NEWSLETTER FRIENDSHIP FORCE OF DAYTON, OHIO ON THE WEB. May 21, 2009 Issue 5 DAYTON OFFICERS. May Hello Dear Friends,

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1 FRIENDSHIP FORCE OF DAYTON, OHIO May 21, 2009 Issue 5 NEWSLETTER DAYTON OFFICERS Vicki Thompson, President vickithompson@woh.rr.com Dick Graf, Vice President graf7000@woh.rr.com Gary Mitchner, Secretary Gary.mitchner@gmail.com Frank Sensel, Treasurer fsensel@ameritech.net Steve Birt DAYTON DIRECTORS hetuck@gmail.com Jeanne Comer remocfforce@woh.rr.com Betty Darst jdarst@woh.rr.com Mary K Federle mksf@webtv.net Tom Graham Thomas.graham@notes.udayton.edu Joan Lambert jlambert9@woh.rr.com Bob Remm remcin@aol.com Terri Stockman tstockmn@aol.com Louise Van Vliet vanvlil@muohio.edu Orville Wright in flight over Huffman Prairie, approximately 1,760 feet in 40 1/5 seconds, ON THE WEB (Dayton FF web site) (FFI web site) ALL NEW!! PRESIDENTS COMMENTS Hello Dear Friends, May 2009 Ever heard the adage, You can t teach an old dog new tricks? Well, I beg to differ! At this stage in my retirement, I ve decided to try something new. Gardening! If you ask my husband, he would assure you this is a huge step for me (albeit it I am still taking baby steps at this time). Ron always jokes that we lived in one house for five years before people in the neighborhood knew he was married, because he was the only person they ever saw in the yard! Admittedly, I am more of an indoor person, but I am even more open to expanding my horizons now that my time is a little more free and flexible. It is that time of year for planting. I ve enjoyed picking out some different varieties this year, and in greater quantities than in past years. Although my faithful gardener for many years has gently urged me to get more involved, this year he insisted that if I wanted THAT many flowers I would need to help plant, water, feed, and weed them myself. Ok, I easily agreed, as he looked on in shock and disbelief but I ve kept my word. (At least the year is early, so I can still brag at this point.) (Psst! If you can keep it a secret, I ll admit I ve found that I actually enjoy it but keep that one to yourself!) The other day as I was puttering around in the yard admiring the beautiful tender, young blooms, I thought about how gardens remind me of friendship in so many ways. The bright blossoms of friendship add so much color to our lives. Our friends may come in many varieties and the relationships blossom in various colors at various times, and if we surround ourselves with enough variety we ll find something blooming all season long. Friends are also like trees. They create a refuge of shade from the heat of difficult times. Friends are like a thick lush carpet of green grass, providing a soft spot for us to land if we lose our balance, or a place to relax and ponder the wonders of galaxies beyond. Sometimes friends are also like the rocks and stones they create a boundary to protect us--gently and lovingly reminding us of limitations if we step out to do something unwise. Or they are like the fountain springing forth with refreshing laughter, tempting us to splash and play with the innocence of child-like fun. Some friends are like herbs, adding fragrant, flavorful, and exotic spices to our lives. Friendships--like all worthwhile relationships--are not always easy. Sometimes we have to get our hands dirty and break through that crusty layer to find the soft, warm earth underneath. Sometimes we have to take a risk like planting a bulb for the first time and figure out which side goes up and how deeply we really should or shouldn t dig. If the friendship is important, we have to spend time nurturing it, feeding and watering the friendship to help it grow and stay connected and healthy. This is true whether it s a friendship on a personal or national level. We have to work together to keep the weeds from growing between us and hiding the natural beauty of humanity that surrounds us. As we work to continue to nurture, sustain, and grow the local Friendship Force club, I urge you to pull out your gardening tools and help me break some new ground and plant some new seeds, so that tomorrow our community will be able to continue to reap the type of harvest we ve enjoyed from the toils of those in the past.... And by the way, if anyone asks, the story I m sticking with is that it s young pups that dig to rediscover their treasures! In friendship, Vicki Thompson President

