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Contents
Inbound
Exchanges from:
Outbound
Exchange to:
Some
Surprise Insights about Germany
Area
Coordinators Meeting and Thanks
for Language and Travel Books Join Us When FFSFBA Appears at Fremont City Council
Contents
Inbound
Exchanges from:
Outbound
Exchange to:
Some
Surprise Insights about Germany
Area
Coordinators Meeting and Thanks
for Language and Travel Books Join Us When FFSFBA Appears at Fremont City Council
Contents
Inbound
Exchanges from:
Outbound
Exchange to:
Some
Surprise Insights about Germany
Area
Coordinators Meeting and Thanks
for Language and Travel Books Join Us When FFSFBA Appears at Fremont City Council
Contents
Inbound
Exchanges from:
Outbound
Exchange to:
Some
Surprise Insights about Germany
Area
Coordinators Meeting and Thanks
for Language and Travel Books Join Us When FFSFBA Appears at Fremont City Council
Contents
Inbound
Exchanges from:
Outbound
Exchange to:
Some
Surprise Insights about Germany
Area
Coordinators Meeting and Thanks
for Language and Travel Books Join Us When FFSFBA Appears at Fremont City Council
Contents
Inbound
Exchanges from:
Outbound
Exchange to:
Some
Surprise Insights about Germany
Area
Coordinators Meeting and Thanks
for Language and Travel Books Join Us When FFSFBA Appears at Fremont City Council
Contents
Inbound
Exchanges from:
Outbound
Exchange to:
Some
Surprise Insights about Germany
Area
Coordinators Meeting and Thanks
for Language and Travel Books Join Us When FFSFBA Appears at Fremont City Council
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Vol.
24 No. 3 SAN
FRANCISCO BAY AREA NEWSLETTER PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Thoughts on Memorial Day—In three weeks, FFSFBA will be having its annual picnic at Prusch Park and a number of changes will take place. For one, we are being charged for the venue for the first time, 2. there will be a program, because we will be using the club house and the outer areas, 3. the food will be supplied by us, as a pot luck. No more KFC, unless a member brings it, and “Times, they are a changin’.” Your presence at this meeting is important and I look forward to seeing all of you. On May 27, club members and guests took a ride on the Niles Railroad from Niles to Sunol and back. A fabulous time was had by all, and I want to think Steve and Mary Alice for doing a bang up job organizing the outing. The next couple of paragraphs are editorial and personal. Read them if you want and see if you can relate! As a man of 68 years I have had my share of loss, wife gone, parents gone, sister and brother-in-law gone, friends gone, not to mention in-laws, and the whole world of people dying around you all the time in Iraq, Afghanistan and just natural and unnatural causes. After a while a certain perspective takes hold. At least it did with me. Each day is special. Be aware of the family who loves you, the sun and the rain, the flowers and snails, your health and your problems, your volunteering and your vegging, and most of all, let those around you know they are important to you. I have been fortunate to find another woman who loves me and has created a fulfilling and challenging life style, a son who is in contact with me on a daily basis, a couple of volunteer opportunities that allow me to stretch my mind and leadership skills, hobbies that keep me busy and my intellect humming, a gym nearby that allows me to keep my weight under control and add a little muscle, too. Death is always with us, a friend or an enemy, depending on the circumstances, but living each day to the fullest is your responsibility. Love, Make Friends, Travel, Eat Healthy, Walk, Communicate, Greet the Day with Expectation, not Depression. In friendship, —Barry Rader, President MADISON,
WISCONSIN INBOUND COMMITTEE MEETING Do you want to be part of the only inbound exchange this year? Yes? Then this is your opportunity! Some preplanned activities have already taken shape, but more ideas are needed. Many opportunities are available to be part of this exchange. Our first committee meeting has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 2, 12 noon, at Gail Boyd's home. [Editor’s note: Please make sure we have your correct email address, so that you can receive notices like this in a timely way in case the newsletter doesn’t arrive in time!] I am pleased to announce there will be 14 Ambassadors from Madison. At this time six Ambassadors have been assigned hosts, but there is a need of six more Home Hosts. I look forward to hearing or seeing you soon. —Gail Boyd, Inbound Exchange Director
