Inside
this Member Update:
(Click on topic to go directly to
that item)
Message from the President 
Greetings and Happy New Year to all!
If you are sponsoring, I hope you’ve discovered a new great friend and
family member with your class of 2017 officer this year! For those sponsors
with a history of several years working with the international military
students, the word “family” certainly isn’t a loose term. These
wonderful folks become our extended family and we follow them around
the world. We celebrate new births as being our family, applaud when
our officer gets a promotion or new assignment and weep with them and
provide comfort if they suffer a tragic personal loss.
For some newer sponsors, the concept of wide open initial acceptance
accompanied with an outright expression of love to them and their
families may seem a bit overwhelming to present to someone.
Particularly, when you’ve not met and only exchanged one or two emails.
However, we’ve found that if that expression is based from the heart,
it is readily accepted and returned ten-fold. For the Pace family, it’s
part of who we are and how we’d like to be treated if the roles were
reversed.
As a sponsor, you are both the initial and ongoing conduit for your
officer to learn more about our wonderful people and country. He or she
will have heard many different things about the U.S. prior to arrival.
Well-meaning friends may offer “helpful” information, some from
propaganda intended to misinform or coming from rumors or coming from a
lack of knowledge. Through you, the officers have the opportunity to
learn about real Midwestern Americans.
If you are uncertain about things to do with your officer, there are
many local venues for adults and for families with kids of all ages.
Frankly, we’ve found that often our officers (and families) appreciate
a simple home-cooked meal and just sitting in an atmosphere of quiet
with no stress and engaging in gentle discussion.
I thank you for your commitment to our chapter’s mission. Without you,
we could do nothing. If you want to further understand the
difference(s) we make, read the
letter recently sent to the International Military
Student Division (IMSD) from one of the international military
students. IMSD shared it with us. Keep in touch with your officer, your
involvement and communication with them is crucial!
If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, please don’t hesitate to
call me.
Again, happy new year and many thanks for all you do to support our
mission!
Randy Pace
President
Board of Directors
Greater Kansas City Chapter People to People International
816-810-4004 Phone
Military Sponsorship Update
By Sharon Valasek
Get Ready for Sponsor Assignments – Class of 2018
GKCPTP’s military committee is gearing
up for the annual International Military Student (IMS) assignment
process. Starting in March, the committee will begin the process to
assign sponsors to IMS arriving June 2017 (graduating in 2018).
This process involves members of the committee:
- Contacting GKCPTP members to determine their
interest in and willingness to sponsor an IMS.
- Gathering sponsor preferences (family with
children, couple, geographic single or single officer)
- Receiving IMS information from the Fort (the
Fort receives data approximately every two weeks about each IMS,
and then they provide it to our organization).
- Making assignments and contacting sponsors in
May. When the committee contacts members to notify them about
their sponsor assignment, we respectfully request that members be
willing to accept alternate options.
Additionally, we appreciate you sharing the opportunity to sponsor with
others that you believe would be well-suited to sponsor and would enjoy
the experience. Please contact me at svalasek@kc.rr.com
or 816-213-5847 with names and contact information of potential
sponsors. We'll be happy to reach out to these individuals.
Emeritus Sponsor Database
The Fort is updating their sponsor
emeritus database. Emeritus status is defined as members who’ve
sponsored 20 or more years. The following members are currently in the
database. If you are in the emeritus database, please contact me to
confirm your mailing address (so you can be invited to events by IMSD).
If you or another sponsor should be added to the list please contact
Sharon Valasek at svalasek@kc.rr.com
or 816.213.5847.
|
Title
|
Last
Name
|
First
Name
|
|
Mr.
|
Eichenwald
|
Howard
|
|
Mrs.
|
Parmelee
|
Bev
|
|
Mr.
and Mrs.
|
Farrar
|
William
|
|
Mr.
and Mrs.
|
Holland
|
Darrell
|
|
Mr.
and Mrs.
|
Howell
|
McDonald
|
|
Mr.
and Mrs.
|
Willy
|
Tom
|
|
Mr.
and Mrs.
|
Karp
|
Daniel
|
|
Mrs.
|
Ruckh
|
Helen
|
|
Ms.
|
McDonnell
|
Dora
B.
|
|
Ms.
|
Barringer
|
Inga
|
Travel Ban Doesn't Impact IMS
From Mike Brettman,
IMSD
The travel ban will not affect international military students issued
A2 visas. The only country listed in the ban impacting our 2018 class
is Iraq, and they have not been allowed to bring dependents for quite a
few years.
