FIFTIETH FIFTH [55TH] ANNIVERSARY REUNION [1962-2017]

During the week of September 16-23, 2017, the first U.S. Peace Corps Project to Brazil and others volunteers to other

A Short Note About Our Arrival in Rio de Janeiro, 1962

projects, will have its quinquennial reunion at Topsail Island, North Carolina. Find your assigned cottage by clicking here --> [Ward Realty] Before this next reunion, our group have met about ten times in the past; as I recall and those I have attended, there have been reunions in Washington DC, twice at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center; Puerto Rico, at the former Peace Corps Training Center (Rio Abajo Forest Reserve) and Aguadilla, at the former Ramey Air Force Base; Bozeman, Montana hosted by John and Priscilla Dolan; auburn, Alabama, hosted by Gerald and Elaine Rutland; Valle Crucis, North Carolina, hosted by Francis and Sybil Pressly. Probably there were others for which I don't have information in Colorado, New Jersey and Brazil. This second reunion in North Carolina will be hosted by Francis and Sybil Pressly as they have done many times in the past.

It is expected a good attendance of RPCV from the first 4-H/4-S project of Brazil One to Brazil Six. The Topsail, North Carolina reunion site is located by the ocean with beautiful beaches and the housing are beach rental homes. 

The following photographical sequence shows some of the volunteers and spouses in attendance during the week of September 16-23, 2017.

THIS PHOTOGRAPHY REPRESENTS ONLY THOSE VOLUNTEERS AND SPOUSES THAT

 HAD ARRIVED BY THE FIRST GROUP MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

FIRST MEETING AT THE SURF CITY WELCOME CENTER, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

FRANCIS PRESSLY, BRAZIL 4-S PROJECT DIRECTOR, LEADING THE MEETING

Searching the Internet I found this "one page" account about the Peace Corps training camps in Puerto Rico, which our group went through for a few weeks. It is a short history of how those camps came to be part of the training curriculum of the Peace Corps. The comments are also interesting. We can relate to that story because we had those training activities...rock climbing, survival hikes, water survival at the swimming pool and at sea. For some was very hard. I believe that the main gain/benefit of that training was the development of self confidence and ability to face hardships.

This is another writing that should be read by us. I wish everyone of us will decide to write his/her memories of the Peace Corps service. I want to recognize that there were other reunions for which I don't have information. Those reunions are: Colorado 1994, New Jersey [Corinne Hay] 1999 and Brasilia, Brazil [David Fleischer], 2005. Please, if you can help, send me the information you have. Topsail is a tourist destination has many places to visit and eat. This is a link to the restaurants in the neighborhood compiled by TripAdvisor. Another website with Topsail information is this one of Kuester Management Group.  

As July 13, 2017, there were at least twenty-tree [23] volunteers from various Brazil projects and thirty-eight [38] attendees in total. Those additional attendees are the spouses of most of the volunteers. I can only identify one couple both being Peace Corps Volunteers, probably there are more than the one known. 

Our first group gathering will be Sunday [September 17] evening at the Surf City Welcome Center.  Dinner will be served and information will be shared about opportunities for activities during our stay.

Searching the web, I found this video in which our fellow volunteer Kara Rankin is featured.

Peace Corps Family Album - Brazil 1 - YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=36GgQQgDUok

By Ernie Zaremba
14 min video, 25/3/2013 · Video embedded · Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Brazil. Category Nonprofits & Activism; License Standard YouTube License; Show.