Downtown Historical Sites Plantation Tours with Groves of Azaleas and Camellias Visits to Ft. Sumter and USS Yorktown Other sites of your choice 4 nights in Savannah, Georgia Historic Sites Barrier Islands with Wildlife Preserves Gullah Culture and Art Other sites of your choice April 19 May 3, 2016 Drive Back to Greenville, SC for a 6 Night Exchange with the Lake Hartwell, Georgia Club Activities include: Distillery Tour Art and History Museums Tour of a BMW plant Relaxing Boat Party on the Lake Approximate cost is $1400 per person, which includes air, hotel, van/car rental & gas and FF fees to Atlanta and Lake Hartwell host club. Single supplement is $1155. Food and Admissions not included. Dec 2015 Page 4

2016 EXCHANGES AND CONFERENCES Apr 19 May 3 Outbound Domestic, Lake Hartwell, GA ED: Linda Lustig May 13 15 Rocky Mountain Regional Conference Grand Junction, CO June 16-23 Inbound International

5 2016 EXCHANGES AND CONFERENCES Apr 19 May 3 Outbound Domestic, Lake Hartwell, GA ED: Linda Lustig May Rocky Mountain Regional Conference Grand Junction, CO June Inbound International Hamilton/Burlington, Ontario, Canada ED: Jeannette Armbrustmacher Sept Inbound International Peaks to Plains (in co-operation with FF Colorado Springs and FF Northern Colorado and FF Cheyenne) Co-EDs: Marion Trummell and Lynn Dawson Late September Inbound International Melbourne, Australia This exchange has been CANCELLED Sept FFI World Conference Marrakech, Morocco Oct November TBD Outbound International Miyagi and Shizuoka, Japan ED: Les Eckstat For more information, contact Carl Dawson, carldawson@remax.net. MOUNTAIN STATES CLUBS ASK FOR YOUR RECRUITMENT HELP In September of 2016, all 6 clubs in our Mountain States Region will host a one-of-a-kind succession of miniexchanges: 3½ days in each club to sample the best of what each club in the 3-state area has to offer. This Peaks To Plains Global Exchange is priced very competitively at $1875 for the full 6-club, 21 day exchange. We want your good global friends as the very best representatives from round the world to apply to join us in Cheyenne, in Northern Colorado, in Denver, in Colorado Springs, and on to Grand Junction, and Salt Lake City. Remember those special friends you ve made through Friendship Force? Think about the first time you connected with a new friend as a Host in your home or as an Ambassador to another country. Weren t you amazed at how language was no barrier? You could laugh and even cry at the same things. It was easy to rejoice in each other s company until that day when it was time to say goodbye. Don t you wish you could sit for a cup of tea or a glass of wine together now? Will you help? Think of that very special friend you would love to see once again and send them a short and personal invitation , along with a link to the Peaks To Plains brochure. The tri-fold brochure can be found at click on Exchanges. It includes Coordinating Exchange Director Kay Thomas s contact, and more information about the 21 days, with a special Peaks To Plains Ambassador Application and a day-by-day itinerary. Spaces are filling quickly. Please invite and encourage your best Friendship Force Friends to come sample our entire glorious region from September 9-29, Dec 2015 Page 5

AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE TO FRANCE by Rosalie Bentzin and Mike Summers Do you remember the old song, I love Paris in the Springtime I love Paris in the Fall?

Laurie Ann Scott, the Lincoln, NE exchange director! Yes, there were openings for my son, Michael, and myself!

Our hotel was located in the La Défense area, Paris's own skyscraper business district, near La Grande Arche, which commemorates 200 years of the French Revolution.

