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Friends Connection Friendship Force of Sarasota

//ffsarasotafl.org

//facebook.com/FFSRQ

May 2019 Volume 30, Number 4

Waldemere Fire Station

President’s Message Stan and I just returned from our Indonesia Journey and trying to find that 12-hour time difference we lost. We were so impressed by these small, active clubs in Malang and Banjarmasin. FF members and every person we met were amazingly friendly, respectful and filled with joy. We will be sharing stories and photos from this journey. We received a smile from everyone. Wow, what a blowout party on April 4! Thanks to all who helped celebrate FF Sarasota’s 30th Anniversary and our Annual International dinner. I believe a record may have been set with 80+ members and guests in attendance and the plentiful variety of food, appetizer platters and desserts. Reeta and her team did a wonderful job. I can’t list all the volunteers who helped set up and clean up there were so many. You all made this tremendous evening possible.

Please forward the Selby Gardens program information to your friends. This is a unique opportunity for us to hear executives from Selby. Please save the dates on your calendar for May and June. We’ll take a break from meetings in July and August and then begin again Aug 1.

We are organizing “summer happenings”. While we don’t have meetings, we still have fun! Please put your name down for all that interest you. See more details in our VP section.

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Safe travels and see you at the May meeting, Terri Holsinger, President FFSRQ@outlook.com

2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Apr 30, Tue Coodinator Training, home of Ramona

McGee, 7:00 pm

May 2, Thur Regular Monthly Meeting, 7:00 Waldemere Fire Station

May 6, Mon 5th

Annual Wine Group Gathering

May 21, Mon Book Club

May 22, Wed Board Meeting, 7 pm, 4th Wed

Camelot East Club House

May 27, Mon Film Talk at Burns Court, 4th Mon

Jun 6, Thur Regular Monthly Meeting, 7:00 Waldemere Fire Station

No regular meetings July/Aug

Jun 24, Mon Film Talk at Burns Court, 4th Mon

Jul 22, Mon Film Talk at Burns Court, 4th Mon

Aug 26, Mon Film Talk at Burns Court, 4th Mon

Sep 5, Thur Regular Monthly Meeting, 7:00

Waldemere Fire Station

Sept 16, Mon Book Club

Sep 23, Mon Film Talk at Burns Court, 4th Mon

Oct 3, Thur Regular Monthly Meeting, 7:00 Waldemere Fire Station

Oct 15-22 Outbound to Reno/Tahoe Club

Oct 23-30 Outbound Bay Area Club

Oct 28, Mon Book Club

Nov 7, Thur Regular Monthly Meeting, 7:00 Waldemere Fire Station

Nov Inbound Connecticut

Thur, Dec 12 Annual Holiday Party-Heritage Oaks Country Club

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

& SPEAKERS

May 2 – Selby Gardens, Jennifer Rominiecki, President and CEO, as well as, Wendy Deming, Chief Operating Officer, will be discussing Selby expansion plans which are exciting and very relevant to our club and many ambassadors. https://selby.org/ Are you in a garden club or neighborhood

association? Share this program with your club. Please bring guests interested in Selby, downtown expansion and a “Green” environment. What a fantastic opportunity to hear the future of Sarasota! June 6 – Cliff Roles, professional photographer, will discuss Travel Photography. This will be a fantastic program

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and for any of you taking photos, this will be a great learning experience with lots of tips. Check out some of his work- https://cliffroles.smugmug.com/ Amazing art. Please bring neighbors and friends to the May Meeting. (Contact Marie Beck if you are a Selby volunteer.) Post a note on your NextDoor web site for your neighborhood.

