FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 CIRCLE OF FRIENDS President’s Message Dear Members, Through this seemingly never-ending and brutal winter, the friendship, caring and sharing of our FFN Club members has been even more treasured than usual. We were all filled with shock and mourning at the news that charter member Bob Palmer passed away suddenly. He will be so very missed by all of us. Our deepest sympathy goes to Gerri, and we hope that she will count on FFN members to help her in the difficult times ahead. Dates to Remember !Apr. 2 Blue Mountain, Brisbane Exchange begins !There are so many activities underway for FFN this year – it’s mind-boggling for !Apr. 15 - 7:15 me as President to keep track of everything. We’ve already had 2 socials. The International Dinner and Silent Auction was great fun with lots of delicious, interesting food, and Wally’s and Mort’s efforts to sell the bid-less auction items were hilarious. Our thanks go to Anne Adam and the whole Social and Fundraising Committee for setting up this annual event for us to enjoy together. FFN Membership Meeting !May 3 Olympia Exchange begins !Members are already on their way to Australia for Exchanges with FF Brisbane ! and FF Blue Mountains. Our Ambassadors for the May 3-10 Exchange to FF May 20 Olympia Washington will be leaving soon. EDs Elaine & Rudy Reimer are FFN Board Meeting looking forward to starting the detailed planning for the Exchange to FF ! May 27 Blumenau Brazil in November. at Fairview !Planning for our three Inbound Exchanges is well underway. Thirteen Bowling Lanes ambassadors from FF Central Israel will be arriving June 12. Twelve (or more) ! June 12 FF Lake Hartwell Ambassadors are coming Sept. 5, and twenty-four (or more) FF San Diego Ambassadors will join us Sept. 24. There will be many opportunities for our members to participate in the enjoyable activities planned for these Exchanges. !The Travel Committee has been working on selecting destinations for our Outbounds in 2016. So many terrific ideas were suggested and investigated that it was difficult to narrow the choices down to a manageable number. They will present their recommendations at the April 15th meeting, and we will vote on them at the June 24th meeting. FFCentral Israel arrives !June 24- 7:15 FFN Membership Meeting !June 24 Exchange Request Forms due !Everyone will shortly be receiving your personalized 2015 Outbound Exchange ! Request Form to indicate your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices for Exchanges next year to go to Utah-Las Vegas in April, Riga Latvia in July or Morocco in November. Please print, complete, and return your form at the April or June meeting or mail it to me to arrive before June 24th. The Ambassador Selection Committee will prepare the Outbound Exchange lists and notify everyone as soon as possible after that. PAGE !1 FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 At the March Board meeting, Linda Holmes was appointed Inbound ED for the 2015 Exchange from Baton Rouge, and Lothar Dahlke was appointed Outbound ED for the 2015 Exchange to Morocco, based on our new policy for accepting ED volunteers as soon as possible to facilitate earlier coordination with the other FF Club. !We are also updating the FFN website, preparing an FFN video to present at the FF Canadian Conference Sept 18-19 in Edmonton, reviewing the need for FFN Liability insurance, and planning more Socials, as well as continuing all the other activities that keep everything running smoothly. Whenever Spring finally arrives – and hopefully it will be soon - we will all enjoy the wonderful weather! I’m looking forward to seeing you April 15th at our Members’ Meeting. !In Friendship, Martha Abra Bob Palmer We were all so sad to hear about Bob Palmer’s death. !Dave Stares wrote a beautiful letter summing up the feelings that many of us share. I would like to quote some of his message. !