!!!WHAT A GREAT PEACE CORPS 50TH BIRTHDAY!!!

September 23-25, 2011
What a great 50th celebration for Peace Corps as an agency and former Peace Corps/India Volunteers (RPCVs). Here's brief recap of the Reception, the Picnic and the March of Flags:

A. Attendance at the India Embassy/Friends of India reception on Friday, September 23, 2011 exceeded expectations so we had to limit attendance to former RPCVs. We thank our spouses and families for their understanding. Still over 200 attended.it truly was standing room only. The Embassy graciously provided a superb Indian buffet.

     1. Welcome: Deputy Chief of Mission Ambassador, Arun K. Singh, and former PC Director and US Ambassador to India, Richard Celeste welcomed us. Both acknowledged Peace Corps' impact in maintaining strong ties between the US and India to this day. They presented ideas for strengthening these ties by encouraging US students to do their college/university studies in India, noting India's excellent higher educational institutions for a fraction of the US cost. Next

     2. A Glimpse of Peace Corps life in India. Three RPCVs talked briefly about their experiences as volunteers and what they did afterwards.

Van Shuler (Nee: Ledora Evangeline Wallace), 105 years young, and perhaps the oldest living RPCV, told her story. Van and her husband, Gard, were in their 60s when they went to India to work in the Maharashtra Applied Nutrition Program, Gard building a well and Van building chulas (smokeless stoves) and teaching child nutrition. Gard died at 69 while in India. After his funeral in the US, Van returned to India to finish her tour. In recognition of Van's accomplishments, she was presented a letter from Peace Corps Director, Aaron Williams, expressing his gratitude and respect for her service to India and the US. Van served in India 39, the same group as President Carter's mother, Lillian Carter. (see more on Van in newsletter)

Tom Brayak, an India 124 RPCV in Orissa worked in a science-teacher training program. His love for India led to taking a beautiful bride from India. Gerry, another RPCV in Orissa married the sister of Tom's bride, cementing the ties to India and Orissa. For over ten years, Tom and Gerry and their families have worked with the Father Fleming Foundation. Everything done is aimed at releasing poor people from their low status and poverty by empowering them to become self-reliant. Assistance involved support for (1) a revolving loan, (2) a handicapped children's training center, (3) a wells and pumps program, (4) fishponds, and (5) new housing. FOI is proud of supporting this activity over several years. ( More Info)

Gail Singh (nee: Hare), an India 18 RPCV worked in Village Level Nutrition in Rajastan and Haryana. She was married in the Punjab and had three beautiful daughters. After living in India 14 years, she and her three daughters returned to her home, Edenton, NC. Then from 1991-1997 Gail returned to India and established contraceptive social marketing programs in western India with DKT International. Today she is a successful businesswoman managing a combined regional southern restaurant and arts and gifts shop called the Nothin' Fancy Cafe and Market) in Edenton, NC. (Note: Indian food is often on the menu).

     3. Slide show of many photos of India and RPCVs during their service years, including "Rajastan 1966" depicting life of at a Peace Corps site in Rajastan created by Maureen Kenny, who served there. Note: Check FOI website to view this, and photos and documents you sent.

     4. Display of Charities supported by the Friends of India (FOI). Please see last page of FOI newsletter and the www.FOIndia.org website for more information.

B. The Picnic was also very well attended by over 200 RPCVs, spouses, other family members and friends. And the weather cooperated. It was a time for meeting others after many years (trying to recognize faces), catching up and sitting in a big circle telling and recording stories. Thank you all for your contributions.

C. The Parade of Flags had a good following of RPCVs and friends behind the FOI Flag of India from the Arlington Cemetery to the Mall. It was a wonderful event to mark the end of a memorable weekend. It reminded us that we are part of the world and the vehicle that took us there is Peace Corps. Dan Richard, who carried the flag of India, captured the spirit of the weekend in this note:

"FOI certainly knows how to pull together all the India Friends. The Embassy reception and the picnic were pitch-perfect---especially the testimonies from the RPCVs themselves. What an interesting group! The "Walk of the Flags" was a moving end to the 50th. I had a 10-foot length of ¾ inch PVC pipe ---so the FOI India flag rose above the others. Great Weekend!"

----THANK YOU----

We thank the Ambassador and staff at the Embassy of India for the opportunity to celebrate jointly Peace Corps' 50th birthday. For the Friends of India, it was a wonderful opportunity to revisit a time that changed many of our lives forever. We thank you for this.

Our FOI ad hoc committee that met early this year and launched the planning of this reunion. For data collection and communications over several months: John Kuberka, Elisabeth Greene, Maureen Nichols and numerous India project group coordinators for establishing data bases, sending newsletters, emails, making phone calls, website updates, etc. that allowed us to contact well over 1500 Friends of India. For the Reception: special thanks to Don Camp and John Chromy who worked directly with the Embassy of India; Maureen Nichols, Caroline Gort, Elisabeth Greene, Cynthia Rogers, who assisted at the Reception. For the Picnic, Ed Willet who literally single-handedly arranged facilities, food and drinks at the Falls Church Community Center; and George and Brenda Nepert, Cynthia Rogers, and the many hands who helped with the food, drinks, chairs and tables. For the Parade of Flags, Dan Richard for leading India RPCVs and friends from the Arlington Cemetery to the Mall. I, for one had the privilege of working with each of these committees.

A very special thanks to John Kuberka who established and maintained our website since 2004. Thank you for your excellent service and responsiveness in meeting FOI needs. John leaves us to meet his growing responsibilities helping rehabilitate our veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars through his many skills, including yoga, Qigong, Tai Chi and meditation. During the transition, John will work with Maureen Nichols, who has agreed to be our new webmaster. Many of you corresponded with her in emails related to the Reunion and perhaps met her at the Embassy of India. She comes highly qualified as a businesswoman in the area of computer programming, lived in India as a child with her parents. John Chromy, her dad , was an India 3 Volunteer and worked with Peace Corps for several years. Welcome aboard Maureen!!!

A Closing Observation: Your interest and support, whether you came or were here in spirit ultimately made this an event to remember. The weekend was a reminder that though the last Peace Corps Volunteer left India in 1976, the Peace Corps spirit and our participation with India never ended. Our professional and personal contact, and FOI support of charities over the years, demonstrates India's lifelong influence on us.

Note: (1) Please send any pictures and stories for website. (2) The FOI Board is considering the establishment of an FOI endowment that would fund FOI-supported charities long into the future. More later. Send thoughts on this and pictures, stories to FOIndiaReunion11@aol.com.