CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

As 2006 continues with lively travel activities on the part of the Club Members, so does interest in meeting programs by TCC.

Congratulations to Robert and Dorothy Pine who were honored by the 65 th General Assembly of the State of Colorado “for their tireless spirit, skill and determination in traveling to all of the world's nations, 192 of which have been recognized by the U.S. State Department, plus another 123 territories, island groups, and special destinations, for a total of 315 in all. Less than 10 people have acquired such status, all of whom were men. In October of 2005 the Pines embarked on their most recent journey, which included Azerbijan, Nachichevan, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, UAE, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Kashmir. This expedition finalized their status as the first couple in the world to fully complete the Travelers' Century Club's list of all 315 destinations.”

Our March luncheon featured an excellent presentation by Bob Ihsen, covering Irian Jaya and the sing sing in Papua New Guinea.

Our 2006/2007 Roster of Members will be sent to you in the next two weeks. Send any corrections/changes to TCC Headquarters. My sincere congratulations to those members listed in the “Well Traveled” column.

Congratulations to the TCC members who visited Bouvet Island in March. Board Member Ronald L. Endeman was part of the group and reported 12 TCC members were on the cruise.

Members in good standing are welcome to attend our Board Meetings as observers. Meetings are held at 10:00 a.m. prior to our regular quarterly luncheon meetings. RSVP is required for attendance.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Several months ago a member asked me why the Club allows its members to say they have been to a country by just setting foot in it. He seemed to think it was like “cheating.”

He is right on both counts. The Club DOES allow it, and sometimes it does seem like “cheating.” However, the rule is there because some places are somewhat dicey to visit, even under the best of circumstances. War zones and isolated pieces of rock, like Bouvet Island, can be dangerous – even life-threatening – and the last thing anyone wants is for a member to be injured, or even killed, attempting visit a new place. To add, say, a minimum overnight requirement might result in a risky undertaking and would also render most places in Antarctica impossible to visit, as well.

The important thing to bear in mind is that every member sets his or her tolerance for use of the “set foot on terra firma” rule. It is there for a reason, but to use it just to “run up the total” really defeats the whole purpose of travel; if you just put your foot across a border, you really haven't seen the country, have you?

If a member feels it is “cheating,” he or she doesn't have to make use of that policy. We all set our own travel paradigms. If you cheat or feel you have cheated, you have only cheated yourself out of another opportunity for a unique experience.

The TCC list of countries is meant to encourage members to broaden their horizons and really visit the tiny backwaters of the world, not just to run up the total by visiting airports, or sticking one's big toe across a border.

And, remember, it's not how many places you've visited that matters. It's the quality of the experience that really counts!

At a meeting on December 10, 2005, the Board of Directors amended Article VIII of the TCC By-Laws to provide that Directors will be elected for a two-year term by a majority of vote with an affirmative vote of at least five of the Directors in attendance. If you have any questions regarding this amendment, please contact the TCC offices.

Donna Marsh, previously Area Coordinator of the TCC Southwest Chapter in Florida, has recently returned to her home in England. She will be organizing an initial meeting for the British TCC members later this year, probably in the fall in the London area, but all British members are invited. It's an opportunity to meet fellow TCC members, exchange travel tips, relate weird and wonderful travel tales, and meet others with a passion for the “road less traveled,” says Donna.

Please contact Donna to indicate interest, share ideas, and suggest meeting topics at: 4 White Hermitage, Church Road, Old Windsor, Berks, England, SL42JX; mobile phone: 07900 213355; email: donna_marsh@hotmail.com.

The 12 TCC members who recently landed on Bouvet Island were: Raymond Woods, David
Langan, Jeff Shea, Stewart Sheppard, Marilyn Nosseck, Ronald Endeman, Christine Kloner,
Noel Hewitt, Merrilyn Stephenson, Mary Anne Smith, Irena Nebenzahl and Rick Jali.

TCC Board Member Ron Endeman phoned TCC Headquarters, using the ship's Inmarsat satellite phone, to advise that an expedition with 12 TCC members aboard was successful in landing on Bouvet Island in the extreme South Atlantic. Lying just south of the Antarctic Convergence, Bouvet is probably the most difficult place in the world on which to land because of the sea conditions, frequent gale-force winds, and lack of suitable landing sites due to cliffs on all sides. Ice and rock break off the glacier on top of the island and fall almost continuously along the cliffs into the sea. The glacier is destabilized by geothermal activity on top of the island. Bouvet is the most isolated piece of rock in the world because of its distance, not only from South America and Africa, but also from Antarctica. It is classified as part of Norwegian Antarctica.

The Houston TCC Chapter draws about 25 or more from various areas of Texas at its luncheon meetings. This photo was taken at the January 21 meeting at Brady's Landing on Houston 's ship channel.

TCC member Enid Holmes of Moultonboro, NH, had a goal to reach 250 countries before she died. “I've attained that goal and I'm still pretty healthy at 84 years of age, so maybe I can visit a few more countries in the future,” she states. She's pictured at the gateway to Toraja Land in Sulawesi, her 250th country.

