The Naples Chapter recently enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Sailing & Yacht Club.
Naples Chapter Dinner
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Sep 272022
September 2022 Circumbits
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Sep 012022
Make it a September to Remember
What a great month—not too hot, not too cold and a time to begin creating new memories. Circumnavigators are back on the move and Chapters are gearing up for seasonal events. We wish all our members, families and friends a great month.
Singapore welcomes new member
President of Singapore Chapter, Ang Hao Yao, presented a membership certificate to Mr. Gary Xie during the Chapter’s August lunch held at the famous Singapore Polo Club.
Circumnavigator Suzanne Frye (New York Metro) makes another milestone in her extensive world travels—-The North Pole.
Circumnavigators Paula and Roger Baker (Naples Chapter) visited Sicily where they took in the sights and enjoyed wining and dining. Here they are at the Rocco Forte Villa Igiea in Palermo.
Second Vice President Brad Vogel (New York Metro)left the wilds of Brooklyn to do some serious rafting in a remote part of Idaho.
Circumnavigator Sue Murphy (New York Metro) feasted on lobster in New Brunswick, Canada where she visited the iconic Hopewell Rocks.
Circumnavigator Ed Galkin (New York Metro) is setting off for his fourth circumnavigation in his single-engine Cessna to raise money to fight against Alzheimers. You can follow his progress on the website flyforthecure.org. Best wishes for a successful project.
Circumnavigators Melody and Jon Dill (Naples Chapter) had a glorious visit to the Galapagos.
We had to show it…This writer exercises his editorial discretion to show a highly unusual venture. Circumnavigators David and Dottie Mink (New York Metro and Naples Chapter) were vacationing in upstate Minnesota when they decided to take a side trip to Fargo, North Dakota. If you are familiar with the mystery/comedy Fargo, you probably remember the infamous wood chipper. Well, the actual wood chipper is in Fargo and the Minks got the chance to try it out.
The Last Shot
Do you have a good photo for The Last Shot? Please send to club@circumnavigators.org.
Luck to you!
David A. Mink
International President
August 2022 Circumbits
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Jul 282022
August Already?
Where does the time go? Hard to believe that we are going into the tail end of another summer. But, Circumnavigators and Chapters have had plenty of action as readers can see in items below. Thanks for sending us info about your travels.
Note: Circumnavigators Club headquarters will be closed from July 29 – August 5. Emails will be returned as soon as possible upon return. Luck to you!
Plan Ahead
Circumnavigators are invited to join the remarkable private dinner at the House of Lords in London on December 8. Hosted by the UK Chapter, this event if always uplifting and memorable. Please contact UK Chapter President Helen Jenkins or Tracy Sancilio at Club headquarters if you would like to attend.
We want to alert members that next year’s Annual Meeting will move back to it normal time slot on May 19, 2023 in New York City. It isn’t too early to pencil in this event on your calendar. The meeting will include a featured speaker and a chance to meet members from around the world.
The Yale Club
This writer spent a recent night at the Yale Club which I have been using since unloading our Manhattan apartment after 27 years. I want to emphasize to Circumnavigators that our headquarters at the Yale Club is a great perk for members. The Yale Club has made some recent changes to be more “user-friendly” for Circumnavigators. Members no longer need to go through Tracy Sancilio to make reservations to stay overnight. Members can call the Yale Club directly. The Yale staff has a list of Circumnavigators at the front desk to verify. Circumnavigators should request a guest pass. From there they can make room and dinner reservations. If preferred, Tracy can still help members to make a reservation.
The Yale Club has comfortable rooms and many amenities with a great location in mid-town Manhattan. The recently opened roof-top restaurant is excellent. Please note, however, that dining and bar service are not open on Sundays.
Chapter Highlights
Chapter President Ang Hao Yao welcomed members to the Singapore Chapter Mid-Year Dinner last month. The event was a feast of fellowship, music, great food and wine. It was the first time in three years the mid-year dinner had been held due to Covid. Members had a wonderful evening.
Foundation Scholar in Singapore…First Vice-President of the Singapore Chapter, Graham Bellwelcomes Foundation scholar Emily Hardy as she touches down in Singapore on her around-the-world research journey.
