CRPCA November 2013 - Volume 33, Issue 11

November 2013 Newsletter - Volume 33, Issue 11

This month's newsletter has a selection of photographs from Armenia volunteer Emily Haas (2009-2011). About this photo she says:

Next to the wall of a roadside shop selling home-made wine, Siranoush was sitting in the sun, the mother-in-law of the

owner. Her eyes were closed, for her time seemed to stand still. She agreed to have her picture taken, but said, “I am not

pretty!” I disagreed.

Inside this newsletter

President's Message

Letter from the Editor

Announcements

RPCV Profile: Kargi Gogo - Sean Fredericks & McKinze Cook (Georgia 2010-2012)

Photo Essay by Emily Haas (Armenia 2009-2011)

2014 International Calendars

Upcoming community events of interest

Volunteer Opportunity in Costa Rica

2012 Annual Report, part 1

Highlight's from CRPCA's October events

CRPCA November to January events

President's Message

If you weren’t at September’s CRPCA annual meeting (and, of course, potluck), you missed a good conversation about Goldilocks.

And it was not about whose contribution to the potluck was “just right.” In fact, it wasn’t even about food. Our Goldilocks

discussion was about the allocation and use of CRPCA’s resources – monetary and otherwise. How much is too little? How much

is too much? How much is just right. The money part of the discussion – the budget - is of course the primary “product” of the

annual meeting. It sets a framework for much of the association’s activities for the next year – the grant program, membership,

fundraising activities, and more. But because CRPCA is completely volunteer-run, the budget alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

Yes, we raise and spend money, but in overall terms, CRPCA receives and expends far more value in the form of “member effort.”

We are what we do; not just what we spend.

So, Goldilocks was invoked beyond the detailed .xls provided by treasurer Phyllis Shelton. Of special interest was member

communication, particularly “push” communications like the weekly e-update and this newsletter. How much is too little? How

much is too much? How much is just right? (There was a tiny monetary consideration to the discussion. Going forward, this

newsletter will be published only in e-form, making a small saving in copying/postage. But the bigger saving is in the donated effort

of the newsletter editor.) We considered open rates for the e-update and newsletter (thanks to our ace membership team Adrienne

Wolf-Lockett and Bob Locket for their research) and discussed the current allocation of resource to both publications. Despite

disappointing open-rates for the e-update, we decided that we’re still pretty close to “just right” and both publications will continue.

And we found another Goldilocks balance. We entered the meeting with board vacancies, which for an organization like ours is the

equivalent of a budget out of balance. But during the meeting, three new general members stepped up to join the board. Meaghan

Corwin has taken on the editorship of this newsletter. Patrick Findler has agreed to fill the fundraising coordinator job. And as

program coordinator, Angie Basurtto will plan content for future potluck/meetings. Being “fully staffed” is certainly a key part of “just

right” for our association, but I see something more in these new board members. CRPCA’s board now includes RPCVs who

served in years from 1968 to 2013…nearly the entire life of Peace Corps. And that seems “just right.”

— Chuck McConnell, Ukraine 2008-2011

Letter from the Editor

Hello again from your friendly newsletter editor! This month's newsletter is chock full of pictures and information, from RPCV profiles

to the annual report. The second half of the annual report will be in the December newsletter, so never fear: you'll get all the data

you could possibly desire. Next month we're continuing our series of PCV service experiences/reminiscences with some place a

little warmer: if you served in Central or South America, we'd love to hear from you. Send stories, pictures, recipes, songs, or

anything at all you'd like to share about your service, anything that really brings home why serving in the Peace Corps was a

valuable and life-changing experience: we want to hear about it (before November 25!). I'll be sending out reminders in the weekly

update! If you have any other announcements or information that you'd like shared in the newsletter, be sure to get that to me

before the 25th as well. Questions and comments are greatly appreciated. Have a great November! And a very early Happy

Thanksgiving!

— Meaghan Corwin, Armenia 2008-2011 & Mongolia 2011-2013

Announcements

Don't forget! On Saturday, November 9th, CRPCA will be having a fundraiser in NE Portland at Gem Studio, 1110 NE Glisan,

Portland, starting at 6 PM! There will be food, drinks, and an auction of all kinds of treasures. If you have any questions, please

contact Patrick Findler by email atpatrickfindler@gmail.com or phone (971) 400-7716. Hope to see you there for an awesome

evening!

