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• Renew your annual membership. New members are welcome!
  Contact: Carmen Shively, Membership Committee Chair, membership@thefaap.org
  
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President's Message

Happy 2012! Let it be another productive and fun filled year! As we usher in the new year, our FAAP Membership Committee wishes to remind current and past members to renew their membership ASAP. As always, we encourage new members to join our FAAP family!

It occurs to me now that we have never spelled out in black and white all the benefits, tangible and intangible, of an FAAP membership. I think it's as good a time as any to list as many as I can think of (with an angel looking over my shoulder for help!) This is in no particular order and I apologize in advance for missed items.

BENEFITS: Free Picnic, Free Christmas Party, Participation in cultural events such as the Pittsburgh International Folk Festival and other ethnic programs in the tri-state area, FAAp Directory every other year, 4 quartely issues of the FILIPINAS Newsletter (hard copies and online), monthly BALITA and special issues, Discounted entrance to the Induction Ball and other events, Scholarship Awards, (Jan Maramba Scholarship and Asian-American Heritage Awards and Luncheon), Health and Wellness Clinic, as well as other charitable benefits.

SOME MORE: Charitable donations to the Philippines, Folk Dance training by our Dance Troupe choreographers, free use of costumes and props, YFAP events such as educational and cultural Field Trips, Consular Outreach programs, sports and recreation programs, and food at every gathering (especially beloved Filipino dishes), year round cultural, charitable and educational events among the Fil-Am members and non-members, kinship with Filipino-American families and "kababayans," networking, leadership skills training in the YFAP, exposure of our families, especially our children, to the traditions, customs and ways of our homeland, voluntary work by all the officers/board members/committee members/members, including spouses and families, providing, in short, a home away from home.

INTANGIBLES: The listing above is already pretty extensive, but I bet I can pose a challenge for our members to come up with even more benefits to complete our list. What else do you feel you get out of belonging to the FAAP? Do write, email or just call. I think I have a pretty direct line to our editor so I can talk her into publishing your answers!

Happy New Year! Manigong Bagong Taon!

Jun Calejesan
FAAP President 2011-2012
president@thefaap.org