2 F R I E N D S H I P F O R C E O F D AY T O N NE W SL E T T E R p a g e 2 F FI Annual Conference Our Japanese friends are making exciting plans as hosts for this year's FFI annual conference in Okinawa, Japan, Nov Home hosting will be available following the conference at clubs on some of the main islands. See the FFI website for registration information and information on roundtrip airfares as low as $1048 from Atlanta! F F of Dayton Annual Meeting Recap The Friendship Force of Dayton convened the club's annual meeting on Saturday, April 25, at Christ Church in Kettering, Ohio, with an attendance of 53 members. Upon arrival, club members were greeted by Cathy and Bill Clark. Bill also made some remarks on behalf of the church, welcoming the club to the facility. For a change of pace, the event was scheduled as a breakfast meeting rather than at the dinner hour. Kohlers catered what Glenn DeVoe happily referred to as a "farmer's breakfast"--including eggs, sausage, bacon, and potatoes! Doris Ponitz offered the invocation by reading several inspiring Irish blessings, and a moment of silence was offered in memory of recently deceased members Freddie Klefeker, Diana West, Norman Ilsley, and Jean Weiner. Joe Scullion arranged the set-up of a computer and slide show that also enabled members to view the latest FFI video generated to help publicize the international organization. President Vicki Thompson convened the meeting, welcoming members and Jill Murphy, president of the Lansing club and field representative for the Great Lakes Region. The president offered her report highlighting the past year's achievements and challenges. She reported that the club's relationship with FFI remains strong, and the local club's relationship with sister clubs in Ohio and Michigan have been strengthened as a result of dialogue opened at the district conference. She also related that the Blaines recently represented the club at the Mid-West Regional Conference. Some of the challenges of the past year included a few activities and exchanges that had to be cancelled (Tanzania outbound, Pilgrimage Project, Pau youth exchange, inbounds from Tblisi and Brazil) for various reasons, including political issues and lack of participation due at least in part to economic turmoil. Also, similar to other Friendship Force clubs and clubs of many types, our membership numbers have continued to decline. However, the club also experienced several huge successes over the past year including hosting the district conference, the exchange to the U.K; the successful start up of the Solothurn, Switzerland, club; and the collaborative effort with the Library of Congress in hosting the Russian Open World exchange during our national election timeframe. We also held social events including the Greenville picnic and the Holiday/Christmas party. In closing her report, the Vicki urged all members to spend time recruiting and mentoring just one new member each this year, stressing the impact we can have on the future of the club by each member accepting this challenge. Treasurer Karen Sensel reported that the club remains financially sound. Her report was accepted by a unanimous vote of the general membership. Special thanks were offered to the Exchange Coordinating Committee consisting of Bill Hagan, Bill Blaine, and Gene Gross who worked to identify and mentor exchange directors who were critical to the success of the exchanges. Three members were given special recognition for their dedicated commitment and work in the following areas: Bill Blaine for his many years of work in charge of the monthly newsletter; Bill Meers for his work in maintaining the club's membership records and for being in charge of club-wide distribution; Joe Scullion for ongoing work in maintaining the club's web site, including now posting the newsletter on a monthly basis. Tom Graham (not present) was thanked for assuming responsibility for the newsletter from Bill Blaine. Founding director Jeanne Comer highlighted the upcoming 30th anniversary celebration scheduled for October 4 at the Wright B Flyer Hanger. Her committee is putting together an exciting evening of events to commemorate this very special milestone. Information on upcoming exchanges was presented by exchange directors Mary Lou and Bill Meers (domestic outbound to Louisville and Memphis), Gary Mitchner (inbound from Solothurn and Minnesota, and outbound to Australia), and Joan Lambert (outbound to Korea). Vicki Thompson expressed thanks on behalf of the whole club to the members of the board of directors and paid special recognition to outgoing members of the board, including Chuck Ackley, Kendall Clay, Betty Darst (not present), Bill Hagan, Karen Sensel, and Larry Thompson (not present). Jill Murphy then offered remarks and swore in the new officers: Vicki Thompson (president), Dick Graf (vice president), Frank Sensel (treasurer), and Gary Mitchner (secretary). Oaths of office were also taken by founding director Jeanne Comer and incoming board members Steve Birt, Mary K. Federle, Joan Lambert, and Bob Remm. Directors not present included Tom Graham, Terri Stockman, and Louise Van Vliet. Hearing no new or old business to be addressed from the floor, the meeting was adjourned. The activities concluded with all present joining hands, forming a large circle and singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth."