PS - if you wrote last week tofundraiser@crpca.org and did not receive a reply, we're sorry! Please re-send your email

topatrickfindler@gmail.com, the fundraiser address has been having a glitch recently.

Photo courtesy of Bill Stein.

RPCV Profile: Kargi Gogo

Meet Sean Fredericks and McKinze Cook, RPCVs (Georgia 2010-2012), owners of the downtown food cart Kargi Gogo. This

enterprising couple is bringing their service home to others in one of the most intimate ways possible: they are feeding a bit of the

Peace Corps experience to the whole United States, one hungry mouth at a time

Sean and McKinze came to Georgia, a small, mountainous country at the crossroads of Turkey, Iran, and Russia, in 2010 as Social

Entrepreneurship and Organizational Development volunteers, eager to assist in the rapid economic progress taking place there.

However, like many others, they soon found their social life in their site as important, if not more, than the work they had thought

they would be doing.

Delicious badrijani: eggplant, walnut, & garlic rolls.

Georgian social life revolves around food served in the home. Every place Sean and McKinze went, they would be fed delicious

food. At one point they realized that, “People would go crazy for this,” that Georgian food could be a hit in the United States.

Sean learning a recipe in Georgia.

They collected their favorite recipes from everyone in their social circle, and on returning, picked Portland as the best place to start

a food cart. “We chose a food cart to make the food more accessible to people. We wanted people to be able to try it out in a

low-commitment way.”

McKinze studying the use of the dough-making machine, spring 2013, before opening.

Success has certainly come their way: both the Willamette Week and the Oregonian have praised them, featuring them in their

“Best & Only” foodcarts and “Best European Restaurants” (WW) and Top 10 New Food Carts (O).

I asked them whether they considered themselves as fulfilling the Third Goal of Peace Corps (“to help Americans understand the

people and cultures of other countries”) and they described it as “an honor to share the best of Georgia. We wanted to make our

friends, our host family, and our language tutor proud, and so far... they are!”

Follow Kargi Gogo on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kargigogoPDX) and instagram (http://instagram.com/kargigogopdx),

go to their website(http://kargigogo.com/), or just eat at the cart, on SW Washington between 9th and 10th avenues.

You should definitely order the khachapuri!

Photo Essay from Armenia

Emily Haas, RPCV Armenia (2009-2011) shared some photos from her Peace Corps experience. Some of these also featured in

her exhibition, Women in Armenia, which she presented in her site during her first year of service.

Sona works from sunrise till sunset. She bakes, cooks, milks the cows, cleans house and yard, she does everything. She has had a

hard life, but she is strong, smiles and says, “We don’t live very well, we are not rich, but we thank God for everything we have

every day.” She was 21 when she married, together the couple had a one-year-old son and she was two months pregnant with her

daughter when, after only one year of marriage, her husband died. People from the village bring her flour and she bakes delicious

bread for them. That’s how she earns money.

Gohar Alexsanyan is the epitome of a strong, determined and proud village woman. She is the mother of two girls and one boy.

Along with all the responsibilities a woman takes on in keeping a household, Gohar also keeps a barn full of pigs and cows, a coop

full of hens and roosters and an enormous garden with fruit trees, vegetables and berry bushes. She wakes early in the morning to

milk the cow, feed the pigs and let out the chickens. She then prepares breakfast for her children and husband before they head off

to school and work. In the summer time, Gohar spends the day harvesting fruits and vegetables and about once a week takes the

yield to the capital to sell in the markets. She comes home late and prepares dinner for the family and once again milks the cow,

feeds the pigs and puts up the chickens for the night.

This is from the annual wine festival in the village of Areni, just 15 minutes down the road from my site. The village also shares its

name with the Areni grape, a species endemic to Armenia. I spent the day with some of my closest friends. The sun was shining,

we sipped on dry wine, enjoyed Armenian shish kabob, danced and laughed the day away.

