October 1, 2023 Newsletter | |
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President's Message
Greetings! I hope it feels like fall when you are reading this. I am more than ready for cooler weather!
As we move into fall, several members are on their way to Dubrovnik, Croatia to represent FFFS at the FFI World Conference. There should be some interesting reports at our November meeting.
The first of our inbound and outbound journeys will start with a group from Western Kentucky visiting from February 7-14. That's a lot sooner than it may sound. We need current members and hopefully many new members to help out any way they can: home hosts, dinner hosts, day hosts, some help with goodie bags, ticket purchases, publicity (itinerary booklet), etc. What can you do to help? Please call me asap at 727-781-2847 with questions and to volunteer. This is one of the best ways to get involved with the club.
Remember to save December 3 for our annual Holiday Party. Coordinator Mair Murphy provides complete details below.
Today – October 1 – is our Sunday/Funday at the Lucky Dill. Join us at 3 pm for a drink, appetizer, sandwich or dinner and enjoy a visit with members both old and new. Fingers crossed you are checking your computer for this new edition of our newsletter. Hope to see ya there.
Thanks to Karen Sherrets for providing yet another interesting program for our September meeting. Our speaker was Darina Talanga, an interesting and ambitious woman who came to this country about 25 years ago from Croatia. She and her husband now own DeLuca’s fine dining restaurant on Cleveland Street in Clearwater, where several of us enjoyed delicious Croatian, Italian and American dishes following the meeting!
Gretchen
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October Meeting Program
Walking the Camino de Santiago
Karen Sherrets' friend Dave Buzza, whose favorite saying is "You don't choose a life, you live one," is fulfilling his goal of seeing the world and experiencing his retirement dream. At our October meeting he will be sharing with us his time on the Camino de Santiago, the World Heritage route that has been walked by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims for over a thousand years.
In 2022 he walked a 600-mile stretch in 33 days as a way to deal with his grief over the loss of his brother to Parkinson's disease and to honor his brother's memory. The network of several routes in Spain, France and Portugal leads to the shrine of the apostle James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, where tradition holds St. James' remains are buried. Dave began in the French town of St. Jean Pied de Port and ended in Santiago de Compostela. He is planning his second walk next April on a much shorter route called the Portuguese Camino.
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Free Concert
by Ellen Henderson
Our October Fun Stuff will an evening of “Jazz on the Waterfront” in Safety Harbor. Join us at 6:30 pm Friday, October 27 behind the Safety Harbor Spa, 110 Veterans Memorial Lane. We'll be there by 6 pm to cordon off an area up front. Look for our Friendship Force banner. Bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets. This event is dog friendly!
There will be vendors selling food and libations or you can bring your own dinner and wine to share to help make this evening memorable. Last year many members joined us, as this is always a fun event. And it's free! This year's main event will feature Voices of Jazz with classic big band, jazz, swing and modern arrangements. The Safety Harbor Library Foundation will pass the hat to help fund a second-floor expansion of our wonderful library, so bring an extra buck or two to contribute.
Any questions: contact [email protected] or 727 797-9380 and leave a message. See you there!
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Sunday/Funday
October 1 at 3pm
Lucky Dill
33180 US Highway 19 N
Palm Harbor 34684
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From Croatia to Clearwater
We were honored to have Darina Talanga as our guest speaker for the September member meeting. Her story is one of resilience and determination, as she and her husband fled Croatia during the war in 1994. After living in Germany for a period of time, they immigrated to the United States and became successful business owners. Darina's inspiring tale of overcoming adversity left us all feeling inspired and motivated to pursue our own aspirations. Thank you, Darina, for sharing your story with us.
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Meet Greg Garbers
by Kathleen Jamison
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SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
As a TV photojournalist specializing in commercials and pieces for lifestyle shows, Greg Garbers is often – probably even usually – able to combine business with pleasure. That turned out well for Friendship Force Florida Suncoast a few months ago when he covered an educational Port Tampa tour aboard the Yacht Starship along with a group of our members organized by Ellen Henderson. In addition to enjoying the cruise, they wound up signing up a new member!
