Arkadaslar Board Meeting
July 12, 2006 
Atilla's  Restaurant, Arlington

In attendance:  Sandy Anderson, Allen Gall, Marcia Gnuse, Ken Hill, Mary Helen Madden, Valerie Olson, Dave Weinman, and John Wintrol,

NPCA 45^th Reunion, Sept. 15-16
There will be a picnic on Saturday, the 16^th, that RPCV/Washington will help organize. 
Sept. 14^th, Thursday – Lobbying
Sept. 15^th, Friday – Meetings
Sept. 16^th, Saturday – Picnic
Sept. 17^th, Sunday – Nationals Baseball Game 

We will notify members (listserv and Buralarda) that if they are here for the 45^th reunion, they should contact Ken Hill.  The group of Arkadaslar can join other RPCVs at the picnic or everyone could go to dinner Saturday night. 

If we want to have a reception at the Embassy, we’ll have to pay for it. 

NPCA is planning on putting greater attention to the Peace Corps 50^th Reunion Celebration in five years.  Ken Burns will make a film of the PC experience. 

Meeting the new ambassador 

The Turkish Consul said he’d get back to Ken re. a group going by to meet the new ambassador.  The former Ambassador, O. Faruk Loğoğlu, is working with a think tank in Ankara.

Cumhuriyet Bayram Dinner, Sunday, October 29 

We plan to hold the Bayram Dinner on Sunday, October 29 at Kazan’s.  Peggy will be asked to contact Süleyman, the carpet man, and Anatolian Artisans. The list of local Arkadaşlar will be split, as was done two years ago, and Board Members will be asked to phone everyone. We will gather at 5:00. 

Nationally, members will be encouraged to attend dinners in other states, should they be traveling in that area. 

Joint Venture with International Travel Agency
Doug Shifflett, T-8, along with Ken Hill (T-9) have been talking about working with a Travel Industry Association on leveraging the Peace Corps experience, using the face-to-face experiences of the Peace Corps.  Perhaps 10 to 30 volunteers would come together, then go out to their sites. 

This would be a film, piloted in four countries using RPCVs who would return to their former sites, and be filmed talking about their experiences and greeting old friends.  The four countries are Turkey, Thailand, Costa Rica and one other. 

If it works, it could be expanded to many countries.  First we would have to develop a proposal.  A coordinator would be selected and given an honorium.  Tom Brosnahan was mentioned, as was Bill Moyers.  Bill had said that his trip to visit a Turkish volunteer was the best trip he’d had.  There is also a very out-going volunteer who lives in Texas who was mentioned. 

The purpose would be to get good publicity.  182,000 PCVs have worked in 130 countries.  It can improve the US image, and can help distinguish Americans from American Policy.  This could help the Peace Corps, 3^rd Goal (Bringing the Peace Corps experience home to America), and tangentially help improve our image abroad.  This could educate the host countries.  In the case of Turkey, the younger generations don’t know we were there. 

Ken will email the joint-pilot description to Ellie to be posted on the web. 

New York Times Article
In the New York Times [July 10, 2006 - By DAN BILEFSKY (NYT) - Science – News] last week, there was a very fine article, about an Aga in Eastern Turkey with 5 wives and the difficulties he’s had to cope with.  None of his sons is allowed to marry more than one woman, and all his daughters are educated.  He once broke up a fight between some boys and admonished them that they were bringing disgrace on their families.  One looked up and said, “Papa, you don’t recognize me?”  Valerie will send this article to Ellie.

New Directories
Directories are expected around mid-August.  We decided not to send them in the Post Office Priority Mail envelopes because the stamp is about $4.05.  Mary Helen will get the envelopes and stamps.  We’d like fairly tight-fitting envelopes to protect the directories, and Sandy prefers white for the appearance.

Buralarda
A newsletter will be published in August.  All information must be sent to Marcia by August 7. 

Next Meeting
Atillas on Wednesday, September 13 at 6:30.