Newsletter - 3rd Quarter 2004
1. Liz McClure
2. Mrs. Alford
3. Bastille Day
4. On Display
7. Website
10. Speech given by Dr. John Yoder
12. Website Stats
13. More Thanks
14. Get Involved
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We will miss our Pink-haired friend. Liz McClure is gone but her memory lives on. This issue is dedicated to her memory.
McClure,
Elizabeth Ann (Harned), flamboyant wife, mother, grandmother, sister and
friend died Tuesday, July 27, 2004 from breast cancer. A memorial
service will be held 4:00 p.m. Monday, August 2 at Grace Presbyterian
Church. The McClure family welcomes anyone touched by Liz to please
attend. Liz, daughter of Ben and Margaret Harned, Jr. , grew up in
Bartlesville, Oklahoma. She attended Bartlesville College High and the
University of Oklahoma with James C. McClure whom she ultimately married
on September 10, 1964. They were married 40 years this September. She
lovingly called him Billy Jim Bob. He called her the green eyed Lizard.
Her friends called her Lizzy, and her grandchildren call her Grizzy.
Anything she did, she did large. She liked big jewelry, bright sparkly
clothes and really, really high heels. She often was seen whipping
around town in her red Jaguar convertible with a big hat, big sunglasses
and a big smile. She was active in community affairs, instrumental in
fundraising for a variety of charities and maintained a very active
social life. In her later years, she became a supporter of animal
rights. She would often say: "We make a living by what we get, we make a
life by what we give." (Winston Churchill). When she saw a need, she
met it - big or small. Some of the organizations she gave her time to
include: Meals on Wheels, Starkey School, The Wichita Art Museum, The
Wichita Junior League, Kappa Alpha Theta, Planned Parenthood, Sierra
Club, The Wildlife Center in Espanola, and PATA an organization that
provided free veterinary care for animals in Puerto Adventuras, Mexico.
She also sat on many Boards including: Salvation Army, Sister Cities,
and The Wichita Center for the Arts. She and a partner brought the Angel
Tree to Wichita working tirelessly to provide thousands of children with
Christmas gifts each year. She was a foster parent and hosted numerous
exchange students in her home. Anyone who knew her, knew she was
extremely artistic and creative. For many years, she decorated tables
for The Center for the Arts' Holiday Tables and Christmas trees for the
Art Museum. She worked on decorations for countless charitable
functions, always adding much flare and imagination. Lizzy knew how to
throw a party! Predeceased by her parents and one daughter, Amanda
Suzanna McClure. Survived by husband, Jim McClure; daughter, Melissa T.
Ellis and her husband Troy H. Ellis and their children Trip and Emerson
Ellis all of Wichita; sons, Streeter Flynn McClure and James Parker
McClure both of Denver; son, Michael DeBolt of Wichita; and sister,
Catherine Harned of Tulsa. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation
to Salvation Army - Angel Tree Fund at 350 N. Market St. Wichita, KS
67202
Beccy Tanner of the Wichita Eagle, wrote that Liz was “one of Wichita’s most colorful and gracious volunteers.” “Following chemotherapy and the loss of her hair, she decided that pink was her true calling and has had ‘signature’ pink hair the last few years” her daughter Melissa McClure Ellis said. She started the Angel Tree Program with the Salvation Army “because she couldn’t imagine a child in Wichita not having a toy to open on Christmas Day,” said Maj. Charles Smith, City Commander of the Salvation Army. She was a giver and did everything she could to help people. We will miss Liz McClure.
Jewellean Alford, wife of Board Member Bob Alford, passed away on Saturday, August, 21. Our thoughts and prayers are with these families, our families, our friends.
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Our Bastille Day party at the Boathouse was a success. A false report of being out of plates circulated for a short time, but many more were located in the kitchen moments later. The musical stylings of Don Salyer on the accordion was memorable. Many thanks to the Museum of World Treasures for providing this special touch. And thanks to Rachel Priest-O’Hara for leading us all in song. What a fabulous voice! The food was great and I believe everyone had a good time. I even had a few people tell me before they departed that this was the best Bastille Day party they had been to in a long time. I hope we acquired a new member or two, I know we had some new faces in attendance.
Tuesday, August 10, was a regularly scheduled Board Meeting but the only discussion revolved around which items would be taken to the Museum of World Treasures and which would be left behind. The following day, Carla Shull and Peggy Bennett transported two car loads of items to the museum. It is not too late to contribute items for the museum. If you would like to loan an item or two from either of our sister cities, please contact Peggy at 267-5897. The display will be completed before the Official Visit, which begins on Sept. 23. Help is needed to "spruce up the displays." Call me at 267-5897.
