Events

Welcome back home to our team of travelers who spent a week in Havana, Cuba, then spent a week being hosted in Dallas Texas by their friendship force club. Highlights included a cattle drive down a street in Fort Worth; eating barbeque at Riscky’s Restaurant; taking a seat in the president’s oval office chair at the George W. & Laura Bush Library; remembered where we were on the day of the JFK assassination while perusing the museum and walking the grassy knoll; walking the art district of downtown Dallas; touring the Top o’ Hill Terrace where we learned about the bootlegging prohibition era exploits; wondered the huge Texas State Fair to find the perfect fried food; and enjoyed a hot afternoon stroll in the shade at the Dallas Arboretum; and many, many meals shared with our hosts and other club members. Some of us even got a chance to buy a new Stetson hat! As always the camaraderie and friendship was endless. Check out the Dallas friendship force’s facebook page for pictures.

Due to recent changes in membership dues at FFI, the FFCC Board has modified its club dues to reflect these same changes. 2017 dues will be $30 per person. There will be no discount for couples or families, as each and every member will be counted separately in FFI’s new database and every member will be counted and recorded for each travel experience. Membership dues will continue to be due at the annual meeting, and we will start collecting them at the November 12th meeting. Please bring your checkbook, and remember that this year our annual meeting is being held at a different location, and on Saturday to keep the cost down for the facility. Annual meeting is Saturday, November 12, 1pm at United Methodist Church, 1838 SW Jefferson St. Portland OR

Join the Columbia Cascade Friendship Force for the next Taste Travelers adventure. We will all meet at Otto & Anita’s Schnitzel House, Bavarian Restaurant located at 3025 SW Canby Street (in Multnomah Village) Portland Oregon 97219 at 11:30 am on October 11, 2016. Lunch will be ordered individually from the menu and we will have a great time chatting and catching up with our friends. Come join us and try some Dill Pickle Soup! You can even get the recipe.

http://www.ottoandanitas.com

Come join us for our annual meeting, potluck luncheon, and elections for new officers. Marge Terdal will present a slide show of the Indonesia exchange this summer. Meet at First United Methodist Church at 1838 SW Jefferson Street, Room 202, Portland Oregon from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm. There is lots of parking in the church parking lot off 18th Street, just south of Jefferson Street. Bring a potluck item, your checkbook to pay annual dues, and join the fun.

Gwen White hosted an training day at her home for the club members, especially new members, to learn about our club activities and how we travel. Marilyn Peterson, our regional field representative conducted the training. A walk through the Friendship Force International website to find various kinds of assistance, and a presentation on how our organization travels, mainly through “exchanges” wherein the traveling “ambassadors” are hosted in individual homes by another club’s members was the main focus. About 18 members were present and enjoyed a wonderful lunch hosted by the club. This information will help our club in the early planning stages of our upcoming exchange to Australia in March 2017. Many thanks to Marilyn Peterson and Gwen White!

FFCC will be hosted by Gold Coast (near Brisbane) and Mount Barker (near Adelaide) Australia on two weeks of exchange in March 2017. An extension to Tasmania is also planned for an additional week excursion. Check your calendars and start making arrangements to join us. More information will be coming along shortly. Please contact Gwen White (gwenmwhite@msn.com) for more information or to add you name to the list of ambassadors.

Donna Egan will again host the annual Christmas Boats on the Columbia River at her Vancouver home on Saturday, December 3, 2016. The party starts at 5:30 pm. A winter meal of chili, soup, and cornbread will be provided to the participants by the club. Bring some seasonal goodies if you’d like to add to the festivities. If you desire wine, please bring your own, or bring a bottle to share. No need to bring your plates or utensils, as the club will be hosting the event. Please come and add to the fun of the parade of decorated boats traveling the river. Parade reaches this location about 7pm. RSVP to Mary Dickson at mbdinor@gmail.com before December 1.