“The things that I am missing are common to all who knew you, Bob. Your warmth, your friendliness, your hospitality, your ability to think well of everyone with never a negative word. I hold dear the artwork that you gave to me with a shy smile and a small pun to go with it. I will miss the love which you and Gerri shared. It was lovely to see such a wonderful closeness. I will miss your dinners for ten or six or four or for as many as happened to appear. The meal was prepared as well as food in any elite eating place. You were the perfect host and I will miss that. I will also miss your attitude toward life- adventurous, spontaneous and always expecting the best from people. I will miss your astute travel planning and financial advice on shared trips. I’ll remember the close relationships you and Gerri made with everyone you came in contact with. Your voice, your mannerisms and especially your silly puns as well as your sage advice at meetings was at once instructive and humorous These things I will miss and always remember about you Bob.” !Bob’s memory will live on as we follow the example he provided for being a good host, a gracious ambassador and a savvy traveller. !You will be in our minds often, Bob. PAGE !2 FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 1st Vice President Our Inbound exchanges for 2015 have been confirmed and the Board has accepted Linda Holmes’ request to be the ED for Baton Rouge. !We are looking for two more Inbound EDs: one for Sapporo Japan in September and one for Cedar Rapids in October. !Please seriously consider one of these leadership opportunities! Contact Martha or me when you have decided to volunteer for one of these positions. !Sherri Stokes, 1st VP Outbound Exchanges Olympia, Washington May 3 to 10, 2014 !All money for the Exchange has been sent to the Olympia Club. Their planning process is progressing nicely. We will soon be hearing about the matching. !Carolyn Vilim, ED Pat Billingsley, DED Blumenau, Brazil November, 2014 Proposal !Depart Toronto Nov. 3 or 4, via US city (yet to be determined) to Navegantes Airport (nearest Blumenau) with a four night stopover in Rio. In Rio, climb Sugar Loaf Mountain at 395 meters, Corcovado Peak at 704 meters (Christ the Redeemer), the hills of Tijuca at 1,021 meters with magnificent views of the bay and it’s main ports, city tour and the beaches. Are you in good shape? A possible tour to Petropolis, the Imperial Family city and/or a tropical island tour. !Seven days in Blumenau. !Bus from Blumenau to Curitiba (capital of the state, Parana) to see the beautiful Brazilian countryside. City tour to include Wire Opera House at Quarry Park, Botanical Gardens, and more, refreshments at the travel agent’s home and then back on the bus to overnight in Witmarsum – a Mennonite Colony. Check out the bus at www.imperatrizturismo.com.br. !We continue on the bus to Foz do Iguacu (Iguassu Falls) for three nights. Here we will see some of the 275 waterfalls from the Brazilian and Argentinian sides as well as Parque das Aves (Bird’s Park) , Itaipu Dam, Three Border’s Landmark, We will hike some of the many trails and a possibly take a boat ride to the base of the falls. PAGE !3 FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 Return home with flight from Foz to Sao Paulo to Toronto. Anyone wanting to do add on travel could do it from Sao Paulo. !We hope to have prices for this itinerary within the next two weeks and will call a meeting of ambassadors to explain all the details. If you decide to withdraw your name from this exchange, even if you are on the waiting list, please notify us ASAP so others on the waiting list have an opportunity to participate. They can accept 20 and we still have 33 on the list. !Rudy and Elaine Reimer, EDs Inbound Exchanges Israel, June 12, 2014 Further conversations were held in March with Emile, the Israel ED, via Skype and email. The Israel exchange will now have 13 Ambassadors. Their flight from Israel will arrive in Toronto at 4:50 pm on June 12th and they will travel on to Niagara the same day. Since they will then come directly to Niagara and will be tired after a 12 hour flight we will have their welcome party the next day. Once we receive their matching information we will be notifying our Niagara Night Hosts. Keep the night of June 17th open for the Israel exchange Farewell Dinner at the Beechwood Golf Course. The price will be $30 for a roast beef dinner. We will be collecting money from those who want to attend at the next Friendship Force Niagara meeting on April 15. Alan and Pat Mills, EDs San Diego, September 24 - October 1, 2014 Our dates are set and our visitors are presently a group of 24 but they are asking if we can take more. Our night host co-coordinator, Carol Liboiron, will call those who volunteered as soon as we have numbers and names to work with. Their Exchange Director has responded positively to the Shaw production of CABARET at 8:00 PM Sunday, September 28th. We have reserved $51.00 tickets for