ffh newsletter 2012-04 - ffhoustontx.org · friendship force houston page 2 april 2012 last...

. Friendship Force Houston

April

2012

A World Of Friends Is A World Of Peace. A Non-Profit Organization Promoting Peace through Citizen Exchanges

WHAT IS FRIENDSHIP FORCE INTERNATIONAL? The Friendship Force is a non-profit organization sponsoring people-to-people exchanges between people in over fifty nations of the world. It brings people together through home stay exchanges – creating unforgettable experiences that build lasting bonds of friendship. As an Ambassador you share lifestyles in a private home in other countries for a week. In return, you may home host people from that nation or other nations to share your lifestyle. The ever-widening Friendship Force global network represents a powerful and growing force that can overcome differences between people and nations.

President’s Corner FF Houston members and friends, As your elected President I was informed I really should attend the Friendship Force Southwest Regional Conference in Wichita, Kansas March 23-25. I did. It was my first Friendship Force Conference. After being welcomed by Mayor Carl Brewer we were addressed by George Brown, President of Friendship Force International. George Brown has been President for 25 years, and he is concerned about the lack of growth in Friendship Force. He will see twenty new clubs form, but twenty others peter out. So he presented a bold vision for the future. His first goal is to create 45 new clubs in the next three years, many in countries that do not currently have one. He believes $250,000 donated from the 350 clubs that currently exist world wide could provide the seed money necessary. Finally he envisions FFI offering a variety of “theme” exchanges that focus on a common interest and pull members from clubs all over the world….such as cooking, or golf, or gardening, or grand parenting. Some of these might be in conjunction with Roads Scholars, formally known as Elderhostel. Finally, for that morning kick-off Claude Puntel, a charming Frenchwoman, spoke on “We will discover the cultural differences and break the cultural boundaries.” Rather than my trying to summarize her talks, check out this website on how Japanese address work; http://www.wimp.com/japaneseaddresses/ It’s short and interesting – you will like it. Yours in friendship, Linda Marlin

Friendship Force Houston April 2012

Last Month’s Meeting Members of Friendship Force celebrate World Friendship Day in March by dressing in the costumes of countries we have visited, preparing foods from various countries and sharing an item of interest from our travels, with the group. Here is Hans Ave Lallemant showing off his Dutch shoes. Of course, he is a native of Holland, so these shoes aren’t exactly from a place he “visited”. We won’t get technical here!

Argentina was the country chosen to be highlighted at the March meeting because the Houston Festival which happens on the 21st & 22nd and the 28th & 29th of April is also spotlighting Argentina. So who better to share with us information about her homeland than our very own Dr. Maria Rocha. She shared with us many interesting facts as well as pictures of her homeland. She will be taking a group there next year, so we all may want to join her to see the points of interest first hand.

VP, Marjo, presenting Maria with globe paperweight


International Dining Night Please note that we will NOT be having an International Dining Night in April because of the inbound exchange. But we will get back on schedule in May and be going to Auntie Chang's Dumpling House on Sat., May 5th. Its address is 2621 S Shepherd # 290 (on corner of Shepherd and Westheimer on the 2nd floor). And be aware that there is an elevator available for our use. http://www.auntiechangs.com/flash/index.php

Sacramento Exchange - April 14th-19th by Jean Porter & PJ Missman They’re nearly here! We're fortunate to welcome 18 members from FF Sacramento, CA, voted Best FF Club in 2010, and one member from FF San Francisco. They are visiting Dallas/Fort Worth this week, and then coming down to us next week. On Saturday we will welcome them with lunch at the Potatoe Patch and socializing at the Formaneks (Southern cooking and Texas hospitality). Monday we'll enjoy Minute Maid Park, eating at Treebeards, seeing historic Christ Church, and taking the MetroRail to Hermann Park. Tuesday the bus leaves for NASA and Kemah, and Wednesday we'll enjoy the museum district. We will say farewell to our new friends with a Goode Company catered BBQ dinner at the Doolittle's clubhouse. Dessert potluck! Hoping for lots of Texas style desserts, like banana pudding. YUM! We'll need a clean-up crew for the farewell dinner, so please plan on staying to help so that our guests don’t need to stay. And we are requesting that you bring wine and/or beer and desserts to both the Formanek’s home and the Doolittle’s clubhouse. There will be beverages at the farewell dinner, but if you have a favorite wine or beer you want to share, please bring it along! Thanks to everyone who is helping with this and who is joining us for hospitality!!! Our FFH Exchange Director is P J Missman ([email protected]) who is assisted by Jean Porter ([email protected]) and Linda Doolittle ([email protected]). Let one of us know how you can help. Photos of our Sacramento Ambassadors are on the next two pages, along with their respective hosts’ names.


