County Durham Friendship Force held their annual general meeting on Saturday 21st October at Middridge Village Hall with around 20 members present.
For those who don’t know about Friendship Force, the County Durham branch was set up over 30 years ago. Following a visit to Newcastle President Carter was so impressed with the area, he arranged for his local group to visit Newcastle and set up the first international friendship force club outside of the USA.
Members present at the AGM heard about the plans that are coming together for the trip to New Zealand in November 2019 and the incoming exchange due to arrive in May for a week from Kempsey, Australia.
Members travel in the safety of a group with all arrangements for the journey made for you by the journey co-ordinator. No worry with train tickets, flights and accommodation. Hosting, welcome party, site seeing etc. is all planned by the host club.
Members of Friendship Force get the benefit of staying with hosts in over 50 countries across the world learning about the culture of far reached countries. Members also host guests from across all continents sharing their homes with them and showing them places of interest within the County Durham area.
It was a sad event too as the Treasurer Bill Jones stood down as treasurer after many years in the post. Bill is the ripe old age of 90+. He and his wife Pamela, who will be 90 in December have stood down from the committee. Pamela said she had to give in to Bills advancing years. Anne Main is moving from Secretary to Treasurer and Joan Mitchie taking over as Secretary. Ron Mitchie also stood down from the committee with Dorothy Bowman joining, filling one of the vacant committee members spaces.
The photograph shows The President of The Friendship Force of Co Durham Cynthia Scott presenting Bill with a gift of money to spend on themselves and a bottle of bubbly too. Also, in the photograph are the new committee Flo Bunce, Joan Mitchie (Secretary) Anne Main (Treasurer) and Cynthia Scott (President) with new committee member Dorothy Bowman and retiring treasurer Bill Jones.
For more information about The Friendship Force of Co Durham, contact Cynthia on 01325 313055.