2014 International Calendars

Rwanda (September)

Each year CRPCA sells the beautiful wall calendars produced by the RPCVs of Madison, Wisconsin to help fund our Grant

Program. The 2014 International Calendar contains a lot of information (even art) from every featured country, plus holidays from all

139 Peace Corps countries (and the USA). Calendars are still available ($12 each):

In person (no shipping charge) at all CRPCA events this fall.

Via our neighborhood vendors: See the list on our website.

Through the mail (shipping charges apply): Please see our Checkout page to pay for calendars and/or shipping.

Upcoming Community Events

Stop by Portlandia Spanish School (511 SE 11th Ave) each Thursday evening at 7:00 pm to practice your Spanish. The event is

free and it is a great opportunity to practice Spanish, share stories, and enjoy some of the food and drinks (wine, beer, soda) that

are always plentiful. Some RPCVs already attend this event, but we're looking to expand - so please stop by!

Sign up for a unique opportunity to talk with people about your Peace Corps host country. Clark College is hosting an International

Student Exhibition where students from around the world will be displaying flags, photos, books, artwork, traditional attire, music,

and food at their booth. Peace Corps has been invited to attend this event and represent countries where Volunteers have served.

This event will take place on Thursday, November 21st from 10am – 1pm on campus at Clark College. If you are able to attend,

please RSVP to Pravin Mallavaram at pmallavaram@peacecorps.gov by November 8th.

Free event on Sunday, December 1, 2013, 10 AM to 4 PM

First Unitarian Church, SW 12th, Portland, OR 97214

Join us in celebrating amazing global progress in Getting to Zero!

Learn how you can be more involved in supporting the efforts of the Portland community to address the impact of AIDS.

We will have food, live music, children’s activities, a Fair Trade Holiday Market, and information on you can take action!

Presented by:

Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition

Unitarian Universalist Global AIDS Coalition

First Unitarian Uganda School Partnership

NW Fair Trade Coalition

Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition (PAGAC) is a non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization that is an alliance of local organizations and

individuals united on behalf of the millions impacted by the global AIDS pandemic. PAGAC seeks to strengthen the work of its

members through the sharing of ideas and resources, to engage the local community in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and to advocate

for policies that respond to the needs of those affected both locally and nationally.

Save the date! For storytelling time on Sunday, January 12, 2014 from 6:00 pm - ?? pm with Miriam Feder; Miriam has done some

great environmental work and travelogue in Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysian Borneo in addition; she is a playwright and regular

blogger. More information on her website: http://miriamfeder.com/miriam-feder-blog/entering-cambodia/. Stay tuned for details...

Volunteer Opportunity in Costa Rica

Oregon Partners of the Americas is looking for volunteers to teach English in Costa Rica in joint programs with the Peace Corps.

Volunteers work from 1 to 6 weeks, in November 2013 or January 2014, or later through 2014. Two programs are available:

JUMPSTART provides 4 weeks of intensive English instruction to students who are beginning high school (7th grade).

These students have had little or no previous English instruction and therefore start high school behind other students and

are at greater risk for dropping out. JumpStart occurs in January, just before the school year begins in February. Class size

is limited to 20. Classes are taught by a trained Costa Rican English teacher working in collaboration with a Peace Corps

volunteer. Results from the first two years have been highly positive. You can work one, two, three, or the entire four weeks.

There is a developed curriculum but your creativity is welcome.

INA SITES: “Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje" (National Learning Institute), or INA, is a group of schools around Costa Rica

similar to the U.S. community college system. Many INA sites teach English. Teachers are professional Costa Rican

nationals. The sites are well equipped. Peace Corps Volunteers work at several sites, and you would work with Peace

Corps, the Costa Ricans teachers, and the INA students who usually are 18-23 years of age. You can work almost any

month of the year, from one week to several weeks. Your role is to work directly with students, often in small groups,

emphasizing conversation practice and pronunciation. You might develop and teach lessons supporting the teachers’

instructional goals. Helpful, but not required: Ability to speak basic Spanish, and some teaching experience, particularly in

ESL.

REQUIREMENTS AND LOGISTICS: Cost: Oregon Partners volunteers pay their own way. Costs include airfare, bus and taxi

transfers, any hotel costs, and living costs of lodging and meals. You can stay with Costa Rican families for about $220 per month

which includes 3 meals a day. We can assist you in finding flights, hotels, busses and home stays with Costa Rican families.