Membership Report
We have had many new members in
the last several months. They are:
|
Cameron
and Diana Alpural
|
Ken
and Angie Howard
|
|
James
R. (Bob) Batterson, MD & Todd Green
|
Matthew
Hughes
|
|
Larry
and Gretchen Jacobson
|
Kelsey
Beach
|
|
John
and Barbara Loehr
|
Bob
and Tara Bennett
|
|
Dennis
and Janet O'Hagan
|
Perry
and Joanne Crume
|
|
Bill
and Nancy Quitmeier
|
Behnaz Darban
|
|
Paul
and Julie Riekhof
|
Joe
Dingwerth and Pat Hennessey
|
|
Mark
and Amy Thompson
|
Scott
Dold and Jean Younger
|
|
Javier
and Cindy Torres
|
Luke
Eide
|
|
Phil
and Nicki Watlington
|
Paul
and Shery Fetterman
|
|
Tanner
and Ohemaa Wycoff
|
Bob
and Susan Hiatt
|
If we have left anyone off the list, please let us know at membership@gkcptp.org . We hope that
our existing members have the chance to meet and get to know our newer
members at chapter and international military sponsor activities.
Thanks to all who belong to our chapter and who encourage others to
join!
Know Your World 2017: 2
Opportunities Remain
Do you enjoy learning about countries
and cultures around the world? Well, here’s an opportunity for
you.
At Fort Leavenworth's Command and General Staff College (CGSC Facebook
link), international military students make presentations
about their own countries to fellow international military students and
the public. Every few weeks throughout the school year these Know Your World
sessions offer robust information on national culture, politics,
geography, international relations and economics from countries around
the world.
Plus, you’ll get a special flavor of the country when representative
foods of the host officer's home country are served at a social
gathering following the presentation. At this reception you can
visit with international military students from many countries.
More than 90 countries are represented in every IMS class..
The last Know
Your World presentations in this school year are:
- Colombia on Wed., Feb. 15
- Lebanon on Wed., Mar. 15
All sessions begin at 3:45 p.m. at the
Eisenhower
Auditorium in the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort
Leavenworth. No invitation or RSVP is necessary for you to
attend. The events are open to the public, so you can bring a guest,
perhaps a prospective new chapter member, your children or anyone with
an interest in international matters.
To enter Fort Leavenworth for the Know Your World sessions, you
must show a Locally Approved Credential (LAC) Card at the security
gate, or obtain a day pass at the Visitor Control Center. Certain rules
apply and may change from time to time, so please review the current
access rules at the Gate Information link. Feel free to contact
our chapter president or a member of the board, too. They understand
how these important security measures can be daunting to first-time
visitors.
Save the Date: Annual Meeting Sunday
March 26
The annual meeting for Greater Kansas
City People to People is Sunday, March 26, 2017, at the Grand Street
Café, 4740 Grand Ave, Kansas City MO, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The cost of $24 per person will include an appetizer buffet, your
entrée, and coffee, tea, or a soft drink, as well as the
gratuity. An invitation, a slate of proposed officers and a
ballot will be mailed to all current members in early March
(per our by-laws). We look forward to seeing you there!
Greater Kansas City People to People Annual Meeting
Sunday, March 26, 2017 at 1:30 p.m.
Grand Street Café
4740 Grand Ave
Kansas City MO 64112
816-561-8000
For more information contact Karen Haber
at 816-741-9518 or karen@kchaber.com.
More information will follow on the slate of officers and how to
pay/RSVP and send in your vote.
Chapter Calendar
Member Profile: Dr. Tom Black
 Tom Black, and
his wife Connie joined our chapter in 2014. Tom knew about the Command
and General Staff College (and the international military students)
from his time in the U.S. Army, which included a short stint at Fort
Leavenworth. They have sponsored young adults from Europe in the past,
have traveled and explored extensively. You might say they are
internationally inclined, like many of our members.
Tom always remained interested in CGSC. After several years he decided
to “Google” CGSC and/or People to People” to learn how he might become
involved. He learned of our annual meeting, decided to attend and soon
joined our chapter.
Tom and Connie quickly became experienced sponsors; one might say they
are “naturals.” Before long Tom accepted an invitation to add his many
skills to the GKCPTP board. As a board member, there were many
ways for him to offer his skills and insights. One way he does that is
by serving on the military committee, the committee that coordinates
the assignment of officers with chapter members.
“Tom is an
insightful and reliable team member. He jumped in without hesitation
and he is a valued contributor to the military committee. We’re really
glad he joined our organization,” says Sharon Valasek.
Here are some things you might not know about Tom:
- Tom is a practicing ophthalmologist, landing in
Kansas City for his ophthalmology residency many years ago.
- Tom served in the U.S. Army where he was a
flight surgeon and did a tour in the Mekong Delta (Vietnam). His
last three months of active duty were at Fort Leavenworth.
- Tom (and Connie) enjoys learning about the
officers, where they are from, and all about their culture.
They’ve had wonderful experiences with officers (and families)
from Ireland, Switzerland and Germany.
- Tom continues to practice his medical skills,
and has served as managing partner at two different doctors’
groups.
- In the past, Tom taught at KU Medical Center.
- Travel adventures have included French
Polynesia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, and Europe (including
several hiking trips in Switzerland).
- This spring Tom and Connie will be sailing off
the coast of Croatia.
Need a GKCPTP Name Badge?
Contact Cole!
Cost is $9.50 each.
Cole Bonham
Midwest Trophy and Engraving
7287 W 97th Street
Overland Park, KS 66212
913-642-2451
cole@midwestengravers.com
|
