We submitted our members’ preferences for the 2011 exchanges to Friendship Force International (FFI). Your top three choices from the survey taken at our past meeting are … (drum roll, please!) … Brazil, Norway, and France.  Please note that Norway and France have very limited opportunities for exchanges, so we may not get exactly what we asked for.  We’ll just wait and see how it all turns out.

All the Ambassadors to Bristol will tell you what a great experience we had.  Do you remember that old postcard cliché: “Wish you were here”?  Well, it might be true!  You can come close to our travel wonders by viewing the beautiful Travel Diary posted here on the FFLK website. 

Each Ambassador wrote about the events of a single day.  When we got home, Jeannie edited the original texts and selected photos to illustrate the texts.  It’s almost like being there!  You can find the illustrated Travel Diary in the newsletter section.  The full original texts are also there.

It’s time to collect the annual dues for FFLK and FFI.  We hope all of you continue to appreciate the many benefits of Friendship Force companionship and travel opportunities.  And we hope you all renew your memberships.  Please send your checks to Sandy Broderick, our treasurer, as soon as you can.  Details can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.

You are also encouraged to attend our Christmas/Holiday Party on Friday, December 11, at Big Springs Country Club.  Rose Duke has again arranged for a very festive dinner.  Come and be knocked off your feet at the Surprise Entertainment!  The cost is $30 per person.  Send your checks to Sandy Broderick.

In recent years, our chapter has designated a worthy organization to receive a holiday gift from FFLK members.  This is in place of a gift exchange at our Christmas/Holiday Party – which most people thought we had outgrown.  Your Board Members discussed several deserving groups.  And, for this year’s recipient, they selected the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation's Flood Recovery Fund.  This donation (suggested $10) is totally voluntary and can be sent to Sandy Broderick at the same time as your dues.

We encourage you to visit the FFI website [www.thefriendshipforce.org] for a new feature called “World of Friends Catalogue.”  There, you’ll see a number of featured exchanges that are available to all members during 2010.  Very interesting … even inspiring.

Looking forward to seeing you at our meetings: First Saturday Breakfast, November 7, and the general meeting, Thursday, November 12.