6 AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE TO FRANCE by Rosalie Bentzin and Mike Summers Do you remember the old song, I love Paris in the Springtime I love Paris in the Fall? When I saw the FF notice of a France travel opportunity in September, visiting Paris, Normandy, and the Loire Valley, as well as Claude Monet's Giverny home and wineries, I couldn't wait to call Laurie Ann Scott, the Lincoln, NE exchange director! Yes, there were openings for my son, Michael, and myself! Yes, we could join the group that included 30 members from the US and Canada, including 7 from Colorado! We left September 17 for five days in Paris. Our hotel was located in the La Défense area, Paris's own skyscraper business district, near La Grande Arche, which commemorates 200 years of the French Revolution. There was so much beauty to see, and so little time! With Mike as our personal, experienced Metro guide, we put on our running shoes and made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower, enjoying the traditional "at the top" champagne to celebrate Gustave Eiffel's 1891 creation. We toured the incredible Louvre Art Museum built in the 1600's as a home for French kings, and now, 400 years later, Europe's oldest and greatest museum and toured Paris s oldest (12th century) and most beloved cathedral, Notre Dame, with towers and gargoyles, and tons of happy tourists. Would you believe that you can walk on the Champs-Élysées and buy fresh made crêpes from a fashionable, black-tie food cart?? Ahhh, Paris! From Paris, we boarded our bus to begin the Normandy/ D-Day history experience. Our first stop was Caen, which was almost totally destroyed by the Germans in the 1940's. It now houses a very large memorial museum honoring the D-Day liberators from the USA, the UK and Canada, and has over 630,000 visitors per year. The next day, we visited Sainte-Mère-Église, where the 101st Airborne Parachute "Liberation" (as they call it), is re-enacted each year. An airborne parachutist replica memorial still hangs from the church steeple! We walked on Omaha Beach to view the German bunkers that had their guns aimed out to sea at the 100,000 men who landed there on June 6, 1944, and viewed the remnants of Churchill's amazing improvised breakwater harbor which enabled tanks and trucks to land on the beach. We visited the American Cemetery, just above Omaha Beach, where over 9,000 US men and women are buried. It is visited by thousands of visitors, each year. We ended our time in Normandy at Mont Saint-Michel, a well-known monastery from sixth century, which is surrounded by water at high tide. We concluded our France visit with wine tastings and chateau visits in the Loire Vallley. The vines of the Cabernet Franc grape at Chateau de Minière, were ripe and plump and being picked during our visit. On our last day, we enjoyed a stroll around Claude Monet's home and gardens at Giverny. The gardens were magical, just like his art. What a thrill to actually see his famous water lilies! A little travel tip: Did you know a bottle or two of French wine fits neatly inside your luggage? Dec 2015 Page 6

LATEST UPDATE FROM THE MUNCHIES 13 intrepid members of the Munch Lunch Bunch ignored the snow and met for lunch on Veteran s Day at Charcoal Restaurant in Denver.

salmon, cheese, and Cobb salads, butternut soup, burgers, Swedish meatballs we learned more about each other (which is one of the main reasons for lunching together).

Or perhaps you are wondering why Sandy Villarreal sees art work in the mixings of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was indeed another fun outing.

Stay tuned later for time and place. Thanks to all of those who helped make MLB a success by their support and presence.

7 LATEST UPDATE FROM THE MUNCHIES 13 intrepid members of the Munch Lunch Bunch ignored the snow and met for lunch on Veteran s Day at Charcoal Restaurant in Denver. We were even given our own private dining room (perhaps the restaurant knew what a loud bunch we can be!). Over a variety of lunch choices e.g. salmon, cheese, and Cobb salads, butternut soup, burgers, Swedish meatballs we learned more about each other (which is one of the main reasons for lunching together). You might want to ask Grace O Connor why 58 years passed before she ordered Swedish meatballs again. Or perhaps you are wondering why Sandy Villarreal sees art work in the mixings of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was indeed another fun outing. Stay tuned for further lunch opportunities in 2016, but sadly, the 2015 MLB is now history! MUNCH LUNCH BUNCH the next outing (weather permitting) will be Tuesday, January 26 th. Stay tuned later for time and place. Thanks to all of those who helped make MLB a success by their support and presence. COMMITTEE UPDATE At our November 10th meeting we discussed the new committees to provide guidance in This is an opportunity for input and involvement in club activities, policies and administration. Sign up sheets were circulated, but you may not have been at the meeting. We still need everyone to join in with the topics that most interest them. THE 6 COMMITTEES ARE: 1. Marketing/Newsletter 2. Exchanges 3. Social Items 4. Programs for Monthly Meetings 5. Finance 6. Membership Your participation is vitally important, so sign up for any of the committees with which you d like to work. Please contact Anita Smith with your choices and she ll get you set up. The more you are involved the richer your experience and the better the club! Dec 2015 Page 7

He spoke from personal experience, because his parents, as American citizens, were impacted by the nation s hysteria and fear of invasion by Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack.

