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March 2016

BOARD MEMBERS 2016 2016 BOARD MEETINGS

President Judy Boyle 904 2282 The Board meets monthly

Vice President Allan Taylor 297 1622 Next meeting:

IPP Debbie Lattey (International Liaison) 293 3252 13 April 7.00 pm

Treasurer Graham Tufnail 904 2215 4 Meadow Court,

Secretary Beverley Taylor (Newsletter) 297 1622 Paraparaumu

Board members Beth Lough (Membership) 902 2383

Jan Reid (Almoner) 902 1106

Lynn Voyce (Functions) 905 1039 11 May 3.00 pm

Peter Canvin (Webmaster) 902 2799 8 June 3.00 pm

13 July 3.00 pm

Patron Alan Milne 07 378 8808 10 August 3.00 pm

Field Representative Debbie Lattey Southern N.I. 293 3252 14 September 3.00 pm

19 October 7.00 pm

Club Address PO Box 248, Paraparaumu 5254 AGM 20 November 2.00 pm

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2016

Date(s) Contact Person

6 April Wed Coffee at “Over the Teacups” Jan Reid 902 1106

24 April Sunday Progressive lunch hosted by the Board eveolsson@xtra.co.nz

26 April Tues LEO lunch at Boundary Café, Raumati Jan Reid 902 1106

7 May Sat Visit of FF Wairarapa & pot luck lunch Debbie Lattey 293 3252

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Hello to you all Another busy month is flying by. We have had the exchange from Freiburg in Germany and my thanks must go to Graham Tufnail for his work as ED. The ambassadors from Germany came from a number of different clubs throughout their country so communication was not always easy. However Graham really did persevere and put together an interesting programme for the 9 ambassadors for the week they were here. Thank you to those people who hosted in any way during this exchange.

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We are having some difficulty in getting hosts for our exchanges and I would ask you to consider hosting at a future date. It is the friendships that are formed that are so valuable. After an exchange it is not always the places that have been seen that are so important, but it is always the friendships that are formed that are remembered. Debbie Lattey and Jan Reid are working on the next exchange to Canada and USA. This sounds like it will be a wonderful trip in September. I would love to be going but having had four trips away last year and visiting Canada and America three times in the last four years think I better stay put for a while! The little cold spell this week has made us realise that autumn is on its way. I have decided that I should have been a hot house flower, like a begonia –beautiful to look at, kept in the warm, looked after, nourished and never put out in the cold. We can all dream!!!!! I am looking forward to our progressive lunch in April. The last one we had was really fun and it is an opportunity to get to know other club members. Thanks to Eve Olssen who agreed to organise this for the club. I hope you will support this activity. Until next month, take care, look after yourself and enjoy all those activities that keep us busier than when we had full time jobs. Judy

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

Exchange from Freiburg Germany to Kapiti Coast New Zealand 3rd

to 10th March 2016 We met the Ambassadors, two couples, three single women and two single men from Freiburg just after 6:00pm at Waikanae Railway station where they had arrived by bus from their Hamilton Exchange. They were driven by their Hosts to the Tufnail's (just a short distance in Waikanae) for their “Welcome Dinner”.

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The next day Hosts and Ambassadors drove 60km north to Feilding where we visited the Farmers Market; a tour of the largest sales yards and auctions in the Southern Hemisphere; their famous “Coach Museum” and, after lunch, visited a large rotary milking complex. Finally, it was home for dinner with Hosts. Saturday was a “Free Day” spent with hosts all doing their own thing! In the evening Hosts and Ambassadors went to dinner with other members from our club. On Sunday we visited “Southwards Car Museum”, they had their “Open Day” with many cars & motor bikes from all over the district on display. We then proceeded to Otaihanga Domain where we had a BBQ picnic with other members of our FF club. We played a game of Aussie underarm golf, the Germans beat the Kapiti coast “hollow”. Everyone then went walking along the boardwalks by the wetlands or along the river to Waikanae beach. The weather was perfect, hot and windless, a typical Kapiti Coast Day! Monday we travelled 63km to Wellington in a hired Mini Bus, taking in the view from Mt Victoria, again a perfect morning with NO wind in Wellington! We then visited a “Glass blowing” workshop and had a demonstration of glass making. Morning tea at the garden centre and on to the famous Weta Cave & a tour of the Weta Workshop. Next on the agenda was NZ's Te Papa Museum for a quick visit and lunch. I dropped the ambassadors off at the “Cable Car” in the City where they travelled to the top for a view of Wellington City. They then walked down through the Botanical gardens where I picked them up to take them home. Unfortunately it was “peak hour traffic” and due to many road works on the way home was a tiring trip! Our Ambassadors fortunately took us out to dinner that night. Tuesday we had arranged a ride in a sailing yacht but the weather gods had other ideas. Although Peter McChesney tried to take the Ambassadors out, the sea was too rough and they had to return only after about an hour or so. His partner Diane Ammundson had made lunch of filled rolls and apples so we drove to Porirua library and art gallery for hot coffee and ate our lunch there. Everyone had a good look around with some joining in a Choir practice there, they told me to be quiet! Wednesday was our reserve day for sailing but the Ambassadors decided that they would like to visit Kapiti Island Nature Reserve so I had to book on Sunday - that is why we had to sail on Tuesday. The alternative program of visiting Nga Manu nature reserve & visits to “Steam Inc” and QE2 park were not needed. The day was perfect for their visit with the seas having abated, my wife Theresa went with them and by all reports a great time was had by all. A pity though, as it was also perfect for sailing. That night Hosts, Ambassadors and other members of our club had the farewell dinner at “Fisherman’s table” in Paekakariki. We had a good meal with the Freiburg club, and their ED, Erwin Philipp gave a generous gift to Diane Ammundson for the “June Oakley Trust”. Thursday morning at 11:15am we said our goodbyes at Waikanae to our now close friends as they went on to various parts of NZ and elsewhere. The German club was a credit to the FF family. My thanks to my greatest helper without her the exchange would not have been a success, my wife Theresa. Graham Tufnail ED for Kapiti Coast FF

