EVENTS SCHEDULE:
HERE IS WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR GET-TOGETHERS IN JUNE:
JUNE 23….4 PM….MEET AT HADDAD RIVERFRONT PARK FOR A BOAT RIDE ON THE ‘RIVER QUEEN’ STERNWHEELER. The ride is 1 ½ hours up the Kanawha with spacious seating, snacks, ice cream and a full bar. The cost is $17 for adults and $16 for seniors. Then we can enjoy the Thursday night ‘Art Walk’ in downtown Charleston and if folks wish, we can eat together at one of the many restaurants in the area.
JULY 5…MEET FOR THE 5TH @ 5, AT THE BARGE RESTAURANT IN SOUTH CHARLESTON . The festivities of the 4th of July weekend will be over and we can relax on the Barge deck and enjoy time together. The Barge Restaurant Bar & Grill is located at 1414 MacCorkle Ave SW , South Charleston , WV 25303 . They will take you down the steep hill to the restaurant in golf cart, so don’t worry about having to navigate that West Virginia riverbank!!
INBOUND EXCHANGES:
June 2011 Devon , United Kingdom
Jerry Gilbert has offered to be the exchange director for our early June 2011 inbound exchange from Devon , England . The club will be visiting us and then traveling on to visit the Friendship Force club in Binghamton , NY . More information will be coming soon.
above: Capital Market
2011 EXCHANGES:
OUTBOUND - November 2011- Marlborough and Howick, New Zealand
The dates for the New Zealand exchange are 10/29/11 to 11/18/11. Mary Adams and Bobbi Hess have set up a program to include an overnight stay in Auckland before the 6 day exchange in Howick. Then there will be 4 days in Taupo, 2 days on our own in Wellington and a 6 day exchange in Blenheim. We will be traveling between cities on the excellent bus system of New Zealand. An additional 6 day tour of the South Island is being offered for those who want to extend their time in New Zealand after the homestays. The cost for the 3 week homestay segment is $1420 (not including air fare) and the estimate on the post homestay tour is $1350. A deposit of $200 is due ASAP.
Because of work and retirement move pressures, Mary Adams needed to drop out of the exchange director position, but Bobbi Hess is 'in the loop' and will continue with the direction of this exchange.
Please get in touch with Bobbi at bobbi.friendship.force@gmail.com or 304-988-2876 if you want more information on this exchange.
INBOUND - June 2011 Devon, United Kingdom
The exchange from Devon England was canceled because of insufficient participation from the English club.
2012 Exchanges
Inbound:
Our inbound exchange will be from Rijnmond, Netherlands. Jan has been in touch with the Exchange Director from Holland...Elly Keus. Dutch ambassadors will first travel to Greater Detroit, MI and then visit with us from July 1st to July 7th 2012. The group will be about 14 in size...a manageable number. Anyone interested in being Exchange Director for this exchange, please let Jan know. And save this 2012 holiday to spend with new friends from the Netherlands!
Outbound:
Our outbound exchange will be from Charleston, West Virginia, to Salvador and Araraquara, Brazil. The suggested date of departure is November 01, 2012. These are both young clubs with lots of energy, anxious to show us their regions in Brazil. Please give consideration to being a member of this exchange and, if possible, being the Exchange Director.
2011 Let's Eat Out...the 5th @ 5!!!
May 2011...was held at 'The Taste of Asia' in Hurricane, WV. We had 12 members attend, including Bill and Sandy Harkness of the Niagara region of Canada. They were visiting Mike and Judy Green who had been hosted by the Harkness's during our exchange in Niagara last fall. It was fun to see them again!
June 5th (Sunday)...Lets get together at Symphony Sunday! Located on the lawn of the University of Charleston, there are lots of events to attend and food (including BBQ, food concessions, wine and beer) available. And the evening culminates in a West Virginia Symphony Orchestra concert and fireworks. Meet at the walk way that leads to the lawn around 5pm. (If the weather is bad, let's meet at Logan's Roadhouse, 201 RHL Blvd. out at Southridge. Call Jan at 304-437-5755 if you are not certain where we will be meeting). For a complete list of events at Symphony Sunday go to wvsymphony.org.
July 5th (Tuesday)…To be announced, but we are checking into a boat ride on the Kanawha River.
August 5th (Friday)…a picnic…location to be announced.
September 5th (Monday)….'Vandalia Grill’ 212 Hale Street, Charleston.
International Friendship Force Conference:
The 2011 International Conference will be held in Hamburg, Germany August 26 – 30, 2011. There will be a variety of fun and informative workshops with themes that address concerns of all FF Clubs. Also the FF Hamburg is eager to show off their city with a variety of cultural programs, including a special organ concert at St. Michael's Church. Limited home hosting is available after the conference. Please contact Jan if you are interested in making the International Conference part of your summer traveling plans.
Ride the Trains Weekend:
We are organizing a trip to Elkins, WV for a ‘Ride the Trains Weekend' in September. The 16th will be a scenic dinner ride and on the 17th we will attend “Murder Backstage,” a Murder Mystery Dinner Train ride. The dinner play is presented by The Resolute Theatre Company, noted for gracing high schools throughout the country with their unique approach to Shakespeare.
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