Quotarians Worldwide Expand the Horizons of Friendship

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”—Anaïs Nin, novelist

When Wanda Frey Joiner founded Quota International, Inc., in 1919, she envisioned a service organization with an international scope and a mission to foster sharing. Eighty-seven years later, she would surely be proud of the reality her vision has shaped. With almost 300 clubs in 14 countries, Quota has not only grown internationally, but it has also explored all the different ways we can share with one another. Quota clubs worldwide share their friendship freely, opening their hearts to welcome newcomers, embracing individuals their communities have forgotten, and building bridges of friendship across countries, oceans, and generations.

These stories of clubs in Aruba, Australia, and the United States reveal that the ways Quotarians define friendship are truly limitless.

ARUBA
Quota Friendship Ageless in Aruba

AUSTRALIA
Tweeds Head/Coolangatta Offers a Warm Welcome

Australian Clubs’ Friendship Tour Circles the Globe—Without Leaving Home!

UNITED STATES
Quota Friendship Goes a Long Way

Friendship Club Success Secrets

ARUBA
Quota Friendship Ageless in Aruba

Nibbling cookies and sipping drinks. Winning a round of bingo. Watching models strut the latest fashions on the runway. Savoring soup and beef stew. Singing along with a live guitarist.

Does this sound like enough to keep you busy for an entire weekend? Then imagine the whirlwind of fun when all of this is packed into just four hours! That's what elderly Arubans recently enjoyed, thanks to local Quotarians. Often forgotten by their communities and families, they found friendly faces among Quota's members, who invited them for a Saturday of pampering.

"The elderly are often forgotten in their communities," said Quotarian Suzy Maduro. "But they need attention and to be able to smile and enjoy laughter."

Smile and laugh they did. The day began with traditional Aruban cookies and drinks—"koeki lerchi" and "chuculati panda." Their sweet tooth satisfied, the guests then moved on to a rousing round of bingo run by Quotarians and featuring various prizes. Next, the club proved that you don't need to go to Paris to see the latest fashions: they put on their own fashion show, modeling attire designed for older adults, donated by a member's store. One model donned men's clothes so that the men, too, could be kept abreast of the latest fashions.

Shouting, "Bingo!" and watching runway models caused participants to work up an appetite, so at the end of the fashion show, Quota members offered their guests a delicious lunch of traditional soup, beef stew, and other Aruban side dishes. Before ending the day with party favors—boxes of Aruban delicacies—a guitarist joined the group to lead a sing-a-long: together Quotarians and guests sang the song of friendship.

AUSTRALIA
Tweeds Head/Coolangatta Offers a Warm Welcome

Receiving citizenship in a new country is a life-changing event, bringing with it new privileges and responsibilities—and a new community. The event warrants a celebration and warm welcome, but in Australia, it has traditionally been marked with a large, impersonal ceremony where newcomers are simply faces in the crowd. So when the Australian government offered local service clubs the opportunity to provide new citizens with a more personal welcome, members of the Tweeds Head/Coolangatta club leapt at the chance to cultivate new friendships.

For the past two years, these Quotarians have hosted citizenship ceremonies for about 20 new citizens, so they can meet one another and make contacts in their community. These events have both formal and festive elements. Club members consulted with the Federal Member's office and the Department of Immigration to ensure that they met requirements, and invited a range of guests, including federal and state representatives, the Shire Council, and members of the Aboriginal community. This year, Federal Member for McPherson, Margaret May, conferred citizenship and helped the guests take the Australian pledge.

Once the formalities have concluded and their citizenship is official, the guests are then inducted into Australia's vibrant community with food, gifts, and entertainment. Quotarians arrange for a supper that features traditional Australian fare—meat pies, Vegemite sandwiches, and lamingtons—and then provide entertainment that includes poetry readings and performances by local musicians. Throughout the evening, the new citizens have the opportunity to talk with each other, Quotarians, and other guests, establishing connections that will root them in the community.

