Friends Connection Friendship Force of Sarasota

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1 Friends Connection Friendship Force of Sarasota September, 2009 Volume 20, No.7 President: Katy Goodwin Editor: Nancy Rehbock Vice Pres: Mary Brugger Historian: Betty Kuhns Secretary: Judi Stratton Assoc. Hist: Gary Kuhns Treasurer: Bob Burke Sister Cities: Terry Neuss Publicity: Gloria Grenier Sunshine: Colleen Stoller Membership: Bob & Connie Bergin Social: Bobbie & Jay Jabas Bonnie Frey, Rae Aloisio Peggy Otten, Mary Brand Web Master: Linda Vendeland Darlene Beachley, Sonny Spiker Directory: Bob Bergin President s Message May I welcome you all back to a Florida Fall and a FF calendar filled with special events. I hope each of you enjoyed your summer respite and had a chance to relax, unwind and rejuvenate. It seems like a long time since we enjoyed our International Pot-Luck dinner meeting in June, learned about our Sun City neighbors in July, and delighted in our exchange to Calgary and those beautiful mountains and cool weather in August. Now it s time to celebrate our 20 th Anniversary with a gala catered dinner, 50/50 raffle and special program at the Whispering Sands Club House on Sunday, September 27. Please send your $20 per person check to Wayne Peterson to reserve your spot. Read all about it in this newsletter! On October the 2009 All Florida Conference will be held in Mount Dora hosted by the FF of Central Florida. All FF members are invited to attend. Again, read all about it in this newsletter! From November 9-13 our FF club is assisting the Sarasota Sister Cities Program by providing drivers for high school students visiting from Perpignan, France. See Terry Neuss to volunteer and receive more information. See Gloria Grenier to purchase raffle tickets on a weeks stay in a home in Hastings, England. The raffle helps to support the exchange. Also in November we plan to have an incoming domestic exchange from Minnesota highlighted with our annual Harvest Dinner at Troyer s Dutch Heritage on Thursday, November 19. See Wayne Peterson, ED for plans. And before we know it, it will be time for our annual Holiday Dinner. This will be on Thursday, December 10 at Stoneybrook Country Club. So put these dates on your calendar and get ready for a fun filled fall! See you at the Anniversary Party!! Katy Calendar of Events**more info inside September th Anniversary Party and General Meeting** October 5 Board Meeting at home of Katy Goodwin October 13 Belgium/Germany Meeting at Helga Ponischil s October 15 General Meeting at Selby Library 6p October All-Florida Conference** f November 9 Board Meeting at home of Dick & Nancy Rehbock November 9-13 Driving Assist for Sister Cities November FF Club of Minnesota** November 19 Dinner Meeting at Dutch Heritage Restaurant 5:30p SAVE THE DATE! More info next month.

2 to our new members and please add them to your FF directories. 1. Richard and Barbara Welch 957 Cayman Ave. E. Venice, FL Ron Cota 5322 Everwood Run, Sarasota, FL Steve and Sandy Levine 3900 Glen Oaks Manor Dr. Sarasota, FL Did You Know The FFI International Conference scheduled for November 2009 was cancelled because of lack of registrations. The 2010 International Conference will be held in Washington, DC, October 15-18, FFI asked us if we would like to host an inbound exchange from Kenya/Burundi in October, Your president graciously refused the invitation. Gloria Grenier will be the ED for our inbound International Exchange from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in November, Exchanges Inbound FF Twin Cities Club of Minnesota November Our next Domestic Inbound Exchange will be November 16 thru 21, The Exchange is with the Twin Cities club of Minnesota. The Minnesota club is currently determining if they have enough committed members (at least 14) to make this a viable exchange. As soon as we are notified that they have that commitment, we will put together the needed committee leaders. The Farewell Dinner for this exchange will be a part of our Harvest Dinner on November 19 at Troyer s Dutch Heritage. The Minnesota ambassadors will leave on the morning of November 21. More to follow, Wayne Peterson, Exchange Director. Outbound Baton Rouge, Louisiana February 11-15, 2010 Lucky us! We've been invited to Baton Rouge during Mardi Gras. They had such a good time here that they want to respond with their best. Here's what's current. It may/will change as it gets closer. The dates are from the 11th of Feb to the 15th. That's Thurs to Monday. Tentative schedule is to arrive on Thurs aft or early evening, Fri to tour the area and have a welcome dinner that night. Sat is the BR Mardi Gras celebration with parade and festivities. Dinner out with music and dancing would follow and Sunday into New Orleans for the parades. One of their members has an apt in the French Quarter that he will open to us. That means we have a quiet place to rest and a bathroom for which we don't have to vie with crowds of other people. Monday we depart unless we make some arrangement with individual hosts to stay and go into N O again for the Orpheus parade. They can accommodate at least 16 people and possibly more when they talk to the members who are away on vacation. There is no cost yet, but domestic exchanges-- especially when you can drive to them--are always reasonable. If you are interested, please contact Reeta Dean at or reetad@webtv.net