INBOUND DUNEDIN EXCHANGE CANCELLED We are sad to report that the inbound exchange from Dunedin, New Zealand, was cancelled, due to an insufficient number of Ambassadors. Thanks to Katharine Kleinke, our Exchange Director, who put time and effort into planning, forming committees, and making arrangements for this exchange. GEMUTLICHKEIT IN DEUTSCHLAND! Twelve Bay Area Ambassadors will fly to Germany in late September, to be homehosted one week in Chemnitz, and one week in Hannover. Lists have already been sent to the hosting exchange directors, and matches are currently being made. Most of the group were able to attend Karsten Tietz’ lecture at the April 22 general meeting at Stanford. They learned a lot about the two Germanies blending into one after 1989. On July 11, the ambassadors will meet at 2:00 p.m. at the German Consulate in San Francisco to hear Karsten Tietz give a brief talk about Germany and answer travel questions. Other members in the club are welcome to join us at that event. (See the article below.) —Dee Gustavson, Exchange Director
VISIT TO GERMAN CONSULATE All club members are welcome to join the 12 ambassadors to Germany when we visit the German Consulate on Wednesday, July 11, 2:00 p.m. at 1960 Jackson St., in San Francisco. There are tentative plans to meet at 11:30 for lunch at “Left at Albuquerque,” a Tex-Mex restaurant, at 2140 Union St., San Francisco, 415-749-6700. If you plan to join us for lunch and/or at the Consulate, please RSVP to Sara Turner by June 20, by email or phone. An email with details and directions will be sent to those who respond. There’s plenty of space. They can accommodate up to 40 people. Come and bring guests! —Dee Gustavson [Club
General Meeting] Which country is Germany’s greatest friend now (besides the U. S.)? What is Germany’s immigration policy? How are Germans paying for the vast expenditures necessary to bring the former East Germany up to the level of West Germany? What is the realistic estimate of the additional years necessary to accomplish this balancing of the economy for both regions? How do Germans really feel about Americans? In case you were not there to hear Karsten Tietz at our general meeting on April 22, I will attempt to answer only the last one: most Germans have warm feelings toward Americans and are able to separate their feelings about individuals from their attitude toward our government. Mr. Tietz, Consul for Cultural Affairs at San Francisco’s German Consulate, covered the above topics and more with great ease and expertise and then entertained questions for several minutes. The members and guests who attended were privileged to hear one of the best programs that our club has presented in recent years. Through the generosity of the Bechtel International Center on the Stanford campus, we enjoyed an attractive, comfortable venue and were able to view the six-minute “Friendship” DVD recently brought back from the Atlanta conference. Thus, the 40 members and guests were able to learn, in a nutshell, the concept of promoting peace through home stays. After the meeting, we saluted our chapter’s twenty-third birthday with cake and coffee. If you missed this meeting, or if you want to learn more about Germany before our club’s visit there in October, join us to visit the German Consulate in San Francisco. Dee Gustavson has arranged our visit there on July 11 at 2:00 p.m., and all members and guests are welcome to attend. We look forward to another fun outing like we had to the Philippine Consulate last year. —Karen L. McCready
AREA COORDINATORS' MEETING Area coordinators met at the Gustavsons’ Los Altos home on April 27 to discuss intriguing meeting sites and activities for each area. Rita Hammer, Karen McCready, Darlene Boyanich, Roger Riffenburgh, June Cademartori, Steve Cooper, Joy Hillman, Gail Boyd, Dee and Dave Gustavson were in attendance. Steve Cooper generated enthusiasm when he presented plans and distributed flyers for the Historic Niles train ride to and from Sunol on May 27 (see his report on this page). Publicity was discussed. It was suggested that the area coordinators solicit food for the meetings and also contact members to be greeters. It was emphasized that every member should make an effort to invite friends to each meeting. The next meeting will be held on August 14 at 10:30 a.m. at Joy Hillman’s home. —June Cademartori, Area Coordinator Chair