FFN members to purchase by June 1st (Cheque to David Dotchin ASAP). Our Farewell Dinner promises to be an outstanding affair. If time allows, we will need a show of hands, at the upcoming FFN meeting, of those planning to attend the dinner, to make the final selection of venue as price is a consideration For those who have offered, and those who would consider day hosting responsibilities, our Day-host Co-coordinator, Jacqui Taylor, will be organizing this aspect of our exchange as the day plans are firmed. Judy Yovanovich, ED Judy Troup, DED PAGE 4 ! FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 Lake Hartwell, September 5 to 12, 2014 !An enthusiastic committee met for the second time with their research done for planning the program. There are 30 seats reserved for the theatre performance of Philadelphia Story on Tuesday, September 9. This will be an all day Shaw Festival experience with a backstage tour and accent workshop in the morning, lunch and the theatre in the afternoon. The Farewell Banquet is at the Beacon on Thursday, September 11. Most of the Ambassadors will arrive by car. The number is not yet finalized. ! Barbara Wiley, ED Social Committee It is my privilege to report that the International Pot Luck Dinner and Silent Auction was another fun filled evening. Although the latter did not bring in enough money to cancel all other fundraisers we did manage to cover the cost of hall rental, liquor license and a few other miscellaneous expenses. We look forward to offering you a chance at discovering your bowling skills at Fairview Lanes on Tuesday May 27th. Since the bowling leagues will have finished by then we will see if we can reserve some lanes (both 5 and 10 pin if the interest merits it) for mid morning to be followed by lunch out. More information will be available at the April meeting. Get your “fancies” ready for the race track in July. Anne Adam Chair PAGE 5 ! FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 Travel Committee Our committee has worked hard looking a various travel options for 2016 and has prepared the following five options for you to examine. These options will be presented at the April meeting and the selection vote will take place at the June meeting. ! Karin Lampman, 2nd VP CLUB NAME Friendship Force Club HAY RIVER, NWT # OF AMBASSADORS 20 COST% % $4,500%(includes%airfare%and%all%fees)% % % DURATION 1 week plus 2 week add on tour (which includes a friendly visit with Edmonton) HIGHLIGHTS Hay River is situated on the shore of Great Slave Lake and has excellent recreational facilities, including several beaches, golf course, hiking trails, museum and public library. In the area are 3 waterfalls, one of which is higher than Niagara Falls and a 3 hour drive will take you to the Mighty Mackenzie, near Fort Providence or Wood Buffalo Park, near Fort Smith. During the summer months, visitors can enjoy 24 hours of daylight. ! The extended trip from Hay River will take you to Yellowknife, which is 400km south of the Arctic Circle and the average temperature is 20oC. From Yellowknife, the trip will take you to Inuvik, which is 2o above the Arctic Circle, nestled between the treeless tundra and the northern Boreal forest. Inuvik is the homeland of the Inuvaluit, Gwitch’n People and attests to 56 days in June, July and part of August with 24 hours of daylight and is located at the gateway to the Beaufort Sea, delta on the Mackenzie River where we will travel by boat. After leaving Inuvik we arrive at Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk), an Inuvialuit Settlement located on the Beaufort Sea where a cultural guided tour of the ice cellar and the pingos can be enjoyed. CLUB NAME Friendship Force Club EDMONTON, AB # OF AMBASSADORS 20 COST with Hay River exchange (includes airfare and all FFI fees) DURATION Friendly visit ( 3 days no FFI fee, host fee only of $50). HIGHLIGHTS Edmonton has one of the sunniest climates in Canada and is also known as ‘’Canada’s Festival City’’ with over 30 festivals held annually. Edmonton is also the home of the famous West Edmonton Mall and is a few hours’ drive from the Rockies. PAGE 6 ! FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 CLUB NAME Friendship Force Club KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN # OF AMBASSADORS 20 COST $2000 (includes airfare and all FFI fees) There are no direct connections between Taipei and Kaohsiung so it is necessary to travel by either train or bus. (1 NT = $.033). Train – HSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail Line) – approx. 