Follow our Foundation Scholars as they travel around the world…click on their BLOGs below:
Mackenzie Gentz
Northwestern University
https://undergradresearch.northwestern.edu/blogs/mackenziegentz/
Vivica Lewis
Northwestern University
https://undergradresearch.northwestern.edu/blogs/vivica/
Emily Hardy
Georgetown University
https://ejfhardy.wixsite.com/website
The Chapter which is being revitalized held a happy hour with ten members and potential new members.
Congratulations…Venerable Circumnavigator Don Parrish (Chicago Chapter) has returned to the top of the prestigious Most Travelled People (MTP) list. Don’s recent trip to Kazakhstan put him back to Number One.
South of France
Circumnavigators Katie & Kristen Koontz (New York Metro) traveled together for their first trip to Nice and other spots in southern France. They also visited Monte Carlo. In this photo, the daughter-mother team went to the scenic Medieval village of Eze.
More from France
Circumnavigator Donna Suddeth (Naples Chapter) also explored France and got some great photos. Before leaving from Philadelphia, she found this inspiring sign shown below. Donna also visited Switzerland and Malta. Below are a few of her shots.
Scuttlebutt
Circumnavigators Ann Swinford and Mo El-Fouly (Michigan Chapter) were featured in a recent issue of Parada Magazine, running in the Sun papers coast to coast. The piece focused on seasoned travelers and highlighted Ann and Mo’s trip to Petra.
Some things don’t change
Circumnavigators Geoff and Marilyn McGrath moved from Washington State to Williamsburg, Virginia. Their license plates tell the story about their love of travel.
The Last Shot
Do you have a good photo for The Last Shot? Please send to club@circumnavigators.org.
Luck to you!
David A. Mink
International President
July 2022 Circumbits
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Jul 052022
“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?”
– Oscar Wilde
Freedom Rings
Circumnavigators appreciate the fundamental value of freedom—freedom to travel, freedom of speech, freedom of worship. We wish all of our members, family and friends a Happy July, the month that represents freedom for many.
International Travel
World travel is getting back on track but it isn’t easy with lots of airline delays and cancellations, and other irksome problems with border crossings. Some recent member travels are featured below in “All Over the Map”. Let us know about your trips!
Chapter Highlights
Members of the Washington DC Chapter team met with officials of the Guatemalan Embassy to coordinate a Chapter event.
Circumnavigators met at the home of Kathleen and George Beebe. The featured presentation was about their trip to England, where they attended a “sunrise ceremony” on the Vernal Equinox at Stonehenge.
Circumnavigators in Croatia
Maria & Gunther Winkler (Naples Chapter) visited Croatia where they once again took stunning photographs which will be displayed in the next issue of The LOG.
Tour of Canadian Maritimes
David & Dottie Mink (New York Metro and Naples) took a comprehensive tour of the Canadian Maritimes that highlighted Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In this photo they are at the Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy.
Tribute to…
Melanie & Dan Peterson (Chicago Chapter) visited France after a trip to Malta. Highlights in Normandy included visiting all the D-Day invasion beaches, as well as the airborne landing areas. They then went to Paris before continuing on to Geneva for some exciting meetings around the World Health Assembly. In the photo, the Petersons are at the remains of a steel reinforced concrete bunker overlooking Omaha Beach.
Circumnavigator off the beaten track
Circumnavigator Mark Pross (Washington, DC Chapter) visited Crna Gora (Montenegro) last month to explore some of the mountainous regions of the north. With his arrival in Podgorica, Montenegro, Mark has now visited all 53 capitals of Europe. Mark also visited the Republic of Srpska, which is one of two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina. The last 27 kilometers of the road in Montenegro to the border with Srpska go through 55 rock-hewed tunnels, which he says makes for a very dramatic trip through the canyon.
Sail Away
Circumnavigator Ann Swinford (Michigan Chapter) sailed to Alaska on the 80-passenger SS Legacy. In this photo she is in peaceful Patterson Bay in Southeast Alaska.