SELECTION AND ASSIGNMENT: Volunteers who are likely to have a successful experience are people who have traveled in

foreign countries, have experience teaching (especially English), and speak at least basic Spanish.

INTERESTED? Contact Char McKay, 503-333-6445 or charatpdx@gmail.com. Or, Dave Wells, 503-657-3313 or (best)

wells107@comcast.net. We are here to answer your questions!

This annual report of CRPCA’s activities covers the period from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013. Our annualreports are prepared for our members' information and for the National Peace Corps Association (most of this informationis required for our group's annual renewal).

This past year's report will be published in two parts. Most sections appear in this newsletter. In our December newsletter,look for the following sections: Member Support, Speaking Opportunities, Membership Report, and Financial Report. Afully illustrated version of this report will soon be available on our website. Grants Awarded

We distributed grants totaling $5,800 through our Grant Program, to benefit projects led by people in or from the PacificNorthwest.

$2,384 was awarded to Northwest Fair Trade Coalition to support video documentation of benefits of fair tradein Dehradun, India.$1,500 was awarded to Fultang Bilingual High School to support construction of a clean water catchment andtank serving Nkongsamba, Cameroon.$958 was awarded to Makindu Children’s Center to support construction of a borehole well to decrease watercosts in Makindu, Kenya.$958 was awarded to Zimbabwe Artists Project to support establishment of a Weya artists stand at AvondalePlaza in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Service Activities

For our 14 service activities, we continued our service relationships with three community organizations, while our newestservice partnership became our most frequent.

At our six service shifts at St André Bessette’s Evening Hospitality (January, April, and monthly June throughSeptember), we served hearty meals to people surviving poverty and homelessness in downtown Portland.At our four service shifts at the Oregon Food Bank (November, December, February, and May), we sorted,bagged, and boxed food to promote food security in Oregon and southwest Washington.At our two service days with Habitat for Humanity (October and April), we caulked, framed, and paintedaffordable homes for families in our community.At our single service shift with the Portland Fruit Tree Project(October), we picked apples at ColumbiaChildren’s Arboretum for distribution to food-insecure families in Portland.On short notice (between e-updates), we assembled a healthy number of volunteers (between our boardmembers and Facebook friends) in September to help the Village Bicycle Projectdisassemble and loadbicycles for shipment to Sierra Leone.

Community Engagement

We continually strive to promote the Peace Corps’ third goal of bringing the world back home.

In February we sponsored the Cascade Festival of African Filmsscreening of Benda Bilili, a documentarychronicling the challenges and musical exploits of disabled street musicians in Kinshasa.In June we carried the flags of 75 Peace Corps countries in the Portland Rose Festival’s Grand Floral Parade.This was our third consecutive invitation to march in Portland’s premier annual parade.

Our Writers’ Workshop occurred eleven times, every month but December. The highlight came in October,when Oregon’s Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen sparked tremendous creativity among our members.

Fundraising Activities

100% of the funds we raise through our fundraising activities each fiscal year are available for grant awards in the nextfiscal year.

In the fall and winter we sold 2013 International Calendars.In December our Annual Fundraiser was held at a new-to-us venue in close-in NE Portland, with musicalentertainment from Supadupa Marimba Brothers.In May we steered our members and friends to Migration Brewing, which donated 10% of their profits from anevening to our grant fund.Our Parade T-shirts from FY2012 moved into the black this year.

Post-Potluck Programs

We hosted engaging presentations at five of our Potluck Gatherings.

October: SEED students : Mt Hood Community College environmental technology students from theDominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua performed traditionalmusic and dances from their countries.November: Encore Service Corps International: Larry Badger (RPCV Azerbaijan) talked about histhree-month Encore stint with the International Fertilizer Development Center of Nairobi, Kenya in 2011.January: Social Equity and Sustainability in Cuba – An Update on a Country in Transition: JubileeOregon’s Bob Brown (RPCV Nepal) and Portland State University’s Veronica Dujon and Pat Rumer sharedobservations from their December 2012 tours of Cuba.March: African Diaspora Dialogue Project: Portland State University’s Barbara Tint spoke of her innovativecollaboration with Africa House to resolve conflicts between refugees in Portland.May: Writing and Publishing Hints from Member Authors: We learned about the writing life from PhilMargolin (RPCV Liberia) and about how to get published from Ellen Urbani (RPCV Guatemala).

