FFSFBA Newsletter August/September 2009

In this, my next to last president�s message, I�d like first to reflect on this summer of two inbound and one outbound exchanges and to thank all the members who hosted or interacted with our visitors in any way. I counted over half of our members who attended at least one exchange event. Of course, very special thanks go to those who arranged the events and to the home and day hosts who really got to know the people from Central Coast Australia and Chemnitz, Germany. These are the special rewards of Friendship Force. If I tried to list everyone who participated, I�m afraid I would overlook some. Two couples I can�t overlook are Kumi and Herb Clough, who hosted the welcome parties for both exchanges, and Mary Ann and Don Dillon, who provided their Carmel Bay setting for a Chemnitz Exchange brunch. For Barry and me, it has been an idyllic time, our first two home hosting experiences. Believe it or not, after 7 years in FFSFBA and being involved in many leadership positions, we finally figured how to carve out a space in one of our studies (guess whose!) to accommodate guests. Both experiences were delightful, but particularly gratifying was our reunion with Petra, who hosted us in Chemnitz in 2007.

Looking ahead to 2010, we can expect a year filled with at least one outbound exchange�to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico�and at least one inbound�Alajuela, Costa Rica and, hopefully, the Dallas and San Antonio clubs who hosted our members this summer. Note: At the September 19 meeting, we will be taking sign ups for those who want to help plan the Costa Rica Exchange.

I can assure you that the executive board nominated for next year will provide continuity of leadership along with some new energy and perspective. Please attend the Annual Meeting in San Francisco on Saturday, September 19, to participate in the election. This year�s officers aren�t finished yet, and I will have many words of praise for them in the next edition.

Enjoy the fleeting days of summer and all the family events they bring.

Looking forward to seeing all of you soon,

�Karen L. McCready

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A TRIP OF A LIFETIME

At least that�s what many of us thirteen ambassadors predict for ourselves when we depart SFO on September 25 for a marathon of flight changes, eventually landing in Johannesburg. By the time we see Victoria Falls on September 27, we will have forgotten the questionable airplane food, the cramped seats, and the jet lag. A small price to pay for lolling around this wonder of the world for a couple of days and then proceeding by coach to Chobe National Park, Botswana, and three days at a deluxe private game park. Dawn and dusk game drives will reset our biological clocks again and leave us wanting even more magnificent animal sightings.

On our seventh day in Southern Africa, we finally will arrive in Cape Town to meet our hosts face to face and settle in to become members of their families for a week. They have a bustling itinerary planned for us, with daily coach trips to take in all the sights that everyone craves on a visit to South Africa�penguins, Table Mountain, the wine country, the museums, the meeting of the two oceans, etc. The special local events will include a reception with Cape Town�s mayor and a school assembly at South Peninsula High School. At the school, we will present our gift of $1,045 that we collected through our silent auction, earmarked for technological equipment.

We will cap our visit to South Africa with three days at a private game reserve near Kruger National Park, with more photo opps and a chance to unwind and prepare for the flight home. We�ll savor every moment and bring back volumes of photos and written remembrances to share with all of you.

�Karen McCready, Exchange Director

$1,045 TO DONATE TO OUR CAPE TOWN CHARITY

We did it! Our goal was $1,000 to provide sufficient funds for South Peninsula High School to purchase a couple of laptop computers or to make an equivalent purchase for their computer lab. Thanks to the donors and buyers at our May silent auction and recent additional contributions, our thirteen ambassadors to the Cape of Good Hope Club can present on your behalf a valuable resource to a worthy Cape Town school. By networking with our host ED and one of their local Rotary Clubs, we were directed to this exemplary school, which has been lauded for its improved test scores, especially in mathematics, and which enrolls several students on scholarship from one of Archbishop Desmond Tutu�s sponsored charities.

Thanks again to all the members who donated goods and services and to those who purchased them. One of the bonuses of our FFSFBA style of silent auction is that many donate home dinners, computer training, digital camera instruction and other services that give us more opportunities to get acquainted and just plain have a good time together. We have a lot of talented people in our midst and much to learn from each other. Continue to enjoy these times together.