Students of Martial Arts and Acrobatics from the Henan Province of China will arrive in Wichita on Monday, Sept. 20. for a rare treat. For one night only, Sept. 21, these performers will amaze you with their talents at Century II Concert Hall. This is a free performance, so bring your whole family, neighbors, friends and co-workers. Performance begins at 7 P.M. so get there early enough to get a good seat. It’s first come first served.
As President of Wichita Area Sister Cities, I thought I would share a few things with you, to let you know about some of the on-going projects. Shortly after the Bastille Day party was over, I met with Susan Seeber of the Kansas World Trade Council, about a group of 25 people from the Henan Province of China, (where Kaifeng is located), who will come to Wichita to perform martial arts and acrobatics. I was called to her office for a meeting, and then had the project ‘given’ to me. Since then I’ve located enough host families for each of our guests, worked with several people to get this project off the ground, and visited a few host families that are currently not members of our organization. Additionally, I’ve been communicating, through E-mail and/or in person, with one of the Graphic Artists at the Museum of World Treasures, to help move this project along as smoothly as possible. The Kaifeng display is almost complete, but could use a few more items. I’ve also been researching and investigating the possibility of adding a new sister city, at the request of a Council Member, and working on the website. The end of August means the beginning of the school year, so I have been trying to locate teachers who would be willing to participate in a pen pal opportunity for their students, and I’ve been working on a library book exchange with the hope that our libraries will soon have books about our sister cities, and their libraries will soon have books about Wichita. If you would like to help with any of these projects, please contact me. Peggy Bennett
I’ve been trying to keep the website updated weekly, so that information is current and correct. If you ever find an error on our website, PLEASE let me know as soon as possible. I want this to be accurate and attractive. I am also open to suggestions for changes. Please visit our website and give me some feedback www.wichitasistercities.org. Thanks, Peggy
This is a busy month.
13—18 The Mayor will take a delegation to Tlalnepantla, Mexico 14—Board Meeting 5:30 City Hall 20—The Chinese performers will arrive Delta flight #4584 at 8:30 p.m. 21—The Chinese performers will be at Century II at 7 P.M. 23—The Chinese group departs 23—The Official Visit begins, with guests from Orléans and Tlalnepantla 28—The Official Visit ends October 12 - Board Meeting October 18—Mayor Mayans takes a delegation to Kaifeng.
Recognition: Friends University Vie President John Yoder presents a certificate of recognition to La Salle University (Cancun) Rector Angel Elizondo López.
Exchanges to Other Countries Improves Learning
Exchanges with schools in foreign countries improve students' learning of other languages, above all because it creates a relationship with customs and particular ideologies of other places. Also it becomes even stronger with the ties with sister cities and elevates learning in the classroom to more than 90%, stated La Salle University Rector Angel Elizondo López. During the official visit of the Vice President from Friends University, John Yoder, and the coordinator of the Exchange Program with Wichita, USA, Jerry Smartt from said University, Elizondo López affirmed that the student body in both universities respond in a positive way to the exchanges in which they participate. For a month, students live with local families in both cities and learn the language of the particular country. The Rector of this campus indicated that more than 300 students have traveled to the United States to improve their English which allows them to get higher-paying jobs in a city where socially and economically such talents are required. He emphasized that the credits earned in this exchange could be transferred to other colleges and that students have realized maximum results by linking the study of foreign languages (in this case English) to their plan of study and by minimizing problems with a second language. He stated that in middle school and above, students who participate in exchanges improve 90% or more in foreign language learning. For this reason, it is important for other campuses to consider establishing exchanges with other countries.