Book Discussions

Our Book Club discussed eleven books. This year, for the first time, over half of our selected works were published in thisdecade, and over half were written by RPCVs. Four authors participated in our discussions, thanks in part to the wondersof Skype.

October: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (2010).November: Mango Elephants in the Sun: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin byCameroon RPCV Susana Herrera (1999).December: Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World by Seth Stevenson (2010). The authorparticipated in our discussion via Skype.January: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2010).February: The Village of Waiting by Togo RPCV George Packer (1988).March: The Civilized World: A Novel in Stories by Central African Republic RPCV Susi Wyss (2011). Theauthor participated in our discussion via Skype.April: The Lower River by Malawi RPCV Paul Theroux (2012).May: História, História: Two Years in the Cape Verde Islands by Cape Verde RPCV Eleanor Stanford (2013).The author participated in our discussion via Skype.June: So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ (1981).July: We Never Knew Exactly Where: Dispatches from the Lost Country of Mali by Niger RPCV PeterChilson (2013). The author, a CRPCA member, hosted our discussion.September: Swimming in the Volcano by St Vincent & the Grenadines RPCV Bob Shacochis (1993).

Outdoor Activities

We offered a diverse set of outdoor activities.

We traversed the dark length of Ape Cave near Mt St Helens in October.We played on sleds, skis, and snowshoes at our fourth annualWinter Weekend in January.

We bicycled through the twin tunnels on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail in April.We built sand structures and danced gangnam style at our 5th annual Local Campout at Cape Lookout StatePark in June.We spent a wet day at Silverwood Theme Park and a dry day enjoying Sandpoint, Lake Pend Oreille, and thetrails of Farragut State Park at the 23rd annual Northwest Regional Peace Corps Campout in the Idahopanhandle in August.We got wet at a Tubing Adventure on the Clackamas River in August.We learned about Portland’s water source at our third group Bull Run Watershed Tour in September.

Social Activities

We offered many ways for Peace Corps folks/families/friends/partners in and around Portland to spend good timestogether.

We shared stories and drinks at eight Soirées and at fourInternational Development Happy Hours. Ourpartner organizations in IDHHs are Jubilee Oregon, North West Fair Trade Coalition, Portland Area Global AIDSCoalition, and RESULTS Portland.We shared international meals at two Restaurant Gatherings, at Nicholas Middle Eastern (October) andE’NJoni Café (February).We attended four Group Sports Event Outings: Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) in December, Portland Timbers(MLS) in April and September, and Portland Thorns (NWSL) in July.We played at two Game Nights, in December and January.Gifts and laughs were exchanged at our 13th annual Post-Holiday White Elephant Party in January.We organized a full afternoon of family activities around Family Film Day at the Cascade Festival of AfricanFilms in February.We were invited to Salem for a Peace Corps 52nd Birthday Partyin March.We continued the fun at two Post-Event Pub Gatherings, in April and June.We organized our first Salon Francophone in April, and we continued speaking French uniquement onevenings in May and September.We offered group picnics in June, July, and August, beginning with our Parade Practice Picnic on the eve ofour third consecutive appearance in the Grand Floral Parade.We assembled our dinner together at a Hands-On Pizza Making Party in September.

Association Business

Association decisions are generally made at business meetings, in which all members are welcome to participate.

At our Business Meetings (held after potluck dinners), we awarded grants (October, February, and June),elected officers (April), and set budget and priorities for the next year (September).The Finance Committee (most of the CRPCA board) met in September to discuss our FY2014 budget. Thedraft budget was amended and approved a week later at our annual planning meeting.Our board members represented CRPCA at Northwest Peace Corps Group Leaders meetings in Boise inMarch and at the Northwest Peace Corps Campout (also in Idaho) in August.

Activity Level

Our diverse activities are so numerous that we remain one of America's most active Peace Corps groups, even as ouractivity level dropped a hair from last year.

