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The latest Newsletter is available for downloadSee details by clicking the Home link. |
The Friendship Force was founded in 1977 and there were exchanges with six countries that year. Since, the number of exchanges has grown to nearly 300 per year. An Active Club The Friendship Force of Lincoln began in 1980 with an exchange to Newcastle, England. Each year the club usually takes two exchanges to countries such as England, South Korea, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, and the Middle East. The club also hosts two foreign groups in Lincoln each year. Inter-Club visits for a weekend or a week are arranged with other cities in the United States to encourage participation by those unable to take part in an overseas exchange. The Friendship Force of Lincoln has some 160 family and individual members. An annual meeting is held in the fall, when officers are elected. Annual dues are $30 per family unit, which covers the national magazine and the local newsletters and mailings. Special activities such as dinners and parties with international themes are held during the year. Periodic dessert discussions focus on topics of current world interest and feature speakers with ties to their topic of discussion. In addition, once a month we have Saturday morning coffee and breakfast at a local restaurant as an opportunity for potential and new members to mix with more experienced members. U.S. Club of the Year In 1996 the Friendship Force of Lincoln was honored to receive the U.S. Club of the Year by Friendship Force International. Outbound Exchanges Exchanges for the upcoming year are assigned by the Atlanta office and are announced to local officers and directors. In Lincoln, the local board of directors appoints a director for each exchange to organize and execute the details of the exchange. For those traveling abroad, the director guides the travel experience. Ambassadors pay an all-inclusive fee for travel on an exchange. Hosts provide hospitality without reimbursement. To be an Ambassador one must possess an adventurous spirit, have a flexible approach to new situations and have a genuine desire to visit new lands and make new friendships. Most foreign trips include a weekÿs stay in a private home in the country visited, with some group activities with the club in that city. Sometimes a second week of home-hosting in another city is available. Ambassadors may either join the group for the second week or travel independently. Often there is an optional third week for independent travel. Sight-seeing activities are included in many exchanges, but the primary goal is always mutual understanding and friendship. How To ApplyOur exchange destinations for the coming year are announced first to members of The Friendship Force of Lincoln. Ambassador recruitment from the entire community starts six months prior to the departure date. All applicants are interviewed. The final group of Ambassadors, representing a cross section of our community, is selected by the Exchange Committee. The Ambassadors study the culture, history, current events and, if possible, the language of their destination country. For hosting foreign visitors the procedure is similar. Applicants are sought both from club membership and the community at large. All are interviewed, and hosts are chosen. In most cases, host families are responsible for providing home hospitality for a foreign visitor or couple for one week. Group activities reflect community life and local culture. ScholarshipsThe Friendship Force of Lincoln also offers one or two scholarships each year to help cover a portion of the cost of travel of an ambassador on outward bound exchanges. For more information, click here. |
©2008 Friendship Force of Lincoln. All Rights Reserved. |
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he Friendship Force is an organization that brings to reality an idea - a commitment to world peace and an understanding of people and cultures throughout the world. To accomplish the purpose of this internationalorganization, members travel throughout the world meeting people, sharing experiences, and gaining insight into each other's lifestyles.