Federal Member May recognizes the impact this welcome has on all involved. "The thought and commitment that have gone into the organizing of these functions have been excellent," she says, "and the warmth and generosity of club members in welcoming new Australians to our local community has been commended by all who attend these ceremonies."

The warmth and generosity extend beyond the evening, as guests leave with their hands full of welcome gifts. In addition to May's New Citizens Bag, which includes an Australian flag and emblem, Advance Australia Fair CD, and Book of Australian Animals, they receive a bag of Aussie goodies assembled by Quotarians. Among the goodies are Vegemite, Anzac biscuits, an Australian Biro pen, a stuffed koala, and an Australian bookmark. And, of course, all attendees leave with the most valuable gift of all: friendship.

"There is no better way to have fun and enjoy friendship than to share with others," program chair and past governor Janet Ahrens says. "Australia is a multicultural society, and our members are thrilled to have the opportunity to meet and welcome citizens who have come to Australia from other countries."

AUSTRALIA
Australian Clubs’ Friendship Tour Circles the Globe—Without Leaving Home!

A trip around the world wouldn't be complete without good companions—and the more, the merrier! That's the attitude several Quota clubs in Australia have taken as they reach out to one another, enjoying international events as well as the local surroundings. And the best part is, they don't need to leave home to enjoy this special "international" adventure.

The "world tour" in question commenced in "Fiji," when Quota International of Liverpool in New South Wales visited the Parkes club (also located in New South Wales) for a weekend that included the Club's Fiji-themed international dinner. The clubs were linked when past district governor Gabriela Roberts of Liverpool met a Parkes resident and was impressed with his descriptions of and enthusiasm for his hometown. She contacted the Parkes club, and soon more than 40 Liverpool Quotarians were on their way for a weekend holiday.

The visitors joined their hosts for the club's international dinner, which whisked them away to Fiji. Everyone enjoyed Kava, a traditional Fijian drink, as they donned leis and hibiscuses and chatted while awaiting a feast that featured a pig on a spit.

Liverpool club members also enjoyed the local sights that had brought them there. The Mayor welcomed them with a civic reception and the Parkes club hosted a buffet dinner upon their arrival. Their weekend also featured visits to the Austop Wool-Making Plant and the Parkes Radio Telescope, a guided tour, and a visit to the gold tunnels beneath the Albion Hotel at Forbes.

Enthused by the success of the visit, the Parkes club decided to invite more guests on their next "international tour." Quota International of Canberra attended their next International Dinner, an Alaskan cruise, and a good time was had by all—so much so that the Canberra club reciprocated with an invitation to Canberra later in the year. Since then, the Parkes club has joined the Canberra Quotarians on its "Night on the Orient Express," and the Liverpool club also hopped onboard for their "Quota Flight to New Zealand, India, and Italy." The clubs' worldwide tours will soon take them back in time: one of their upcoming trips includes a visit to Parkes' "Elvis Festival" early next year.

Visits like these have opened up communications for the clubs year-round. "When we meet them at the South Pacific Area Meeting, for instance," says Parkes club president Pam Nankivell, "we are comfortable with them and easily able to talk and exchange ideas."

Gabriela agrees. "Our members have thoroughly enjoyed meeting Quotarians from other clubs and districts," she says. "We feel it broadens our view of Quota to talk to others, get inspiration for fund-raising, and marvel at what other clubs are achieving."

She recommends that other clubs forge relationships and says enthusiasm and commitment are key: "Establish and maintain contact with an individual who is proactive and enthusiastic about developing an on-going relationship between clubs. Ensure your club participates in supporting the other club so it is not a one-way thing."

Pam offers advice for strengthening those relationships at events. "Ask the other club when you are having an interesting or enjoyable function, and treat them as you would treat any other visitors," she says. "Mix with them, make sure you have a good time, and encourage new friendships."

The clubs' work together proves that partnership, whether for a weekend of fellowship or a joint service project, pays off exponentially. "There is no doubt that the power of synergy is enormous, and it is much easier to appeal for a united effort to achieve something when you know and like the people whom you are asking," Pam says.

