CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

We welcome new Board Members Pamela Barrus, Ronald Endeman and Bart Hackley.

Special thanks and appreciation go to Ruth Nelson who leaves the TCC Board after some 20 years of devoted service. She also served as President and was present at the meeting when the idea of forming this club was launched 50 years ago.

Renewal statements for 2004 membership dues were mailed in Dec. If you have not already done so, please submit your payment now.

Congratulations to Dr. Alexander Gushansky for reaching the 300+ milestone.

50th Anniversary Celebrations
We hope many of you will plan to attend either or both of this year’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in New York and Las Vegas. It’s a rare opportunity to renew friendships with other club members, especially for those who live in areas where there are no regular meetings.

Please click on the 50th Anniversary logo below for details about our New York City meeting, April 16-18, and our Las Vegas celebration on Oct. 1-2.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

I am delighted to serve TCC members as your new President and to have the opportunity to share many years of experience as an Officer and Executive Board Member. I am also an active world traveler and have been a Club member for many years.

All the Officers and Board Members are experienced travelers and business professionals who are dedicated to helping guide the Travelers’ Century Club in its role as the world’s most prestigious travel organization. I would like to thank Past President Floyd Baker for his guidance during the past two years.

TCC has enjoyed some excellent publicity in the past few months in the Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure and Coast, a glossy magazine published by the Orange County Register. If you see any newspaper or magazine articles in your area, please send a copy to our Club Headquarters in Santa Monica.

We’re sorry to report that long-time member Caroline Ross of Kilgore, TX, recently passed away. She had been a TCC member since 1980 and had visited 311 countries. Her photo was in the Feb. 2003 Centurian. She believed that “you can’t count a country without learning a lot and having a wonderful time.”

Here are some tales of adventures from some of your fellow TCC members. This section will appear from time to time. If you would like your travel escapades or accomplishments/honors mentioned (subject to available space and the editor’s discretion), send your information to TCC Headquarters. Humorous incidents and letters to the editor are also welcome.

• On Dec. 23 we received an email from Charles Veley stating that he had landed on Bouvet Island via helicopter. He has now visited all but two places on the Guinness list. He completed the 317 TCC list last April, the youngest person to do so, at age 37. He has also visited 300 of the 335 items on the Ham Radio list. Charles aims to receive the title of “The Most Traveled Man” from Guinness.
  
  
• Last spring Jeanne Hoskins, a young 88, added Albania, Kosovo, Srpska and Trans Dniester to her TCC list, bringing her total to 270 that she has visited since Oct. 1987. Other trips during the year included India, where she welcomed the New Year, Fernando do Noronha, St. Barts, and several European countries.
  
  
• Jeff and Novita Shea report that daughter Lani reached San Marino on Oct. 23, visiting her 100th country at 2 years, 8 mos. Her parents plan to take her to King George Island, Antarctica, which will make her the youngest person to visit all seven continents.
  
  
• Cruises will dominate Ken Ziegler’s travels in 2004. They include a Great Lakes and Canada cruise from Quebec to Sault Sainte Marie, a river cruise from Brussels to Basel, and a Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Venice. He has already traveled to the total 317 TCC destinations.
  
  
• Kevin Hughes laments that he has almost run out of new places to visit, but he still needs to visit French Antarctica to complete the TCC list. That plus Heard I, the Golan Heights and the Paracel Islands are needed to finish the Guinness list.
  
  
• Betty Goff Cartwright received in Nov. the Bridging Cultures Award, named in her honor, from the Memphis Council for International Visitors. It marks 40 years of volunteering in the Dept. of State International Visitors Program. She has visited 307 countries on the TCC list.

The Centurian welcomes letters to the editor. Please mail to TCC. P.O. Box 7050, Santa Monica, CA 90406, or e-mail to mail@travelerscenturyclub.org. Submission of a letter to the editor constitutes permission to publish the letter in the Centurian and on our website.

#428 Voyaging the Sea of Okhotsk, by Kenyon B. De Greene, Ph.D
#429 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, Bolivia, by Kenyon B. De Greene, Ph.D
#430 Guyana & Suriname, by Kenyon B. De Greene, Ph.D
#431 The Rebirth of Afghanistan, Part 2, by Bill Altaffer
#432 Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, by James A. Smith
#433 A Circumnavigation of Antarctica, by Kevin Hughes

Note: The opinions expressed are those of the writers and not the Travelers’ Century Club.

A hearty thanks to all of you club members for sending in Info Files for our Centurian. They are enjoyed by all, so please send in your items of interest.

Don't forget that these must be typewritten, single spaced and not to exceed two pages due to cost of postage. Those of you who have sent in your Info Files that have not yet been published, please be patient as they will be used in the future. Note: We do not edit or correct misspellings, since we cannot match your type. You can also send your info files to our e-mail address: tccclub3@gte.net

Please note that when you request back issues of Info Files, there is a $1.00 cost per Info File.

We have new permanent name tags with the TCC Logo and your name engraved. Cost $7.50 including shipping. If you wish to order, send us your check and you will receive your tag in 14 to 21 days.

Club Lapel Pin – $10
Silver 150 Countries – $8
Gold 200 Countries – $8
250 Countries – $8

All pins are available with pin or tie-tack backing. Available only to regular members of the TCC.

North American Members – $15
Overseas Members – $20
Pin has tie-tack back only.

Available all members, regular and provisional.

TCC Editor: Klaus Billep
Contributing Editor: Lorelli Embry

Travelers' Century Club
P.O. Box 7050
Santa Monica, CA 90406-7050

Tel: 310-393-7419
Fax: 310-395-9511
E-mail: tccclub3@gte.net
www.travelerscenturyclub.org

Officers
Klaus Billep, Chairman
David J. Barry, President
Kevin Hughes, Vice-President
Sanford K. Smith, Secretary
Christopher Hudson, Treasurer

Executive Board Members
Floyd D. Baker
Pamela Barrus
Ronald L. Endeman
Bart M. Hackley, J
Diane Jarrett
Kenneth Ziegler