A PHOTOGENIC DAY AT STANFORD On April 5, several members met at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center to experience the work of two of the most prominent American photographers of the twentieth century—Richard Avedon and Gordon Parks. The Parks feature, “Bare Witness,” showcased 73 prints that spanned his career of documenting celebrity life as well as the lives of the urban and rural poor. Alongside the glamour photos were the grittier images that displayed his priority—bringing social injustice to light. The Avedon exhibit, “In the American West,” celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the debut of his oversized images of working-class Westerners. As they explore the realities and myths of the American West, these photographs continue to generate controversy. Both exhibits provided plenty of fodder for lunchtime discussion when we met later in the museum’s Cool Café. The East Bay area group wants to thank those who participated. We hope that even more of you will be able to join us at future events. —Karen L. McCready
RIDING THE RAILS, FFSFBA STYLE “It was great fun!” on our railroad trip to Sunol on Sunday, the 27th of May—at least several members and guests told me so. We renewed old friendships plus made new friends. They came from all over the Bay Area. Some I went to the Philippines with and some I had not seen for two or three years. I believe there were thirty-one members and guests in our group. (Mary Alice said she counted thirty-three, and she’s smarter than I.) I didn’t have time to do any shopping in Niles. Several of us spent the break before the return trip to Niles to have a snack at Bosco’s Bones and Brew in Sunol. Some of the Niles merchants gave us special discount tickets for use in their particular stores. I’m looking forward to the next area membership event. Wherever it is held, you should make every effort to attend and bring prospective members. We’ll show them what a great organization Friendship Force is—here at home or in some other city or country. —Steve Cooper, Area Coordinator [Editor’s note: Among the riders were former members Jim and Velda Draper of San Rafael, and Ken and Lan Tran of Santa Rosa. Our daughter Kristin Gustavson and husband Robert Miller were visitors from Arlington, VA. Hats off to Mary Alice vanDoorn and Steve Cooper (one of our oldest members!) for their capable work in organizing this event!]
NOMINATING COMMITTE NAMED—AND LOOKING FOR PROSPECTS The board has approved the nominating committee members and would like to encourage members to contact them if they are interested in running for office or if they would like to nominate someone. The elective offices are president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The nominating committee members are: Yvonne
Bretoi
THANKS FOR LANGUAGE AND TRAVEL BOOKS We would like to offer our slightly belated thanks for the donation of several travel and language books during the past few months. Margaret and Pat Kingery gifted the club with many books when they downsized for their move to Merrill Gardens. These were offered for anyone who wanted to take them home. The Kingerys’ friends, Martha and Bill Crowe, gave the club four German language books—Langenscheidt’s Universal German Dictionary, Berlitz’s German for Travellers, Passport Books’ Just Enough German, and Barron’s German at a Glance phrasebook/dictionary. The upcoming German Exchange has dibs on those for now, but keep in mind that they will be available after October. —Karen L. McCready!
JOIN US WHEN FFSFBA APPEARS AT FREMONT CITY COUNCIL The keys to the cities of Manila and Baguio, Philippines, have languished on our mantel for these six months since the exchange. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and we decided to offer them to the City of Fremont to display alongside their Sister City artifacts in the foyer to the council chamber. They took us up on it and scheduled us to appear on Tuesday, June 12, at 7:00 p.m. Of course, this will give us the opportunity to report on the purpose of our exchange (and that of FFI in general). A plaque, professionally prepared, will explain the occasions on which the keys were presented: “These keys to the cities of Manila and Baguio, the Philippines, were presented to ambassadors of The Friendship Force of the San Francisco Bay Area during their home stays there in November 2006.” Please join us at the June 12 Council meeting to wave from the audience when we introduce the club. That’s 7:00 p.m., City Council Chambers, 3300 Capitol Avenue, Fremont, one block west off Paseo Padre and one block south of Mowry. Come cheer us on! —Karen L. McCready 2007 FFSFBA COMMITTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President:
Barry Rader President@ffsfba.org STANDING COMMITTEES Activities
Chair: Darlene
Boyanich Activities@ffsfba.org EXCHANGE DIRECTORS Inbound Outbound Domestic SUPPORT COMMITTEES Exchange
Banker: Herb
Clough ExchangeBanker@ffsfba.org 2006 CALENDAR
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