You’re Invited: Welcome Back Reception

The Northeast Regional Peace Corps Office would like to invite you to our semi-annual:

Welcome Back/Send Off Reception in Boston

Friday, April 10, 2015  

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

 This special evening is to publicly recognize New England residents who are heading off to Peace Corps and welcome back those who have recently completed overseas service. This is also a great opportunity to talk to other recently returned Volunteers, connect to the local RPCV network and to help mentor those soon-to-be PCVs!   Friends and family are welcome.

Where: City Year Headquarters
287 Columbus Ave., Boston MA 02116

When:  Friday, April 10, 2015

6:30     Mingle and Mingle

7:00        Welcoming Remarks & Guest Speaker Mark Marino, RPCV and Vice President of Business Development for Planned Parenthood.

7:45       Welcome Back / Send Off Ceremony to thank recently Returned Volunteers for their service and send off the next generation of Peace Corps Volunteers.

Following the ceremony:  Mix and mingle with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and Peace Corps invitees, friends and family.

What to bring/do? If interested, please bring a dish of food or snacks inspired by your country of service. Or volunteer to help with this event! Email kdeutsch@peacecorps.gov for more information.

Please RSVP here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1h5D9PymPydFlARlyATqgz3G0F-FRPp8w3NyPAbBn8G4/viewform

Immediately following the event will be a special Peace Corps Happy Hour with BARPCV at Cleary’s (113 Dartmouth Street).

Opportunity to Talk Up Peace Corps on February 28th at 4C’s Multicultural Festival

-Flag ceremony

-Peace Corps recruitment booth

-Meet and greet RPCVs

For more information about the event, visit   http://www.capecod.edu/multicultural/

The Falmouth Artists Guild hosts an exhibit of African art at the Falmouth Art Center from October 23 to November 17.   The exhibit, “Out of Africa: Art that Enriches the Soul,” is part of the collection of John and Joanna McWilliam of Falmouth, who lived in a number of countries on the continent starting in the late 1960s until a few years ago.  The vast diversity of art in Africa is sampled in the exhibit, including court art from various rainforest kingdoms, ceremonial- religious art, art of the every day, and contemporary pieces.  The purpose of the exhibit is to broaden the public’s view of African art as being primarily abstract.  While modern Western art could not have developed as it has without the influence of masks from the Congo and Guinea Coast interpreted by Picasso and others, there are other art forms that are not often on display, which show a breadth of style and design.  The view of African art as ‘primitive’ or ‘tribal’ has lost its currency with a better understanding of the genius and skill required to create the traditional art forms and the contemporary pieces in world museums.  A slide lecture of African art will be presented by John McWilliam at the Center on October 26, at 5 pm.

A buffet dinner at Dynasty at the Falmouth Plaza, 25 Davis Straits will be held for Peace Corps Volunteer starting a 7 pm. It is the same place where volunteers met in the Spring with the great Chinese food. Come and meet you fellow returned volunteers.

In Memory of Eric Ericson, 1941 – 2014

Our friend Charles Stanley “Eric” Ericson died at home in Falmouth, Massachusetts on May 14, 2014.   Following graduation from the University of North Carolina in 1963, Eric joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Colombia, S.A.   There he spearheaded the development of a countrywide educational television system.  His interest and love for Peace Corps continued throughout his life and he led volunteer efforts to establish the Cape and Islands Returned Peace Corps Volunteer group.

Eric was larger than life – with his booming voice that would fill the room, his story telling and laughter that was contagious, his constant inquisitiveness whether it was learning or teaching Spanish, or volunteering for service groups – education TV, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School activities, the Falmouth Commission on Disabilities or the Falmouth Beautification Council.

He had some constant loves –  first and foremost, his wife Ellie, his godsons, Craig and Glenn Breher, and coming in a close third was his relationship to singing and music.  His voice blended with many choral groups on the Cape, but most notably in the choir of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth where he was an active member.

One of his notable Peace Corps accomplishments to further the third goal of Peace Corps was the dedication of the Peace Corps plaque and monument along the JFK Legacy Trail in Hyannis to remember the 50th year anniversary of the establishment of the Corps.

The RPCVs of the Cape and Islands and the many people he touched over the years will miss him deeply.  His wit, spirit, selflessness and enthusiasm for life have enriched all with whom he worked and played.

 

 

Cape & island RPCV Lunch in Falmouth, March 2nd 2014

Members got together to share their Peace Corps stories over lunch.

Who We Are

Dr. Stephanie Prior discussing her Peace Corps service in
the Cameroons, Africa, at the Falmouth Library. Dr. Prior
developed a palm oil cooperative & taught science classes
in her local community.

John McWilliam, PCV ’67-’69 in Sierra Leone, now a
Falmouth resident greets Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

GHANA

These are pictures of one of our volunteers, Katherine Ryan, a teacher in a school GHANA, the first country to receive volunteers and has continued all 53 years.