The Friendship Force of the Rocky Mountains

Chartered in 1996, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Friendship Force is based in Estes Park, Colorado. The membership roster also includes those who live in surrounding communities. The club meets throughout the year on the second Sunday of the month at 2 p.m. at Good Samaritan Village.

Occasionally meetings are rescheduled to accommodate special events such as visiting ambassadors or the club's own outgoing trips. Notices for upcoming events are posted in the local newspapers and members are notified through email or regular postal notices. A monthly newsletter is published for members. Non-members are always invited to attend the meetings in order to learn more about the club.

The club organizes exchanges in which members travel together as Ambassadors to other countries and regions, and also exchanges where the Estes Park club hosts a visiting club. Members of the Estes Park club have been fortunate to travel to such countries as England, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Costa Rica, Canada, Turkey, and Germany. A trip to Japan is on the calendar for the year 2002. It is normal to have a one week stay in the home of a member of a club in another country, and often the homestay portion of the trip is extended to include an organized tour in a nearby country or area.

As hosts in Estes Park, the club has received members of clubs from Holland, Germany, Belgium and Japan. Members are looking forward to a visit from Ambassadors from South America in the year 2002. While hosting, local club members open their homes, share the real Rocky Mountain "spirit" with their guest ambassadors, and establish new friendships with their fellow Friendship Force club members. Many of these friendships span not only continents, but years.

While not every member will have the opportunity to travel to a foreign country, or receive a visitor in his/her home, there are ample opportunities for the member to relate to the visitors through dining experiences with the foreign guests, or by acting as a day host for incoming Ambassadors. There is always the vicarious experience of seeing and hearing presentations of a visit by the local club members to another country.

*PRESIDENT*	*SUSAN LANDWER*
*VICE-PRESIDENT*	*CHRISTINE HALL*
*TREASURER*	*JO MCFADDEN* *JOE REDDING*
*SECRETARY*	AUDREY WEBER JAN REDDING
*PAST PRESIDENT*	*CHRISTINE HALL*
*NEWSLETTER EDITOR*	*CHRISTINE HALL*
*PROGRAMS*	*GERRI CUMMINGS* *STEVE AND JANET ANDERSON*
*MEMBERSHIP*	SKIP AND DIANNE BETTS DON AND IRENE REEB
*FUND RAISING*	*GENE MCFADDEN*
*HOSPITALITY*	*PAT MERRY* *BARBARA KNOX* *MELANIE PARKER*
*HISTORIAN*	*MARY OKAMOTO*