-GCIV History: Part II, 2010 to Present-
September 30, 2012
This is the final installment of a two-part series chronicling the history of GCIV from 1998 to the present. Click here to read the first part!
In 2010 a new program called TODAY I MET… was started which involved taking international visitors to elementary, middle and high schools of the metro Atlanta area. In the two years of existence more than 150 visitors have met with local students. In 2011 GCIV received the Governor’s International Award for this program presented by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the World Trade Center Atlanta.
In addition to international visitors programs there are several ongoing community programs sponsored by GCIV:
- The Annual International Consular Ball, held in the spring which honors the members of the Consular Corps. Attended by 300 or more, this is a gala affair which raises funds for GCIV and honors the honorary and career consuls and their spouses.
- The Great Decisions Discussion Groups, with more than 20 venues, around the state meet for eight sessions to discuss international topics from a briefing book published by the Foreign Policy Association. In connection with these discussion groups there is a series of 8 lectures at the Dunwoody United Methodist Church using local foreign policy experts which are open to the public.
- Every month members of GCIV meet at local ethnic restaurants for an International Dining Experience. This is an informal way for members to get to know each other, to meet international visitors in town at that time and to explore new ethnic eating venues.
- For years GCIV has had two or three college interns who work throughout the year in the office. Most of them come from Georgia State, Georgia Tech or Oglethorpe and help out with the programming of visitors and special projects.
- Featuring our visitors, the Global Lunch Forums, a brown bag lunch event held about once a month, was started by Shell Stuart. This is a very successful way to welcome our visitors in a casual setting and to help out members get to know the visitors and to learn from them.
- Started in 2005 the ENVOYS, a group for our younger members meets once a month in a social setting, often with the visitors who are in town at that time. They have about 75 members and often provide transportation for visitors to their home hospitality appointments.
- One of the longest running programs of GCIV is the International Women Associates. This group grew out of the International Student Bureau program for teaching English to the wives of international students. Some of the current members date back to that time. Membership is comprised of half international women and half US-born women who have traveled or lived abroad. Wives of Consular Corps members are invited to meetings, which are held in private homes with conversation, a speaker and lunch provided by the members. Membership is kept to about 100.
As GCIV celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding, members can be proud of the accomplishments of the organization and of the thousands of visitors who have been introduced to “Southern Hospitality” by our citizen diplomats.
Please leave comments or email us with your GCIV memories and we’ll feature them in a future blog!