There will be interest sign-up sheets for attending the following summer events, be sure to sign up for all that interest you:

a. Folk singers at Sarasota Sailing Squadron the last Monday evening of the month. https://sarasotasailingsquadron.org/activities/social/

b. Meadows Pub for food and entertainment https://www.meadowspub.com/ c. Beer and pizza at the newest Oak and Stone location, 4067 Clark Rd,

https://www.oakandstone.com/

Marie Beck, VP/Program Chair

Traveler Notes: Tips and Tricks

Online magazine https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/tsa-real-id-act-effective-october-2020 The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would like to remind you that you may need to bring something extra to the airport next year. Over the next few weeks, the TSA will increase the number of signs at airports around the country reminding you that the REAL ID Act will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2020. Check your driver’s license to see if you have a gold star, which indicates a ‘real ID’. “TSA is doing everything we can to prepare our partners and the traveling public for the REAL ID deadline next year,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “The security requirements of the REAL ID Act will dramatically enhance and improve commercial aviation security.”

Eight out of every 10 passengers check luggage, with most passengers checking one bag. Airlines around the world carried approximately 4.3 billion checked passenger bags last year. Those airlines which already had good baggage handling processes in place have seen better tracking systems boost their reliable baggage delivery by 38 percent, and airlines that only recently adopted new baggage tracking processes have seen their baggage handling improve by as much as 66 percent.

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The move to better baggage tracking systems was spurred by a resolution from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which required airlines to put systems in place to better track the location of bags throughout the journey. A number of airlines have adopted RFID baggage tracking systems that let them find any bag in a haystack of bags by using RFID sensors. Delta Air Lines was an early adopter of an RFID baggage tracking system that has served as an example for others. Airports have joined in the efforts by adopting new baggage handling systems, including laser or RFID luggage tag readers that can identify a bag more reliably as it goes from baggage check to the plane and from the plane to baggage claim.

We were in awe as we were on the train traveling from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 and zipped next to the brand new waterfall. WOW! It is now the tallest indoor waterfall in the world at 40m (131.2 feet). Title was previously held by the Singapore Botanical

Gardens indoor waterfall which we visited on the way to Jakarta, Indonesia. I heard a price tag of $1.3B for this facility. Photo Caption: Singapore, Jewel Changi Airport, a mixed-use development by architect Moshie Safdie including gardens, a hotel, aviation facilities, a shopping mall and a 40 meter indoor waterfall, the world's largest | Photographer: John Seaton Callahan / Getty Images

Are you interested in traveling to Novgorod Russia?

Jeannetta Mouncey and Kay Consigny joined FF Suncoast club last year on a journey to Russia. Inna Sirenko hosted Jeannetta and is from Novgorod. Inna asks if there are any members of our club interested in visiting her city in September 2019. Inna is a high school English teacher. During the journey, ambassadors visited three different schools and the students were very eager to learn anything from us. They love Americans and want to practice their English. Accommodations, food and cultural programs will be provided by Inna and her friends (outside of FF). Please contact Jeannetta Mouncey (see membership PDF attached to email) for Inna's contact information. Inna and other FF members are English teachers. The people interested in going do not have to be teachers. Purpose of trip is to give students and English teachers an opportunity to practice.

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Jeannetta enjoyed the Russian people very much and was surprised how many spoke English. Veliky Novgorod, also known as Novgorod the Great or Novgorod Veliky or just Novgorod, is one of the oldest and most important historic cities in Russia and serves as the administrative center of Novgorod Oblast. It is situated on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Jeannetta

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE WELCOME DESK Are you friendly, cheerful, helpful? Can you get to our monthly meetings a bit early to sit at the Welcome Desk to greet potential members and hand out visitor information? A rotating group of Welcome Volunteers would be terrific. This is a fun opportunity and a great way to meet some new people!

Contact Barb Hahn

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE & Facebook Page FF SRQ web site: https://ffsarasotafl.org/ we really need a helper to update the calendar and add

photos to the web site. Please email Terri if you have interest and we will set up a training session. ffsrq@outlook.com

https://www.facebook.com/FFSRQ/ Facebook-Linda Vendeland, contact Linda to add photos or other interesting items.

Explore the Friendship Force Intl (FFI) Website

https://www.friendshipforce.org/

FFI encourages everyone to receive the quarterly newsletter, monthly catalog of exchanges and leadership news. New members, please subscribe: click on this link:

FFI Email Subscription Form

This is a secure link with no spam or viruses.You can choose what information you would like to receive. Subscribers will then receive a link in an email to click and confirm. See a complete list of Journeys at Journeys. There are 354 clubs worldwide.

