friendship force

Taupo

Welcome!  ¡Bienvenido! Сардэчна запрашаем!  Bienvenue!
ようこそ!  Herzlich Willkommen!  Bem-vindo!  Kia Ora!

 

Welcome to the website of the Friendship Force of Taupo NZ.  This site will answer some questions you may have, and hopefully, whet your appetite to find out more.  Search through the pages, follow the links that seem enticing, and check out our albums of photos showing some of our experiences.

If you are a Club member you will find lots of information on this site about Club activities, upcoming Journeys and other items of interest. If you are a visitor to this site then you will find information about what the Friendship Force is all about and whether it is for you.

Who are we? 

We are a group of local people who share a common interest in meeting and sharing cultural experiences with people from around the globe.  We also enjoy sharing our experiences with others in our group.  Friendship Force enables us to confidently and conveniently travel (as ambassadors) to places all around the world where language may be a problem, or where there may be some safety and security concerns in that country.

It also enables us to host guests from other places who want to meet us and get acquainted with our life and region.  New members are welcome - come and join our group!  If you have more specific questions, please contact us through the Contact page of our website.

What is the Friendship Force?

The Friendship Force is an international, non-political, non-sectarian and non-profit organisation. The sole aim of the Friendship Force is to foster peace and understanding throughout the world by means of personal contacts and shared experiences achieved through a programme of home hosting. The Friendship Force was founded in the USA in 1977 by Dr Wayne Smith under the auspices of President Jimmy Carter and is coordinated from the international headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. There are over 350 clubs in 58 countries throughout the world. The Friendship Force is not a travel club although the core activity is travelling in groups, to stay with like-minded people in other countries (a cultural Journey). The first priority is to develop friendships and through this to generate understanding across cultural boundaries.

For more information about the Friendship Force, go to www.friendshipforce.org or www.friendshipforce.org.nz.

About Taupo Club.

The official club name is ‘Friendship Force of Taupo’. Located on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island, the club hosted its first Ambassadors first ambassadors on May 5, 1986, and was chartered on 2 June, 1986. Since then we have hosted over 50 Inbound Journeys and led 14 Outbound Journeys.

We normally welcome two international Inbound Journeys every year and also participate in Domestic local journeys within New Zealand. Our Outbound Journey programme may be to any part of the world, and where possible, is based on either a two or three-phase journey. Our members may also join other clubs' journeys.

Our 50 enthusiastic, hospitable and welcoming members will show you our fantastic sights and scenery when you visit us. We have twice hosted the New Zealand national conference. In 2012 at the Hiroshima International Conference, Taupo was awarded ‘Outstanding Club for 2011’ for the development and presentation of a membership recruitment programme. This is available on the FFI website under the Leadership Toolkit.

THE FRIENDSHIP FORCE PLEDGE

As a member of the Friendship Force I recognise that I can make a difference.
I recognise that I have a mission.
That mission is to be a friend to the people of the world.
As I embark on this adventure I know that others will be watching me.
I know that through my example to my fellow citizens and people of other countries,
the cause of peace and friendship can be furthered.
I can make a difference.

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