National Alumni Council (NAC) members from around the country gathered together for their Fall Conference, which was held November 5-7 at the YFU International Center in Washington, DC. The two new NAC members were in attendance along with existing council members. Additional participants included a special appearance by YFU President Sally Cowal, Jorge Restrepo of the YFU Marketing Office, Gilbert Kulick and Sarah Beth Lardie of the YFU Public Affairs and Development Office and Laurel Back, Pacific Northwest Regional Director. The weekend of meetings focused on reviewing the NAC’s current and ongoing projects, assessing the progress which had been made and establishing goals for the next six months. The weekend was very productive and it is with pleasure that we report to the YFU community the progress that has been made in the last six months!

We created this newsletter! The first edition of the Alumni Link was published last April. Since that time we have continued to publish the newsletter once a month. The newsletters have covered an array of topics with articles contributed by and for alumni, and also from individuals throughout the US and around the world.

The YFU-USA Alumni Association Website continues to be one of our greatest successes. In the past 6 months we have continued to average about 4,000 hits a month reaching a peak last July of nearly 5,000 hits. Top sites on the page are Internships, the Regional Pages, the Alumni Corner and the Alumni Link. The entire site was revamped in September to be even more fun and informative and the following new pages have been added: Study Abroad, Alumni Events, Alumni Contact Network , Alumni Link and a New Visitors Page.

Due to the streamlining of the internship process an increasing number of alumni are being placed in internships regionally, nationally and locally. Internship descriptions and tips on applying are available through the YFU-USA Alumni Association website.

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Last April, YFU alumna, long-time volunteer, and National Alumni Council member, Michele Peters, left her professional position with a Washington DC-based public affairs consulting firm to work with YFU South Africa (RSA) on a one of a kind development project. The six-month project goals included increasing public awareness, securing scholarships for disadvantaged South African students, and guiding YFU RSA's capacity building efforts.

While many of the results of the project will not be known until next year, Michele's accomplishments to date are very impressive. Shell, Del Monte, and Pick ‘n Pay join BMW, Diamler Chrysler, Kellogg’s, Coca Cola, and Billiton as YFU RSA sponsors, with a number of others waiting to be added to that list.

M-Web, one of the largest internet providers in South Africa, is showing its support by donating internet/e-mail access to YFU South Africa. Comair, South Africa’s leading domestic airline carrier, showed its commitment to YFU by providing complimentary airline tickets to YFU returnees attending YFU RSA’s fifth anniversary event. Recognizing the value of international exchange and the quality of YFU alumni, Midrand University and the Maharishi Open University are both providing scholarships to qualified alumni.

A number of orientations were documented and dozens of alumni were trained to organize and lead future sessions. More than 2,500 high school students learned about YFU though presentations. Graeme Bell, a retired senior banking executive is sharing his expertise, and new and experienced volunteers are energized and moving. Resources were increased and partnerships were formed. The YFU word was spread and heard.