Greetings friends;
Here we are again, a third of the way through the year, and I have exciting news about the exchanges for this year. As most of you already know we are hosting an inbound delegation from Moscow from May 7 through May 11. By the time you read this I trust that the hosting schedule will be fully settled. Babs Fickes and John Webster are the joint EDs. Later in May our outbound exchange to Leicestershire, England will be under way. Helen Ida Moyer is the ED.
Our inbound exchange for 2007 will be starting on September 22 and we will be hosting a joint group from Oklahoma and Sarasota, Florida. I would appreciate hearing from you regarding an ED(s) for this exchange and volunteers for hosting. This will be discussed at our next Meeting to be held on Tuesday, May 1 at the Ponderosa Steak House (our old venue) at 6:00pm for a 7:00 Meeting. Please bring Guests.
As announced in my last newsletter article, our outbound exchange for 2008 is to Calgary, Canada and our inbound will be from Hamburg, Germany.
May I take this opportunity to welcome all new members and guests (whom I hope will become new members).
I will also welcome any comments which will help to maintain and extend the friendship which we cherish.
In friendship;
Mark.
The Russians are coming -again!
From May 7th to the 11th the club will be hosting a group of 21 Russians, mostly from the Moscow area. The visitors will be coming to the USA to mark and celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations between the USA and Russia. Many events are taking place both in the USA and Russia.
The United States and Russia opened the process of establishing diplomatic relations in August 1807, when James Monroe, then ambassador to Britain, discussed the issue with Maksim Alopeus, the Russian special envoy in London. Negotiations and Senate confirmation hearings took more than two years to complete. On Nov. 5, 1809, John Quincy Adams presented his diplomatic credentials to Emperor Alexander I. Russia's first envoy, Andrei Iakovlevich Dashkov, arrived in the United States about the same time.
While they are with us we will show them the Governors Mansion and the Capitol in Richmond, take a tour of Monticello, entertain them at a dinner attended by the Mayor of Charlottesville at Starr Hill, and also a tour of UVA and downtown Charlottesville.
Our visitors leave on Friday 11th May to be hosted by the Friendship Force Club of the
National Capital region in Washington. Their visit will end with a 200th Anniversary Event
organized by the Russian Cultural Center in Washington on the 17th of May, in the form of some
round table discussion, talks and presentations and a small concert. Further details and times
will be promulgated when they become available. Babs Fickes is the Exchange Director for this
event and hosts have been arranged for all of the visitors.
All members of Charlottesville Friendship Force are invited to participate in any or all of these events. In order to manage numbers and arrange transportation etc, please advise either Babs Fickes (away until May 3rd) or John Webster of your intentions, as early as possible.
Babs Fickes, fickesdb@earthlink.net phone 434-589-2186 John Webster, jhwebster@comcast.net phone 434-589-9573
FUNDRAISING
FFC is again participating in checking IDs at the Fridays After Five Concerts held at the Pavilion on the Downtown Mall. Our "job" is to check identifications of those who wish to purchase wine and beer and place wristbands on their right arms. Eight volunteers are needed for each concert. It is a very enjoyable way to greet those who attend the concert and to bond with your fellow FFC members. Our club earns $200 for the evening.
If you would like to participate and have not yet signed up, please contact Cheryl Kasper (589-6148) or Linda Vargas (295-6588) or sign up at our March meeting. This will be our only fundraiser for the year so we hope for your participation.
We will also have FFC club pins, pens, and cookbooks for sale at the March meeting. If you are a new member, please purchase a pin for yourself. If you are taking part in either an inbound or outbound exchange, these make good small gifts for your guests, home hosts, or day hosts.
Cheryl Kasper
Minutes of General Meeting - March 13, 2007
The combined meeting/ 30th anniversary celebration/membership drive was opened by social committee chair Dee Schwagerl, who welcomed 35 members and 11 guests to an "International Evening of Food and Dance" at Jefferson Heights, Pantops. Following Dee's introduction of officers, Mark Dryer called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.; then led the recitation of the Friendship Force pledge.
First order of business was approval of minutes of the January 2 meeting as they appeared in The Ambassador. A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously.
Treasurer Bev Hankins reported a balance of $4,893 with unpaid bills totaling $100. Twenty-one members still owe 2007 dues. Any member needing a nametag should contact Bev (434-296-9930) as soon as possible.
Reporting on the 30th anniversary celebration in Atlanta, Mark called forward Bob Schwagerl for special recognition. Bob was presented an award at the conference for outstanding achievement on behalf of Friendship Force.
Other club members who traveled to Atlanta were Peter Almonte, Ann Bearden, Dee Schwagerl, and Margaret Dryer, who displayed a carved walking stick given to Mark by an ambassador from Kenya during a post-conference home stay. Describing the gift-giving experience, Margaret called it "representative of Friendship Force."
Application forms for the following 2007 festivals are available from Mark:
Still open in 2007: Mid-Atlantic Conference in Asheville, N.C. from April 27-29. Total cost for meals and stay is $200. Call Bob Schwagerl at 434-984-1490.
On tap: Friendship Force International Conference on Australia's Gold Coast, October 2-5, 2008. Home stays with five local clubs will follow.
In club news, this year's Outbound Exchange to Leicestershire, England is a go. On May 15, 11 ambassadors will embark on a seven-day home stay, followed by a tour of Scotland ending May 31. Helen Ida Moyer is ED.
From May 7 to 11, we will host a delegation from Moscow, Russia through the "Open World" program sponsored by the Library of Congress. The 21 guests represent varied professions including law, education, science, music and art. Even the Russian space program is represented. Babs Fickes and John Webster will serve as EDs. Hosts are needed for six couples and 11 single delegates. After reviewing the proposed schedule, please call Bev at 434-589-2186 if you are able to host.
An ED is needed for a domestic inbound exchange (Oklahoma) set to begin September 22. Details of the exchange are not yet available. Please contact Mark (434-978-7021) if you wish to volunteer.
EDs for the 2008 exchanges are in place: Bev Hankins, outbound to Calgary; Brian Bouton, inbound/Hamburg. At the next meeting Mark will propose an ED seminar to encourage new members to get involved in future exchanges.
In new business, fund raising chair Cheryl Kasper announced Linda Vargas has volunteered to assist in the scheduling of Friday After Five volunteers. Eight ID checkers are needed per event. Since this is the club's only fund raising activity, members are asked to participate as needed during the May-September concert season. Please advise Cheryl (434-589-6148) of your availability.
For the benefit of guests interested in learning about Friendship Force, the remainder of the meeting was an informational session featuring Bob Schwagerl, who spoke on the history of the organization and the benefits of membership, and Darrell Stoll, who related his exchange experiences, including Belgium on 9/11 and Russia in 2005.
The newsletter and web site were highlighted by LeRoy Moyer and the club's affiliation with the JAG school explained by Chuck Johnson, who also recruited sponsors for the five new international students set to arrive this fall.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m. Entertainment featuring international folk dance instruction by Jane and Elias Plaza-Meyer followed.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Kelshaw
Secretary