Miss Tennky Spring 2000 Newsletter

Spring 2000 Newsletter

1) HOST FINDING MONTH

Whether you are a current or former host family, an American Abroad returnee, or an AFS volunteer, we need your help! This year our AFS Chapter is responsible for placing twenty exchange students for the next school year in our area, a challenge that will require the unified, enthusiastic efforts of all of us. How does hosting a student benefit a family? Hosting brings the world to life. It turns a place into people, giving families the opportunity to experience some of the world's richness and diversity. Students expose families to the customs and traditions if their home country, share their perspectives and insights, and in turn learn about our culture and lifestyles. In most cases, a lifelong relationship develops between host families and their AFS student. How can you help?

• Tell everyone you think would make a good host family about this wonderful intercultural opportunity. Give the names of interested families to the Hosting Team.
  
  
• Put a notice in your church bulletin (see sample below)
  
  
• Volunteer to serve as a school representative ( good relationships with area high schools are essential)
  
  
• Volunteer to be a liaison or aunt and uncle family to a current student
  
  
• Give talks to area civic organizations about the value of hosting
  
  
• Serve on the Hosting Team representing your area of Middle Tennessee
  

AFS has touched over 50,000 students and families through international exchanges in the past fifty years, largely through the dedication and vision of its volunteers. At the onset of this bright new century, make your contribution to fostering international peace, love and understanding by helping us bring families and students together. We are awaiting your phone calls. Janine Ray, Hosting Coordinator 615-758-8391

2) SAMPLE HOSTING APPEAL

A sample notice: Feel free to use this in your own church bulletin or edit as you feel is needed!

Wanted: A few generous families willing to share their culture and traditions with a bright young student and learn about new cultures and new traditions in return. AFS is an exchange program fostering the belief that intercultural exchange promotes the knowledge and skills to create a more peaceful world for generations to come. For information on hosting an exchange student, please contact Janine Ray at 615-758-8391 or Sharon Bonnett at 615-731-2881. We look forward to hearing from you!

3) TEAM NEWS

Welcome New Hosting Coordinator: Janine Ray!

The Miss Tennky leadership Team is happy to announce that Janine Ray is our new hosting coordinator. Janine's daughters Lily and Lea expressed interest in educational travel abroad and with AFS they went to Paraguay and Mexico. The Ray family has opened their home to Nidia from Paraguay, Jose from Mexico, Diego from Chile and now Enrique from Mexico.

"Last summer, June 1999, we took a two week trip to Paraguay to see Nidia and meet her family. Wayne and I became "Mom and Dad" to all of her sisters and their husbands. Only Nidia's parents, Senor Colman and Senora Irrazebel, called us Jan and Wayne! We were deeply touched by the love and hospitality they showered upon us and hope that someday they, too, will come to Tennessee. Nidia is planning to spend her two week vacation with us in July 2000. Our primary reason for hosting is to be of service to a young person who has courageously left home in pursuit of better English skills and an international experience. In return, we have been rewarded immensely with love, humor, new perspectives on our country and culture, a deeper insight into other people and places, and great new friendships, both with the students and their families, and the globally minded AFS volunteers and other host families."

Janine is driving towad a goal of on-time placement by June 1st. You can help by forwarding hosting leads her way or serving on the hosting committee. You can contact Janine at 615-758-8391 Welcome Janine!

Congratulations Column:

• Jenny Myers on her Master's in Science degree from MTSU.
• Natilie Grubb for her UT Dance team placing 2nd at Nationals
• Vincenzo Magagna for being cast as Billy Bigelow in the musical Carousel. Show dates are May 5,6,7 at Battle Ground Academy.
• Katrin Wirth of Beech High School won a Silver award in art for her school
• Sveta Malakhova of Hendersonville won a Gold and Silver award in art for her school
  (Both students were given their awards Sunday Feb.23rd at the Cheekwood Center for the Arts in Nashville.)
  

St. Louis Inspires Volunteers

Volunteer training proved inspirational for Becky Heywood, Sue Courey, Jenny Myers, Elmer Woods and Janine Ray. Team volunteers attended sessions on conflict management, making great placements, volunteer succession and AFS basics. It was a great time of fellowship and learning. Alex Plinio's final address was the highlight as he shared a tape of JFK's address to AFS students in the rose garden at the White House in 1963. His speech was his opportunity to add to the AFS time capsule. Alex Plinio added a piece of the Berlin wall, quoting from the German who gave it " you helped tear down this wall" the room was silent as he placed it in the box. Volunteers sat silent in contemplation.

