FFOttawa

 

 

 

The Friendship Force of Ottawa (FFO) is able to host up to 25 ambassadors per exchange, for a total of up to 100 ambassadors for the four inbound exchanges it normally hosts per year. However, to provide sufficient hosting opportunities for FFO members for each exchange, and to deliver an attractive and cost-effective hosting program, the FFO prefers to have at least 20 ambassadors per exchange.

The Ottawa Club has 4 or 5 Outgoing Exchanges and 3 or 4 Incoming Exchanges each year.

Exchange selection and general administration is under the direction of the Vice President - Exchanges. He/she recommends, for Board approval, exchanges to be undertaken and the Exchange Director (E.D.) who will be responsible for each Exchange.


                                                                                                    Photo courtesy City of Ottawa
When an Outgoing Exchange is oversubscribed the V.P.- Exchanges presides over a selection process to ensure potential participants have an appropriate opportunity to take part.

 The E.D. also selects a Committee of 5 or 6 Club members to look after various functions required for the visit:

  1. Logistics: Selects host homes and assigns visiting units to that host. Assigns "day hosts" to assist the home (billeting) hosts. Generally arranges for other Club members to host dinner parties for small groups.
  2. Activities: Arranges for welcome party and Farewell dinner, selects attractions in the city and surrounding areas and schedules visits and arranges for leaders at each.
  3. Program and Communications: Prepares Program to show hosting arrangements, activities and timing and provides background on the City and surroundings and our Club.
  4. Treasurer: Prepares budget for the Exchange and administers finances.

Each of the above recruits Club members to assist as required. Incoming Exchanges usually require the active involvement of about 70 Club members.

Outgoing Exchanges

The Outgoing Exchange Director works with the counterpart Hosting Exchange Director to arrange home hosting, transportation, timing, logistics, and to facilitate the exchange of information between participants.

The Outgoing Exchange Director usually appoints a Committee consisting of:

  1. Deputy Director: To take over if the Director becomes indisposed.
  2. Transportation: Arrange transportation for the group, side trips etc.
  3. Program and Culture: Provides background on the culture and habits of country being visited. Provides booklet on our Club, our City and often provides a picture of each of the visiting members.
  4. Treasurer: Administers the finances for the Exchange.

Incoming Exchanges

The Exchange Director (E.D.) for a particular Exchange interfaces with a counterpart Exchange Director of the visiting Club to establish timing of the visit, numbers participating, transportation arrangements etc.

2010 Exchanges

Inbound

  1. Medicine Hat, Canada, June 6-10
  2. Bundaberg & Cairns, Australia – August 20–27, 2010 (Eds – Garry & Cavelle Bowes);
  3. Fort Worth, Texas – September 7-14,  2010 (Ed – Doug McGregor);
  4. Moscow, Russia – October 27- November 5, 2010 (Eds – Gail & Ulysse Nevraumount);

 

Outbound

 

  1. Bogota, Col. & W.Alajuela, Costa Rica – Jan/Feb 2010 (Eds – Frank Mayda & Bob Nicols);
  2. Vienna, Austria – June 2010 (Ed – Joan Grégoire);
  3. East Central Florida & Sarasota, Florida – November 2010 (Eds – Arthur & Mary Roy).

 
2011 Exchanges

Inbound

  1. Global (in cooperation with French club) February 9 – 16, 2011;
  2. Kauai, May 2011;
  3. N&S Carolina, September 2011;
  4. Jena and Gelsenkirchen, October 2011;

 

Outbound

 

  1. Budapest, Hungary, April, 2011;
  2. Vina del Mar, Chile and Dallas, Texas, May 2011;
  3. Lansing, Michigan, July 2011;
  4. Cairo,Egypt, November 2011.

 

 

Where we’ve been recently

  1. Vienna, Austria – June 2010
  2. Bogota, Col. & W.Alajuela, Costa Rica – January, 2010
  3. Nashik, India – Novmember, 2009
  4. Fukuoka, Japan - March, 2009
  5. Salt Lake City, Utah & San Diego – April/ May, 2009
  6. Rio Grande Valley & Houston, November 2008
  7. Moscow, Russia, September 2008
  8. Adelaide & Bundaberg (Australia), Horowhuena(New Zealand), March 2008
  9. Recife and Florianopolis (Brazil) March 2007;
  10. Belo-Horizonte- Brazil and Trujillo Peru (combined with Penticton BC) February 2007;
  11. Pau France September 2007;
  12. Dayton, Ohio & Charleston, West Virginia October 2007;
  13. Cape Town, South Africa, March 2006;
  14. Kiel and Gelsenkirken, Germany May 2006;
  15. Northern Colorado and Greater Sacramento, USA., September 2006;

Note: The V.P.- Exchanges or Exchange Directors may be contacted through telephone numbers or e-mail addresses shown on the recently distributed "Membership List".

For further information on Exchanges:
Contact Pierrette Benoit, VP, Exchanges at benoitp@ncf.ca