And not one to let grass grow under his feet, Greg jumped on the FFI website, learned about all the upcoming global journeys and joined just in time to become an ambassador to Vancouver on a journey sponsored by the Adelaide, Australia club. “A lot of sightseeing, dinner parties, walkabouts, a Spruce Mountain gondola ride, Vancouver's China Town, shopping,” he recalls. A pretty nice introduction to his first homestay trip that surely won't be his last. You may remember him from our spring picnic. He was the good sport in the balloon breaking game!
Greg is originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attended the University of Iowa, and after graduating, headed for this part of Florida in search of a job. He has been a producer-director at Channel 10 since 1989. He lives in St. Pete, currently with son Joseph, a recent college graduate who has just started a “gap year.” His parents live in Palm Harbor.
In addition to adding to his long list of travel destinations – including seven weeks in Europe when he was 16 and being married to a Peruvian woman and spending time there with her family – he is looking forward to more Friendship Force journeys and activities and “meeting lots of fun, kind, generous and interesting people from around the world.” Day hosting may be in his immediate future and maybe we can talk him into some video camera lessons.
Welcome, Greg.
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Time To Rejoin
Nine members paid their dues in September. Hopefully, you were one of them. If not, now is the time to send them to our treasurer Jan Means (her address is in the directory) or please come to the October meeting prepared to rejoin. The deadline is November 30 in order to include your information in the new directory. Dues are still $45.
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Recruiting Inbound Journey Help
The club's Compass Team is already working hard to put together a wonderful experience for the Western Kentucky ambassadors who will be with us from February 7-14. Among the important roles to fill are day hosts, home hosts, dinner hosts and day coordinators. Please let Gretchen Worth or Karen Sherrets know if you are ready, willing and able to help.
Coordinators also are needed to match visitors to the home hosts and dinner hosts. Teresa Farr-Klinger has volunteered to match day drivers to home hosts and ambassadors. Think of these assignments as a challenging and rewarding puzzle. There are also many other supporting roles as we interact with current and new friends.
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It's A Match!
News from FFI about a 2024 inbound in place of the postposed visit from the Mexico City chapter has finally arrived and it is very exciting. We will be hosting members of the Bogota, Colombia chapter and from the early contacts it sounds like they love to travel as well as host. October has been suggested but specifics are still to be worked out by the journey coordinators.
Be thinking about home hosting and all the other ways we can show off our Florida culture, heritage and beautiful area. Jane Lee has already been in touch with their RSM Hemily Nogueira and plans to connect with members at the International Conference in Croatia.
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Let's Celebrate!
Friendship Force Florida Suncoast will kick off the holiday season on December 3 with a jingle mingle luncheon at the Indian Rocks Beach Holiday Inn. The festivities will be from noon to 5 with a delicious served meal at 1 pm.
Organizer Mair Murphy and Team Bravo will gather after the October 21 club meeting to come up with ideas to guarantee a fun time. (Suggestions from others will be greatly appreciated.)
For $27, which includes service charge and tax, we can choose from three entrees:
- Chicken breast topped with lemon caper butter, seasonal vegetables and herb-buttered potatoes.
- Grilled London broil with a sherry-mushroom demi-glace, seasonal vegetables and herb-buttered potatoes.
- Grilled mahi-mahi topped with roasted corn salsa, seasonal vegetables and Island rice.
Bring checks to the October meeting or mail to Mair at 8313 Annwood Road, Seminole, 33717. Include your meal choice.
We ho-ho-hope you can make it!
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Sunday/Funday
October 1 at 3pm
Lucky Dill
33180 US Highway 19 N
Palm Harbor 34684
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Zoom Board Meeting
October 11 at 7:00pm
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FFFS Membership Meeting
October 21 at 2:30pm
Classroom–ES104
St. Pete College, 2465 Drew St, Clearwater
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Fun Stuff!
October 27 at 6:30pm
Jazz on the Waterfront
Safety Harbor Waterfront Park
110 Veterans Memorial Lane
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Holiday Party
December 3 at 12pm
Indian Rocks Beach Holiday Inn Harborside
401 2nd St., Indian Rocks Beach
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If Your Birthday is in October . . . | |
Officers
Gretchen Worth
President
Karen Sherrets
VP/Programs
Jane Lee
VP/Membership
Jan Means
Treasurer
Catherine Conover
Secretary
Gena Cameron
Past President
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