FF SRQ Trinkets for SALE

Pins, Pens, Bags & Lanyards will be available for purchase at every meeting. They make great gifts for

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your outbound journeys for day and home hosts, guides and even yourself. Prices will be going up on pins as we are running low and need to place an order. Get them now at current price. Prior vendor no longer is available. There is a stylus on the end of the pen for use with tablets and phones. FF SRQ string bag $3 FF SRQ pin $2

FF SRQ pen $1

FF SRQ International Book Club We had a spirited discussion about our April book The God of Small Things with many diverse opinions and that's exactly as it should be. You will want to be at Marcia Okula's home for the next book on May 21 at 2:00. We are fortunate to have an author in our midst and she will join us for a discussion of her book. Our author is Patda DeLa Torre and her book is Ring Go Round. You are welcome to come to this meeting to hear her descriptions and our discussion whether you are a member or not and if you have read the book or not. It should be extremely interesting. We have chosen to take the summer off and resume meetings in Sept. Dates subject to change. September 16 meeting will be at the home of Marie Beck and the book will be The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. October 28 book is A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and will meet at Peggy Hayden's. Contact Reeta Dean if you are interested in joining the group. Meetings are usually the 3rd Mon at 2:00

Film Talk will meet at

Burns Court Theater on Monday, April 29 Come one, come all

The FF Movie Group meets the last Monday of each month at Burns Court Theater. The show starts about 2, arrive early to get your parking, popcorn and seat. We have been going to PF Chang's after the movie for discussion and light repast. Hope you will join us. The Mustang is the Monday movie.

Dot Flynn & Bonnie Barton

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WINE TASTING GROUPS (FF SRQ members only)

Wine Group 1 met April 18th at 6:00 pm at the home of John Kestly. Wine Group 2 met on April 16 at the home of Linda Vendeland. Barbara Peterson was her co-host. They tasted Shiraz wines. Their #1 rated wine was Canyon Oaks Shiraz from California which cost $4.99! After the tasting they enjoyed delicious appetizers. This was their final tasting of the season. Wine Group 3 will meet Monday, April 29.

If you would like to participate, please contact Linda Vendeland

Journeys at a Glance

2019 OUTBOUND: October 15 - 22, 2019 - Reno/Tahoe, Nevada

October 24-30, 2019 - Bay Area Friendship Force October 24th to 30th INBOUND: Connecticut about Nov 9 (should have firm dates to share on April 4)

2020 (from FFI, dates to be determined)

INBOUND: March, Niagara, Canada to Sarasota OUTBOUND: June Hamilton-Burlington and Stratford St. Marys, Ontario Canada

2020 (journeys under consideration)

INBOUND: Santa Barbara, CA – Napa/Sonoma, CA – Dallas TX

OUTBOUND: Birmingham, AL-Columbia Cascades, OR-Lake Hartwell, GA

Journey Updates

It is fairly certain that the Connecticut Friendship Force will visit us the second week in November. First week will not be god for us as ambassadors will return from Reno/Tahoe & San Francisco on October 31. Apparently, getting a true confirmation on the interest is a bit of a problem, but I will keep you posted as soon something more definite is set. Michele Pariseau has offered to be the Host Coordinator.

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We are working on assignments for 2020, but not much definite on journey timeframes to report. I am in correspondence with Niagara, Canada for their journey here in March. Just received contact information for outbound to Hamilton-Burlington and Strafford St. Mary’s. I have been in contact with Santa Barbara FF Club and we are discussing their visit with us in late January, 2020. They believe their club can fill the journey. Hope to have more information regarding journeys in the near future. If it is available before our June newsletter, we will send out a “new-blast” so you can get information on your calendar and start to think about our possible journey opportunities. Looks like first half of 2020 will be filled with Friendship Force Journeys - the primary purpose of our organization. Happy to report that 15 members have signed up for the Journeys Workshop at my home on April 30th! Great to see this strong interest!

