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August 2015 Circumbits

Circumbits, Foundation, In Our Circle, Member News, Over The Horizon, The Blog Comments Off

Aug 032015

LAST CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS!

The Circumnavigators Club Photo Exhibit & Contest is drawing toward its August 15 deadline. We have already received many great shots, helping to support the Circumnavigators Foundation. It’s quick and easy to contribute—no forms to fill out or photos to be framed and shipped. Just email your photos as a attachment to photocontest@circumnavigators.org, along with your name and brief description. The $10 fee for each photo is a tax-deductible contribution to the Foundation. Winners will be announced in September.

Here is the winning shot from the landscape category from the last Exhibit.

Tequila Sunrise, taken by Mark Hauptman in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

JOHN E. JOHANNESSEN 1920-2015…

We are sorry to report that Past President John Johannessen has passed away. John was an important Club member, especially in the 1960s and 1970s when he served as President and was engaged in many Club activities, including the Foundation. Born in Denmark, John last lived in Fort Myers FL after many years in Tenafly NJ and Grantham NH. During World War II, he served as a B17 pilot with the 390th Bomb Group. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations were requested for the Circumnavigators Club Foundation. Many of our current members have fond memories of John with his enthusiastic and dignified personality. There will be more about John in the next issue of The LOG.

THE CLUB HAS A FACEBOOK PAGE…

If you are a Facebook user, did you know that the Club has a private page for members only? Perhaps you are thinking of going to Bali or Antarctica and want some advice. Post your question and it is likely that you will get an answer from a Circumnavigator. You can also follow news from our Chapters and Magellan recipients. To join, click here, or search Facebook for “Circumnavigators Club” and ask to join the group. One of the two Club administrators who manage the page will admit you.

WELCOME TO OUR YOUNGEST MEMBER…

Katie Koontz, 18, of Haddonfield NJ has become our youngest member, supplanting our young adventurer Matt Guthmiller who has almost reached the ripe old age of 21. Since she was 14, Katie wanted to be a Circumnavigator and this summer her dream came true with an Around-the-World journey and admission to the Club. Her whirlwind trip took her to Rome, Venice, Dubai and Beijing. Katie heads off for her freshman year at William & Mary this month. Oh, did this writer mention that he is Katie’s grandfather? Congratulations and Luck to you, Katie!

THE LAST SHOT

Circumnavigator Suzanne Frye (New York Metro) took this stunning shot of camels on Cable Beach, Broom, Western Australia.

Luck to you!

David A. Mink

Chair, Communications

Naples Chapter Mexican Fiesta

The Blog Comments Off

Aug 022015

Naples Chapter Mexican Fiesta July 30, 2015
(click on any of the images to see a larger version of the photo)

Scuttlebutt

In Our Circle, Member News, On The Road, The Blog Comments Off

Jul 012015

Circumnavigator Don Parrish, the world’s most traveled person, was honored by the BBC Travel as one of six “Travel Pioneers of 2015”. You can read the fascinating profile by going to www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150326-travel-pioneers.

International Past President, Howard Matson, attended a breakfast in Fairfield CT honoring Mother Superior Dolores Hart. Film buffs will recognize the former film star of the 1950s and 60s who made two Elvis Presley movies and starred in the spring-college break classic “Where the Boys Are” before leaving her career for her life as a Connecticut Prioress…Emmy-winning film producer Neil Mandt is doing a live show on Periscope where he takes pitches for TV shows from anyone with an idea. He would love to hear from Circumnavigators with their ideas. His Periscope handle is @neilmandt.

July 2015 Circumbits

Circumbits, In Our Circle, Member News, The Blog Comments Off

Jun 292015

Don Parrish at the South Pole

Don Parrish – honored by BBC Travel

Circumnavigator Don Parrish, the world’s most traveled person, was honored by BBC Travel as one of six “Travel Pioneers of 2015”. You can read the fascinating profile by going to www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150326-travel-pioneers.

Circumnavigator Members meet Mark Kelly at the Million Dollar Round Table

UK Chapter President Helen Jenkins, C. Brian Heckert from Chicago and C. Peter Byrne from Australia attended the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) in New Orleans, an international conference for the top performing insurance professionals in the world. Ten thousand members attended, including 2012 Order of Magellan recipient Mark Kelly.

C. Peter Byrne with UK Chapter President Helen Jenkins and business partner Jayne White at the Australian welcome party.	C. Helen Jenkins with C. Brian Heckert, the next Million Dollar Round Table President for 2015-2016.
Captain Mark Kelly with C. Helen Jenkins.