UNITED STATES
Quota Friendship Goes a Long Way

With 9,000 miles between them, two Quota clubs are redefining the long-distance relationship. Despite the oceans and mountains that separate them, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.A., and Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia, clubs have become fast friends.

The clubs first connected through Quota's Friendship Club program, which was launched in 1998 to match two clubs together so their members could link with another community, share ideas, and make friends across the globe. Cedar Rapids and Hunter Valley Quotarians have done all three.

"We didn't want our Friendship Club to be in name only; we wanted it to mean something," past club president Marian Zierath says.

Mean something it did! Cedar Rapids Quotarians have learned not only about their Hunter Valley friends, but also the community in which they live. Their monthly club newsletter has done several different series to share Australian culture with members, including facts about food, history, climate, and government; profiles of Hunter Valley Quotarians; and examples and explanations of slang terminology. Ten uniquely Australian expressions would be woven into the newsletter each month and their definitions listed at the end. Soon, these expressions were being used in club meetings! Currently, the newsletter features a chronology contest, listing three important events in Australian history. The object of the game is to put the events in the order they occurred, and the winner receives a stuffed bear that says, "Volunteers Make a Difference."

The chronology game was also featured at this year's Friendship Club Dinner, an annual summer celebration for Cedar Rapids members. Together, they enjoy traditional Australian food they've prepared from recipes that club president Terri Petersen distributes (although Marian admits that some substitutions have to be made—ground kangaroo meat is difficult to find in Iowa!). Games are also part of the event and, last year, the club played Australia/Quota Jeopardy, which included categories like "Australian Geography," "Quota International History," "District 7 Club Facts," and "Outback Animals."

Preparing the newsletter and annual dinner requires the participation of every member in some way, whether brainstorming ideas, hosting the dinner, or writing articles. It has also involved other clubs, as the Cedar Rapids club shares its newsletter with the Hunter Valley and all District 7 clubs.

Marian is enthusiastic about the relationship and all its benefits. "Find out what [your Friendship Club is] doing and publicize it to your members," she recommends. "Encourage your Friendship Club to do the same. If you have a newsletter, ask your Friendship Club to provide a monthly article for it. It's surprising what you can learn that you might be able to implement in your own club or community."

These clubs truly reflect Quota's spirit of international friendship, proving that no distance can dilute the spirit of sharing.

"Even though our Hunter Valley club sisters aren't with us," Marian says, "this is one great way for us, as a club, to celebrate the bonds we're [forming] with fellow Quotarians half a world away."

Friendship Club Success Secrets

You Have a Friend in Quota
Cultivating a relationship with your Friendship Club is a great way to share internationally and strengthen fellowship within your own club. Here are a few great ways to build that friendship:

Meet each other’s members.
A plane ticket is pretty pricey, but e-mail is free and postal mail is cheap! Exchange profiles of one another's members to share at meetings or include in newsletters. You can also pair members with one another to be birthday or holiday buddies.

Share culture.
Ask for recipes, music, poems, language, and other samples of life in your Friendship Club's region. Share them at meetings and in newsletters.

Swap ideas.
Ask your Friendship Club to provide you with a calendar of their events and a list of some of their favorite traditions. If there are ideas that you think might work for your club, ask for more information and recommendations. Then, adapt it to suit your club's needs and skills.

Celebrate each other!
Ask your Friendship Club what holidays and events they celebrate. Replicate the celebration at one of your club meetings or as an event for your entire community.

Support one another.
Quota International of Parkes learned about their Friendship Club's (Quota International of Mississippi Gulf Coast) Socks 'n' Pockets program and have supported it with donations for socks and books. You can support your Friendship Club's projects in a number of ways—donations, supplies, or even a simple Good Luck or Congratulations card.

Be patient and considerate.
Like any long-distance relationship, connecting with your Friendship Club takes work and understanding. Be aware of time, cultural, and schedule differences as you establish your relationship.

• To learn more about Quota's Friendship Club program, click here.
  
  
• To learn the name of your assigned Friendship club, click here*.
  
  
• To read another Friendship club success story, click here.

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