8 RE-CAP NOVEMBER PROGRAM by Luree Miller WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE JAPANESE-AMERICAN DURING WWII? That was the question that our guest speaker, Henry Hank Wyeno, addressed at the November 10 th club meeting. It was a time of both great historical importance as well as deep national sadness. He spoke from personal experience, because his parents, as American citizens, were impacted by the nation s hysteria and fear of invasion by Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack. President Roosevelt s executive order 9066 stripped all citizens of Japanese ancestry of their civil rights. FBI searches were followed by confiscation of homes and personal items like cameras, radios, and weapons. Racial slurs, suspicions of loyalties, and denial of access to movie houses, restaurants, and barber shops were only the beginning of their immense, frightening and bewildering challenges. Internment camps, 10 of them (including one at Amache in SE Colorado), were established in inhospitable regions of the country, to both house and guard our own Japanese-American citizens from 1942 to And over 2/3 of those evacuated were US citizens by birthright or, in Japanese, Nisei persons of Japanese descent but born and educated in either the United States or Canada. The camps were encircled by barbed wire with guard towers, and the barracks were un-insulated against winter cold and summer heat (America s version of concentration camps). Even those drafted prior to Pearl Harbor were suddenly classified as enemy aliens unless they declared they were no longer in allegiance with the Emperor of Japan. While serving in the military, these soldiers were only allowed to visit their families for one hour, in guest cottages with armed guards present. In 1988, the US finally attempted to make amends for this dark point in our nation s history by providing $20,000 to each survivor. Mr. Wyeno began the program with a Woody Guthrie song This Land is Your Land and ended it with a Lee Greenwood song I m Proud to be an American. Appropriate book ends to a stimulating, historically significant, even if occasionally disquieting, program that we were all privileged to hear. WELCOME TO NEW MEMBER TRAUDEL FLETCHER Hallo, my name is Traudel Fletcher. Dave Bentzin introduced me to Friendship Force, and I decided to join in September. I was born and raised in Germany and came to the United States in For the first 15 years I lived in Florida and moved to Denver in I am divorced, and semi retired, having worked as a medical transcriptionist and editor for different hospitals, right now part time for National Jewish. I have 3 children, one son and one daughter here in Denver, and one daughter in North Carolina. There are 7 grandchildren, 6 in Denver, and one in North Carolina, ranging in age from 10 to 23. I love to travel and have traveled mostly in Europe, but also have been to Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Mexico. Hobbies include bridge, theater, golf, hiking, reading, music, dinner parties, wine tasting and spending time with family and friends. I just home hosted two ladies from Lubeck, Germany during the Adelaide exchange and found the experience exciting and rewarding, and look forward to participating in an exchange myself sometime soon S. Grant St., Centennial CO h c traud67sem@yahoo.com Dec 2015 Page 8

9 THE FRIENDSHIP FORCE OF DENVER Membership Form September, 2015 December, 2016 Membership dues for 2016 (includes FFI dues and one free name badge for each new member) Individual Membership $40 or Household Membership $60 Printed & Mailed Newsletters $15 Add l Name Badges $10 each Total Enclosed $ $ (All members residing at the same address) $ (No charge for ed Newsletter) $ (Complete Name Badge section below) $ Payable to Friendship Force Denver Members: Last Name First Name Middle Name Address Last Name First Name Middle Name Address Please list additional household members on the back of this form and check this box. Home Address City, State, Zip Home Phone ( ) Cell Phone ( ) Cell Phone ( ) It takes a lot of people to keep all of our club s activities running smoothly. So please indicate how you would like to participate in Friendship Force Denver - please check all that apply: Inbound Exchange Director Outbound Exchange Director Exchange Home Host FFD Board Member in 2017 FFD Club Officer in 2017 Social & Program Team Membership Team Newsletter Team Website Team Refreshments Team Facilities & A/V Team Help as Needed Please bring your completed form and check to the FFD Meeting, or mail them to: Sandy Villarreal 7643 E. Princeton Ave Denver CO Contact: svillar39@comcast.net NAME BADGES: One free for each New Member. All others are $10 each. The name on your FFD name badge will appear exactly as you PRINT it below: Magnet Back or First Name or Nickname Last Name Magnet Back or First Name or Nickname Last Name Please list additional name badge requests on the back of this form and check this box. Pin Back Pin Back Nov 2015 Page 9

10 FRIENDSHIP FORCE DENVER MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY ADDENDUM, DECEMBER, 2015 NEW MEMBERS Cooper, Jeanne S Silver Mesa Drive Highlands Ranch CO Greiner, Janet and Hanson, Charles 709 Clarkson St., Denver CO Greiner, Jeffery 709 Clarkson St., Denver CO Fletcher, Traudel K S. Grant St., Centennial CO h c traud67sem@yahoo.com Hanson, Charles and Greiner, Janet 709 Clarkson St., Denver CO janetgzang@yahoo.com Hall, Christine 161 Stanley Circle Dr., Estes Park CO h c christinehallep@aol.com Bentzin, Dave Remove home phone Use c Coriell, Bill and Carol Cell Giles, John and Linda Cell Greiner, Rod 8585 W. Dakota Ave. Lakewood CO c CHANGES Lawton, Nancy 5127 Hidden Springs Road Fort Collins CO nancylawton@aol.com c Lustig, Linda and Jim Jimlinda43@outlook.com Stone, Jim Home phone Millvan, Jocelyn 2855 Champa St. Denver CO jocelynmillvan@gmail.com Murley, Pamela R E. Dickinson Dr., Unit D Aurora CO prmurley@yahoo.com Turpin, Petra 9816 W. Freiburg Dr., Unit F Littleton CO petra579@comcast.net