3 F R I E N D S H I P F O R C E O F D AY T O N NE W SL E T T E R p a g e 3 I f you are interested in hosting, day hosting, planning or helping in any other way with the Inbound exchange from Solothurn, Switzerland, and Minneapolis MN. please contact the ED Gary Mitchner - Gary.mitchner@gmail.com and This exchange is scheduled for September 26 to October 2, There will be a "carry-in, pitch-in, potluck" for the inbound Minneapolis/Solothurn, Switzerland exchange on September 27, 2009, at 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Oakwood Community Center 105 Patterson Road -- all members attending will have to RSVP to Charlotte Paugh and let her know what All-American, family (family recipes with copies of the recipes) comfort food that they will be bringing. K OREA: Come join the Outbound Exchange to Gwangjiu, S. Korea. Join us for a fabulous homestay with our Friendship Force friends in Korea. We will be departing from Dayton on October 12 to fly to Seoul, Korea. Upon arriving in Seoul, we will depart by motor coach to Gwangju where will meet our host families. After spending a week with our host families, we will fly to exotic Thailand for a week of magnificent sightseeing. We will be seeing a solid gold Bhuddha weighing 5 tons. We will travel by long-tailed boats on the klongs (canals) and Chao Phraya River to see the serene simple lifestyle of the Thai s. In Bangkok, we will see the Grand Palaces, the Emerald Bhuddha, and many more amazing sights. The group will then fly to Chaing Mai. This is known as the Golden Triangle where Myanmar (Burma), Laos and Thailand come together. Some of the unusual sights we will be seeing are the Lisu, Yao, Akha, and Karen villages. Traveling by long-tailed boat on the Mekong River we will have the opportunity to ride elephants through the jungle, visit orchid farms and handicraft villages where we can watch the artisans at work. Our group will travel in an air-conditioned van or bus with an English speaking guide Many meals and entrance fees are covered. After 7 very busy days, we will return to Bangkok for our flight home on October 28 th. Contact ED Joan Lambert by at jlambert9@woh.rr.com or by telephone at for more details. The date and time of an informational meeting will be announced shortly.

4 F R I E N D S H I P F O R C E O F D AY T O N NE W SL E T T E R p a g e 4 Dayton to Louisville-Memphis Exchange May 12-18, 2009 Not all Friendship Force exchanges have to be with International clubs, as you know. And so Dayton sent 19 of its members on a two-fer exchange to Louisville and Memphis on May 12. After a short three hour drive on Tuesday, we all arrived safely at our hosts homes and were greeted warmly and shared dinner with our newly met friends. Wednesday we all visited Churchill Downs and had a guided tour of the Paddock area and Grandstand. We could almost hear the thunder of hooves from the recent Kentucky Derby! A quick run thru the gift shop and we were off to the Speed Art Museum. Lunch at a (very nice) pizza joint, and then over to City Hall, where we ran into the Mayor, Jerry Abramson. Still moving quickly, next was the Howard Steamboat Museum and then the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Time to get washed up and change, then home-hosted dinners for small groups to get to know other Louisville Club members. Early to bed, cause we ve lots to see tomorrow. A visit and tour of the American Printing House for the The winning "stable" of Dayton Friendship Force ambassadors pose in front of the statue of Blind a fascinating learning experience. Lunch at the Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, at Churchill Downs. The busy schedule of cultural and social events planned by our Louisville and Memphis hosts kept us "running" at a Dynasty Chinese restaurant challenged all of us with the vast variety of delicious food and desserts, and record pace throughout our exchange. good conversations. On to a guided tour of Locust Grove, a National Historic Landmark and stopping place for Lewis and Clark on their return from exploring the American West. Our farewell party was enlivened by the playing of the Louisville Dulcimer Society and a discussion of the history of the various instruments. We wrapped things up with a slide presentation by Betty Darst and several other Dayton FF members about the wonders of Dayton Ohio, which was very well received. Final goodbyes and promises to keep in touch, and off to bed to rest up for our next leg of this exchange. It was off the Memphis in the morning! About a seven hour drive, but with the time change we got there an hour earlier--???