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Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
Contents
President's
Message
Area
Groups: Milwaukee and Madison Exchange
Other
Visits:
Holiday
Luncheon
|
Vol.
23 No. 3 SAN
FRANCISCO BAY AREA NEWSLETTER PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE During last month, my family had the fantastic opportunity to spend some time in the middle of our nation. Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin were our stomping grounds during much of July and August. We attended a wedding of a grand niece in Springfield, Missouri, spent time in St. Louis and went crazy over Chicago. Karen and I were able to follow all that up with a Friendship Force exchange in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin. We sometimes forget that, although we live in paradise, other parts of our nation are worth enjoying. Sure they have cold and snowy winters and humidity in the summer, but they have fantastic people and lots of outstanding sights to see. In each of the cities, we had family or friends to meet and break bread with, allowing us some insight into other stuff besides the tourist attractions. Gardens in St. Louis, Chicago, Madison and especially Janesville, Wisconsin were among the greatest I have ever seen. The “Blue Man Group,” “Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede,” Little Women, and the Steppenwolf Theater allowed us the culture we always look for in our travels. The museums in Forest Park, St. Louis, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the new museum of Milwaukee delighted our eyes with Impressionist Art and DaVinci’s genius and were the highlights. Our hosts in both cities created a beautiful experience, filling each day with fun, learning, sights, and, of course, food. Our Milwaukee family had ten grown children and we became the "honorary numbers eleven and twelve.” One of the Milwaukee highlights was a visit to the Harley Davidson Factory. The other family took us to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin and the House on the Rock. Karen and I both enjoy Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, and our hosts made sure we saw all the churches and homes they could find. As in any trip, there are more adventures than one can put into a column, so talk to Karen or me and we will fill you in on the details. —Barry Rader, President
ANNUAL MEETING The Annual Meeting of the Friendship Force of the San Francisco Bay Area will be held at 2 p.m. September 17 (arrive at 1:30 p.m. for social time), at the San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin Street (at Grove) in San Francisco, in the Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room, located on the Library’s lower level. (Enter at 30 Grove St., proceed downstairs). This is a wonderful opportunity for members around the Bay Area to experience meeting and greeting at San Francisco’s Public Library. Please extend invitations to family and friends to hear a presentation about San Francisco’s Library System and San Francisco. If time allows, members will present short stories of their travels this year with Friendship Force. There will be a brief business meeting, and elections will be held for 2007. Your vote and support for the new slate of officers is very important. If you need more information, please contact Gail A. Boyd, or Ron Greenwald. Please note: This is not a Library Sponsored Program. Parking meters on nearby streets are free on Sunday. The Civic Center Parking Garage is close to the library, and its entrance is on McAllister Street. Barry will email the membership soon with information about the possibility of eating brunch together in San Francisco prior to the meeting. Looking forward to seeing you on September 17. —Gail
A. Boyd, Activities Chair
ELECTION The
election of officers will take place at the September 17 General
Meeting. The Nominating Committee (Rita Hammer, Katharine Kleinke,
and Gerry Shannon) has proposed the following slate of officers:
ENJOY
AN EVENING OF FREMONT HISTORY Are you free on the evening of Wednesday, September 20? The East Bay and Mission San Jose area groups want you to enjoy a little local color with us. Fremont is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, and no one is more qualified to describe its early days than our own Don Dillon. Along with Jack Parry, Fremont's first city manager, Don will explain how “Fremont: the Impossible Dream” materialized from a progressive master plan for the unification of five historic towns, eventually becoming the remarkable fourth largest Bay Area city that it is today. We invite all FFSFBA members to join us on Wednesday, September 20, 7:00 p.m., at Fremont’s Main Library, 2400 Stevenson Blvd. This speakers’ series has been very popular, so arrive early. We expect the program to run about an hour. For some social time afterward, Ruth and Harry Edwards have invited us for refreshments at their home in Mission San Jose. Directions to their home will be available at the library event. Call Karen McCready to reserve for the program and the social. We can’t promise to save seats, so please arrive early. —Karen McCready
