Friends Connection

                                Friendship Force of Sarasota                 

June, 2008                                                                 Volume 19, No. 5

President:Wayne Peterson  941-925-3755              Editor: Nancy Rehbock 941-346-0907                                                                                                                                       

bandwpeterson@verizon.net                                    RNRehbock@comcast,net 

Vice Pres: Reeta Dean                                             Historian:Betty Kuhns

Secretary:Donna Schaeffer                                        Assoc. Hist:Gary Kuhns

Treasurer: Jean Farley                                             Sister Cities:Judi Stratton

Publicity:Gloria Grenier                                             Sunshine:Colleen Stoller

Membership:Bob & Connie Bergin                           Social:Lee & Gary Anderson                                                               Directory:Joan Adams                                                Mary Brugger,  Marty & Art Swenson

President’s Message  

When you receive this message, Barbara and I will be well into our Humanitarian Exchange in Bujumbura, Burundi. We will be home to see all of you at the Oriental Buffet meeting on June 26 – more about that in another part of this newsletter. We hope to have a fantastic turnout at that meeting and there will be some surprises for those in attendance.

We had a very well attended meeting on May 15 and those of us at the meeting enjoyed the presentations by Mary Brugger, Ann & John Hurst and Lee & Gary Anderson. Mary talked about her experiences on an exchange to Moscow, the Hurst’s about one in Israel and the Anderson’s about one in North Carolina with a club from Russia. I think we all learned much about how FFI brings us all together --- “Faces not Places.”

Our 2009 Exchanges are taking shape and we are very happy to tell you that CeCe and Bob O’Conner will be the Exchange Director’s for the inbound South Sydney, Australia Club and that Gene & Bob Burke with Betty & Joe Thro will be the ED’s for the Tweed Valley, Australia inbound exchange!!!!!!! Thanks to all of these “fairly new members” for taking on these assignments.

We try to constantly preach that it is important that new members get involved in the club’s activities and I think we are doing a good job of that. As always, we ask all of you – new or old – to participate in our projects – don’t wait to be asked…. Come forth…..

Along that line, Mr. Bob Bergin, our excellent membership chairman, tells me that our membership is now at 114 MEMBERS!!!!!!!!!!!  This month, we welcome, Carol Call & Doro & Jim Malachowski, and, welcome back, Mary Brand.

I have checked through all the past records of the Friendship Force Club of Sarasota and I find that this is an ALL-TIME record for membership in our club!!!!!!! More importantly, the bulk of our members, veterans and rookies, are active in the club.

Thank you all for your positive participation.                In friendship, Wayne

 

Calendar of Events**more info in newsletter

June 26                       General Meeting at Oriental Buffet 6p**  (note 4th Thursday)

July 7                       Board Meeting at Ramona McGee’s home 7p

August 4                  Board Meeting at home of Jean Farley 7p

August 21                Possible Summer Happening**

                         No General Meetings in July or August

 

Wishing you a safe and relaxing summer!

       

You will find enclosed in this newsletter a list of our newest members and those who were inadvertently left out of the 2008 Directory plus any corrections that needed to be made to the existing 2008 Directory. 

Please put this sheet inside your Directory and use it as a supplement.

Any further changes/additions that need to be made will be listed monthly in Friends Connection.

 

For the June meeting, we will meet at the Oriental Buffet, 4458 Bee Ridge Road, SRQ. The location is the strip mall on the SE corner of Bee Ridge and MacIntosh. We will have our own room starting at 6:00 PM and can stay in the room as long as we wish.  Their normal price for the "all you can eat" buffet is $12.50 plus tax and tip, soft drinks included. They will charge us for the dinner, tax, beverage and tip a total of $14.00. A great price.  You may purchase wine and beer for cash; please bring cash for those purchases as they do not take credit cards for drinks.  The Oriental Buffet has an excellent reputation, the location is very convenient (close to I-75), and the facility is clean and neat and should be a wonderful venue for our meeting.  Please note that this date is one week later than our usual meeting.

.As always, your check is your reservation. Please send your check to Jean Farley at 7949 Pine Glen Court, SRQ 34238.   Deadline is Sat. June 21st.

 

Annual Summer Happening

Almost every summer since the Sarasota Friendship Force Club formed in 1989. it has been a tradition to have a Summer Happening around the 3rd Thursday evening in August.  This has been a club get-together to welcome back the members after our summer journeys and/or hiatus of club activities.  In the past it has been mostly Pot-luck dinners, but has always involved good food and good fellowship.  Now we need someone to step up and be a host/hostess for this event.  Can you volunteer your home or club house or do you have some ideas for a venue?  Be a hero and speak up!  Call one of our Social Committee members and volunteer!

Lee & Gary Anderson 486-8307, Mary Brugger – 312-4137, Art & Marty Swenson 484-8334

 

Exchanges

Inbound

Halle-Salle and Merseburg, Germany – October 1-8

The visitors come from middle Germany.  Merseburg is one of the  oldest city in Germany, close by is Halle an der Saale,   You can visit both sites by searching for Merseburg.de and Halle.de
We need positions filled for various duties or functions;
Welcome Party: buy food, cook, collect money from members, guests are  free. We have Mary Brugger as a helper signed up.
Director for activities: work out the schedule, get members lined up for free entrance etc., collect additional fees from members, guests are free.
Farewell party: plan party, collect money from members (location TBD)
Home Hosts: Still need some.  Day Hosts: Have enough.
Home hosts so far:  Katy Goodwin, Ramona McGee, Donna Schaeffer, Richard Muehlenhard, Mary Brugger, Shellie Ramey, Mike Trautmann,  Bernie & Joan Scheerer, Roger & Janet Wollstadt, Mary Brand.
 Dinner hosts: Nanette Eklund and John Mulligan, Edna Schneider, Vivian McNamara, Cece O'Connor, Art and Marty Swenson.  We need some dinner hosts in the Sarasota area.
Leaf and  Ange Wanless, EDs
 Please contact us either e-mail: lwanless@comcast.net, phone:349-7343                                   

 

Minsk, Belarus – March 9-16, 2009

Judi Stratton has agreed to be the Exchange Director for our Inbound Exchange with Minsk, Belarus. Minsk will be here March 9-16, 2009 after being hosted by the Lee County FF Club from March 2-9.