3 Belgian Coast, Belgium and Halle-Salle, Germany April, 2010 The exchange is going to start with Belgium from April 17 to APRIL 23. We will be visiting the flower show " ( florales de Ghent ) which is held only every 4 years. I was told that the cost for this visit is about Euros. We probably also visit Bruge which is very near and whatever else the club plans for us. They have told me that they can only host 20 people. On April 23, we leave for Halle Germany by train via Berlin. The trip is probably about 10 hrs long, but the trains are certainly very comfortable and fast. While there I expect a visit to Dresden and poss. Leipzig and whatever else the Halle Club plans for us. We would fly out of Leipzig April 30 and arrive back in the US the same day. Some of our members have also told me that they would like to see the beautiful tulips, fields and fields of them in Holland, a sight never to be forgotten. We are very near to Holland and also at the right time of the colorful flower extravaganza. If a majority would like to take a side trip we would leave 2 or3 days earlier, stay in a hotel in Amsterdam and arrange for a tour, possibly also visit Zaanse Schans, a windmill village and arrange a tour of Amsterdam. About the costs:( very preliminary ) Air travel poss about $ , leave from Sarasota to Philadelphia to Amsterdam or Brussels, return from Leipzig to the States. Train fare about $ Fees to each club to be determined Poss Amsterdam hotel - $ per person per night Poss tour in Holland - $ plus. I have arranged for a meeting for all people interested in this exchange on Tuesday, October 13th at 7PM in the Tower Lounge of Whispering Sands, I am on vacation in Germany and Holland all of September into October and will explore if we can find reasonable costs in Europe. I am also in touch with both exchange persons in Belgium and Germany, will visit with Gudrun in Halle. Your Happy Exchange Person, Helga Ponischil All Florida Conference, October This year s conference will be hosted by the Friendship Force of Central Florida and be held in the Mount Dora area. For specific information and a Registration Form, please consult the last two pages of this newsletter Calgary, Alberta, Canada Exchange The Calgary Exchange was a huge success. The pre-exchange bus tour of the Canadian Rockies was special and awesome. What a beautiful part of the world. The Calgary Friendship Force members made all of us feel at home and had a busy week planned for us exploring their beautiful city. We had a great time at the farewell party being branded and playing circus clowns. You had to be there. Thanks to our 26 Ambassadors for making our job easy and special. Also, a special thanks to Bob and CeCe O Connor for their hard work preparing our program for the farewell party. Jack and Linda Vendeland, EDs

4 20 Years-Time to Celebrate What: Sarasota Friendship Force Club s 20 th Anniversary When: Sunday, September 27 th Send in you check today Where: Whispering Sands Club House- 4:00 PM Details o Catered Dinner---$20 per person A Half Cornish Hen stuffed Vegetables, Salad and Dessert Vegetarian: Three cheese pasta, vegetables, Salad and Dessert Cold drinks and coffee ---BYOB o 50/50 raffle Many surprises Great memories Special program Please indicate if you want the Vegetarian selection. Otherwise the Cornish Hen will be ordered. If you have sent your check in and need to change your order please call Barbara Your check is your reservation. Make it out to Wayne Peterson, $20 per person and send to 4427 Opal Court, Sarasota, FL Due date Sat, Sept 19. See you there!

5 hosts 2009 All Florida Conference Changing the Way You See the World in beautiful downtown Mount Dora located in Lake County Friday, October 16 at 5pm-8pm at Eustis Elks Lodge (driving instruction to be provided at a later date) Meet and greet new friends from other Florida FF clubs over dinner and International Costume Parade w/prizes Saturday, October 17 at 8:30am-3:30pm at Mt. Dora Yacht Club (driving instruction to be provided at a later date) 2009 All Florida Conference Changing the Way You See the World Registration Fees: Full registration includes Friday night dinner plus Saturday conference and lunch $50.00 Friday night dinner only with tax and gratuity $30.00 Saturday Conference only with box lunch $25.00

6 2009 All Florida Friendship Force Conference Oct.16/17, 2009 CHANGING THE WAY YOU SEE THE WORLD Pre-Conference dinner and Int l Costume Fashion Show on Fri, Oct. 16 at 5pm-8pm Conference at the Mount Dora Yacht Club on Sat., Oct. 17 at 8:30am-3:30pm REGISTRATION FORM (DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: September 15, 2009) NAME(s) to appear on name tag ( please print) Address /Tel Name of Your FF Club Would you like a homestay on Friday, Oct. 16? Yes or No Prefer to make my own reservations in hotel. Note: We can offer only a limited number of homestays on a first-come first-served basis. The Mount Dora New Hampton Inn offers $ per night for a single or double room, including hot breakfast, free wireless internet, refrigerator and microwave oven. Please call HAMPTON for reservations. Group discount applies for more than ten rooms reserved. DO YOU PLAN TO ATTEND FRIDAY S 5PM DINNER and INTERNATIONAL COSTUME PARADE? Yes WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COSTUME PARADE? Yes It will be held at the Eustis Elks Lodge at 2540 Dora Ave., Tavares, FL 32778, Tel: (352) PLEASE SELECT YOUR MEAL PREFERENCES if you plan to attend the dinner on Friday Breast of Chicken over Pasta Number Prime Rib of Beef Number PLEASE SELECT YOUR LUNCH-BOX PREFERENCES for lunch on Saturday to be held at the Mount Dora Yacht Club at 351 West 4tg Avenue, Mount Dora, FL 32757, Tel: (352) Chicken Caesar Sandwich Yes w/soft drink Yes w/water How many Roast Beef Sandwich Yes w/soft drink Yes w/water How many Tuna Salad Sandwich Yes w/soft drink Yes w/water How many * All sandwiches will come with pasta salad, fresh fruit, chips, soda or water, and brownie or cookie of the day. REGISTRATION FEES: (DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR REGISTRATION FEES IS SEPTEMBER 15, 2009). Full registration includes Friday night dinner, Saturday conference and lunch. $50.00 Friday night dinner only which includes tax and gratuity $30.00 Saturday Conference only, includes lunch $25.00 Please return this form with your check payable to Friendship Force Central Florida to Bill Carey, 611 W. Ocala St., Umatilla, FL prior to September 15 th, 2009