AUGUST 16 MEETING OF FFSFBA COORDINATORS The coordinators met in Los Altos at 11:00 a.m., at the new home of June Cademartori. Present: June Cademartori, Dee Gustavson, Ruth Edwards, Louise Heiduk, Margaret Kingery, Karen McCready, Barry Rader, Elizabeth Shumway. Reports by Area Mission San Jose in Fremont: Ruth Edwards and Karen McCready reported that Don Dillon will lecture at the Fremont Library on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at 7 p.m. Afterward, refreshments will be served for FFSFBA participants and guests at the Edwards’ home in Fremont. RSVP to Karen McCready. Central Peninsula: Dee Gustavson reported that she will invite her area to attend South Bay’s Potluck Brunch on August 26. Probably the affair at the Fremont Library in September will be attended by some of the people from this area. East Bay: Karen McCready presented the idea of meet & greet gatherings in local coffee shops or cafes, to which new people can be invited using the media, with an RSVP. North Bay: Elizabeth Shumway will be away on a trip in September. However, two events will occur in San Francisco: Thursday, September 7, 10 a.m., at the Philippine Consulate, there will be a gathering of FFSFBA before the upcoming trip to the Philippines. Sunday, September 17 at 2 p.m., a planned meeting of FFSFBA will take place at San Francisco’s Main Library. Elizabeth will check out restaurants for places to eat afterward. Both Trader Vics and Delancy Street were suggested. South Bay: Janis Maurry invited all of us to attend a Potluck on Saturday August 26, 2006 at her home. There will be one new couple, and she hopes that we will bring friends who might be interested. Membership Chairperson: Louise Heiduk distributed updated membership rosters. Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 (place to be arranged). —June Cademartori, Area Coordinator
NORTH BAY AREA GROUP On April 27 our group visited the Earthquake Exhibits at the Legion of Honor and the Modern Art Museum. After viewing the Rephotography Exhibit at the Legion of Honor, we had a great lunch at their cafe. A few of us went to the Modern Art Museum to see their exhibit of the ruins of the1906 Earthquake plus the new Calder Exhibit. Fourteen members and guests participated in this outing: Bernice Batchelder, Gail Boyd, June and John Cademartori, Joy Hillman, Katharine Kleinke and guest, Barry Rader, Karen McCready and guest, Lynn Teifert, Lan Tran and guest, and Elizabeth Shumway. These exhibits closed May 30. —Elizabeth Shumway
SOUTH BAY AND CENTRAL PENINSULA BRUNCH Janis Maurry’s Los Gatos home was the site of a potluck brunch for the South Bay and Central Peninsula areas on August 26. Nineteen Friendship Force members and friends attended the event, which Janis Maurry organized and hosted. Jerry and Judy Mulenburg brought friends Frank and Gloria Siciliano of Los Altos, who joined the club that day. Conversation topics centered on travel and summer trips—some just returned from the successful Madison-Milwaukee domestic exchange, ably directed by Darlene Boyanich and Roger Riffenburgh, and the upcoming outbound exchange to the Philippines in late October. Announcements were made reminding members of the September 7 invitation to the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco at 10 a.m., and also the next general meeting in San Francisco’s Main Library on September 17 at 2 p.m. Dee Gustavson reported that she’s currently reading the book, “On the Other Side of the Mountain,” (The Friendship Force Story, by Charlene Terrell, published in 1997.) She recommends it to all who are interested in the history of Friendship Force. (Contact Dee or Barry Rader to borrow a copy.) Dee finds it fascinating to read about the development and evolution of the exchanges over the years, and acknowledges founder Wayne Smith and many others who worked hard to fulfill his dream. It’s truly amazing how many lives have been changed around the world, as a result of the many exchanges between 1977 and 2006. In March 2007, there will be a 30th anniversary celebration in Atlanta, GA, commemorating the beginning of Friendship Force. —Dee Gustavson, Central Peninsula Coordinator MILWAUKEE AND MADISON EXCHANGE The twelve ambassadors who went to Milwaukee were Gail Boyd, Robert Cohen, Joy Hewett, Janis Maurry, Donald & Mary Pelland, Barry Rader & Karen McCready, Ann Hayward, Joy Hillman and Roger & Darlene; ten of these also went to Madison. The trip was a great success and a lot of fun. The highlights around Milwaukee were the new Art Museum, going to Miller Park, Lake Geneva mail boat cruise, the Rotary Gardens, and dancing at the farewell party. They did a line dance for us, and Roger & Darlene did a couple of round dances for them, “I left my heart in San Francisco” and “Ciao.” We were impressed with Milwaukee’s energetic spirit. All of the hosts were so friendly and fun. The highlights around Madison were the tour of the Capitol, Monona Terrace and Taliesin (both designed by Frank Lloyd Wright), and House on the Rock. We had opera singers at the farewell dinner in between taking our orders, which provided great fun. All the hosts were great in every way and very accommodating. Madison has the 3rd largest Friendship Force Club, with 280 members. They even got us recruiting for them, wearing vests which they made to attract attention. Their mascot cows were everywhere! Cute too! Everybody had a great time! —Darlene Boyanich & Roger Riffenburgh, Exchange Directors