-- was I speeding? Just time to relax and get to know our hosts, and then off to the Welcome Party where we had our fill and more of (what else in Memphis?) barbeque and homemade desserts. There were introductions all around and great conversations and a resume of the activities and schedule for the next two days. Saturday morning we were off to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, featuring beautiful gardens and lovely art work in a family home setting (a rather well-to-do family, of course!) We` all piled back into the cars for a drive to the famous St. Jude Hospital and a visit to the Danny Thomas Pavilion, honoring the man who had such an important role in the development of this facility into the première childrens cancer center. A visit to Beale Street, home to many blues and jazz venues, and then a rest stop (and dessert) at Demetra Lawrence s condo overlooking the mighty Mississippi and the Barbeque Festival. What a view! We all met at the National Civil Rights Museum and toured the exhibits recalling this famous struggle in our nation s growth. This museum is housed in the Lorraine Hotel, site of Dr. Martin Luther King s assassination. It s an important lest we forget moment, and the exhibits were well done and very moving. Dinner with our host family followed, and then we got ready for another busy day tomorrow. Sunday morning it was church and/or other activities, a visit to the Memphis Botanic Garden followed by a trip to every child s favorite, the Memphis Zoo to see the pandas. Our final night with our new friends found us at Jim and Mary Bullard s house for our farewell dinner more great food and desserts and conversation. The Dayton folks led by the intrepid Betty Darst put on their slide presentation of Dayton s finer historical points and current activities, which included a poem by our poet laureate Gary Mitchner written that morning as he awaited his morning coffee. Off to bed one final time, so we could be up bright and early for the long drive home. Many memories and new friends to talk and think about; many things not seen or known before this trip; promises made to keep in touch and return; offers to host our new friends when they come to Dayton. A whirlwind exchange that everyone one of us will call one of the best we have had. Joe Scullion, Mary Lou & Bill Meers

5 F R I E N D S H I P F O R C E O F D AY T O N NE W SL E T T E R p a g e 5 A PERSONAL NOTE ON THE LOUISVILLE/MEMPHIS EXCHANGE This exchange was one of the better domestic exchanges that we have had and details will be coming from the Bill and Mary Lou Meers, ED s, but I would like to tell you about a remarkable lady that was our Host in Memphis. I was extremely surprised when we arrived at the home of Martha McGinley! She had been on the Croatia/ Bosnia exchange that Doris Ponitz and I had ED ed several years ago. Several of you who were on that exchange will remember the little 5 2 gal who kept wandering off on her own and showing up at the hotel some time later! We have also crossed paths at numerous FFI International conferences. At 82 she is still as spry as ever and difficult to keep up with. She has been in the Memphis club since its inception about 25 years ago and is on the board of directors. Martha goes on almost all of their exchanges, plus travels with other clubs. She also takes her grandsons everywhere in the world and in some cases their parents. She has been in almost every country in the world, loves cruises, particularly the windjammer cruises. Martha usually travels at least twice a year. Martha was widowed at 40 years old, left with two daughters, 10 and 13. She immediately moved in with her parents and returned to school to get her masters degree and a teaching certificate. She has taught special education until just a few years ago. She raised the two daughters, put them through college, and bought a home. Both of daughters have a master s degree. She has invested well over the years and built a beautiful new fourbedroom home eight years ago that looks and smells like it was built yesterday. In addition to hosting and traveling, Martha McGinley is active, and volunteers at art museums, theater, her church and others, as well as FF. Want a profile on a perfect Friendship Force member there s Martha McGinley! And we were privileged to be hosted by her in Memphis. Bill & Joan Blaine Charlotte Paugh and Mary Lou Meers enjoyed our tour of Louisville's Locust Grove, one of American's most famous historic homes. Frank Sensel, Bob Remm, and Bill Blaine relax on the front porch of Locust Grove -- the former home of George Rogers Clark-- in Louisville. Locust Grove, built in 1790, hosted three U.S. Presidents-- Monroe, Jackson and Taylor-- and was a stopping point for famed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. George Rogers Clark founded Louisville in 1778.

