CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

It hardly seems as if another travel year is closing, but it's time again for us to wish Travelers' Century Club members a Happy Holiday Season and a healthy and happy New Year.

Congratulations to Donna Marsh for organizing our first International Chapter meeting in London, England. They had their first-ever meeting on Sunday, September 24. Please check our website for more updates.

Special congratulations to Tim Carlson, our Northern California Coordinator, for having completed his 315th country (Hainan).

Many members call or send us a postcard when adding a country. Please only let us know when you move into a new category level – from regular to Silver, etc.

The 2007 Dues Notice will be mailed in late December. We are considering banner advertising on our website. Those interested should send us an e-mail. Only U.S.-based companies are eligible.

At the Dec. 9 Luncheon at Lawry’s, TCC Board Member Pamela Barrus will give a presentation on her “Big Walk” – the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile walk from France, across northern Spain, to Santiago de Compostela. The Camino follows an ancient pilgrimage route now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pam finished
her 770 km walk on Aug. 7, in just 40 days.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

On behalf of the Travelers' Century Club, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you may be celebrating as this year draws to an end – even Festivus. Some of you may have seen the episode of “Seinfeld” where George's father bemoans the commercialization of the holidays and reveals the family secret, much to George's chagrin, that because of all the commercialization, he made up his own family holiday: Festivus. “Festivus for the rest of us.”

Let's hope no one has become that disenchanted with the holidays and that everyone, no matter what they celebrate, has a joyous and rewarding holiday experience.

Having grown up in Chicago, every year I was always fascinated by the wonderful exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, which described how people in various countries celebrated the holidays. For several reasons, however, in all the traveling I have done, I have never been able to experience this first hand. So I hope to begin spending the holidays overseas more often in coming years. I know that many of you do this, and have done so for some time, and I think it is a marvelous opportunity to see the people of the world at their best. Holidays and festivals are always wonderful experiences, and usually bring out the best in people, no matter what the reason and what the religious and ethnic background of the country.

The arrival of the new year always offers us the opportunity to reflect on what we have done, where we have traveled, and what we have achieved. But more importantly, it urges us to look toward to new opportunities. Where would we like to go? What new experiences would we like to have? Considering the panoply the world presents, the possibilities are endless. Even those who are near the top of the TCC list can find a vast variety of new destinations and ways to celebrate life. That is what makes travel such a joy – the “Joie de Vie.”

I look forward to serving the wonderful members of this Club for another year. It is a privilege and an honor.

 
Northern California Area Coordinator Tim Carlson reached the top of the TCC list by traveling to his 315th destination, Hainan Island, in mid October. "When I joined the Club over 20 years ago, I never thought it would happen, but this is #315,” says Carlson.

Those attending the first TCC meeting in London on September 24 were: June Barnett, Ian Gamble, Susan Gibson, RP D’Silva, James Neville O’Brien, David Langan, Peter Biddlecombe, Area Coordinator Donna Marsh (center left), Peter Mosse, Pekka Suonio, Angus Palmer, Elaine Palmer, Phillip Sylvester, Patricia Hodges, David Hodges, John Barnett. See Area Updates for details.

Dolena Kann of Hot Springs Village, Ark., reports that Marc Oudin and his wife, Carolyn, hosted a dinner party on Oct. 27 for five TCC members and one guest in their Hot Springs home. Participants traveled an average of 150 miles for the state's first-ever TCC gathering. Front row, seated: Dolena Kann, Janie Smith, Marisa Walthall, Carolyn Oudin. Standing: Walter Kahnn, Bennie Walthall, Marc Oudin, Richard Perkins. The Walthall's, from Texarkana , are longtime life and silver members; Janie, from Russelville, joined in 1975; the Kann's in 2004; Marc is a new member this year.

Martine Whitaker, who is striving to become eligible as a TCC member, has asked us –

Q: How do you count the countries which you have visited which have broken up, specifically the former Yugoslavia and Soviet Union? Do they count as one country if you visited them when they were united, or does one's total increase with geo-political division?

A: TCC does not add countries until they become officially independent. For example, if you visited the three Baltic Republics when they were part of the Soviet Union, you would count them as three separate countries today. The same goes for regions that were Yugoslavia but are now independent countries, such as Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia – or the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which were formerly Czechoslovakia. Remember, you have to have visited the exact location of the country today. An area which was recognized as a country in the past and has been deleted from the list (Retired Countries) can be counted for the purpose of attaining the minimum number of countries required for membership, or for the 150- or 200-country levels. You must “pay back” those borrowed from the Retired List when you add visits to countries on the current list.

New Travelers' Century Club Members:

Aissen, Mrs. Lise
Blair, Mr. Ian
Clements, Mr. Douglas
Crane, Ms. Franci Neely
Creasey, Mr. Christopher
Creighton, Mr. David
Dobak, Mr. Louis M. & Mrs. Joan E.
Farmer, Mr. John O.
Finley, Mr. Kirk H. & Mrs. Marcia B.
Froelich, Mrs. Juanita
Gibson, Mr. Gordon S.
Greene, Mr. Douglas
Hanson, Mr. Duane T.
Helmuth, Mr. Ed & Mrs. Gloria
Johnson, Ms. K..E.
Katsky, Mr. Ronald
Kaufman, Mr. Shep & Mrs. Terry
King, Dr. Alison
Majewski, Mariusz
Northcutt, Mrs. Isabel
Pendergraft, Dr. Roy
Phillips, Mr. Douglas A.
Pushcheck, Mr. Herbert C.
Reilly, Ms. Wendy
Roth, Mr. Don
Sherman, Mr. Mike
Shimura, Kimiyoshi
Smith, Ms. Kathryn J.
Soice, Mr. Howard
Tamarelli, Mr. Wayne & Mrs. Carol
Thompson, Ms. Dorothy
Vrba, Ms. Terri
Wood, Mr. Peter Wright

#495 Zambia – With A Peek At Botswana & Namibia, Prof. Dr. Kenyon B. De Greene
#496 Sikkim, Dr. Gregg M. Cox
#497 An Interesting Story from the Congo, Dr. Gregg M. Cox
#498 South Georgia Island – Port of Grytviken, James A. Smith
#499 Maderia – Floating Island of Flowers in the Atlantic, Brian Ferraz
#500 Camping at the North Pole, Part II, Henry Linden

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.

We have a 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 six weeks. Magnetic backing available, add $4.00.

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.

TCC Editor: Klaus Billep
Contributing Editor: Lorelli Embry

• TCC Events and Chapter Meetings for 2007 are now listed on the website Events Calendar page. (Additional dates will be added when received from the Area Coordinators.

• TCC International meeting will be held Oct. 26-28 in London, followed by a 3-day excursion to Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Oct. 28-30.

• John B. Hals' listing is missing from the 2006 Roster of Members. His address is 19 Ambrose Dr., Columbus, NJ 08022; johnhals@hotmail.com. During the printing process some names were inadvertently dropped from the Roster. If yours is among them, or if we have not recognized your 300- or 315-country achievement, please advise headquarters.

• When ordering copies of the Info Files, please give headquarters the file number as well as the name of the destination or country so there is no confusion.

• When you reach a new category of countries visited – such as Silver (150 or more), Gold (200 countries), Award (250), Special Award (300) or the final goal of 315 – you must complete the country list and send a written note to TCC Headquarters, advising your new status.

The Centurian welcomes letters to the editor. Please mail to TCC. P.O. Box 7050, Santa Monica, CA 90406, or e-mail to tccclub3@gte.net. Submission of a letter to the editor constitutes permission to publish the letter in the Centurian and on our Web site.

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