—Photo
provided by Roger Riffenburgh
FFSFBA
members at the Milwaukee farewell party: Front row, left
to right: DEMOS HAVE FF FRIENDS VISIT Friendship Force friends from Nelson, NZ, Edith and Lester Royds, visited us in July for 3 days on the end of a trip to the USA and several FF exchanges. They also visited 2 years ago. We were hosted by them on our club’s exchange to Nelson in 1997. Next month Nyra and Brian Aherne of Hobart, Tasmania are spending 6 days with us. They also visited us 2 years ago for a week. We first met them during our club’s exchange there in 1999, although we were not hosted by them. Nyra and I often talk via Skype. Weekly I talk with Ann McGrath in Sale, England, via Yahoo messenger. She and Bernie came on the Manchester exchange in 1999. Both Skype and Yahoo messenger are free!! —Diane Demo
NEIGHBORS ABROAD IN SWEDEN FFSFBA members Dave and Dee Gustavson and Bruce and Elinor Wilner spent two weeks in Sweden in June. Dave & Dee toured Stockholm for 4 days, then took a train to Linköping, where they were hosted by a couple whom they hosted a year ago through Neighbors Abroad, Palo Alto’s Sister Cities program. The Swedish couple were part of a group of folk dancers who performed in the Palo Alto area. Dave and Dee were recruited last year by Elinor Wilner, who lined up homehosts for the event. Bruce and Elinor Wilner were also homehosted in Linköping in June. —Dee Gustavson
FFSFBA
members Elinor and Bruce Wilner, in Linköping, JULY 9 F. F. PICNIC Twenty-eight F.F. members and four visitors ate their way through Kentucky Fried Chicken, delicious salads, and desserts at San Jose’s Prusch Park. Several people placed a bid or two on the silent auction items, organized by Dee Gustavson. Several members went home with flower pots, seeds, bulbs, and gardening books in their bags. $110 was added to the club’s treasury from the proceeds of the auction. The group was serenaded by the Ambassadors who are going on the Wisconsin exchange. An energetic group donned hats and gloves in the Friendship Forest to distribute tanbark around the club’s Friendship trees. Don Dillon reported that $250 was collected in donations at the previous meeting in Los Altos. This money was used to hire people to work in the forest. Generous companies donated tanbark and delivered it to Prusch Park. —Dee Gustavson
Don
Dillon reports on the Friendship Forest in Prusch
Park
Some
of the ambassadors rehearse at the FFSFBA Annual
HOLIDAY LUNCHEON It is that time of year again! Check your calendar and schedule the Annual Friendship Force Holiday Luncheon for your social outing to see old and new FF friends. The date this year is December 10, 2006, at Michael’s Restaurant at Shoreline, Mountain View. A special mailing including a reservation form will be mailed to all members. Looking forward to seeing you there again this year! —Gail A. Boyd, Activities Chairperson
RECRUITMENT Our club needs more members. We need your help! You can help increase membership in the following ways: 1. Invite lots of friends to come to all of our club’s meetings and events. Be persistent! Often you have to invite at least ten friends, in order to get two to show up! 2. Help the Recruitment Committee by emailing or phoning them the names of service clubs that you belong to or that are active in your area. The committee wants to provide teams of speakers to various groups where they might find prospective members for our club. They plan to start with retired teacher groups (chapters of CRTA), Rotary Clubs, and AAUW groups. If you are a member of any of these groups (or you know someone who is), please provide the phone number of the organization (and the contact person’s name and number of that club, if possible) to Karen McCready. 3. Call or email Karen McCready if you would like to be a speaker. This will be a non-threatening assignment, going out in pairs, showing the FFI movie, and then answering some questions. —Dee Gustavson, Recruitment Committee Member
NOTES FROM FFI An online exchange request process was used for 2007 exchanges that worked well, but will be further improved for 2008 exchanges. Requests for 2008 exchanges will be due by November 1, so that the exchanges can be announced early in 2007. Celebrate 30 years of friendship from February 27–March 7 in Atlanta, Georgia. Watch the www.friendshipforce.org website for itinerary and pricing information. Official registration begins October 1, 2006. There has been a fabulous response to the International Conference in Ireland. Registration is now closed. If you have registered for the conference, then you will receive a confirmation from our office and a letter with conference details in a few weeks. 2006 FFSFBA COMMITTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President:
Barry Rader STANDING COMMITTEES Activities
Chair: Gail Boyd EXCHANGE DIRECTORS Inbound Outbound Domestic SUPPORT COMMITTEES Domestic
Exchange Coordinator: Lori English 2006 CALENDAR
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