NC Partners of the Americas 2012 End of Year - Bulletin Between Newsletters

Partners Counts This is an important task you can do for the organization. Please turn a statement of the hours you have volunteered in 2012 for Partners. You may fill in a form online, or download it.

New Officers At the December 1

st Annual Meeting of NCPOA, the following officers were elected and began their terms of office:

President - Chris Stalberg; Vice-President – Karen Brown; Treasurer – Judy Gibson (continuing); Secretary - Kitty Stalberg; Past-President/Advisor – Sallie Abbas; Board Members are Rodney Swink, Steve Gibson, George Wilson, Virginia Freedman, Richard Whitmore, Ben Timmons, Deborah Wilkes, March Krotee, Don Hopkins, Robert Pyle, Carlos Vargas, Laura Cernikova, Hank Graden.

Brief Summary of the Annual Meeting Presenters of illustrated talks were travelers Kathy Johnson (women in abusive situations), Linda Watson (member of the team presenting conferences on Autism in Bolivia), Laura Cernikova (2012 Teacher-in-Residence).

Also attendees saw a specially-prepared video by Steve Vetter, President of Partners of the Americas. Even if you couldn’t be at the meeting, you can see it at http://youtu.be/RZ5DfRr9g9I; also a video on Partners Network & Affiliations, which can be found on the partners.net website. One of the new initiatives Steve mentioned was 100,000 Strong in the Americas in which the Department of State will collaborate with Partners and NAFSA to increase study abroad throughout the Western Hemisphere. The meeting finished up with a mini-workshop on input from members about what should be focus areas for NC POA in the coming year.

Bramham-Marcus Award This year’s Bramham-Marcus Award was presented to Marlene Mercado, outgoing president of the Cbba POAchapter. The award is given annually by the North Carolina Chapter to a selected Partners member, in recognition of outstanding contributions as a volunteer. Marlene has worked tirelessly in helping to coordinate the visit of the surgeons, of the Autism Conferences, and the visit of Kathy Johnson who presented program on how a community can help women in abusive situation; she also put in much effort in arranging for a sports trainer project. Her work has been considerable as president for 2 years of the chapter.

Marlene is shown here receiving the plaque, presented by Rosario Claros. Kathy Johnson carried it to Cbba.

Medical Team Visit for 2013 Scheduled Carlos Vargas reports that the medical team visit to Cbba will be March 11-16, 2013

In the last newsletter and at the Annual Meeting, people were asked to donate to the operation of Warmi (soap factory and community center of which Elena Jimenez is director), especially at Christmas time to share with the children. The total collected was $390, which was transmitted to her in Cochabamba.

NC Partners Website Our renovated Website is up and running, thanks to Christian Stalberg. Go see the new look at www.ncboliviapartners.org! It’s a good place to see newsletters and notices, calendar of events, lots of photos, pay dues and make donation, and more!

Message from Marlene (outgoing president Cbba POA)

Estimados compañeros de Cochabamba y Carolina del Norte y W.D.C. al finalizar el año es mi sentir dar el gracias a todos ustedes que como un gran equipo de voluntarios comprometidos luchamos dia dia para servir al prójimo y de alguna manera seguir el nuevo Paradigma de este nuevo año como es el de VIVIR BIEN, formemos nuevos líderes para que esto contínue por mucho muchos más años Dios mediante con la ayuda noble de todos ustedes. que estas fiestas de fin de año ilumine sus hogares la estrella de Belén y el nuevo año sea lleno de parabienes y éxitos en su hogares y sus vidas. Un gran abrazo. Dear Partners of Cochabamba and North Carolina and Wash.D.C., at the end of the year I wish to give thanks to all of you as an outstanding team of volunteers, dedicated to struggle day by day to serve our fellow man and in some manner continue the new paradigm of the new year, which is to LIVE WELL, forming new leaders that this may continue for many many years God willing, with the noble help of all of you. Let these holidays of year’s end light your homes with the star of Bethlehem and the new year be full of congratulations and successes in your homes and your lives. A big hug. Dues Reminder: now is a good time to pay your dues, if you didn’t do so at the annual meeting. Individual membership is only $25; student membership is $15; family membership is $40; lifetime membership is $250. Please send your check to NC POA Treasurer

P.O. Box 28221

Raleigh, NC 27611 or visit our Website (www.ncboliviapartners.org, click on “Online Payment”) to pay by credit card through PayPal. Editor, Sallie Abbas