Next FFK Events

Take a few minutes and visit the Calendar Page for the most up-to-date information about all coming FFK events through the end of the year and into 2022.

                              Tuesday, November 16, 2021 Annual Meeting with election of officers for 2022. A presentation about the inbound Journey from San Antonio by Jayne Raparelli and Mike McDonough via Zoom. Gathering at 6:30 p.m. with event beginning at 7:00 p.m.  

                              Tuesday, October 26, 2021 the Farewell Dinner for the Ambassadors from San Antonio at Calhoun's On-The River  at 6:00 p.m.  

  Thirty-one people attended: 11 Ambassadors and their hosts, FFK members who did not home host, and one guest.

After dinner the hosts and ambassadors shared their experiences.

The Farewell Dinner concluded at 8:00 P.M.

                                 Tuesday, September 28, 2021 Membership Event  A presentation by Ambassadors about their recent journey to   Napa -Sonoma, CA.

President Jayne Raparelli opened the Event at 7:00 P.M. She welcomed sixteen members in attendance and one guest. FFK member Bill Cherry introduced his guest, Gail Tyson, who recently moved to Knoxville.

Betsy Tonkin, Vice President and Program Co-Chair, hosted the Event and welcomed our FFK Ambassadors who had recently returned from an Outbound trip to Napa/Sonoma. They spoke about their varied experiences, the adventures they encountered, and the friendships that were made.

Ron and Jean Mayer, Leslie Badaines, and Jayne Raparelli and Mike McDonough each gave personal stories about their trip to California.

The Event ended at 8:05 p.m.

                                    Tuesday, August 24, 2021 a Membership Event   

President Jayne Raparelli opened the Event at 7:00 P.M. There were 21 members present and three guests. Carolyn Moser, a former member, was the guest of Betsy Tonkin. The other two guests were John Schwartz and his wife, Vicki Ursitti, the Speakers for the Event.

Bruce Robinson introduced John Schwartz and Vicki Ursitti who presented a program entitled “Living in the Czech Republic”. John worked at the Czech Technical University from August 2019 to January 2020 while on sabbatical from UT. Their focus was on the many historical areas and parks in the Czech Republic as well as their experiences with the people

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                             Tuesday, July 27, 2021 a Membership Event via Zoom with a Travel Photo Presentation by Sharon Swallwood.  

President Jayne Raparelli opened the Event at 7:00 P.M. There were 15 members present with one guest being our Speaker, Sharon Swallwood. 

Helen Bachrach introduced Dr. Sharon Swallwood, of the Friendship Force of the Florida Suncoast Club, who presented a program on the “Composition ‘Rules’ to Improve Your Travel Photography”. This video presentation included many examples of her own photographs to illustrate how members can attain the best results in photography. 

                             Tuesday, June 22, 2021 a Membershiip Event with Marsha and Art Mitchell presenting their UN Mission to Kosovo and nearby countries via Zoom.  

Jayne introduced our presenters Marsha and Art Mitchell who gave a slide presentation on their two years living in Kosovo while Marsha was employed by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo as an International Prosecutor.

                                                          Tuesday, May 25, 2021, a membership event with Betsy Tonkin presented an overview of her trip to South Africa.

Program: South African Experiences  

Time: 06:30 PM (social), 7:00 PM (program)   

Betsy Tonkin shared her South African experiences in 2019 – spectacular scenery, diverse culture, important historical events, and, of course, amazing wildlife. Her tour will take us to Kimberley, South Africa, where the first diamonds were found in Africa and a new integrated university founded there in 2014. From there we will go to Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, the Cape Point peninsula including the Cape of Good Hope, and Robben Island where Nelson Mandela served most of his 20-year imprisonment, then on to the nearby Stellenbosch region winelands. Next on our agenda will be Kruger National Park and an adjacent game preserve with many amazing, up-close photos of wildlife, followed by Victoria Falls in Zambia, and, finally, Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa.   

                                                 Tuesday April 27, 2021, a membership event.

  President Jayne Raparelli opened the General Membership Event at 7:00 P.M.  Twenty members and two guests were in attendance for this virtual gathering. Jane Conway was the guest of Diana Lopez, and Elaine Gorman was the guest of Vicki Creed.

Jayne then introduced Diana Lopez, past FFK president, who has visited more than one hundred twenty-five countries. Diana’s presentation was a Friendship Force International Global Journey to Southeast Asia in 2019. 

Diana shared pictures and commentary about Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Laos. She had many pictures and gave us information on the many temples, rural villages, major cities, several modes of transportation and different ethnic groups.

                         Tuesday, March 23, 2021 Membership Event via Zoom

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with "Journeys Down Memory Lane" with Ron Mayer beginning at 7:00 p.m.  

Seven presentations were given on a variety of Friendship Force experiences. The presentations brought back positive memories for those who participated and demonstrated to new and long-term members alike what Friendship Force has to offer. 

The first was by Ron Mayer on an inbound international journey from Calgary.

Leslie Badines followed Ron on an outbound international journey to Chile.

Next up was Bill Cherry on the inbound domestic journey from Napa-Sonoma, California.

Janis Robinson followed Bill with an outbound domestic journey to Des Moines, Iowa.

Betsy Tonkin presented an FFK/Open World visit from a Georgia delegation.

Diana Lopez gave only a brief mention to an FFI-sponsored Global Journey to Myanmar, because she will give a full presentation on this journey at our April 27 event. 

The last presentation was made by Panos Ionnides describing a joint trip by FFK with another FF Club on an international journey to Pau, France.

                      Tuesday, February 23, 2021 6:30 p.m. via Zoom  

Diana Lopez introduced the speaker, Mary Williams, of the of the FF Dallas club. Her topic was on Romania, based on her trip there in 2009 when members of the Dallas Friendship Force club were guests of the Sibiu club for a week. After her slide presentation she responded to various questions and comments from FFK members and guests.

                 Tuesday, January 26, 2021 6:30 p.m. via ZOOM

Twenty-five members and one guest had the opportunity to hear a presentation from Jermei Snook, President and CEO for Friendship Force International via ZOOM. He reviewed the upcoming plans for the organization for the next several years. He has great expectations that clubs will begin to travel in late 2021 and 2022.