Let's all be very supportive of Judi as she accepts her first role as an Exchange Director. When Judi calls you to take a role in the Minsk exchange, just say, "YES....."  Thanks, Wayne

 

Outbound

Calgary, Alberta Canada  August 12 -19, 2009  

We have planned an exciting optional pre-exchange bus tour August 7-12, 2009 followed by a seven day home stay in Calgary.  If you are interested in going, do not delay getting your name on the list.  We are limited to 25 Ambassadors.  For more information, you can E-mail us in Ohio at linvende@aol.com.  

Jack and Linda Vendeland, Exchange Directors

 

2008 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: October 2-5

Everyone is invited to go down-under for the 2008 Friendship Force International Conference! Your Aussie friends are ready to greet you in the GOLD COAST from October 2-5, 2008. On line registration begins January 22 at www.thefriendshipforce.org. There is an

All Florida add on to Australia and Malang, Indonesia.  (lead club is Suncoast).

 

ALL FLORIDA CONFERENCE:   November 8-9  The Conference  will be hosted this year by the Spring Hill, Florida club.   This is a great opportunity to learn more about Friendship Force and meet members of the other Florida clubs.  More information will be given as it is received.

 

Sister City Alliance

Manatee Community College (MCC) and Sarasota Sister Cities will celebrate the opening of the sixth annual international digital art exchange with a high tea reception  from 4 to 5 p.m., Thursday, June 5, in the Radiography Lab and  Dental Hygiene Clinic, building number 2, at MCC Bradenton, 5840 26th St.West.
The opening of the permanent display of graphics and  fine art by students from Liceo Artistico Statale di Treviso,  Italy, is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
 The 2008 exhibit is the result of an Internet and digital exchange of artwork by MCC and Italian students, accomplished with technical  help and expertise of art directors and faculty at both schools. 
MCC Assistant Professor Drew Webster, who is co-manager of the Studio Art Program, and Professor Giovanni Lenti coordinated the exchange. The artwork becomes part of both schools' permanent   collections.   Prior international artwork exchanges sponsored by MCC and Sarasota  Sister Cities were conducted with schools in Israel, Canada,  France, Russia and Scotland.   Participating MCC faculty in the 2008   exchange include Webster, James Alexander, Sherri Hill, David Kinsey, Joe Loccisano and Sue Wyar.
For more information, call Loccisano at (941) 752-5225.

Report of Morocco Exchange

The Morocco Exchange was as unusual as we expected - walking thru medinas, seeing markets selling camel meat, live chickens, live rabbits, live snails and live turtles, riding a camel into the Sahara, watching snake charmers, getting henna on hands and legs, visiting a hamman (public bath), dealing with Eastern toilets, touring weekly markets with donkey parking lots, making tajine and baking bread, meeting delightful people and sharing two weeks with a diverse, compatible group of travelers - a true Friendship Force experience!

Katy Goodwin, ED

 

FRIENDSHIP FORCE INTERNATIONAL SPECIALIZED EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

FFI is making tentative 2009 plans for specialized programs to Albania, Australia, Brazil (the Amazon region), Burundi, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Italy, India, Lithuania, Morocco, New Zealand, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden (with a Denmark extension), and Vietnam (with a Cambodia extension).  Some of these programs will fit into the following programs: 

NATIONAL EXCHANGES are much like regular exchanges except ambassadors are recruited from all over the U.S. rather than a single club.

BRIDGEBUILDERS EXCHANGES are based on a specific theme, either interest-based (such as sports, hiking, music) or based on a profession (such as teachers, medical professionals, agricultural workers).

HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGES have a service related focus, such as bringing medical or school supplies, helping to build a new school or women’s refuge, working with orphans, setting up a community library, etc.

There are two types of DISCOVERY PROGRAMS 1) A Friendship Force partner organization oversees and provides a close encounter with the locals by way of cultural touring and activities such as meals with local people. Overnight hosting may be part of the program. 2) The Ambassador group visits a foreign community to introduce them to Friendship Force, with the eventual goal of establishing a club. There will be interaction, meals and activities with the local group and may be some home hosting.

These programs are announced by FFI via their E-Flyer which members receive and they can be found on the FFI website --     www.thefriendshipforce.org.

 

 

You know it’s a no frills airline when:

You ask the Captain how often their planes crash and he says, "Just once."

All the planes have both a bathroom and a chapel.

You see a man with a gun, but he's demanding to be let off the plane.

No movie. Don't need one. Your life keeps flashing before your eyes.

The Captain yells at the ground crew to get the cows off the runway.

The Captain asks all the passengers to chip in a little for gas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Friendship Force

      of Sarasota, Florida

 

Nancy Rehbock

330 Avenida de Paradisio

Sarasota, FL  34242