We offered an average of 8.0 events per month, for a total of 96 group events.Our most active months were April and September (11-12 events), and they were preceded by our least activemonths of March and August (5 events).

Member Surveys

Our six on-line surveys queried members about event timing/format and book selections.

Our Soccer Match Outings in 2013 survey (8 responses) in January asked for date choices for group outingsto Portland Timbers matches.Our Writers’ Workshop 2013 survey (7 responses) in February sought input on the timing and format of ourWriters’ Workshops.

Our Portland Thorns Inaugural Season Soccer Match Outingssurvey (5 responses) in February asked fordate choices for a group outing to a Portland Thorns match.Our Book Selection for 2014 survey (18 responses) in March determined next year’s Book Club selections.Our Winter Weekend survey (9 responses) in June sought input on the timing of our next stay at MazamaLodge.Our Bull Run Watershed Tour 2013 survey (10 responses) in June sought input on the timing of our next grouptour of Portland’s Bull Run watershed.

Member Communications

This was our first year with an easy-to-navigate website and our last year in which we offered paper newsletters.

We sent 44 e-updates to our current members, generally weekly in the weeks without newsletters.We published 12 newsletters to our members and on our website.Our WordPress-format website went live at the beginning of 2013, along with our slightly revised logo (animprovement on Les Hopkins' 1997 design implemented by James Cloutier).

CRPCA November to January events

November 2013

Wednesday, 11/06, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Writers' Workshop. Hosted by Jenny Tsai, 2646 NW Overton St in Portland. Please

bring a writing sample and perhaps a snack to share. See our Writers' Workshop page for more information.

Saturday, 11/09, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Annual Fundraiser. Gem Studio, 1110 NE Glisan St in Portland. There will be food, drinks, and an auction of all kinds of treasures. We are requesting donations from ourmembership for auction or raffle items, so if you have something special, be it a handmade craft, item from yourcountry of service, event, ticket, experience, service, or any other neat thing, please contact Patrick Findler byemail at patrickfindler AT gmail.com or phone (971) 400-7716. Hope to see you there for an awesome evening!

Tuesday, 11/12, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Book Club. Hosted by Paul and Susie Robillard, 5405 NW Deerfield Way in Portland

(503-430-1776). The book to read is The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes: Notes From Nepal by Nepal RPCV Barbara J. Scot

(1993). See our Upcoming Book Discussions page for more information. Feel free to bring snacks to share. Participating in our

discussion will be Barbara J. Scot, the book’s author!

Saturday, 11/16, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Potluck Gathering. Hosted by Joel Salter, 42 SE 62nd Ave (immediately south of

Burnside St) in Portland. Note the change from our regular potluck day (Sunday), which was made to accommodate our guest

speaker from Seattle. Please bring a dish to share to the 6pm potluck dinner. After dinner, starting at 7pm, there will be a program:

What You Need to Know about Obamacare, including special issues for the Peace Corps Community. Among our guest

speakers will be SEAPAX President Joana Ramos (Brazil 1973-1975). Joana is an independent health policy consultant and

advocate specializing in improving access to care for underserved populations. Joana is an expert in Obamacare, health issues for

PCVs/RPCVs, and Washington State's health care delivery system, but she'd like to partner on the program with someone who

can speak with authority about Cover Oregon. If you are or know such a person, please contact Joana ASAP at

pres@seapax.org.

Monday, 11/25, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm – Soirée. An informal gathering at the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd in

Portland. This is a great way to link up with other RPCVs, hear interesting stories from around the world, and grab a drink and a

bite to eat among good company. You can usually find us in the front room.

Wednesday, 11/27, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm - Job Search Support Group. Lloyd Center in Portland. Informal gathering of

CRPCA members and friends who are seeking new work. Location at Lloyd Center in Portland. Meet 7pm at the Food Court (3rd

floor) exiting the elevator to the left side of the food court, looking for CRPCA sign plate overlooking the ice rink edge, or call Gordon

Young at 206-351-6465 for our location if you arrive later. Contact Gordon at networking AT crpca.org for more information.

December 2013

Friday, 12/06 to Sunday, 12/08 - Winter Weekend. CRPCA’s Winter Weekends are among our most family-friendly events.

Each year some of us sled down the hill in front of Mazama Lodge, while others snowshoe or cross-country ski out the front door.