6 F R I E N D S H I P F O R C E O F D AY T O N NE W SL E T T E R p a g e 6 October 4, 2009 October 4, 2009 October 4, 2009 October 4, 2009 October 4, 2009 ystery Flight #30 is ready for take-off--the engines are revving up, so fasten your seatbelts. It's almost time! M Get ready for the "Mystery Flight #30" gala. Excitement is beginning to build in anticipation of our 30th anniversary party as the date rapidly approaches. Our committee has been extremely involved, and we get excited just planning some of the fun and surprises that are in store for you. We have received the good news that Friendship Force International president, Dr. George Brown from Atlanta, will be coming to Dayton especially for this occasion. Dr. Brown is a very personable individual, a sort of down-home guy who knows no strangers. Also, we're happy that Amanda Wright Lane, great grand-niece of the Wright Brothers, will also be at our celebration. She has some very interesting things to tell us about the Wright Brothers, things we weren't aware of. You'll enjoy listening to her. It's most appropriate that Amanda Wright Lane should join us. Our Dayton chapter has been associated in numerous ways with area aviation groups. You will find the image of the Wright "B" Flyer on many of our announcements. Also, our Dayton chapter was totally responsible for the development of the first Friendship Force club in Pau, France, where the Wright Brothers established the very first flying school. This was a direct result of a visit to Dayton by a group of students from this school. FF member Evelyn Warlick brought them to Jeanne Comer's office (Northrop Grumman Corporation) where they were shown a number of videos pertaining to various Northrop planes, particularly the original Flying Wing designed by Jack Northrop in l939. However, due to political pressures, this plane was never put on the market. Although this was not a Friendship Force exchange, these students from Pau were hosted by several Friendship Force members,. Bill and Mary Ellen Hagan developed a great rapport with them, and Bill was responsible for establishing the chapter in Pau In case you wonder how we chose "Mystery Flight #30" as our theme, the first exchanges were publicized as a mystery trip--no one knew the destination--at least until six months prior to departure date. People applied, paid the fee, then waited until the prescribed time, which involved an exciting announcement party. Most everyone cheered as the announcements were made. The next few months entailed workshops related to the specific country we were to visit. We were exposed to currency, language, customs, baggage limitations, health requirements/inoculations, passport applications and, on occasion, visas, as well as the appropriate gifts to take our hosts. Compared to the size of today's exchanges, the early ones were humongous! Sometimes they exceeded 100 Ambassadors. The U.S.S.R., for example, saw almost l50 Americans from Dayton headed to a land very few knew anything about. The fare was fabulous, too--sometimes in the $300 - $400 range per person, thus allowing entire families to participate. As the European economy began to falter, it was no longer feasible to use the chartered flights that the organization had opted for--the planes had to be filled on both sides of the "pond" in order to be able to offer such fantastically low fares, and Europe just couldn't fill the planes. Thus fares shot up dramatically. It was shortly thereafter that the Friendship Force switched to regulated airlines. When the costs went up, participation naturally dropped and this has resulted in the comfortably-sized exchanges prevalent today. While there are times that we have many people clamoring for a particular destination, perhaps there are insufficient numbers of host families on the receiving end. Therefore, many of these people are disappointed. There is one comical situation that I must tell you about. As you know, we try to match our guests and hosts as compatibly as possible. For example, engineers with engineers, artists with artists, salespeople with salespeople, and so on. For one exchange, we discovered that we were receiving an opera singer as one of our guests. Unfortunately, we were at a loss to find an opera singer among our ranks. After much trial and error, we finally matched this diva with a very lovely lady who raised singing canaries. Successfully, I must add! So much for this month. Please keep thinking "Mystery Flight #30" and keep October 4th in your mind! We promise you a fantastic experience if you attend. Please call Jeanne Comer, for information, or if you have items to donate to our great silent auction that will be held that evening. Tally-Ho! Jeanne Comer

