MEMBERSHIP FEES ARE NOW DUE!
The financial year starts each year on July 1.
Membership dues are $125 for Consuls General/Heads of Post or Mission and $85 for other Consular staff.
As well as supporting the Society and receiving invitations to events and activities, SOFC members are eligible for discounts at the venerable NY institution 92nd St Y, and members also receive FREE Gold Club car rental membership — a $60+ value — with Hertz as well as preferred rates and special offers.
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The SOFC’s Annual General Meeting was held in early June at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic at which the new Executive Committee were elected and appointed.
They will take up their positions on July 1, 2014.
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CBP Briefing with CBP & OFM in June
The Consulate General of the Czech Republic was the venue of this year’s annual briefing provided by Heidi Nassauer, Chief of Passenger Operations, Deputy Chief Brian Roe and Supervisor Gerry Clarry of Customs and Border Protection at JFK Airport. Also present were New York representatives from the Department of State’s Office of Foreign Missions and officers from the Protective Liaison, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
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First Visit for the SOFC to the NASDAQ
In May, SOFC members paid a visit to the NASDAQ in New York City to witness the Opening Bell Ceremony and tour the trading floor.
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Farewell Reception for Friends
On May 21, to acknowledge their service to the consular corps, a farewell reception on behalf of the SOFC was hosted by SOFC President and The Philippines Consul General Mario L. DeLeon Jr., and held at Kalayaan Hall (Freedom Hall) of the Philippine Center for Ahmad Corbitt, Director of Public and International Affairs, and Lawrence and Janet Peterson, both International Relations, from the NYC office of The Church of the Latter Day Saints. Mr Corbitt has assumed new church responsibilities in the Dominican Republic and the Peterson’s have returned to Utah.
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92 St Y, Yale Alumni Workshop
In April an exclusive workshop was hosted and convened by the 92nd St Y, in conjunction with the SOFC and organized by the Association of Yale Alumni leadership on “How to Manage NYC-Based Alumni Associations of Home-Country Universities” at the Weill Art Gallery. As representatives of our consulates general, our charge is to build relationships, and New York-based alumni of universities in our home countries provide a mobilized network of connections. This workshop offered insights, strategies and tips on how to cultivate and engage the NYC area alumni who are so vital to our work. The Association of Yale Alumni (AYA) is renowned for its pioneering role as a global steward of university alumni community-building. Presenters included Executive Director of the Association of Yale Alumni, Mark Dollhopf and Director of International Alumni Relations for Yale University, Katherine Edersheim.
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International Women’s Day Celebrations
For the third consecutive year, the SOFC supported the Global Centenary of the International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 7 by inviting NYC consulates along with the women consuls and nationals who have made a difference here in New York, to a special reception kindly hosted by the Consul General of Poland, the Hon. Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka and organized by the initiator of the event, the Hon. Raushan Yesbulatova, Consul General of Kazakhstan. International Women’s Day is a global celebration dedicated to celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
Cultural entertainment and cuisine from various countries formed the program which honored outstanding women expats in New York.
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END-OF-YEAR HOLIDAY RECEPTION
SOFC members, their colleagues from the NYC diplomatic community and US Government agencies, along with VIP guests enjoyed a holiday reception in early December hosted by SOFC President,
the Hon. Mario L. De Leon Jr. International cuisine was supplied by the Consulates General of Thailand and The Philippines, and entertainment was provided by bright young stars, Ms. Kirby Asunto and Mr. Resty Yongco, who are both members of the casts of the Noli Me Tangere, the first Filipino opera in New York.
Check out photographs by Mr. Jake Tolentino here.
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