An Amazing Race
Circumnavigators Norm & Susan Dailey (Washington DC Chapter) are on the road again, participating in a 10-day competition dubbed “Amazing Race for Normal People”. They are competing with eight teams in Europe with no idea where they are going or doing each day. They started in Zurich and so far have ridden a mountain coaster, herded sheep, made a chocolate flower, flew drones and experienced a Via Ferrara. Travel so far has been in Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Portugal with more to come. Good luck to the Daileys. Stay tuned!
UK Connection
UK Chapter President Helen Jenkins left her home in Wales for a business meeting in Boston. She connected with Circumnavigator Darlene Barnfield. Darlene is a UK Chapter member now living in the U.S.
The Last Shot
Do you have a good photo for The Last Shot? Please send to club@circumnavigators.org.
Luck to you!
David A. Mink
International President
June 2022 Circumbits
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Jun 062022
Summer time and the living is easy
Best wishes for a fun-filled summer to our members, family and friends. Please let us know about your travels and other news.
Annual Meeting “live” again
After three years, our Annual Meeting went live again this month. A group of about 30 attended the meeting at the Penn Club in New York with the historic whale tooth gavel tapping in the event for the 122 time. All of the required business was conducted and approved. Importantly, the financial health of the Club and the Foundation are in excellent shape and our membership level has remained constant despite the challenges of the pandemic. The meeting was followed up by an absorbing presentation by President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution, Scott Stephenson. Dr. Stephenson highlighted the global nature of the war of independence.
Esteemed former executive director over the horizon
Helen Jost, who served the club for many years passed away recently. She served as executive director for several decades and is acknowledged as the backbone of our historic club. Her daughter, Tracy Sancilio, succeeded her in the leadership post. Helen will be greatly missed and the sympathy from the Circumnavigators goes out to Helen’s family and friends. Here is a link to Helen’s Obituary.
New York Metro Party
The NY Metro branch of the Circumnavigators Club held a five-course dinner at a Manhattan Italian bistro with 18 participants, where Circumnavigator Marilu Ramirez provide a presentation on her new book “Travels with Marilu, A Spiritual Journey”. Besides a brief slide show about the seven continents, the presentation & book provided wonderful photographs of the world and famous sayings from important people in the past and present, concerning life and their life experiences. A wonderful time was had by all.
Planning for The LOG
Our publication is in the works and we need your help. Do you have a good travel story? If so, please contact David Mink or Tracy Sancilio with your idea. We will work with you to develop the story since we do not want completed stores to be submitted. Importantly, send us photos and short write ups about recent trips for All Over the Map.
Collectors Corner
Do you collect Christmas tree or holiday ornaments from your travels? Please send us photos of two or three or your favorites for this upcoming LOG Column.
Circumnavigators in Costa Rica…
Circumnavigators Paul and Pat Buescher (Pacific Northwest Chapter) report, “We are traveling again! What better way, at least in Paul’s opinion, to go wandering around the world than a birding photography trip. In March, we joined our friend and favorite bird photographer, Ralph Paonessa, for a trip to the highlands of Costa Rica. We visited three birding-oriented lodges where we were able to see and photograph more hummingbirds than we could count. We also were treated to sightings of Quetzals, Tanagers, Chachalacas, Owls, Montezuma’s Oropendola, Oriels, Woodpeckers, and a few snakes, rats, and other native creatures. While the weather was cool, it was great fun to travel again and be out with the birds and bees.
Circumnavigator in Algeria…
Circumnavigator Suzanne Frye (New York Metro) is always on the move. This time she visited Algeria to experience the culture. In Ghardaia, she photographed the women of the Ibadite Muslim sect who cover up in white and only show one eye. She also visited the historic city of Bob Saada.
