Cheryl Kasper,President
September 3 - Annual Membership Meeting & Election of 2003 Board Members; British Cultural Awareness
September 17 - Newcomers' Coffee (Betty Black)
September 19-27 - Open World Russian Leadership Program (ED: Jim Hart)
October 2 - Board Meeting
October 4 - Fridays After Five Fund Raiser (Ann Farwell)
October 5 - Newsletter Deadline
October 5 - Old Farm Day Booth (Mary Pat Searls)
October 6 - Mystery Dinners (Dee Schwagerl)
October 16-23 - Inbound Exchange from Cornwall, England (ED: LeRoy and Helen Ida Moyer)
November 5 - General Meeting
November 7-10 - FFI Conference in Dallas
December 2 - New/Old Board Transition Meeting
December 14 - Christmas Party (Rita and Darrell Stoll)
March 12-30, 2003 - Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference (Bob Schwagerl)
Richard and Kim Schwarz, 17 Axle Tree Rd., Palmyra, VA 22963 Tel: 589-0752; email: razmataz@cstone.net
B.J. Robinson, 1492 Ashland Dr., Charlottesville, VA 22911 Tel: 973-0980
Tuesday, September 3
Ponderosa Steak House
RLP Home Hosts Meeting-4:15 pm
Dinner-5:30 pm
Meeting-6:30 pm
Exchange Boutique
Club Gifts and Books Display
Election of 2003 Board Members
British Cultural Awareness Program by John and
Shirley Webster and Mark and Margaret Dryer
The Open World Russian Leadership Program Committee is working hard to ensure a wonderful experience for our Russian guests.
We hope Russians and Americans, as we interact with each other, cross cultural barriers, and understand that we are all human beings with the same desires, will develop lasting memories and bonds of friendship. We know that the memories we bring home from any Exchange are of special personal experiences. Here are some opportunities for all members of our club to be involved. Please send in the reservations sheet and wear your nametags to all events.
Russian Cultural Awareness Night - Tuesday, September 10 at Immigrant Soul Restaurant: This provides an opportunity to have a full course Russian dinner and a program planned by Jim Hart and his friend Yuri.
Welcome "All American Picnic" - Saturday, September 21 at McIntire Park: Please come and welcome our Russian guests in true American style!
Farewell "Thanksgiving" Dinner - Thursday, September 26 at Lake Monticello Clubhouse: Please come to bid farewell to our guests and meet invited dignitaries.
If you would like to host a small dinner party, please call Betty Black at 245-8984.
Picnic and Meeting
Sunday, July 21, 2O02
Held at the home of Helen Ida & LeRoy Moyer
The meeting was called to order by Vice President Patricia Travers at 5:15 PM. Patricia thanks the Moyers for hosting our annual picnic at their lovely home "Ducky Oaks." Forty plus members and guests attended this "pot-luck" picnic. The ducks moved about "all in a row" and the resident peacock squawked to our speakers. Even though it was hot, the beautiful surroundings and shade made for a memorable setting. Helen Ida's garden with colorful perennials and the abundant butterflies had us all mystified. Patricia presented Friendship Force pins and welcome bags to two new members Mark and Margaret Dryer. Guests were B.J. Robertson and Ray Finegan.
Chuck Johnson gave a brief update on our Friendship Force Canadian Exchange. Everyone seemed happy and pleased with his or her Canadian hosts. All said they did "all and above" to make us ''welcome and happy.''
Jim Hart gave a brief report on the proceedings for our September 19-27 Russian Exchange. We still don't know what our program will be, but should have confirmation by August 5th. Jim needs assistance for this exchange. Members interested should contact Jim at 434-971-2094. Jim needs a transport coordinator who will be responsible for coordinating transportation for our Russian visitors. It will involve two 15-passenger vans. John Webster volunteered. Jim also requested volunteers to work along with our Russian visitors at the United Way Day of Caring, Wednesday, September 25th. Bob Schwagerl volunteered to coordinate this.
Helen Ida Moyer, Exchange Director for our incoming British Cornwall Exchange, requested sign up for various committees. Joan Sours, home hosting, 589-1316; Cathy Wallace, day hosting, 589-4581; and Kathy Saurman, small dinner parties, 589-3456. Please help with these committees.
Chuck Barbour announced that the Columbia Cascades Club is interested in hosting us with an interclub exchange. By showing of hands, the majority was interested in pursuing this as a possible exchange - date preference, September 2003.
Dee Schwagerl, chairperson of Mystery Dinner, handed out participating slips. The Mystery Dinner will be Sunday, October 6th.
The Nominating Committee, chaired by Bob Schwagerl, has proposed the following slate for 2003:
President, Patricia Travers
President elect, Chuck Johnson
Vice President, John Webster
Secretary, Ann Bearden
Treasurer, Sue Carney.
Bob Schwagerl gave a brief update on the Friendship Force Conference to be held in March 2003. He expects over 200 delegates to attend and needs help to coordinate the program. His number is 984-1490.
The newsletter deadline is August 19th. Please forward items to Ken Smith.
The next meeting is Tuesday, September 3rd, at Ponderosa at 5:30 for dinner, meeting at 6:30.
A feast to behold followed the meeting, with so many wonderful choices, some from our cookbook! There was enough food for one hundred people. Many thanks to our "chefs". Thanks too to the clean-up committee. Conversations at dinner were lively and interesting.
Many thanks to the Moyers for hosting our picnic/meeting at their beautiful home and gardens.
