National Peace Corps Association Conference
and PCPF Reunion

The National Peace Corps Association Conference was http://www.mnrpcv.org

Janice Jorgensen Gives Panama Update

Peace Corps Panama Friends had a reunion in St. Paul on Friday afternoon and evening, August 13th.
    • Janice Jorgensen, the current Peace Corps Director in Panama, gave us a country update in the afternoon and joined us for the weekend).
    • Alicia Stough, who is married to Panama RPCV Charlie Stough, is a promoter of Panamanian folklore, costumes, dances and music.  Alicia demonstrated traditional dances of Panama (encouraging audience dance participation) - the tamborito, punto, cumbia, atravesada, etc. . She described Panamanian Friends, Inc. of which she is the President.  She does promotions, exhibits, and lessons at festivals, schools, universities in the Ohio area.

To:          Everyone Interested in Peace Corps Panama Friends
From:     Bud Keith and Steve Spangler
Subject: Past, present and future activities

Since our last issue of El Bochinche, Peace Corps Panama Friends (PCPF) has moved firmly into cyber space. We have a web site, we have email communication, and we have started a "Listserv".
      Our web site has news of members, stories about recent and current Peace Corps activities in Panama, and an on-line membership form to update our database of past and current volunteers and staff.
      We publish articles from "La Vaina" newsletter created by volunteers in Panama.
      Our site has pictures from this year's Carnival in Las Tablas.
      Our site even allows you to order books from Amazon.com with up to 15% of the cost going to PCPF conservation projects at no increase in price to you.
      Our email capability allows us to stay in touch with the current Peace Corps director in Panama and to publish reports on the activities of current PCVs.

      Hopefully, from reading this letter, you will be interested in joining our listserv. That will allow you to develop ongoing communication with others interested in the Peace Corps in Panama on any topic your heart desires.

      We want to update the PCPF Directory. We need a lot of your help to make it meaningful. With a very few exceptions, we need a brief bio and address information for those who have served since 1990, and anyone else who has rediscovered his/her Peace Corps spirit in the past ten years. Include your years of service, where you served (province and pueblo), and type of projects.

      The National Peace Corps Association, the largest organization of returned Peace Corps volunteers, holds biannual conferences.
      This year, the NPCA Conference is at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, on August 12-15. Hopefully, many recent and older Panama volunteers will be there. We will have a briefing on Panama on Friday afternoon, followed by a meeting of the PCPF community. More importantly, we will have a dinner/fiesta for PCPF members and friends on Friday evening.
      We want you to be there. Please let us know if you plan to be in St. Paul this August.
      Use our email service to make your reservation for the dinner only. If you don't have email capability, please send your reservation for the dinner/fiesta and any address changes to:

      Peace Corps Panama Friends
      c/o Steve Spangler
      3858 N. Tazewell Street
      Arlington, VA 22207-4533

      If you have not received conference registration information, call the NPCA at 202-293-7728 Ex. 3, or check their web site at www.rpcv.org