International President Ellen Parke meets Matt Guthmiller at the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum

On June 20, C. Matt Guthmiller flew his leased Beechcraft Bonanza in from Boston for the Innovations in Flight Family Day and Outdoor Aviation Display. The Beechcraft Bonanza is the same plane he flew in his record-breaking solo circumnavigation last summer. C. President Ellen Parke was there to greet Matt at the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum near Dulles Airport.

Our Foundation Scholars are on their way around the world!

Follow our Scholars as they travel by logging onto their blogs:

Annie Carson – Arizona State University
summerwanderer.wordpress.com

Jonathon McBride – Northwestern University
http://blog.undergradresearch.northwestern.edu/blog/mcbride/

Kevin Dupont – Brandeis University
onetweetchangeditall.wordpress.com

Hannah Gerdes – Georgetown University
https://theinvisibleweight.wordpress.com

Gareth Evans – University of Liverpool
http://garethevansleeds.wix.com/peaceprocesses

Tom Maher Celebrates his 96th Birthday!

C. Tom Maher celebrated his 96th birthday on June 17th at the Pelican March Club in Naples, FL.

The LOG is in the Mail

Your issue should be arriving in the mail any day. If you do not receive your copy by the end of June, please contact headquarters at 201-612-9100 or club@circumnavigators.org.

View the whole story of Bill Billings’s Bridge Building adventure in Ethiopia.

The Last Shot

This photo of Roman and Greek ruins was taken by C. Sophie Classen from the Naples Chapter.

Roman and Greek Ruins, , by Sophie Classen

Luck to you!

David A. Mink
Chair, Communications

June 2015 Circumbits

Circumbits, Foundation, Member News Comments Off

Jun 012015

Annual Meeting

Our 113th Annual Meeting was held in New York City on May 29 with a group of members from many parts of the country. International President Ellen Parke wielded the historic whale’s tooth gavel to open the event. Two members were officially elected to the Board of Governors, Dan Peterson from Chicago and Barbara Hagstrom from NYC.

Past President Charles Blaisdell, just months from his 100th birthday, addressed the members with his typical wry humor. He told the group he wanted to dispel any rumors that he was one of the Club founders.

After the official meeting, our youngest member, MIT student Matt Guthmiller gave a fascinating account of this solo circumnavigation in a single-engine plane last year, when he was only 19. This accomplishment earned him the Guinness record as the youngest person to achieve this feat. Matt’s talk and photos brought home the magnitude of this 44-day journey.

Fire Up Your Camera

The 2015 Photo Exhibit has been announced. A formal invitation to submit member photos for this annual event will be sent out soon. Proceeds from the event will go to the Circumnavigators Foundation and all photos will be shown on the web site. Deadline for photo submission will be August 15 and the winners will be announced in The Log Express. So, dig out those great photos!

The Log

The Log is coming this month. Keep your eyes out for The Log which will arrive by the end of June with great stories, photos and news.

The Last Shot

This photo of Mount Everest was taken by Ellen Parke. The Log will offer reflections on Nepal which is recovering from a devastating earthquake.

Mount Everest, by Ellen Parke

Luck to you!

David A. Mink
Chair, Communications

May Circumbits

Circumbits, Member News, The Blog Comments Off

May 012015

Are you coming to New York?

The Club’s Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, May 29, at our headquarters at the Yale Club in NYC. It is always a great time to socialize with members and keep involved with the Club’s news. The meeting will be held at 11:30. After the meeting, which is open to members only, a light lunch and presentation will be held, and guests are welcome. RSVP form and details here.

We are very excited that our youngest member and the youngest person to circumnavigate solo in a single-engine plane, Matt Guthmiller will be our speaker. Matt, 20, is a MIT student and his talk and photos are sure to be fascinating.

View more photos elsewhere on this site.

Magellan Event a big success!

Ground-breaking journalist Ann Compton received the Club’s highest honor, the Order of Magellan, at a gala event in Washington DC in April. Ann wowed the crowd of members and guests with her stories of covering seven presidents for ABC News for more than 40 years. Of particular interest, she told the poignant story of being with President Bush on September 11, 2001. See photos here.

Last call for The Log

The Log will be coming out in June, and we are still looking for member info for our All Over the Map and Scuttlebutt columns. Just drop us a line to club@circumnavigators.org about where you have traveled or where you are planning to go, or info about events in your life. Any award or honors, published books or photos or the like?

Kathmandu…

Many of our members have visited the wonderful country of Nepal, and it is with great sorrow that we reflect on the devastating earthquake that took so many lives, and destroyed the distinctive architecture of Kathmandu. This writer has been there many times over the past several decades and always loved the charm of the city and the friendliness of the people. On my last trip, I stayed at the beautiful Dwarika hotel, built with bits and pieces of historic architecture. Unable to contact my friends in Nepal, I don’t know whether this hotel still stands. Please consider making a donation to help the Nepalese through the many organizations, such as the Red Cross.