Nashville Hosts AFS National Meeting

Loew's Vanderbilt Plaza was the site of the National Council and AFS/USA Board meetings, March 9th-12th. Regional Councils also met. The National meeting brings together all regional council representatives in the US. Thirty AFS staff were on hand to enjoy Music City. Staff enjoyed dinner at The Blackstone Restaurant, planned by area volunteer Sue Rephan on Thursday night. National meetings have previously been held in Atlanta, Houston, and Alburquerque. As a welcome to Nashville board and council members we gave each a "GooGoo" Cluster!

Greater Knoxville to Host Bus Stop

The greater Koxville AFS community will host the bus stop for our area. The bus stop is a long-time AFS tradition. Approximately 35 students hosted in the US will travel to the Knoxville area to prepare for re-entering their home culture. Students will be accompanied by a bus trip chaperone to guide them through their final orientation. Volunteers needed for that too. Contact Becky Heywood for more information. Bus stop dates are July 6th - 10th. Anyone interested in helping Greater Knoxville plan activities or find host families please call Kathy Buckingham at 423-691-0414 or Sandra Sanders at 423-584-3094. Thank you Greater Knoxville!

4) VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

• June 3rd Orientation Leaders:

  Leaders to prepare Americans traveling abroad and their families and for the currently hosted AFS students and their families. Contact Susan Deriemer at 615-646-5015 or deriem96@ccvax.mmc.edu.

• Bus Trip Chaperones Need

  Must be 25 years old and have leadership skills. You will accompany a bus full of AFS students on their way home, guide the through a final orientation and arrive in New York to drop them at their bus to the airport. AFS pays your flight home from New York. Many area volunteers have done this, ask around, it is fun and exhausting.

5) CALENDAR DATES AND NOTES

• April 13-16 Wisconsin Exchange from Hunters Lane High School
• April 29 A Marathon For Lisa -- Sue Courey, Area Team Treasurer is running a marathon in memory of Andy Smith's wife, Lisa who died last summer. She is busy training with a passion. Andy has worked with AFS for 12 years and met his wife Lisa there.
  

  "Andy is a friend from American Field Service with whom I have worked for many years. When I saw Andy Smith in November he wished that he had not worked so hard before his wife died. However, it was upon Lisa's insistence that he did, as she was an ever faithful supporter of AFS and its mission to break down the barriers throughout the world"
  --Contact Sue Courey to contribute at 615-297-4636
  

• May 5, 6, 7 Vincenzo plays Billy Bigelow in Carousel at Battle Ground Academy
• May 20 http://misstennky.org/golf.htm for the Golf Tournament
• June 3 Spring Orientation. Leaders needed. email deriem96@ccvax.mmc.edu
• July 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Knoxville Area Bus Stop. Email Becky Heywood
  

6) NOTES FROM THE CHAIR

People often ask me why I volunteer for AFS.

Sometimes they just express curiosity about my commitment. Usually I say it refreshes my spirit and grows my mind, but AFS feeds me. At volunteer training's you arrive with the expectation of being fed, and I wasn't disappointed. We heard JFK's address to AFS students in 1963 and that we, perhaps, had something to do with the Berlin Wall coming down. Those are the meals.

Snacks and desserts that AFS volunteers give me are unexpected pleasures: A volunteer prompted me to make a call for free web space and I did, and he has worked countless hours creating a web site that is a great tool and resource. At the mid year orientation new people lead most groups. Susan and I shared in the excitement of seeing new talent develop in our organization.

At the same orientation a host parent who recently experienced a student move, led other host parents. Other volunteers made me aware that legislators want to criminalize midwifery. This refreshed my citizenship as I called to express my opinion. I got to spend a weekend with people whogave their weekend to spread the word of AFS--all the while I enjoyed their hospitality. Witnessing the AFS structure at work, volunteers working the chain. Snacks and desserts. At this rate I may get fat while volunteering for AFS.

Becky Heywood

7) PUBLIC RELATIONS

Notes from Barbara Wills

If you belong to any type of organization (Kawanis, Rotary, Sorority, Fraternity, choir, church, Alumni, PTA, Lion's etc.) please, speak to the program director, usually the vice-president and see if we can be placed on the program for the near future. Usually, they are more than accommodating. If they are booked presently, ask for the first available date. If you prefer a member of the team rather than yourself to make the presentation with several students, call Jenny Myers at 615-385-9644 or e-mail her at jenny.myers@nashville.com and she will get a group together. AFS materials will also be gotten to presenters for the entire group. If you have any public relations tips that you would like to pass on don't hesitate to give Barbara Wills a call at 615-859-5412 or 615-850-1416 or e-mail me at byw1010@aol.com. We are currently looking for a sponsor for a large billboard that can be displayed close to the downtown area.

