Friendship Connections

Transcription

1 Friendship Connections The Friendship Force of Oregon s Mid-Willamette Valley January 2016 JANUARY 10 GATHERING BY JUANITA WEIGEL Our next meeting will be held at the Albany Public Library at 2pm on January 10, The location is at th Ave SE in Albany. The agenda will include our actual January Board Meeting. This will give everyone more of an idea of how the business part of our organization is run. And it will give members a chance to participate in the meeting. After the board meeting we will be installing the new officers for 2016 and saying goodbye to the 2015 officers. Members with the last name starting with M to Z will bring finger foods but no beverage will be furnished, so bring your own! Save the Date! April will be the PNW/NR Regional Conference in Olympia, Washington. More information and registration material will be available soon. MEG BY MARY ELLEN LIND Meet, Eat, Get acquainted in the New Year! The purpose of this gathering is for new Mid-Willamette Valley members and long-standing members to socialize while they enjoy lunch together. We have rotated the location of the MEG lunches to different cities trying to make it convenient for some, and hoping that others are willing to drive a distance. Our next gathering will be at the SANTIAM RESTAURANT, located at Linn-Benton Community College. Students in the Culinary Arts program will serve an elegant lunch that is both delicious and low cost. The date is Thursday, January 21 st at 11:30 a.m. The LBCC campus is at 6500 Pacific Boulevard, SW, Albany. Turn off Pacific Blvd (Hwy 99E) at the main entrance onto Allen Lane and into the first parking lot. Go into the Calapooia building straight ahead of the parking lot the building on the East side of campus. Inside the door you will see signs to the Santiam Restaurant on the second floor. You can either take the stairs or walk ahead to the elevator. The restaurant can seat 14 persons in a group. Please RSVP by January 18 th to Mary Ellen Lind (melind@peak.org) ph or to Chris Duval (duval15@comcast.net) ph Hope to see you there! 1 P a g e

2 C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S JANUARY 10, 2:00 PM GATHERING ALBANY PUBLIC LIBRARY, TH AVE SE, ALBANY S U N S H I N E N EWS Contact Sue Stein, , with news. PRESIDENT S UPDATE BY JUANITA WEIGEL In December we had a meal at Pings in Albany where I am sure everyone got plenty to eat as we had leftovers. We had a show of hands of who would like to visit Pennsylvania in 2016 for a domestic exchange and we had a good showing so now we wait to see if it is a go with Atlanta and the Pennsylvania club. Atlanta informed us that so far our club and its members have donated $3,435 towards the I M IN campaign for the new database and website. This is the highest donation from any club so thanks to our members for their support of FFI and we have more to come from our Friendship Shared events in Why is travel with the Friendship Force called an Exchange? The word exchange comes from our organization s early history when communities would actually exchange large delegations of citizen ambassadors. In some cases there were several hundred people traveling in each direction. We still use the word exchange to emphasize the cultural exchange that takes place when you become a temporary citizen for a few days, through our home hospitality program. We think this gets you straight to the heart of a country and its people. We hope that we have good ideas from the floor during our board meeting on the 10 th but we have to remember to keep all suggestions short or the meeting will last longer than it should. Bring your ideas of what you would like to see our club do in the future and where we want to head. By our January meeting we will have our holidays behind us and ready to get down to work for I appreciate all the help that I have received during my term this year. Whenever I asked for volunteers someone always stepped up to help me. The only time I had problems with anyone stepping up was when I was asking people to be officers but with enough arm twisting we got John to volunteer to be President for Thanks, John Wolcott for volunteering. I hope when John ask for help in 2016 everyone will step up and say yes, as it makes the job of being President so much easier. It was my pleasure to serve as your President during 2015 and I look forward to supporting the work of the new board members in Juanita Friendship Force Pledge As a member of the Friendship Force, I recognize that I can make a difference. I recognize 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 will be watching me. I know that through my example to my fellow citizens and the people of other nations, the cause of friendship, love and peace can be furthered. I can make a difference. This Issue of Connections, and more information about our club, may be found on our website: Contact us at: fforegon@comcast.net or PO Box 1703, Albany, Oregon P a g e