Circumnavigators in Malta…
First Vice President Dan Peterson reported from Malta, “Several Circumnavigators Club members who also belong to the Travelers Century Club (TCC) attended TCC’s bi-annual international conference, held in Malta May. Circumnavigator Jerry Allen (Naples) spoke about his recent trip to Iguazu Falls, while Steve Fuller (at-large) presided as incoming TCC president. Other Circumnavigators in attendance included Nan Allen, Bill Girtman & Donna Suddeth (Naples) and Virginia Mullin and Melanie & Dan Peterson (Chicago). In all 120 TCC members and guests gathered at the Malta Marriott Hotel & Spa for the event. The group toured three cities of Malta’s historic harbor area, as well as the adjacent island of Gozo. The group even met one of only 37 remaining Knights of the Hospitalier Order of St John (a.k.a. the Sovereign Military Order of Malta), which ruled the islands for 270 years before Napoleon arrived then the British took over. On the conference day, the attendees heard of many adventurous destinations, including Antarctica, Pitcairn island, Somaliland, Azeri-Karabakh, Tbilisi, Bolivia, and the Balkans. Weather was great, and the food and camaraderie superior. Discussions are underway for the site of the next such TCC International Conference, for 2024.
Not an easy trip..
Circumnavigators Bill and Pam Girtman (Naples Chapter) spent four lovely days in Sicily before heading to Malta for the above-mentioned trip. Upon arriving in Malta, Pam tested positive for Covid and was quarantined for eight days. The Girtmans were forced to cancel their plans to finish their journey to Israel.
More from Malta and Italy…
Circumnavigators Sally and Larry Cole (Palm Beach Chapter) visited Malta and Italy where they enjoyed the spectacular sights and hiked on the Amalfi Coast.
The Last Shot
Do you have a good photo for The Last Shot? Please send to club@circumnavigators.org.
Luck to you!
David A. Mink
International President
davidamink@me.com
May 2022 Circumbits
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May 042022
“We roamed the fields and river sides,
When we are young and gay;
We chased the bees and plucked the flowers,
In the merry, merry month of May.”
―Stephen Foster
Marvelous May has arrived
Everyone loves May with wonderful memories and anticipation for good times to come. We wish all our members, family and friends a great month. As Circumnavigators hit the road, please send us info and photos on your trips.
Reminder – join us for the Annual Meeting
The meeting will be held on Friday, June 3 at the Penn Club in New York City, featuring a presentation by R. Scott Stephenson, CEO & President of the Museum of the American Revolution. Link to invitation here
Chapter News
The Circumnavigators Club may be getting a new chapter in Jacksonville, FL. Circumnavigator Fred Seely has initiated the process and more than 20 people have shown interest. Recently a Zoom meeting was organized to introduce the Club to prospective members.
UK Chapter
Chapter President Helen Jenkins reports that the chapter had a lovely lunch at the Savile Club in London and welcomed new member Alan Soper. The event was supposed to be at the Oriental Club but Lord Richard Inchcape was taken ill with pneumonia so John Constable rearranged at his Club. We hope Lord Inchcape is on the mend now.
Singapore Chapter
President of the Singapore Chapter, Ang Hao Yao and First Vice President Graham Bell hosted Stefan Krasowski and his wife Tess, members of the Pacific-Northwest Chapter, to a welcome lunch on the occasion of their visit to Singapore.
Scuttlebutt
Circumnavigators David, Fred and Ken Mink gathered in Clearwater Beach, FL to reunite with an old friend, World War II veteran Cewin Johnson who lost his arm in the war when he was just 19 years old. Now 98, Cewin regaled the Mink brothers with stories of the war and, with good spirit and humor, talked about his life as a disabled war hero.
Circumnavigator and Governor Ann Swinford (Michigan Chapter) sends a photo from her trip to Africa which she describes, “Very pale Ann Swinford with two beautiful Himba women in Namibia. The Himba were dismayed that Ann has no children! After they did a dance for us I tried to inspire my group to do a dance for them. I danced the hokey pokey alone. Everyone laughed when I ‘put my whole self in and shook it all about’! The hokey pokey is an ice breaker all over the world!”
Circumnavigators Norm and Susan Dailey (Washington DC Chapter) report from their ongoing Spring trip to Europe. They started in the tulip fields of Holland. Then on to visit the Aland Islands, shown here with a 92- year-old herring fisherman.Then to Andalusia, visiting Mijas, Malaga, Ronda, Seville, Granada and Cordova. Finally a visit to Northwest Spain for a wine-tasting pilgrimage.
The Last Shot
Do you have a good photo for The Last Shot? Please send to club@circumnavigators.org.
Luck to you!
David A. Mink
International President
davidamink@me.com
