“Refusing to be Enemies” Film Showing

The documentary film “Refusing to be Enemies,” will be shown at the Grace A. Dow Library January 11 at 10 a.m. It is the story of six Jewish and six Arab women from the Ann Arbor area who came together through dialog to break a deadlock of fear and hatred. They call their group Zeitouna, the Arab word for olive tree.

“Refusing to be Enemies” is a nonprofit organization that empowers people to make peace a reality in their lives and their communities through education and dialogue. For more information on the film and the group, visit zeitouna.org.

Coffee and More is the theme of this AAUW meeting.  Guests are encouraged to come for coffee, tea, and coffee cake to view the film in the Lower Lounge Level of the library.

AAUW, the American Association of University Women, promotes equity, education, and development of opportunities for women and girls that enable them to realize their full potential. AAUW topped the Great Nonprofits 2011 list of Top-Rated Social Justice Nonprofits.

For more information about AAUW and the local branch, visit www.aauw.org or www.aauwmi.org (click on branches/Midland in the sidebar). For information about membership in AAUW, call Mary Franek, 687-2545.

Happy Holidays from Midland, Michigan PTPI

THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Well, our 2011 season has come to a close. We enjoyed some wonderful evenings of companionship and learning this last year. Highlights include a presentation on the Nonviolent Peaceforce by Jeanne Lound Schaller of the Helen M. Casey Center for Nonviolence, Victor Hugo Aviles told us about his home country of Bolivia and Albert Brown told us about his home of Uganda. We changed up our format for fall, meeting in the more intimate setting of the St. Paul Lutheran church of Sanford. There we heard from Global Compassion founder Indira Oskavarik and local students Emily and Telly who travelled to Handa, Japan as representatives in our Sister City exchange.

Unfortunately, our November trip to the Arab American National Museum was cancelled due to low ticket sales, but we had a good time at NADA for our holiday dinner.

OUR CHAPTER’S FUTURE
Like many organization in America today, our membership demographic is continuing to age. We have lost several members in the last few years to death and illness, and several of our formerly active members are no longer able to participate as they once did. We have cycled through the same six or seven people as officers over the last decade, and admittedly, we are tired.

Over the last year, the topic of our chapter’s future has come up on more than one occasion. We’ve had virtually no new additions to our membership in the last six years. The loss of Art Teot had an especially big impact on our club as his energy and connections had kept our Annual International Dinners well attended, with over 100 guests for many years. The 2011 Dinner was cancelled.

So, what do we do? This was the topic of the most recent board meeting. Membership will soon be getting a letter from President Deb Teot with our recommendation. Stay tuned.

December 5th Meeting

Unfortunately, the planned bus trip to the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan had to be cancelled due to the extremely low turn out. We only had eight people sign up for the trip! The bus seated 46 people!! After communicating with the bus company, they are willing to hold on to our $878 check to be used at a later date. Hopefully, we will be able to fill a bus with enough individuals this coming Spring. I personally, want to thank Jim Mentle, John Metcalf, Hazel Teot and Marion Newman on the work that they did inorder to try to make the trip a success. Your efforts are truly appreciated.

Our next meeting will be our annual Christmas Party. The party will be held at NADA Center on the campus of Northwood University on Monday, December 5, 2011. Please note the change in location.  I am still hoping that we will be hosting the students from the Intercultural Club. I have had only one communication from the club and have tried several times to speak with their President but have been unsuccessful in my endeavors. The menu for the dinner is as follows: Tossed green salad, Parmesan baked chicken, Hawaiian ham steaks, Parsley buttered potatoes, Medley of vegetables and Apple Pie. The cost of the dinner is $13 for PTPI members and $14 for non PTPI members.  NOTE: There will not be bar service.  Reservations must be made by calling Fran Mann at 832-2257 or me at 835-2567 by Friday, December 2, 2011. Transportation will be provided for those that do not drive at night. Looking forward to seeing you at the Christmas Party.

Just a reminder: The club will not be meeting in January, February or March. The remaining schedule for 2012 is as follows:

April – TBD

May – Wine and cheese from Around the World at Whiting Forest. This will be a fundraiser.

June – Annual Potluck in Sanford

Dues: Please make sure that you send John Metcalf your renewal statement. Those of you who have, thank you.

Museum Trip Planned

Thursday, November 17 at the Arab American National Museum

PTPI Midland is planning a trip to the AANM in Dearborn. We will be chartering a bus which can hold up to 45 participants. The bus will leave Midland at 9:00 am, arriving in Dearborn for a lunch at the museum (menu below.) We will have a short tour of the permanent exhibits and then see the museum’s new traveling exhibit, Patriots & Peacemakers: Arab Americans in Service to Our Country followed by discussion. The bus will return to Midland by 6:00 pm.

This all inclusive tour—bus transportation, lunch, and museum admission—will be $50 for non-members, $45 for members and $40 for students. The trip is open to the public and we encourage anyone who might be interested to join us.

The delicious lunch will consist of:

Appetizer:
hummus and pita bread
Entree:
your choice of Beef or Chicken Shawerma
or Falafel Sandwiches (vegetarian)
 Dessert:
Baklava
Juice, Tea or Coffee 

For tickets, contact Deb Teot, John Metcalf or  any of our chapter members. See you on the bus.

October Meeting Tonight 10/3

Tonight we will be gathering once again. This time we’ll be hearing from two students who spent part of their summer in Midland’s sister city of Handa, Japan. They have wonderful stories and photos to share.

A pizza dinner will start at 6:30 with the presentation soon after. Location is the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sanford. Public welcome.

September Newsletter

First, we had a great turnout for our first meeting of the season on August 8. We were treated to a delicious dinner by our presenter Indira Oskavarik. Indira told us about her charity, Global Compassion, which provides material and financial support to India. It’s inspiring how one dedicated individual can make a positive difference in our world. Look at our Friends & Links page for information on how you can help Indira with her work.

NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting will be held Monday,  October 3 at 6:30. The location will again be the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sanford. The dinner will be catered by a local restaurant in Sanford. The dinner cost has not been determined, but will not exceed $13 for members or $14 for non-members. Two of the students who visited Midland’s sister city of Handa, Japan this past summer will share their experiences with us. Reservations must be made by calling Fran Mann at 832-2257 by Friday September 30 to get a correct count for our caterers.

We welcome the public to our meetings, so if you know of individuals who would enjoy our programs, please invite them to join us.

NOVEMBER FIELD TRIP
Our November meeting will in fact not be a meeting, but instead will be a field trip to the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, MI. We will be making this trip on Thursday,  November 17, 2011. Please check back for updates as to times and cost.This trip is open to the community, so invite your friends.

See you all at October 3.

Is Summer Over Already?

Not technically, but school does start in just a little more than a week.

So, now that you’ve finished your summer travels, read those summer beach novels and picked your peppers, it’s time to rejoin our People to People International activities.

NEXT MEETING
We will be assembling at the St. Paul Lutheran church in Sanford (thanks, Marion,) on Monday September 12th to hear Indira Oskavarik. She will be giving a presentation about her charity work with Global Compassion (Project Compassion.) She will also be providing our dinner. Yummmm. Please let Erika (835-80 55) or Fran (832-22 57) if you are planning to attend by Friday, September 9. Transportation will be provided for those members who do not drive.

Marion wanted us to remind everyone that the church is very accessible and has wheelchairs available for those who need them.