Respectfully submitted, Cathy Wallace
LeRoy and Helen Ida Moyer
The British are coming, or at least a group of 20 ambassadors from the Cornwall region of the British Isles are visiting the Charlottesville Friendship Force club from 16 to 23 of October. We are looking forward to their visit and are having a hard time limiting all the things that we would like to show them. The schedule is shaping up like this:
October 16 - Arrive Charlottesville airport 5:30 PM October 17 - Meet the Mayor of C'ville 9:00 AM Downtown Walk by Historical Society 10:00 AM UVa Rotunda and Garden Tour 2:00 PM October 18 - Tour of Monticello 8:30 AM Michie Tavern for lunch 12:00 PM with a tour afterwards Small Dinner Parties in evening October 19 - Free Day Ambassadors treat home hosts to dinner October 20 - Blue Ridge Parkway in afternoon with tour of Mountain Farm at information center Small Dinner Parties in the evening October 21 - Tour of the White House and the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond starting at 9:30 AM Visit to the Maymont Gardens in afternoon October 22 - Tour of Montpelier House & Gardens 9:30 AM Farewell Potluck Dinner at the Church of the Encarnation 6:00 PM October 23 - Depart for Charlotte, NC 8:40 AM
Many thanks go to those serving as chairman of the committees and their members: Joan Sours for Home Hosting, Cathy Wallace for Day Hosting, Kathy Saurman for Small Dinner Parties, May Guenin for Events Planning, Betsy Edgecomb for Welcoming Event, Pat Travers for Farewell Event, Ed Searls for Program Handout, Hy & Muriel Badler for Public Relations, Dee Schwagerl for being Treasurer.
Of course, the British have a different way of looking at things. We are fortunate to have two couples who are members that are quite familiar with the British point of view: John and Shirley Webster and Mark and Margaret Dryer will be giving a presentation of some of these differences at the regular club meeting on September 3rd.
There are many ways in which members of the club can participate and get to know the British Ambassadors. Everyone is welcome to come to the welcoming gathering and we especially urge everyone to try and come to the farewell dinner. Other ways to participate are as a day host (call Cathy Wallace, 589-4581, if you would like to do this) or a small dinner party host (call Kathy Saurman, 589-3456). Plus we still need someone who would like to prepare the Ambassadors' Gift Bags (call, 293-5543, or e-mail Lee & Helen Ida Moyer).
Lets all give the British a rousing welcome.
Joann Rawls
WE NEED YOUR HELP IN SELLING THE FRIENDSHIP FORCE COOKBOOKS. While we were pleased with the initial response of sales, we have total sales of fewer than 100 books, leaving 200 plus books remaining. The books are now offered for sale at the Garden Cafe and the Gift Cellar and were announced in the Fluvanna Review.
There are many ways to share this book with others and, at the same time benefit our fund raising efforts. One such suggestion is to give the book as a host/hostess gift in place of a bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers. Also, have you considered sending a copy to friends we have hosted as well as those that have hosted us in other countries? I am sure there are many more suggestions.
We would love to hear your ideas to pass along to the other members. Your help is urgently solicited and sincerely appreciated.
Ann Farwell
We have several fund-raising projects coming up within the next few months. The Club will again staff a concession stand at Fridays After Five on the Downtown Mall on October 4th. The first group of volunteer concessionaires brought almost $120 into the Club's account in May. They said it was a busy and fun time!
On October 5th, it/s Old Farm Day at Pleasant Grove near Palmyra. We will have a table with brochures about FFC, and will have our Cook Book for sale. Mary Pat Searls has agreed to chair this event. Six volunteers, two per shift, each serving for a two-hour shift beginning at 10AM and ending at 4PM, are needed. Sign up to meet some nice people and tell them about your reason for being in FFC.
Prior to Christmas, the Club will have the opportunity to wrap presents at Barnes & Noble. We keep the tips! Twelve volunteers are needed, again two each two hour shift. I understand some groups have earned a few hundred dollars - and I hope we can also.
Please volunteer for one of these opportunities. The Club needs your support. Call me at 434-974-9985.
Hy and Muriel Badler
The Russians are coming! "Russian World Leadership Program" - September 19-27. A number of news publications and media outlets have been alerted to this event. In anticipation of this activity, a "Russian Awareness" evening is being planned for September 10th at the Immigrant Soul Restaurant. Various food publications have been approached to promote this event. The FFC International Cook Book will receive additional publicity with notices in the publication "In The Kitchen" and the "Albemarle Magazine" food section. Our goal is to continue these efforts for the upcoming Cornwall U.K. exchange in October.
John Webster
Several people have asked if they could have copies of the visit books that we handed to our hosts in Ottawa. The cost of producing those books was covered from visit funds, but I can produce a souvenir issue, to include all the original content, plus the host program, a complete version of the diary entries that we wrote, and some photographs of events. If anyone would like such a copy, please let me know at 589-9573, or contact me at the next meeting. Costs will be between $ 5.00 and $ 7.50 (subject to approval this will include a contribution to FF funds).
A Big Thanks to Helen Ida & Leroy Moyer. We give the Moyers a big thank you for their hospitality in hosting the Friendship Force annual picnic. We enjoyed the company of their special guests - the six ducks and the peacock. Reminder: Mark these dates on your Calendars. The next Mystery Dinner is October 6, 2002. Patricia Travers and Dee Schwagerl are coordinating this event. Contact them if you have any questions. The Christmas Holiday Party is December 14, 2002 at the Lake Monticello clubhouse. More details later.
The Ambassador Friendship Force of Charlottesville, Virginia Kenneth G. Smith, Editor 9 Leisure Court Lake Monticello, VA 22963