NEXT MEETING
June 1, 2009
SOCIAL TIME 6:30 - 7:00PM
DINNER AT 7:00PM
THANK YOU JACKIE KUPPERSMITH!!!!!!
Jackie has stepped forward and volunteered to be the club secretary. We have been without a secretary for several months and the nominating committee was not having any luck finding someone willing to serve. Jackie came forward during the April meeting and volunteered.
The members present voted her in immediately. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! EXCHANGE CALENDAR 2009 WELCOME SYDNEY AUSTRALIA – MAY 13 - 20 Montreal, Canada May 20 - THERE.......Susan Schafer assisting the Australian ED JUNE 23 - 30, 2009 HERE Auckland, New Zealand ....Skip and Barbara Walter EDs FOOD HOSTING....If you cannot do your assigned food hosting date it is up to you to find a substitute. The substitute’s name will not be printed in the newsletter. If you inform the newsletter who your sub is, the name can be entered beside yours. It is up to you to check and make sure the substitute will be there for you. If there are extreme problems contact Judy Sanfilippo 706 376-7788 POT LUCK Bring an entree, salad or side. Food hosts supply desserts. JUNE FOOD HOSTS Kathy and Terry Garner Tim Czarniak Brenda and Jack Dixon July Jo and Bill Fritsch Kay andJerryCleveland Jeanne Howe August Cindy and Bill Jones Bobbie and Jim Jones Pat Jones September Karen and Tom Komatz Jackie and Shelly Kuppersmith MaryLou and Dave Leverette President's Message Skip Walter 864.225.0666 New Zealand Exchange: VP NOTES Anyone interested in attending the FF International Conference??? It will be a great experience, with friends gathering from around the world. It will be held in Okinawa during early November. Information can be found on the FFI website: www.friendshipforce.org or contact me. Bobbie Jones WAYS AND MEANS Pat Christman won $52 in the 50/50 raffle. It does pay to buy a ticket. I know I've said it every time but thanks so much to all those that participate. The money we make goes to supporting our great incoming exchanges and allows us to defray some of the costs that would be passed onto the Hosts. Thanks again, Susan Schafer GOLF....Dave Pursell The golf hosts are: May - Pete Chambers, June - Jack Dixon, July - Tom Christman, August - Jim Jones. Visit the GOLF section of our web page for identification of our golfing members, suggestions for setting the match up and courses we have used. 2009 International Friendship Force Conference Welcome to Okinawa! We are delighted that so many of the Friendship Force members in Japan will be attending the conference this year, as well as offering their homes for a post-conference home stay. This will be a very Japanese conference! Conference Highlights: 1 Conference plenary sessions with guest speakers featuring Okinawan and Pacific Island culture. 2 The opportunity to help launch Friendship Force activities in a new and unique region of Japan as we invite key leaders to join and discuss the establishment of a Friendship Force in Okinawa. 3 Key conference sessions will be conducted in Japanese and English for the benefit of all delegates. 4 Leadership workshops featuring the implementation of FFI's new global strategic plan. 5 Opportunities for making friends and renewing friendships from around the world...don't miss the karaoke party on Saturday evening! 6 Optional tours to top island attractions on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. 7 Great Okinawan cuisine! 8 Join a post-conference home stay with a Japanese Friendship Force club on one of the main islands. See details and Register Online online now!
I would like to thank all the members who attended the April meeting! It did run late because of the discussion and voting regarding adopting revisions to our club bylaws. As I mentioned, the bylaws had not been updated in some time and the process was long overdue. Special thanks to Dave Pursell and his committee for the time they spent doing the review and recommendation process.
This week is the Sydney, Australia Exchange! By the time this gets published we will be well into our week of activities. Susan Schafer and her group have a wonderful week of activities planned for our visitors. The Farewell Dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19th at the Sacred Heart Camp on Lake Hartwell. If you contact Susan there may still be time to make reservations and attend. When the Australians leave Wednesday morning six of our members will join them for the exchange in Montreal. I'm sure the six will bring back wonderful memories from their visit with our neighbors to the north.
Next month is the Howick and Auckland North Shore Clubs Exchange here! FFOLH was hosted by the Howick Club in February of 2006. We had a wonderful time and several of the Howick hosts will be among those arriving here on June 22nd. There are 20 Ambassadors coming. At this time there is a need for more FFOLH volunteers for everything from home hosting, and day hosting to members willing to prepare a surprise meal for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner! There is an article elsewhere in the newsletter being more specific about these activities. It is our turn to show the New Zealanders how much we appreciate their hospitality by showing them what Southern Hospitality is all about under the flag of Friendship Force. Please support the exchange by participating, either as a volunteer at some of the events or as a member of the hosting club at the Welcome and/or Farewell Dinners. See the schedule in the exchange article. I know summer is a busy time here at the lake! But, we voted to invite the clubs here so let's do all we can to support the exchange planners.
In closing for this month I want to stress to the new members that participating in these two exchanges is a great way to begin the Friendship Force experience! All of these guests are looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you. Our club has not been to Australia on an exchange as best I remember! In the not too distant future I hope we will be invited to visit them and we have the chance now to make friends with them. Please make time in your schedules to participate at some level. New members have found Day Hosting an excellent way to get started. Hope to see you all during the two exchanges.
Howick and Auckland North Shore clubs
Monday, June 22 - Monday, June 29
Exchange Schedule:
Monday, June 22 -
late morning arrival at GSP - hosts will pickup ambassadors and luggage at airport
Welcome Dinner at Founder's Hall, Sacred Heart Church @ 6 PM - Paula Chambers is chairperson
all club members welcome, tickets approximately $10
Tuesday, June 23 -
Morning - relax with hosts
Lunch at ......... TBD........
Afternoon - local sightseeing in Georgia
Evening - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? - hosts needed, contact Kay Cleveland
Wednesday, June 24 -
Day trip to Biltmore Estate - capacity available for FFOLH members, admission charge
only ($38), transportation provided - chairperson is Barbara Walter
Thursday, June 25 -
Breakfast at the Walters
Mid morning Dam tour
Lunch in Anderson
Afternoon - Visit Anderson - Quilt exhibit, County Museum, Arts Center, and the Visitors Center
Dinner - opportunity for ambassadors to treat their hosts
Downtown Sounds - evening of outdoor music
- all club members welcome to evening program a chair person would be helpful
Friday, June 26 -
Day hosting - chair person is Jeanne Andrews - day hosts needed
- evening suggestion - Dancing at the Depot, downtown Hartwell
Saturday, June 27 -
Morning - free time with hosts
- suggest prefourth activities downtown Hartwell
Afternoon - BBQ at the Leverettes (ambassadors and hosts) 6:30 PM
Evening - fireworks at the dam!
Sunday, June 28 -
free time with hosts - church, boating, relaxing, etc.
Afternoon - Farewell Party - Sacred Heart Camp - Low Country Boil, party, party, party!
all club members welcome, tickets approximately $12 per person - chairperson is Brenda Dixon
Monday, June 29 -Late morning departure from GSP
See you in June!
November 20-22, OKINAWA, JAPAN
See details and Register Online online now!
Experience a unique blend of Japanese, Chinese and Pacific Island culture while participating in our annual global gathering of Friendship Force leaders from around the world. The conference is set in the city of Naha - central to all of Okinawa's attractions. In addition to the conference sessions and workshops there will be opportunities for excursions to various cultural centers on the island. Following the conference you may extend your stay in the region by returning to the Japanese main islands for a post-conference home stay.