3 FFI World Conference 2016: Marrakesh, Morocco September (arrival and registration on Sep 15) Conference Highlights: Join us for our very first FFI World Conference in Africa! - We ve extended the conference allowing more time with friends and more opportunities to explore beautiful Marrakesh - Centrally-located accommodations at the Kenzi Farah hotel with its cooling pools and traditional hammam, nestled in 3 hectares of lush palm groves - Meet FFI s new President and CEO, Jeremi Snook, at his inaugural conference - Learn what other clubs are doing with Friendship Force global club updates - Expand your Friendship Force knowledge in a variety of workshops, interactive presentations and leadership training - Exchange ideas with friends from around the world to build a bright future - Enjoy delightful music and dance performances, representing the different regions and traditions of Morocco - Learn to cook a traditional tagine or how to make argan oil; try a morning belly-dancing class - A sumptuous Moroccan feast in the 11th century Medina on our optional evening out - Travel the world all in one night at our World Bazaar, under the stars in the hotel gardens - Optional half day tours include navigating the maze of souks and the lively Medina, horse drawn carriage rides through Marrakesh s impressive gardens, watching the sunrise from a hot-air balloon, a historical journey through the old city and her monuments, 18 holes for the golf enthusiast, riding a mule up to a stunning perched lunch spot in the Atlas mountains, and - for the adventurous - a chance to zip line across a 700 foot gorge! - FFI s traditional World of Friends gala banquet - High-profile keynote speaker: Muslim Women in a Changing and Emerging Morocco - Join an exciting pre- and/or post-conference tour around Morocco - Participate in a post-conference homestay tour program courtesy of The Friendship Force in Morocco Conference registration opens in January! 3 P a g e

4 FRIENDSHIP SHARED BY VAN NICHOLS Six Friendship Shared events have been scheduled. Three are already filled. More hosts are welcome. Sign up for the following: Juanita and Lloyd Weigel are hosting a BBQ on Saturday February 13, 2016 at 5:00 pm. There are still spots available. Cost: $25 each. Sharon Harr is hosting an Origami event Saturday, March 5 th 12:30-3:30. Coffee/tea and dessert will be served. She will provide all the materials and instruction for the construction of an origami box. Cost: $25. John and Ruth Wyse are hosting Dining at the Ritz, March 12 at 5:00 pm. Cost $25 each. Filled events: Ted and Rita Powell are hosting a Solidaritie Franc Dîner Friday, Jan. 29 th. Filled. Kathy Butler and Marilyn Peterson will host a Pacific Northwest Salmon Dinner on Saturday, Jan.16. Filled. Van Nichols is hosting a seafood dinner March 26 th. Guests are asked to provide up to 15 photos showing their life in the years before FFI. Filled. Please let Van Nichols know if you would like to take part in these events or if you are willing to host an event. Van s number is: P a g e

5 E X C H A N G E S A N D C O N F E R E N C E S 2016 CONFERENCES: April 14-16, PNW/NR Regional Conference, Olympia, Washington September 15-19: World Conference, Marrakesh, Morocco 2016 INBOUND: June 16-22: Hsinchu, Taiwan July 19-25: Oklahoma with Missoula, Montana possibly joining the exchange 2016 OUTBOUND: August 24-September 8: Brasov, Romania Our club is on Facebook. Please LIKE us at: The Friendship Force of Oregon s Mid-Willamette Valley. Membership Application or Renewal Annual dues cover the cost of the monthly newsletter and expenses for exchanges and activities of the Friendship Force of Oregon s Mid- Willamette Valley, as well as membership in Friendship Force International, which provides discounted prices on exchange travel and other benefits. Memberships expire on December 31, Please PRINT clearly. Annual dues: Individual: $27.00 Couple: $50 This is a NEW or a RENEWAL Application Deadline for January Friendship Connections is January 20. Send copy to duval15@comcast.net Thanks! Name: Name: Address: City: State ZIP Dues enclosed: ($27.00 individual or $50.00 per couple) $ Phone: Cell: Mail To: Friendship Force, PO Box 1703, Albany, OR P a g e

6 Board of Directors 2016 Officers: President: John Wolcott Vice Presidents: Shirley Karstens Kathy Butler Secretary: Nancye Ballard Treasurer: Van Nichols Past President: Juanita Weigel Standing Committee Chairmen: Newsletter: Chris Duval Website: Marilyn Peterson Membership Out-reach: Caye Poe (Communications) John Francis Membership: Kathy Butler Barb Callner Merchandise/Inventory: Rita Powell Sunshine: Sue Stein Historian: Kathy Butler Archivist: Rosella Workinger Exchange Coordinator: Pat Byers Exchange Treasurer: Bun Doerfler Friendship Shared: Van Nichols Exchange Directors Outbound: September, 2016 Brasov, Romania EDs Rita Powell and Marilyn Peterson; Intern Trisha Thompson Exchange Directors Inbound: June, 2016 Hsinchu, Taiwan ED TBD If you are interested in being ED for this exchange, contact Pat Byers July 2016 Oklahoma EDs Kathy Butler & Shirley Karstens; Intern Sharon Harr 6 P a g e