90 minute trip to Kaohsiung., if 65+ or older the fare is 50%. $1500 NT = $50 US. Bus – from airport $140 NT = $1.30 !DURATION !HIGHLIGHTS 1 week plus 1 week add on tour –( Philippines $2,000 all inclusive) CLUB NAME The Friendship Force of SAPPORO, JAPAN Kaohsiung (cow shung) is a neat, clean, green harbour city, also called city of light due to the huge amount of sunshine daily and thus, many facilities are powered by solar energy. The world renown Marine Biology Aquarium is one of the best in the world is located here as well as Buddha Light Mountain, Confucius temple, China Steel Corporation and China ship building Corporation. The World Game Arena (held 2009 World Games), the Love River and Long Life Mountain are just some of the interesting places to visit as well as the wonderful Taiwanese cuisine. Link below includes public transportation, attractions, festivals, etc. http://wikitravel.org/en/Kaohsiung (located on the island of Hokkaido) # OF AMBASSADORS 20 COST $2,500 USD (all fees, flight and airport transport included) DURATION 7 days HIGHLIGHTS Ambassadors would enjoy an experience rich in natural beauty in a continental climate. EXTENSION POSSIBILITY Possible 9 day/8 night Hokkaido all inclusive tour $2,898 USD ! PAGE 7 ! FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA CLUB NAME !# OF AMBASSADORS NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 Friendship Force Club LOUISVILLE, KY Driving Trip 20 COST $260 USD (includes all FF fees) DURATION 7 days HIGHLIGHTS Exchange highlights may include Churchill Downs, The Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Fried Chicken, architect Michael Graves, a baseball museum, and the beautiful Bluegrass Region. CLUB NAME Friendship Force Club CHARLESTON, WV DRIVING TRIP – Total driving distance 1250 miles (2010 km) # OF AMBASSADORS 20 COST $260 USD (includes all FF fees) + $180 Fuel DURATION 7 days HIGHLIGHTS Charleston clings to the western edge of the Appalachian Mountains. Exchanges to Charleston focus on the city and the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside. CLUB NAME Friendship Force Club of Western Montana, Missoula # OF AMBASSADORS 20 – 25 from late May to September COST $2,500 (includes airfare, van rental, tours & hotels and FFI fees) DURATION 1 week exchange plus 1 week add on tour HIGHLIGHTS Located in a mountain valley in the northern Rocky Mountains., the city is surrounded by mountains and the Clarks Fork River runs through the downtown area. Sights to see are Travelers Rest State Park that includes monuments to the Lewis and Clark expedition, canoe trips on the river, day trips to historic mining area of Butte and Phillipsburg, an old historic cattle ranch, Glacier National Park, and tour boat rides on the Missouri River through the Gates of the Mountains. Following the exchange drive south to Yellowstone National Park and then on to Billings to see the sights and fly home. I suggest renting a series of mini vans and driving together Billings is located in the Plains so it would provide a totally different landscape to experience as Missoula is mountainous. An hours’ drive to the east is the Little Bighorn Battlefield, and both the Crow and Cheyenne Indian reservations; Pompey’s Pillar is 30 miles out of town and is the only remaining physical evidence left of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. PAGE 8 ! FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 Webmanager !The FFNiagara Website Review Committee has been hard at work. The club Profile, last edited in 2009, has been reviewed, edited and is ready for posting, in both English and French. The Spanish translation and a new German version will share the Profile page soon. Many thanks to committee members, Judy, Martha and Karin. A very special thank you to Suzanne Hebert who provided the French translation. !Remember, the club calendar can be accessed by clicking the tab on the right side of the main page at www.ffniagara.org. !Bill Harkness, Webmanager Database Co-ordinator Membership counts – ✦ 100 members; 62 women, 38 men; 36 couples, 1 pair of women friends, 26 singles !It’s time to start imagining the fun of going on an Outbound Exchange in 2015. All members will receive an email with their personalized Exchange Request Form for the 2015 Outbound Exchanges before the April meeting. Please print and complete this form, and bring