Ramona McGee, Journeys Coordinator, RMcGee0806@comcast.net 941-320-5804 (C) 941-378-2094 (H)

Outbound to Reno/Tahoe/San Francisco Bay Area:

Oct 15-22, Oct 23-30, 2019 We have room for one more! Other applications are available for standby status. The Journey is still 6 months away and we may need subs to fill in. Currently we have 14 Ambassadors with completed applications and deposits paid. Reno/Tahoe Journey Highlights: Tour of Virginia City, silver mine, boat trip on Lake Tahoe, capital visit, and a historical Indian School visit, overnight in a casino on October 22nd and then a 6 hour train ride from Reno to San Francisco. San Francisco Bay Area Highlights: Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Warf, Science Museum, Bay Area Boat tour and Palace of Fine Arts.

Journey Coordinators Bob & Judy Joyce. Contact us if you have any interest in either or both journeys, bobjoice@gmail.com + judyjoyce5@gmail.com

Membership Committees

Database and Directory – Margaret Lewis continues to work on

updating our database and directory which is sent out as an attachment to the monthly newsletter. The 2019 directory was printed and mailed to your home. Contact Margaret with corrections and/or updates.

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Membership: at our April 4th 30th Anniversary and International dinner party we

had 80+ attendees with 20 guests. That is record attendance. Brochures have been placed in the Selby and the Fruitville libraries. Hopefully, the brochures may pique interest in attending one of our upcoming meetings. Our present membership count, per Margaret Lewis, is 105.

Thank you, Barb Hahn

Please say hello and welcome Deidre Olson, our newest member who joined at the 30th anniversary party. She is Dick Rehbock’s daughter. This is our 2nd generational membership. (Betty and Gary Kuhns being the first).

Deidre moved to Sarasota Bradenton area over 30 years ago due to her parents bribing her with babysitting and a place to live until she found a house. Over all these decades she watched her parents take many wonderful trips and host interesting people. She always knew she wanted to be involved in FF after raising her family. So now the youngest of her five children is 21 and living in Australia. It’s time for Deidre to get back to her first love: traveling. In fact, she’ll be going to Australia to explore with her daughter in June (and if you have friends there that want more FF friends, let her know!). Deidre is a nurse in labor and delivery at a local hospital and teaches perinatal and new parenting classes. Her favorite is facilitating a mommy/baby class every Wed. Deidre’s oldest daughter is expecting her 4th grandson any day now and her son’s wife is also expecting. At this rate, she assumes it will be another boy. Deidre is involved in leading the women’s ministry in her church. She also enjoys working in her yard or at least she tells herself that since it needs doing. She has been divorced for a couple of years but has her dad and kids nearby. Deidre is looking forward to getting to know everyone and having some beautiful adventures!

Publicity: Blake Jones submitted sent press releases to The Observer and The

Sarasota Herald Tribune about the upcoming meeting with the Selby speakers We hope this terrific article will encourage others to check us out.

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Please note that phone numbers and emails are now removed from our newsletter, use the e-directory attached to this email to look up

emails and phones or click to email ffsrq@outlook.com

OFFICERS President Terri Holsinger

Vice President Marie Beck

Secretary Marcia Okula

Treasurer Michelle Pariseau

Past President Barb Hahn

COMMITTEES Database Margaret Lewis

Journeys Coordinator

Ramona McGee

Film Talk Dot Flynn

Membership Barb Hahn

Web Terri Holsinger

Facebook Linda Vendeland

Newsletter Terri Holsinger

Publicity Blake Jones

Wine Tasting Groups

Linda Vendeland Debbie & Gary Kuhns Barbara Peterson

Book Club Reeta Dean

FFI Field Rep Florida Region

Marilyn Whelan FF Suncoast

Photos from the 30th Anniversary and International Dinner Party. 80+ attendees including 20 guests! See Gary’s video Click to see anniversary video

Reeta Dean and Dick Rehbock Gary and Betty

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Wahib ‘Tut’ Habib

Impressive array of appetizers, dishes and desserts Debbie Kuhns and Deidre Olson

Barbara Peterson

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Dave always having a good time

A packed house