Some intriguing facts

Our website has proven very popular during the last two years with nearly 8,500 “visits”. 48% of the “visits” originated in New Zealand while 39% originated in the USA and 6% in the UK. The remaining 7% came from other countries including Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Spain.

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The website is constantly being updated and includes a copy of our “Annual Calendar of Activities for 2016” and photographs and reports of recent exchanges and other activities. Lists of inward and outward exchanges completed since the club’s formation have been updated and together with a series of “Exchange Guidelines” and a “Code of Conduct for Outward Exchanges”, also placed on the website.

Are you one of the 8,500?

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coffee Morning – Wednesday 6 April

International Progressive Lunch

Sunday 24th April 2016: 11.45am-3.30pm

Cost: $15.00 per person No, we are not jetting off somewhere exotic. Instead the FF Board are hosting a progressive lunch at their homes. There will be three courses hosted at different venues and each venue will have a theme – eg. Italian, Mexican or whatever your hosts are happy to prepare. Members will as far as possible be divided into different groups so there is plenty of time to mix and mingle before everyone gathers at the final venue. This is a great opportunity for our newer members and those who have supported the club for quite some time to get together and enjoy each other’s company. You may bring your own liquid refreshments if you wish.

Once I have numbers I can sort out who will go where for each course and let you know in plenty of time.

I would like final numbers by Tuesday, 12 April so that I can report to the Board at their monthly meeting the following evening. It has been sometime since we had a full club turn-out so please come and join us. Phone: 2938139: or email eveolsson@xtra.co.nz Eve Olsson Convenor

Jan says to meet at “Over the Teacups” in Seaview Road, Paraparaumu around 10.00 a.m.

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Leo Lunch – Tuesday 26 April – 12 noon The next Leo lunch will be held at the Boundary Tap & Kitchen, 3 Raumati Road, Raumati. Please contact Jan if you would like to attend, so she can book a table. Jan Reid 902 1106 dillydawn81@gmail.com

Pot Luck Lunch with the Wairarapa Friendship Force

– Saturday 7 May

Debbie Lattey Ph 293 3252 debbie@otaihanga.co.nz

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR OUTWARD EXCHANGES

Exchanges

Outward Exchange to USA and Canada,

22 September – 16 October 2016 North Carolina, Quebec City and Hartford Connecticut Debbie informs us that travel agent Susanne is on the ball with arrangements. 19 Ambassadors have booked for this trip and will be meeting soon to discuss all the important matters. Meeting details are:

A group of members from the Wairarapa Friendship Force are coming over to Kapiti on Saturday 7 May to visit Southwards Car Museum. We have invited them to a pot luck lunch at Debbie’s home just down the road from Southwards, time to be confirmed but probably starting at 12.30 or 1.00pm. All members are welcome to join us – please put the date in your diaries and look for more details in next month’s newsletter or check the Club Activities page on our website.

Your Board has put together a ‘Code of Conduct’ for outward exchanges which is intended to be a helpful guide, particularly for new members, on the expectations of an ED on their ambassadors while on an outward exchange. This has partly come about because of problems encountered on previous exchanges where ambassadors have not been made aware of their responsibilities and the expectations of their ED, resulting in misunderstandings and stress for the ED. This document is on our website

on the Exchange Guidelines page and will be used for all future outward exchanges. FFI is also considering adding this document to their exchange guidelines resources. Refer http://www.kapiti.friendshipforce.co.nz/exchanges (very bottom of this

page on our website)

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Date: 27 April Time: 2.00 pm Venue: 177 Otaihanga Road (Debbie’s place) There is still one place available on this exchange, if you would like to participate please contact Debbie for details of cost and to get your name down. Debbie Lattey, 293 3252 Jan Reid, 902 1106

2017 Exchanges Inbound April: Central Montana, USA to Kapiti Coast, NZ and Aichi, Japan

**ED and assistant ED required **

Outbound

September: Kapiti Coast to Adelaide and Casterton, Australia Week 1 Adelaide Week 2 Casterton EDs for the Outbound exchange are Allan and Beverley Taylor.