it to the April or June meeting, or complete it and scan/email or mail it to Martha Abra. If you would prefer to have your personalized form printed and mailed to you, please contact Martha at 905-937-5284 before April 14th. On the Form, you will see your Priority Group which was determined based on the contributions you’ve made to FFN in the past two years. This information was outlined for you in your email which was sent at the beginning of March. !You will have a chance to select your first choice for an Outbound Exchange in 2015, and if desired, also your second choice and third choice, or you can request no Outbound Exchanges in 2015. The Ambassador Selection Committee must receive your signed Form by the June 24th meeting in order to prepare the Ambassador Lists for each of next year’s Outbound Exchanges. These lists will be published asap in July. !If anyone has any questions please contact Martha. !Martha Abra, Database Co-ordinator PAGE 9 ! FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 FFI Conference in New Orleans This is the third International Conference I have attended and this year I met the new CEO Joy DiBenedetto. I do suggest she will bring a new and younger look to the Friendship Force International, and so expect to see some changes. This conference was designed to meet the new CEO as she learns the job. !The most significant idea from the conference was how to encourage younger members to get involved. You have probably noticed that adventure excursions have increased in the tourist market and the increase is about 42%. That is what young people seem to want, and they are prepared to pay for what they get. They also prefer to be with their own age group so that will mean FF Clubs of younger people. As younger people are in the workforce, we will be encouraged to do different types of exchanges. Such exchanges might be a 3-day exchange with a break where the ambassadors go off on their own and possibly return for 3 more days or visit another Club for three days. So we need to think of being creative in that area. This idea has possibilities and could alleviate the stress of a whole week together, not to mention possibly reduce the cost for night hosts. However after saying all that, the exchanges we know will still continue. !The expanded series of new programs will include a continuation of themed exchanges, Global and Discovery exchanges, which are designed to give members a greater variety of experiences. This will include language learning and teacher exchanges, professional development, and the inclusion of Enrichment Voyages at sea. !There is much to think about and how we might be part of this new FFI venture. !Some new Clubs that have emerged in the past few years are Myanmar (Burma), two new Clubs in Russia Far East and Siberia along with two Clubs globally in Mongolia, Greece and Guadeloupe. FFI hopes to have 45 new Clubs by next year. However on the other hand, we do have Clubs that are folding and they are in the USA and Britain. It is also happening in Europe. Maybe we are just holding our own. !For Executives and ED’s there is a new Leadership Tool Kit online which hopefully will be very helpful. So if you are an ED and you are trying to fill your exchange, go to the Leadership Tool Kit at the FFI website for help and ideas. !So that is the news from the conference I hope it has been helpful to you, and maybe you will have some new ideas for us. !Clarice West-Hobbs Dan & Lissa in New Orleans Joy DiBenedetto (in yellow) PAGE 1 ! 0 FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 What Happened at the Latest Board Meeting? !- - - - Believe it or not... 1967 was almost 50 years ago, and FF Canadian Clubs are starting to plan for Canada’s 150th Birthday celebrations in 2017! At the Canadian Conference in September, Clubs will discuss ways to encourage having more domestic Exchanges between Canadian Clubs. Martha Abra & Sherri Stokes will represent FFN at the FF Canadian Conference in Edmonton from Sept. 17-19. All Clubs have been asked to present a 3-minute video at the Conference about their area and their Inbound Exchanges, and so we are looking for volunteers to put a video together for us. It is due by July 1st. At the January Board meeting, the Board approved a new policy where a member can volunteer to be an Exchange Director for any of next year’s Exchanges as soon as the “It’s a Match” list has been accepted at the February Members’ meeting. The Board