�Karen McCready

JOIN US FOR AN INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION IN MEXICO!

Our club�s 2010 outbound exchange will be in September 2010, to Tuxtla Guiterrez in southern Mexico. During the 6-day home stay with the club in Tuxtla Gutierrez, which has proven to be great hosts, we�ll visit the Sumidero Canyon, and enjoy the holiday celebrations with traditional foods and dances. Then we�ll travel to the famous San Cristobal de las Casas, and on to great archeological sites and beautiful country. We will experience Mexico from seeing the archeology, eating wonderful foods, watching traditional dance and listening to ethnic music and meeting the people. The complete trip has not yet been finalized, but we hope you�ll mark September 2010 on your calendar for a festive time in Mexico.

We�ve led five Habitat for Humanity groups to Mexico, and been part of a political and cultural exchange. Now we look forward to leading a Friendship Force exchange and visiting the Mexico club-members in Tuxtla. We hope you�ll plan on joining this exchange.

�Ron and Gloria Greenwald, Exchange Directors

BARRY AND KAREN ARE LEADING AN FFI TRIP TO CHINA

Friendship Force International has chosen our own Karen and Barry to be the exchange directors for a group of US and international members going to China in April of 2010. The itinerary includes Shanghai, the Terra Cotta soldiers, a three-day cruise on the Yangtze river, five days in Nanjing interacting with Chinese families (but staying in hotels), and Beijing. The cost is approximately $3200 including everything: air from San Francisco, air in China, all meals, and all accommodations. If you are interested, contact Karen or Barry at their email.

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SAN ANTONIO/DALLAS, TEXAS OUTBOUND EXCHANGE
APRIL 19�30, 2009

The exchange directors, Mary Jordan (San Antonio) and Dale Klosterman (Dallas) had planned our visit with a �Get �em up and ride �em out� schedule every day�little time to set your �boots� out on the porch!

We begin this travelogue by thanking the San Antonio and Dallas clubs for their gracious hospitality, both in their homes and on the days of adventure and discovery around their beautiful cities. The welcome and farewell parties gave us a very traditional feeling of the Friendship Force, bringing strangers together who have the common goal of making friends, and made us want to stay just a little bit longer.

In San Antonio, Fiesta Week activities included parades, parties, mariachi music, and traditional Mexican and Tex/Mex food. The lineup for evening festivities included: The Texas Cavaliers River Parade, Mexican Market Square and Mariachi River Parade, NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio) and Friendship Force potluck dinners.

The Battle of the Flowers Band Festival was held in the Alamo Stadium where 3,000 youths performed and competed for ribbons. As Luree Miller wrote on this, her first exchange, �Hats Off to Texas� about the local high school marching bands competing for top honors. All of us had that heart-warming feeling, seeing the support of family and friends for these young musicians, both on the field and in the stands.

On our last day, we attended the Battle of the Flowers Parade, which stretched across downtown San Antonio for miles. One of the traditions was to yell out to the Queens in the beautiful gowns on the passing floats, �Show Your Shoes, Show Your Shoes!� To our surprise, they ranged from boots to sleepers.

Before we arrived in Dallas, Luree Miller and Katherine Kleinke returned home. Lorne and Angela Hill, of the Burlington/ Hamilton Friendship Force Club, joined us in Dallas for the remainder of the exchange. Once we all met our hosts and had barely unpacked, it was off to the Mesquite Rodeo, a �Real Texas Festival.� For many of us it was our first �live� rodeo. It will never be the same again to just watch it on TV. Lots of boot stomping and yip, yips from both the spectators and the cowboys in the ring!

