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June President's Message

Published on 6/1/2017
Happy Memorial Day Weekend and Welcome to Summer. Our May General Meeting was canceled because of our outbound Exchange to Madison, Wisconsin. Fourteen of us returned this past Friday after a fabulous week with the Madison Friendship Force Club. Having visited us in April 2015; their members were so appreciative of Carol Tatum and her committee’s efforts that they reciprocated in grand style. Each day was filled with delightful surprises, from visiting the State Capitol to a pontoon boat tour of the Horicon Marsh, followed by an open air bi-plane ride soaring over the Wisconsin farmlands. Just when we thought they had topped off their highlights, we were treated to a visit to a family run dairy farm, filled with cows, goats, chickens, lambs, pigs and a baby calf (born while we were all taking turns milking a cow). Only in Friendship Force would we experience such unique activities, where the locals give you the best. It’s not the usual city wide bus tour with a travel guide talking on a microphone. We reconnected with our home hosts, who are sure to visit us in San Diego. Thank you to Nancy Alongi for a great job as Exchange Director.
Mary Prokop, the ED for incoming Austin, Texas exchange, beginning August 1st will continue soliciting members to volunteer. During that Austin Exchange week, our club will be attending the Summer Pops, August 5th. Bayside Summer Nights. For those who have signed up and not paid, please send your $27.00 check, payable to Carol Babbitt ASAP. Tom Schulz, the ED for the incoming international exchange from Leuven, Belgium, which begins Sept. 25th, will coordinate with Mary to assure equal coverage of members’ participation this summer for both. Bob Traber continues to encourage all members to access our club’s website.

Sandra Williams, (our President Elect), attended the Friendship Force Western Regional Presidents Conference in Santa Barbara this past month and will present highlights at our July 29th General Meeting.

The international outbound “journey” to Moscow, Russia is confirmed for the Spring of 2018. Mike Boyko was designated ED at our May Board meeting. Mike has already researched extension tours before or after the visit to Moscow. Long Island, New York is the outbound domestic exchange (suggested month September 2018). Paula Traber and a new member have expressed interest to be the Exchange Director for this “journey”. For early 2018, the domestic incoming journey is Flathead Valley, Montana and the international incoming journey will be Gisborne, New Zealand (suggested date, July 2018). Please consider volunteering for these ED positions which will be especially easy since all correspondence will be in English.

The next General Meeting will be at Joyce Beers Community Center on June 17th at 1:30 PM. The featured program will be Diana Lindsay speaking on her “Coast to Cactus” San Diego Trail Guide. We will continue judging and presenting a prize for the best snack "offering" each month.

The next board meeting will be held Monday, July 10th, 1:00 PM at the home of Kathy Velasco.


In Friendship,
Carol Babbitt, President