can appoint a volunteer to be the ED for any Inbound or Outbound Exchange if they feel he/she has sufficient experience and level of contribution. If the Exchange is an Outbound, the appointed ED, and his/her partner if applicable, will be given the 2 top spots on the Exchange list. Early-appointment EDs will start liaison with the other FF Club right away, thereby easing the workload for the 1st Vice-President. Linda Holmes (2015 Baton Rouge Inbound) and Lothar Dahlke (2015 Morocco Outbound) were appointed as EDs under this new policy at March Board meeting. If anyone is interested in volunteering to be the ED for any other 2015 Exchanges, please contact Sherri Stokes. The Travel Committee has put together a selection of Outbound destination possibilities for 2016 which are outlined elsewhere in this newsletter. All six 2014 EDs provided updated reports to the Board about their Exchange plans. The only concern that was raised was that the Central Israel & Lake Hartwell Inbound Exchanges will have the minimum number of Ambassadors, and the San Diego Exchange will have the maximum. If anyone volunteered to Night-host for Central Israel or Lake Hartwell and would be able to switch to Night-host San Diego (Sept 24-Oct. 1), please contact Alan Mills or Barb Wiley. The actual Night-host assignments for each of the three Exchanges will be made based on the best possible matches after we have received the matching information from the other Clubs (giving priority to continuing friendships through return visits by our hosts in Lake Hartwell & San Diego to our members). The Board approved the proposed updates to the FFN Profile on our website. The Board approved exceptions to be made to the Priority Group Level for the 2015 Outbound Exchange requests for four couples who almost met the requirements for 2012 & 2013 (i.e. they had 7 Other Contributions vs the policy requirement for 8). Mort Sider is leading an Ad Hoc Committee in investigating our need for Board Liability Insurance. The Committee will present their report at the May Board meeting so that we can decide whether or not to renew our policy in July. If you are interested in joining an FF Toronto Exchange to Hartford Connecticut, June 30-July 7, or in joining a Friendship Force’s Discover Kenya-2014 Humanitarian Exchange Aug. 9-19 being organized by Kay Rockwell of FF Lincoln, ask Martha or Sherri for more information. !Martha Abra, FFN President PAGE !11 FRIENDSHIP FORCE NIAGARA NEWSLETTER # 81, MARCH 2014 An Invitation The Toronto FF Club has extended a special invitation to FF Niagara. It would be an excellent idea to strengthen our friendship with the Toronto Club. Seriously consider this invitation. ! AN EXCHANGE TO HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT June 30 to July 7, 2014 The Toronto club invites you to come and celebrate July 4th [and July 1] with our American FF friends in Hartford, Connecticut. We have spaces available on this exchange and would love to have you join us. Cost is $390 Can . Deadline April 15, 2014. Cheque for $200 with your application. Balance $190 by May 1st. NB: There may be a slight adjustment [+/ -] depending on the US$ Driving from Toronto is app 7 ½ hours. Flight $760 [app] on Air Canada Hartford is preparing an interesting program. I have spoken to others who have visited this club and all gave them rave reviews. So do come on this exchange with us. Contact: Kathy Burnie [email protected] 416-483-3737 FFN Board of ! Directors Position Name email President Martha Abra [email protected] 1st VP Sherri Stokes [email protected] 2nd VP Karin Lampman [email protected] Past President Mort Sider [email protected] Treasurer Lynne Reavley [email protected] Secretary Helen Self [email protected] Social/Fundraising Anne Adam [email protected] Membership David & Carolyn Vilim [email protected] Newsletter Sandy Harkness [email protected] Webmanager Bill Harkness [email protected] Database Coordinator Martha Abra [email protected] Inbound - Central Israel Pat & Alan Mills [email protected] Inbound - Lake Hartwell Barb Wiley [email protected] Inbound - San Diego Judy Yovanovich [email protected] Outbound - Australia Wendy Hammond [email protected] Outbound - Olympia Carolyn Vilim [email protected] Outbound - Blumenau Elaine & Rudy Reimer [email protected] Non-voting Sunshine Grace Bowslaugh [email protected] Archives Marilyn Weber [email protected] PAGE 1 ! 2
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