Students interested in taking the TOFEL exam: If you did not get the information at the Mid Year Orientation, please call Barbara Wills or contact any Sylvan Learning Center for info. Remember if there is any chance you might come back to the US for university now is when your English is at its best and this is a required test for entrance to US colleges. The cost is $100.00.

PR is everyone's responsibility: I have a great amount of literature that was left from a national conference held at Opryland. I need your help in getting it out to the public. Let me know where you would like to pick it up or if you would like me to send it to you by mail, call me at 615-859-5412 or e-mail me at byw1010@aol.com I suggest that every time you go to the doctor, dentist or hairdresser you take AFS material with you and leave it with the other magazines, etc. By having it on hand and in your car at all times can you do this.

Barbara Wills

8) STUDENT ESSAYS AND LETTERS

"Since each family can only have one child in China, I have never being around some little children. It was so fun. And I finally had the taste to be a bigger sister." --Mimi. Select to go to Mimi's page and read her entire talk.

My trip to Austria was definitely an experience. It was sort of rough at first, but once I was adjusted with my home life and family everything else sort of fell into place and became quite enjoyable. Meeting all sorts of new people and attending a European school was definitely a wakeup call for me, and I'm sure for the other Americans as well. Yet, I still treasure the memories that I hold of my eye-opening semester in Vienna, Austria. I am still in contact with my Austrian family. My host brother, who was an AFSer in Ecuador while I was in Austria, is now dating my best friend in Vienna! -- Kori Diamond.

Here we eat dinner a little past 9 o'clock. Sleeping just doesn't happen!! The people here are very nice and friendly. ... There are a few more things about Argentina that have made feel very appreciative, and I hope you do too after this. When your parents ask you to do the dishes or laundry, don't complain! You have dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. It takes you what, under two hours to both of those chores? Here, we don't have them. When I do the dishes, it's by hand. When my laundry's being done, it takes days because we have to do it by hand and line dry them. Please be appreciative of your life and don't take things for granted. -- Sarah Myers. Select to go to Sarah's page and read her entire letter.

I was really glad to get to write something about my country. Because I think It's one of the most interesting and amazing places in the world. My name is Sveta. I'm from Russia. ... I love Russians. Most of them are very kind and open-hearted to others. They are just great people." -- Sveta. Select to go to Sveta's page and read her entire letter.

9) AFS WEB SITE

(The following appears in our newsletter, but since you are reading this on the web, its not news to you!)

Announcing ...The Miss Tennky Area Web Site!

The Miss Tennky Area has joined the 21st Century. We now have a fully functional web site of our very own. The web site URL (address) is afs.nashville.com/ ... That's pretty easy to remember! Many thanks to Nashville.com for donating the web service to us, and to Raymond Myers, our own Webmaster!

Current pages include the following:

• The "Home Page"
• Complete Calendar for the year 2000
• Area Team & Committee contact information
• A Guest book
• Newsletter online
• Pages for each Hosted student AND American Abroad
• Various "rules and regulations" and policy statements
• Info about the FSA/FLEX Program
• A Photo page with pictures from all our gatherings
• A Links page
• And MORE

Especially note Sveta's article, and Mimi's speech to the AFS Board of Directors!

There is a Photos page, currently with photos from the Halloween Party, The Christmas Party, and the New Year's Eve Party. Feel free to submit photos you would like to see posted. They should be sent via e-mail in jpg format if at all possible. Otherwise send the photos to Becky Heywood or Raymond Myers for scanning.

We will be happy to add pages, links, photos, essays, contact information, or whatever you think would be helpful to current AFS students and families and to PROSPECTIVE AFS students and families.

This is your site and we want you to feel free to submit material for posting or make suggestions!

10) THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

We would like to thank the following companies for donating advertising for the next few months. Two of them will have our advertising on the grocery store tape receipts (H.G. Hills and Kroger) and the other you will find on the back of doors in various places you may be visiting. The companies are: Allen Advertising, Register Advertising and Graffiti Indoor Advertising. We are mainly targeting April as AFS Host Family Finding Month, but will have the names of both hosting and sending coordinators plus the regional office phone and web site on the advertising. We hope that this will create a boost to both programs. The tapes will not be in the same area of town at the same time. Some will begin in February and run for three months while others will not begin until March and run for three months. We hope that this is a relationship that we can continue with these outstanding companies.