11 NOVEMBER MEETING RECAP Hank Wyeno shared his experience being Japanese in America during World War II. Summary on page 8. Guests: Mary Jean Jencsole Cooper (friend of Carol Rush) Jan & Tom Keyton (referred by friend) Jeanne Cooper, guest of Christine Hall MEMBER NEWS WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS Cooper, Jeanne S Silver Mesa Drive, Unit B Highlands Ranch CO jeannecoper@att.net Hall, Christine 161 Stanley Circle Dr., Estes Park CO h c christinehallep@aol.com Save the Date NEW DIRECTIONS 2016 Rocky Mountain Regional Conference Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14, 2016 Grand Junction, Colorado For complete information, access the registration form on our website at There will also be forms available at the meeting. CALENDAR BOARD MEETING* DEC 1 Tuesday, 6:30 8:30 PM SHREK THE MUSICAL DEC 6 Littleton Town Hall, details on page NEW YEAR S DAY OPEN HOUSE JAN 1 Friday, 2:00 5:00 PM The home of Mary Lou Bennington See page 3 for details BOARD MEETING* JAN 5 Tuesday, 6:30 8:30 PM JANUARY PROGRAM JAN 12 Tuesday, 7:00 9:00 PM Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, Cindy Tanner MUNCH LUNCH BUNCH JAN 26 Location and time TBD BOARD MEETING* FEB 2 Tuesday, 6:30 8:30 PM FEBRUARY PROGRAM FEB 9 Tuesday, 7:00 9:00 PM TBD WORLD FRIENDSHIP DAY MAR 1 BOARD MEETING* MAR 1 Tuesday, 6:30 8:30 PM MARCH PROGRAM MAR 8 Tuesday, 7:00 9:00 PM TBD *Board meetings are held in the Perrin Room at Englewood Library, unless otherwise announced. All members are welcome. Membership Renewal It s that time again! The 2016 membership renewal form can be found on page 10. There are several changes in the form. The family membership is changed to Household Membership, meaning living at the same address. In a new section, you have the opportunity to let the board know which committees you would like to work with. It is OK to mark more than one. If you want to let us know your first choice, underline that one. The objective is to have a lot of people, each doing a very little bit of work, but participating in the workings of the club. Bring it with you to the meeting or mail it as instructed. If you have questions about any of the committees, please ask any board member. Dec 2015 Page 11

THANK YOU TO THE 2015 BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS President President-Elect Secretary Treasurer Past President Director Director Director Director Anita Smith Carl

Morrison SOCIAL and PROGRAM TEAM: The Board of Directors WEBSITE TEAM: Craig Fagerness and Jim Robinson REFRESHMENT TEAM: Mary Lou Bennington, Craig Fagerness, Joanne

12 THANK YOU TO THE 2015 BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS President President-Elect Secretary Treasurer Past President Director Director Director Director Anita Smith Carl Dawson Luree Miller Les Eckstat Nancy Lawton Linda Lustig Harrison Cochran Jack Green Scott Miller MEMBERSHIP TEAM: Membership Records and Roster, Sandy Villarreal; New Member Mentoring, Linda Lustig; Membership Directory, Peggy Morrison and Carol Coriell NEWSLETTER TEAM: Editor, Carol Coriell; Distribution, Jim Robinson; Print Distribution, Mike Summers; Member News, Donna Robinson; New Member Contact, Linda Lustig; Proof Readers, Anita Smith, Jim Robinson, Dave Bentzin, Peggy Morrison SOCIAL and PROGRAM TEAM: The Board of Directors WEBSITE TEAM: Craig Fagerness and Jim Robinson REFRESHMENT TEAM: Mary Lou Bennington, Craig Fagerness, Joanne Johnson, Donna Robinson FACILITIES AND AV: Jim Robinson HISTORIAN: Bill Coriell FRIENDSHIP FORCE DENVER Carol Coriell, Newsletter Editor 7900 W. Layton Ave., #846 Littleton CO 80123

ROCKY MOUNTAINHIGH Taking Friendship to New Heights

ly 13 our annual picnic at Cindy & Mike Tanner s August is a down time in club activities Join us to hear Carl and Lynn Dawson sharing ROCKY MOUNTAINHIGH Taking Friendship to New Heights www.friendshipforcedenver.org