Our next day out on the Texas plains was to horse country in Aubrey, Texas, to tour the Mandolyn Hill Ranch, an Arabian horse farm. Many of their horses are trained to become racing horses, which have won trophies here in California and in other states. (No betting tips given!) Day three, a day of showers, did not keep us from the Dallas Arboretum. Mary Alice van Doorn, an experienced Ambassador and FFSFBA member, wrote, �The Dallas Arboretum is an absolute treasure trove! �many wonderful displays of flora and fauna.�

The week went fast. Dallas Day was spent at the Book Depository�s 6th floor and President John F. Kennedy Memorial Museum, which documents the day President Kennedy was assassinated. Then the DART bus tour of downtown stopped at an amazing bronze sculpture of a lifelike cattle drive, sculpted by Texan Robert Summers, which graces a 4.2-acre plaza in front of the City Hall and the Convention Center. (There are three riders, a Gringo, a Mexican, and an Indian.) Then off to the Cadillac Bar for more great Tex/Mex delicacies. Somehow we managed to have a free day with our hosts before the drive to Fairview, Texas, for the Farewell party where we had some Southern cuisine and a teardrop or two.

Lori and I would like to take the opportunity to thank our exchange team: Mary and Donald Pelland, Booklet and Exchange Banker; and Bruce Wilner, Texas Cultural Historian.

�Gail Boyd and Lori English, Texas Exchange Directors

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CHEMNITZ, GERMANY EXCHANGE THANK-YOU

A BIG Thank-You to everyone who helped make the Chemnitz Exchange a roaring success! No names or for sure I�ll forget someone: Party planners, Hosts, Day Hosts, Photographer, Booklet Editor, Those who came and Those who cheered us on.

�Katharine Kleinke, Exchange Director

Our visitors from Chemnitz: Seated in front, Marlis Gr�ndig, Thea Zschage; Standing in rear: Steffen Eckel, Juergen Zschage, Sabine Eckel, Margit Lawrenz (Exchange Director), Petra Coith, Sylvia Thiele.

HELP NEEDED FOR THE COSTA RICA
INBOUND EXCHANGE IN 2010

We are beginning the process of organizing for the incoming exchange from Alajuela, Costa Rica, which is to happen in July 2010. Even though this seems to be a long time away, there is much that needs to happen in advance. I have heard that some newer members have expressed an interest in being involved and this is an excellent opportunity to get started.

We will need hosts as well as people to serve on the committee to help in organizing activities, matching visitors to hosts, shopping for food, organizing potlucks, photography. It is a large job for a few people but a smaller job when we have more volunteers. In the next few weeks you will receive a phone call with an invitation to join us and you will also have an opportunity to sign up at the September meeting. Please think about this in advance and let us know how you can help when we call.

�Louise Heiduk

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ANNUAL PICNIC AND FAREWELL PARTY

Saturday, July 11th was our annual club picnic in Prusch Park in San Jose. It also served as the farewell party for our friends from Chemnitz, Germany. The program featured the singing of typical Texan songs by our club�s recent travelers to Dallas and San Antonio. We also did a �virtual� planting of a tree in the Friendship Forest in the park, to honor our German guests� visit. The actual planting will occur in the fall, which is a better time to plant a young tree in this climate.

Thanks to everyone who brought the delicious main dishes, side dishes, salads and desserts. There was no shortage of good food, and the event provided the opportunity to chat with old and new friends. It was a good day, continuing our tradition of a summer picnic in the park.

�Natalie Heling

ANNUAL MEETING AND ELECTION

Saturday, September 19, 2009�1:30 pm
San Francisco (Main) Public Library
100 Larkin Street (at Grove Street),
Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room A & B
(Enter at 30 Grove Street, proceed downstairs to the lower level.)

Program:
�THE NEW ACADEMY OF SCIENCES"
Dr. Chris Andrews, California Academy of Sciences
Director of Steinhardt Aquarium,
Chief of Public Programs

This is not a library sponsored program!
For more information, please contact Gail Boyd.
Do not call the library!

FFSFBA is pleased to announce that our guest speaker, Dr. Chris Andrews, has graciously accepted the opportunity to give our members and guests the broader picture of the Academy's continued goals for the future.

As travelers of the world, we have a responsibility to respect our planet and our environment.

Dr. Andrews will be bringing two of his assistants, one which is especially dear to his heart, the family BOA!