Speech given by Dr. John Yoder
Below is a translation of the speech that Dr. John Yoder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, gave at La Salle University, Cancun on Monday, June 21, 2004. He presented a copy of the application for the award including a CD and a letter from Mayor Carlos Mayans. Following the speech there was an interview by the local press. JSmartt]
Good afternoon. I am very happy to be here in Cancun, our sister city, for the first time. I have heard much about La Salle University and Cancun from your students that have come to our campus and, especially from Dr. Smartt & Professor Boden and have looked forward very much to coming here in person. I want to thank President Angel Elizondo and Provost Dr. Fernando Mainou and all of the teachers here at La Salle for their consistent fortitude in implementing this exchange project between our sister universities. We value the relationship between our two institutions. Thank you very much for the kind welcome to your city and especially to this institution of higher learning. I wish to thank our friends from the Press who are with us today. I am very pleased and happy about these last 11 years during which so many students from both universities have passed through our cities and our universities. Because of these exchanges, we have been able to present both your students and ours with opportunities to know other places, observe new customs and traditions, and become knowledgeable about another language, other cultures, and other families. These experiences have made it possible for them to change the distance of their horizons and expand the boundaries of the world in which they live so that they see that you in Mexico and we in in the United States are more similar than we are different. On behalf of the City of Wichita and Friends University, I bring sincere greetings. In addition, I have news that I hope will please you as much as it pleases us. For the last two years, we have used the technology of the Internet in our exchanges. We have created a unique WEB page in which the students' activities, and work could be shared each day and which could then immediately be seen by the students, teachers, and their friends and families in Cancun. This activity resulted in a closer relationship between our universities, and with the parents of the students from Cancun as well as their friends and colleagues. Under the guidance of Professor Boden, the project opened a window to all of the students' activities while they were occurring in Wichita: tours, projects, classes, and special events. They did this by providing links to photo galleries, videos, and student compositions on-line. Through the use of this technology, the people of Cancun could share on a daily basis the exchange experience and check on their loved ones every day. This WEB page was so successful that the International Sister Cities Program with headquarters in Washington D.C. awarded our program the prize for "innovation in Technology and Communication". Special thanks and recognition are due to Dr. Jerry Smartt & Professor Carrie Boden for designing and carrying out this technology project. Without them, it would not have happened. At this time, I would like to present you with this certificate of recognition, and notebook with a CD of all of the award-winning activities in 2003. I am very glad to be able to be here in our sister city in order to reaffirm clearly the friendship between our universities. We are very proud of the successes of these past 11 years, of our current year, and of our agreement to continue, to improve, and to expand our program for future generations. Before concluding, I would like to give President Angel Elizondo a special letter of greeting and congratulations from the Mayor of Wichita, Kansas, Carlos Mayans. Thank you very much.
The Award given to Wichita, is now in the Museum of World Treasures. Be sure to visit after September 20 to see that and many other beautiful items from our sister cities.
I just thought you might find it interesting to read about the website activity for the months of July and August. Our website went out on the Internet in mid-June, so I will not report on the amount of activity for that month. July— Total hits 19,397 July—Busiest day 19th—983 hits July—Slowest day 18th—168 hits Average hits—625
August—Total hits 17,300 August—Busiest day 25th 3,273 August—Slowest day 22nd—197 hits Average hits—558
People are visiting our website and learning about our programs. I have received several inquiries via e-mail, for a variety of issues. I am very pleased that people are finding our website. FYI—a “hit” = the number of times the site is visited, plus the number of files and pages viewed during a session. Our website has been viewed in Scotland, France, China, Mexico, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Peru and many US states.
Dear Sister Cities Members: I would like to thank you for your help and support that made my trip to France possible. I cannot express my gratitude for the opportunity that I was blessed with this summer. My month in Orléans was one of the most gratifying experiences I have ever had, and my language skills have improved immensely as a result. I now have a better understanding and admiration of the French culture, and I also better understand one of the many reasons why Orléans is a sister city of Wichita; the people and the attitude of the city are similar to that of Wichita. The people are very friendly and helpful, especially when one is trying to practice a foreign language. Not only was I able to experience Orléans, but I had the opportunity to travel to various parts of France. My mom and I went to Paris, the Normandie beaches, Monte Saint-Michel, Han fleur, Troyes, Chartres, Grier, and many other small cities around the area. I was even able to watch Lance Armstrong ride in the Tour de France, with the school we went to Chenoceux, Chambourg, and Amboise on Bastille Day. That night we went down to the river to listen to the bands and watch the fireworks. It was such a wonderful experience to be in France during a holiday in which we were able to partake. Thank you so much for the opportunity to go! Sincerely, Wendi Webster
Please get involved—your help is needed in many projects. We are in search of a new Treasurer. Dana has asked me to search for a replacement because her life is just too busy at this time. Please help. Also, board members are working on many things such as pen pal opportunities, library book exchanges, student exchanges, trade opportunities and more. Get in the middle of the activities and help to make the efforts stronger, smoother and quicker. Your assistance, view, and opinions are appreciated and needed. Or you can call Carla at 268-4331 and ask how you can help. Thanks
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