7 F R I E N D S H I P F O R C E O F D AY T O N NE W SL E T T E R p a g e 7 GETTING TO KNOW BETTY and JACK DARST Having the opportunity for greater in-depth experiences with people of other countries and cultures has been an important part of Jack and Betty s experiences with Friendship Force. es- They have also enjoyed and benefited from the wonderful friendships tablished with the Dayton Friendship Force members. Betty and Jack with Aila Erman (center) of the Suncoast Friendship Force By happenstance the random selection of hosts assigned to Jack and Betty has turned out, in four cases, to be recent widows. Interestingly enough the visits have been both njoyable and therapeutic for the person by providing the opportunity to relate/relive their lives to an interested and supportive third party. Jack and Betty had helped to host the Brazilian delegation in Dayton during the 2005 Anniversary of Practical Flight. As a result, while attending the International Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, they were invited on a once in a lifetime experience to join Fernando Arruda Botelho in his Falcon 50 for a flight beyond the Amazon Rain Forest. During the exchange to Wales and to Norway, the hosts shared their experiences of growing up during World War II how they were sent to the countryside and in Norway how their family had participated in the Resistance during the German occupation. This truly made history come alive. Betty helped to host the delegation from Nairobi during their visit to Dayton; they spent a Sunday afternoon with Mayor Rhine McLin at the Dunbar House. She asked them about the conditions in Nairobi and took a special interest in them. Upon their return home from the United States, they reported that this was the highlight of their tour. During Jack s long career with General Motors, he had the opportunity to practice the principles of Friendship Force International while working with other nationalities. He would often be entertained by work associates and on occasion, their families. Jack could then reciprocate when the persons might visit the States. Some examples of this were Japanese, Koreans, French, Germans, and Mexicans. In one case, Jack was able to give a young man the opportunity to drive a car for the first time. None had ever been in a light aircraft Jack took them for their first flight in his Piper Arrow. During the Aviation Festival, Jack took guests for sightseeing flights over Dayton. Betty s early teaching years were in New Jersey. When the students had a day off from school, she would take them to the United Nations for tours and the opportunity to observe sessions. Betty served in key mission responsibilities as a volunteer for the United Methodist Church taking her to China for the normalization of relations along with the opportunity to relate to the church in Asia and Indonesia. She selected this poem to be included on one of the exchange program books. It truly represents Friendship Force. Thou hast made me known to friends, whom I knew not, Given me seats in homes not my own. Thou has brought the distant near And made me a brother of a stranger Rabindranath Tagore

8 P.O. Box Dayton, Ohio FIRST CLASS UPCOMING EVENTS - Mark your calendars July Annual Greenville Picnic in park Early Sept Inbound-Tbilisi, Georgia E.D. Joe Scullion September Labor Day- Holiday at Home Parade Sept 26 Oct 2, 2009 Inbound-Solothurn, Switzerland Inbound-Minneapolis/StPaul } E.D. Gary Mitchner October TH ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR Chair, Jeanne Comer October 12 28, 2009 Outbound- Gwangjiu, Korea E.D. Joan Lambert November 19-22, 2009 December 13,2009 FFI International Conference, Okinawa, Japan Holiday Party MARK YOUR CALENDARS... VOLUNTEER TO HELP