�Gail Boyd, VP Programs

Live from the California Academy of Sciences, Summer 2009

The New Academy of Sciences celebrates its first year Anniversary/Birthday this September 2009. The Academy represents many parts of the world that our members have had the privilege and opportunity to experience, not only their cultures, but everyone�s need to preserve our planet. Come and hear the history of the New Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, its architectural masterpiece, with hundreds of innovative exhibits and thousands of extraordinary plants and animals.

It is the only place on the planet with an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum and a 4-story rain forest all under one roof. In addition, there�s a new 3D theater, a lecture hall, a naturalist center, two restaurants, an adjacent garden and aviary, a roof terrace, and a store. The new building also houses the Academy science labs and administrative offices, including an extensive library and scientific archive consisting of more than 20 million specimens.

Directions:

FROM THE NORTH Take 101 south. Take the Lombard Street exit, turn right onto Van Ness. Take Van Ness south, turn left onto McAllister, right onto Larkin. The Main Library is at Larkin and Grove.

Golden Gate Public Transit: 415-332-6600

FROM THE PENINSULA/SOUTH BAY Take 101 north. Take the 9th Street exit and go up 9th Street, stay in the right-hand lanes. 9th becomes Larkin at Market. Go one block. The Main Library is on the righthand side, at Grove.

Caltrain Transport: 800-558-8661

FROM THE EAST BAY Take 80 west. Take 101 north. Take 9th Street exit and go up 9th Street, stay in the right-hand lanes. 9th becomes Larkin at Market. Go one block. The Main Library is on the right-hand side, at Grove.

Bart Transport: 510-788-2278, TTY 510-839-2200
AC Transit: 510-839-2882, TTY 800-448-9790

PUBLIC PARKING On Sunday, metered parking is free all day. The closest parking lot is the Civic Center Garage, 355 McAllister Street, between Polk and Larkin.

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NOMINATING COMMITTEE'S
RECOMMENDTIONS FOR 2010

The nominating committee, comprised of Mary Pelland, Barry Rader and Natalie Heling, after meeting in person and communicating by phone and internet, is making these recommendations:

President: Steve Smallwood
Vice-President: Barry Rader
Secretary: Karen McCready
Treasurer: Scott Miller

We believe this is an outstanding slate of officers, offering a combination of new and experienced members to lead us in the next year or two.

Come to the September meeting and add your stamp of approval, or nominate someone else (of course, with the nominee's permission). See you in September!

� Gail A. Boyd, Activities Chairperson

WHAT'S A PHONE TREE FOR?

Shades of the �60�s, huh? �Haven�t you heard of email?� you may say. In fact,
some of my email correspondents may wish I hadn�t heard of it and filled up
their mailboxes.

Nevertheless, phone calls seem to have their place. Although most of our members subscribe to email, some seldom check it or encounter frequent problems with it. Some mailboxes are so full that it�s hard to get through.

In the next couple of weeks, look for an attachment in your email (or a regular mail) containing the phone tree for your area group. Soon after that, our Area Reps will initiate a message to remind you of upcoming events, just trying out our newly made phone trees as a way of being sure everyone receives a personal invitation.

The phone trees are set up in four tiers. Someone, probably the president or the Area Rep Coordinator, initiates the message and calls the Area Reps. The Area Reps call the three members listed at the top of their three assigned columns. Each of those members then calls the rest of the people on that column�up to four, depending upon the size of the area group. If the first person on the list isn�t available, the Area Rep calls the next person on the list and asks that person to call the others on that list.

The phone tree was designed to link members by geographical areas so they might work out carpools or shared trips on BART. No matter what purpose it may serve for you, we hope that an occasional use of the phone tree will help keep more members informed and involved in our activities.

�Karen McCready

AREA GROUPS NEWS

Things have been quiet this summer for all the area groups. Your area reps met recently and discussed ways to enliven group activities. You will be hearing more as they begin to plan for the coming months. In the coming weeks we will be activating a phone tree. Some of you will be contacted to be 'phoners� within your areas. No one will be asked to make more than four calls. We feel that this will encourage sharing of ideas and information as we move into the coming months.

�Louise Heiduk, Area Coordinator

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YOU CAN SAVE US MONEY AND TIME!

