MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hello Interliners ,                 

Happy Birthday Florida Interline Club !!!! 

It is one year since we formed the club back in January 2004.

We are looking forward for 2005, with lots of events and fun.  We have a new member on the board Shirley Dibley (US rtd.) who is our Director of Events and Travel. Welcome aboard Shirley. If any of you can spare a couple of hours a month we would love to have you on the board.

Unfortunately we had to cancel our International event due to not enough participants.  However our Regional Meeting will still take place. Over 17 WACA Representatives will have their annual meeting here, and, we hope that you can come and meet them at the dinner. Of course we shall let you know where and when.

The WACA calendar events is updated for you to choose your next destination of relaxation. Thailand IC invites you  to China in March, to visit the Great Wall, the Ming Tomb, the Temple of Heaven. Then fly into Xian  visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the Huaqing Hot Springs and the Old City Wall. Of course shopping night and day!  Trinidad & Tobago IC invites you in April, to discover the paradise in the Caribbean. Go snorkeling in the famous Nylon Pool, Bucco Reef and waterfalls. Experience the Rain Forest -  the oldest  forest reserve in the Western Hemisphere. BWIA connects from New York and Miami. In order to participate in any event you need to renew your membership and fill in the application form which has to be duly signed by our club.

Our Kahunaville Happy Hour went great. Everyone chatted away and everyone renewed their 2005 membership. I forgot to take the camera so no photos for this one. Do not forget to bring your friends and co-workers to our next Happy Hour meeting  February 28, 2005 at Kahunaville. We need each and everyone to help us grow.

Yours in Interlining, 

MESSAGE FROM WACA PRESIDENT MAGA RAMASAMY

We have all been saddened by the news of the tsunami disaster. We as interliners world- wide would like to show our concerns by bringing our contribution to the relief efforts. Learning on the news that what is needed mostly is money, WACA would like to join the “ Just a Drop” fundraising campaign to assist the grief stricken survivors of the Indian Ocean/South East Asia disaster.

Money for the “Just a Drop” will be especially used to provide clean water and sanitation to the needy people in the affected areas caused by the tsunami. The World Health Organization has said that as many could die from diseases as died from the tsunami waves. Details may be found on www.justadrop.org.

While the response for relief agencies and governments has been swift and generous – relief experts say that much more needs to be done and for a long period of time. One of the most important needs is for drinking water, especially for children who are most vulnerable to dehydration and water-borne diseases. A special WACA ledger account has been opened to receive disaster relief donations from member clubs and/or individual interliners to the tune of a minimum of USD 5 per person. All donations raised will be paid into this account and the proceeds will be sent to the “Just a Drop” organization whose head office is based in London. www.justadrop.org.

WACA will become associated directly with the projects carried in favour of the many victims of the recent tsunami. We shall involve our Clubs in Far East and Australasia particularly the Sri Lanka Interline Club as a liaison with the organization to identify the very needy places or areas. Donations can be in cash paid directly by the individuals to the WACA account or paid to the home clubs who will arrange to relay the donation to WACA Headquarters. Before any amount disbursed from our account, the executive committee will have the chance to view the overall project and to give its approval. WACA counts on your generosity, support and solidarity to the people in the Indian Ocean/ South East Asia. 

Meet Shirley Dibley our Director of Events and Travel

Shirley was an airline employee for 37 years. She was a Baggage Service Supervisor with Piedmont Airlines in Columbus, Ohio and until her retirement from US Airways she worked at Tampa International Airport. She was the President of the the Columbus Interline Club, and in 1982 the President of the Tampa Bay Interline Club. She and her board members boosted the membership from 150 to 450 ( a number we hope to achieve one of these days). She was the Vice-Chairman of the ATA - Airport Transportation Association. After her retirement she took an Antiques course and opened her own business with a friend. Her hobbies include decorating, music, entertaining and genealogy (her family traces back to England, 1610). Her husband Gordon, was the love of her life, and he played professional hockey.  

       The rain forest in Trinidad and Tobago

The Great Wall of China