Inside we find games and books, and we enjoy delicious food and fireside conversations with friends new and old. Mazama Lodge

has a stunning view of Mt. Hood in sunny weather, and it’s a delightful place to be when snow is falling. Our 5th annual Winter

Weekend is scheduled for Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8, 2013 at Mazama Lodge at the 4,000′ level on Mt. Hood. For

both Saturday and Sunday nights, we’ve reserved 40 bunk spaces in the dorms plus all three private rooms. See our Winter

Weekend - Dec 2013 page for full information, including how to make reservations.

Sunday, 12/08, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Potluck Gathering. Hosted by Mimi and Jack Sanders, 318 SW Palatine Hill Rd in

Portland (old church immediately east of SW Boones Ferry Rd, 503-293-6195). Please bring a dish to share to the 6pm potluck

dinner. After dinner, starting at 7pm, there will be a TBA program.

Tuesday, 12/10, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm - Book Club. Hosted by Mike Waite, 7008 Kansas St in Vancouver WA (360-314-4117).

The book to read is This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa’s First Woman President by Ellen

Johnson-Sirleaf (2009). See our Upcoming Book Discussions page for more information. Note the later than usual start; traffic

congestion out of Oregon should be lighter by 6:30. Feel free to bring snacks to share.

Thursday, 12/12, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Writers' Workshop. Hosted by Barbara Pugh, 8211 SW Canyon Lane in Portland

(503-703-4117). Please bring a writing sample and perhaps a snack to share. See our Writers' Workshop page for more information.

Monday, 12/16, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm – Soirée. An informal gathering at the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne in

Portland. This is a great way to link up with other RPCVs, hear interesting stories from around the world, and grab a drink and a

bite to eat among good company. You can usually find us in the front room. Moved up due to the holidays.

Thursdy, 12/16, 5:45 pm to 8:30 pm – Service Activity: evening hospitality for the homeless. We'll be serving a meal

and helping in the kitchen. Meet at the front door as a group at 5:45 PM. Children over age 6 with adult chaperone are welcome

to volunteer with us! RSVP service AT crpca.org . (Families with children can leave early.) Last minute additions welcome. Will

take place at: St Andre Bessette, 601 W Burnside, Portland 97209 (map).

January 2014

Sunday, 1/04, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm - 14th annual Post-Holiday White Elephant Party. Held at Lucky Labrador Public

House, 7675 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland OR. This is among CRPCA’s most family-friendly events each year, and again this year we’ll

be projecting photos from past CRPCA events as we eat, drink, and note that open gifts. Discount admission to the pizza/salad

buffet is available for those paying a day or more in advance.

Saturday, 1/11, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm – Portland Trail Blazers Basketball Game Outing, at the Moda Center, né Rose

Garden. We’ve purchased a block of tickets in section 303 for the Trail Blazers' game against the Boston Celtics. Purchase your

$25 ticket(s) on our Checkout page today--these will sell out fast!--and Tom (service AT crpca.org, 503-267-3943) will get in touch

with you regarding ticket delivery by mail or at a CRPCA event.

Sunday, 1/12, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Potluck Gathering. Please bring a dish to share to the 6pm potluck dinner. After dinner,

starting at 7pm, there will be storytelling with Miriam Feder. Miriam has done some great environmental work and travelogue in

Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysian Borneo. In addition, she is a playwright and regular blogger. Stay tuned for details.

http://miriamfeder.com/miriam-feder-blog/entering-cambodia/ .

Tuesday, 1/14, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Book Club. Hosted by Liz Samuels, 3739 SW Hillside Dr., in Portland (503-228-7706).

The book to read is "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov (1937/1967). See http://crpca.org/?page_id=205 for more

information. Feel free to bring snacks to share.

Monday, 1/27, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm - International Development Happy Hour, Lucky Labrador Tap Room, 1700 N

Killingsworth St, Portland, OR. Co-hosted by CRPCA, Jubilee Oregon, North West Fair Trade Coalition, Portland Area Global AIDS

Coalition and RESULTS-Portland. An informal gathering to share information, resources and network and just plain chat over food

and drink. Note the location and time change from our usual Soirées.

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