If you would be just as happy looking at the Newsletter online, or downloading and printing it yourself, send an email to membership@FFSFBA.org to let us know, and we�ll stop printing paper copies and mailing them to you.

But if you prefer receiving your copy in the mail, that�s OK, too. For the foreseeable future, we�ll keep printing and mailing copies for those who need or prefer them.

�David Gustavson

PHOTOS WANTED FOR OUR WEBSITE'S PHOTO GALLERY

Did you take pictures during this summer�s Australian or German incoming exchange? How about sharing them with other members and with visitors to our website? You may send photos to me via email. Or send prints or film via postal mail, and I�ll scan them and return them to you ASAP.

�Geri Bechtle, Webmaster

NEW WEBMASTER WANTED

It�s time to �pass the baton� to a new webmaster. As webmaster, you can spread the word about our club and Friendship Force to the whole world (just feel that power!) as well as provide important support for our club members. And, if you desire, you can even modify the current website or create a whole new one.

So, basically, what does the webmaster do? Currently, the webmaster:

occasionally makes minor (mostly word) changes to some existing web pages to update information.

creates web pages of photos, and sometimes journals, and adds them to the photo gallery section.

after a club newsletter is produced, makes minor changes to the PDF version of the newsletter and copies and pastes the newsletter into an HTML (web) editor computer program to create an HTML (web) version. The webmaster puts both versions on the website.

after board meeting minutes are produced, posts them on the members-only website.

occasionally posts club activity flyers on the members only website.

If you haven�t seen the public website lately, check it out at www.ffsfba.org.

If you want to learn more about being our club webmaster or you think you may be interested in helping with the website, please email me or give me a call. I�ll be delighted to talk with you and explain more.

�Geri Bechtle, Webmaster

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2009 FFSFBA COMMITTEES

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President: Karen McCready    President@ffsfba.org
Vice President: Gail Boyd    VP@ffsfba.org
Secretary: Stephen Smallwood     Secretary@ffsfba.org
Treasurer: Ivan Heling      Treasurer@ffsfba.org

STANDING COMMITTEES

Activities Co-Chairs: Lois Smallwood and Natalie Heling   Activities@ffsfba.org
Membership Chair: Mary Pelland     Membership@ffsfba.org
Newsletter Editors: Dave & Dee Gustavson     Newsletter@ffsfba.org
Parliamentarian: Barry Rader      Parliamentarian@ffsfba.org
Publicity Chair:     Publicity@ffsfba.org

EXCHANGE DIRECTORS

Inbound
Chemnitz, Germany�July 7�14: Katharine Kleinke InboundC@ffsfba.org

Outbound
South Africa�May 28�June 4: Karen McCready OutboundSA@ffsfba.org

SUPPORT COMMITTEES

Exchange Banker: Don Pelland     ExchangeBanker@ffsfba.org
Merchandise Chair: Barry Rader     Merchandise@ffsfba.org
Foresters: Don Dillon and Karen Mitchell     Forester@ffsfba.org
Forest Records: Mary Alice vanDoorn
Program Chair: Gail Boyd     Program@ffsfba.org
Area Group Coordinator: Louise Heiduk     Regional@ffsfba.org
Sunshine: Darlene Boyanich     Sunshine@ffsfba.org
Webmaster: Geri Bechtle     Webmaster@ffsfba.org

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2009 CALENDAR

Saturday, September 19	Annual Meeting, (Election of Officers)
September 25�October 13	South Africa Outbound Exchange
Sunday, November 1	Board of Directors Meeting Karen McCready/Barry Rader's home
Sunday, December 13	Holiday Luncheon, Michael's at Shoreline, Mountain View
July (?) 2010	Alajuela, Costa Rica Inbound Exchange
September 2010	Tuxtla-Gutierrex, Mexico Outbound Exchange
October 15�18, 2010	Friendship Force International Conference, Washington, D.C.

FFSFBA website: http://www.ffsfba.org

Friendship Force International
233 Peachtree Street, Suite 2250
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
     Phone: 1-404-522-9490,
                 1-800-554-6715
     Fax: 1-404-688-6148
Website:
  http://www.thefriendshipforce.org

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