As the National Alumni Council, USA, continues to develop alumni programs, we would like to keep as many people as informed as possible. While this is a challenge due to the large and varied audience, we hope to bring you monthly updates of our programs, developments and meetings. We will be providing this news in full using the Stanford List until our website is completed. Afterwards, monthly reminders and brief updates will be sent with full details provided on the website or when requested personally.

If the National Alumni Council (NAC) is something that you have never heard about, please email David Barber for a NAC summary sent out in February 1998.

The fifteen member council is made up of volunteers across the country with a wide variety of backgrounds, both in their YFU life and non-YFU life. There will be yearly elections for five council members to serve three-year terms . (We would like to point out that the Council currently has and welcomes non-alumni Council members or as additional help in the committees.)

The set-up of this entirely new group has been exhilarating and work intensive. The majority of the work is done via email, IRC chats and conference calls. We have planned for biannual NAC meetings with the next one April 17-19, 1998.

All council members must work on at least one of the five committees. In addition to council members, other volunteers serve as resources on these committees. (We welcome any additional help and special skills others might bring to our projects. If interested, please contact the committee chair directly.)

In addition to the National Alumni Council, there is now a National Alumni Affairs Coordinator in the YFU National Office (USA). Betsy Roach went on YFU to the Netherlands in 1987 and has since lived in Hungary and Colombia. In her current position, she is working hand-in-hand with the National Alumni Council to support and promote the projects listed above. Any address corrections should be sent to her. She will be happy to assist you or point you in the right direction.

Betsy Roach
National Alumni Affairs Coordinator
Youth For Understanding
3501 Newark St NW
Washington DC 20016
1-800-424-3691
202-895-1182 fax
August 1999 update: Betsy is no longer with YFU; please send any questions to Crystal Fante at the same address and phone number.

We welcome any comments or information you wish to share. Items for the website and news of local alumni events should be sent to Betsy Roach. Please register yourself on the on-line database and keep yourself on the Alumni listserv as it will be our official method of communication until further notice. Our next update will be at the beginning of May 1998.

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