SUZANNE & RICHARD LATIMER PAT & BOB GHIGLIERI hosted by Art Blevins KARALEE & JIM HEILMAN hosted by EDs, hosted by the Missmans Joy Huntington

SUSAN SHAMBAUGH hosted by the Missmans GLENN & GWEN TILTON hosted by the Evans KAREN WICKS hosted by Gen Pike

CAROL TILLEY hosted by Gen Pike NORMA LEOPOLD hosted by Betty Spooner MARTY McKNEW hosted by Mary Adams


LYDIA & AL SIMONETTE hosted by the Marlins KEN & SUSANNE VENTURA hosted by the Formaneks ROSEMARIE EVERETT hosted by Peggy Strong FF San Francisco

Contact Us Friendship Force International www.thefriendshipforce.org

Friendship Force Houston, TX www.ffhoustontx.org

Facebook Account Friendship Force of Greater Houston

President Linda Marlin 713-465-9466 [email protected]

Vice-President Marjo Ave Lallemant 713-669-1972 [email protected]

Treasurer Elizabeth Spooner 281-589-7901 no email

Secretary Genevieve Pike 281-970-6751 [email protected]

Newsletter Editor & Webmaster Joy Huntington 281-837-5151 or 281-380-8684 [email protected]

Membership Chairman Jean Porter 281-240-0352 [email protected]

FFI Procedures Chairman Ruby Reviere 281-482-2464 [email protected]


Next Meeting, Sat., Apr. 28th Our speaker for the April 28 meeting will be Mrs. Margherita Young-Zellweger, honorary consul of Switzerland. She will present information about her native country, its history, family life, culture, traditions, etc. This will be a potluck, as usual, so you might see if you can come up with anything Swiss!!

Throwing the Flag – an old Swiss Tradition

Outbound Exchange to Peru in June by Joy Huntington, ED We have ten Ambassadors going to Peru, several from Houston and many who do not live in Houston. It is quite a varied group. Seven are departing on June 10th for a week’s exchange with the Tarapoto club, high in the Andes Mountains; then the other three are joining them on the 17th for a week with the Lima club in the center of the country. The whole group will be going on to Cuzco (including Machu Picchu & area) for 4 days followed by 3 days in the Lake Titicaca area in the southernmost section of the country, where we will spend a night on a “floating island” like the one at the right. We are eagerly anticipating our trip and will take lots of pictures to share with you at some time in the future.


FF Houston 2012 Calendar

Date Day Activity Location Time

Apr 14 -19 Sat-Thu

Inbound Domestic Exchange from Sacramento, California

PJ Missman, Linda Doolittle, Jean Porter co-EDs

Apr 21 Sat Russian violinist presented by HCC Call 713-718-7769 for tickets

Apr 21-22 & 28-29

Sat-Sun

Houston International Festival spotlighting Argentina

downtown

Apr 28 Sat Potluck luncheon & Guest speaker from Switzerland, followed by Board Mtg

Tracy Gee Comm. Ctr. * 11 AM

May 5 Sat International Dining Night Auntie Chang’s Dumpling House, 2621 S. Shepherd

6 PM

May 19 Sat General Mtg followed by Board Mtg Tracy Gee Comm. Ctr. * 11 AM

Jun 9 Sat International Dining Night 6 PM

Jun 10–30 Outbound Exchanges to Tarapoto & Lima, Peru, extensions to Cuzco (Machu Picchu) & Puno (Lake Titicaca and region)

Joy Huntington, ED

Jun 30 Sat General Mtg followed by Board Mtg Tracy Gee Comm. Ctr. * 11 AM

Jul 14 Sat International Dining Night 6 PM

Jul 28 Sat General Mtg followed by Board Mtg Tracy Gee Comm. Ctr. * 11 AM

Aug 11 Sat International Dining Night 6 PM

Aug 25 Sat General Mtg followed by Board Mtg Tracy Gee Comm. Ctr. * 11 AM

Sep 15 Sat International Dining Night 6 PM

Sep 29 Sat General Mtg followed by Board Mtg – Presentation of slate of officers


Oct 13 Sat International Dining Night 6 PM

Oct 25 – Nov 1

Inbound Exchange from North Bay, Ontario, Canada

Linda Marlin, Exchange Director

Oct 27 Sat General Meeting followed by Board meeting -- Election of Officers


Nov 10 Sat International Dining Night 6 PM

Dec 8 Sat Holiday Party at Sam Houston Park (Heritage Society)

Behind 1100 Bagby St. in downtown

* Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter Blvd., one block inside Beltway 8 off Richmond

ffh newsletter 2012-04 - ffhoustontx.org · friendship force houston page 2 april 2012 last...

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