(From time to time we will feature some background on your Board Members.)

• Pamela Barrus has been a TCC member since 1987 and a Board Member since January, 2004. “I relish the travail in travel and hard journeys – taking local buses from California to Argentina and across Tibet and Afghanistan,” she says. At home she is a private tutor and writes travel guidebooks. She also reads voraciously and studies languages for her next destination. “To quote my favorite travel writer, Harry A. Franck: ‘the best way to leave for a journey is to get up from the dinner table, put on your hat or coat, if any, and walk away just as you are, preferably without even saying goodbye',” Barrus observes. She lives in Laguna Beach, CA.

• Board Member Floyd D. Baker was TCC President in 2002 and 2003. He has visited more than 212 of the TCC countries. Baker taught physics, astronomy, engineering and mathematics for 30 years at Fullerton College in California. He was born in North Dakota and moved to the Golden State in 1942. His grandparents built his home in 1890. He has been married for over 50 years to his wife, Rae, a former dentist. They reside in Anaheim, CA.

• The Editor of the Missoula Independent, Brad Tyer, would like to write about any TCC members residing in Missoula and/or Montana. If interested, contact him at btyer@missoulanews.com.

• Did you see TCC President Kevin Hughes amongst the crowd on the “Today” show during the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy? Kevin was able to give Matt Lauer a lapel pin and a list of the TCC countries so he could find some new places to visit during the show's series, “Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?”

• We received copies of a syndicated article about TCC by Dan Leeth which appeared in the Sunday Oregonian and the Contra Costa Times, and undoubtedly other newspapers. Those TCC members featured included Gig Gwin and Klaus Billep.

New Travelers' Century Club Members:

Abbamonte, Mr. Lee S.
Aulls, Ms. Shirley
Bowman, Ms. Virginia “Judy
Boyer, Mrs. Diane C.
Burghardt, Mrs. Nancy
Cavallera, Mr. J.L.
Chance, Mr. John K.
Cosgrove, Mrs. Jemetha Clark & Mr. Robert E.
Cowgill, Jr., Mr. Norwood & Mrs. Judith K.
Dungan, Ms. Sandra
Fuller, Ph.D., Ms. Linda K.
Girdner, Mr. Alwin J.
Goltz, Mr. Paul
Hansen, Mrs. Charlotte & Mr. Gordon
Hetherington, Ms. Valerie J.
Hoak, Mrs. Leonore Kenefic.
Johnson, Mr. Seymour B.
Kaminski, Mrs. Jo Anne P.
Karlinsky, Mr. Stewart
Kendall, Ms. Linda
Kuehn, Mr. Richard A.
Lafer, Ms. Virginia W.
Manny, Ms. Elizabeth K.
Minkoff, Ms. Dorothy B.
Molz, Dr. Philip J.
Norment, Mrs. Nancy
Nutt, Mr. Lawrence R. & Mrs. Katherina
Renga, Dr. Dominick S.
Ricasa, Ms. Lourdes Odette
Robbins, Mrs. Barbara S.
Seidel, Mr. Barry B. & Mrs. Linda
Sherman, Mr. Seth
Smith, Mr. James Myron & Mrs. Kristen J.
Stacy, Mr. Robert & Mrs. Brenda
Tallman, Mr. Steve
Teutsch, Mr. Carl M.
Van Voorhis, Mr. Harold
Ward, Mr. Jeff
Weiss, Mr. Jonathan D.
Youker, Mr. Robert Youker

#481 Bangladesh, Sikkim, and Bhutan, by Dr. Kenyon B. De Greene
#482 St. Pierre & Miquelon, by Rev. Robert Ippolito
#483 Lakshadweek (Laccadive) Islands and Andaman Island, by Rev. Robert Ippolito
#484 Saint Helena & Ascension Island, by Antonio Garue-Valens
#485 New Zealand, by James A. Smith
#486 Six TCC Places in One Day?, by Mark & Carolyn Norwood
#487 Israel, by Betty S. Miller

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. Click here for details.

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.

TCC Editor: Klaus Billep
Contributing Editor: Lorelli Embry

TCC President Kevin Hughes presents a global award to Past President David Barry for his leadership during 2004/05.

Enjoying the social hour at the Park Prive in Orange County are Board Member Ken Ziegler, Bob Ihsen (who gave the presentation), TCC Vice President Christopher Hudson and Jan Silsbee.

Also enjoying conversation at the March luncheon: Bobette Jones, Dr. and Mrs. Mac Somers and Dick Leonard.

TCC President Kevin Hughes welcomes Colleen Lance, visiting from Northern California.

Board Member Diane M. Jarrett welcomes her guest, Tom Benson.

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.

Travelers' Century Club
P.O. Box 7050
Santa Monica, CA 90406-7050
Tel: 310-458-3454
Fax: 310-395-9511
E-mail: tccclub3@gte.net

Officers
Klaus Billep, Chairman
Kevin Hughes, President
Christopher Hudson, Vice-President
Sanford K. Smith, Secretary
Bart M. Hackley, Jr., Treasurer

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