New Pictures from German Exchange
Posted by admin on April 5, 2011 under Uncategorized | 
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As usual the kids had loads of fun.
TEEXpress Article
Posted by admin on February 26, 2010 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article
Brochure
Posted by admin on October 5, 2009 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article
Bryan-College Station
Sister Cities Association
2011-2012
P.O. Box 4733
Bryan, Texas 77805
www.bcssistercities.org
PROMOTING CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
The Bryan-College Station Sister Cities Association began in 1989 to promote cultural understanding, fellowship, and communications between our cities and our first sister city, Kazan, Russia. Today we have two additional sister cities: Greifswald, Germany and Salamanca, Mexico.
The Association is an affiliate of Sister Cities International. www.sister-cities.org
Representing nearly 1900 communities in 135 countries this citizen diplomacy network creates and strengthens partnerships between the U.S. and communities abroad. Begun in 1956 after a White House summit where President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for a people-to-people initiative, sister city partnerships are tailored to local interests and increase global cooperation at the grass roots level. Sister Cities International promotes peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation by focusing on sustainable development, education, arts, humanitarian assistance, municipal, business, professional, technical, and economic growth exchanges and programs. Local citizens gain a sense of pride from being involved in solutions to global challenges by learning about and connecting with people from other cultures.
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Sister Cities International promotes peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation—one individual, one community at a time.
PROGRAM DESIGN
A Sister Cities Exchange (youth and/or adult) program is a yearlong commitment for participants and their families. Approximately two weeks are spent in the exchange city and later our guests spend approximately two weeks in Bryan-College Station area and parts of Texas. In the fall of 2011, applications are available for Bryan and College Station citizens to apply. Ten high school students in grades 9& 10 along with two adult sponsors are selected for youth trips traveling the following summer. Ten adults compose the adult trips. It is intended that half of the participants represent each city.
Currently the cost to participate is $2400 per person which includes airfare to the foreign city and an activity budget for the following year when the foreign guests visit BCS.
After selection in the fall, deposits are paid and passports are secured or renewed for participants. Student participation in fund raisers and staffing of community events such as Worldfest are required and build friendships between participants. BCS Sister Cities arranges for airline tickets and travel details with the sister city.
Both students and adults act as ambassadors representing Bryan and College station. This unique opportunity fosters an understanding of global issues unlike any other.
PROGRAM GOALS
• BCS Sister Cities will provide quality youth & adult exchanges that promote cultural understanding and friendship among participants.
• The program will foster personal growth and self-confidence for students and adults while valuing & supporting each individual’s participation in the exchange program.
• The program will actively educate, support, and involve parents, students, and adults along with respective communities with the Sister Cities philosophy.
• BCS Sister Cities is a non-political, non-profit association.
SUMMER, 2012
GREIFSWALD, GERMANY
Ten student ambassadors and two sponsors will travel to Greifswald in late June for two weeks where they will actively participate in cultural events and educational activities. This is a home-stay where students will be paired with an English speaking student and a host family.
The German students and their sponsors will visit BCS in Spring, 2013 to stay with their American host families. Host families feed and house the guests for the two weeks and cover incidental expenses such as movie admissions, etc. Additionally, the host family helps to organize and actively participate in excursions in the area and around Texas to assist our guests the opportunity to experience our culture and history.
Questions ? Call Zandy Pustay at 979-696-8620.
MEMBERSHIP
Community members join BCS Sister Cities on an annual basis. Our membership year is October 1st through September 30th.
Please make checks out to: Bryan-College Station Sister Cities and mail to:
P.O. Box 4733, Bryan, TX. 77805
Annual Memberships:
Family $25
Individual $15
Student $10
Recognition Memberships:
Supporting $50
Contributing $100
Sustaining $250
Benefactor $1000
Funding for BCS Sister Cities is derived solely from memberships and local fund raising activities.
Anniversary
Posted by admin on December 17, 2008 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment
Celebrating Tatarstan’s Anniversary
In August, 1998 the Kazan city government invited Bryan and College Station to send representatives to join them in celebrating the anniversary of Tatarstan’s Declaration of Sovereignty. On August 27,1998, Dr. Morris Gelber, acting as a representative of the Bryan-College Station Sister Cities Association, departed for a 12-day trip to Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia.
Morris reports that he was met in Moscow by Alexander (Sasha) Kasatkin and Ilia Gershikov. Morris and Sasha traveled from Moscow to Kazan on the overnight train Krasnoyarsk, arriving in Kazan on Saturday, August 29. On the next day Morris and his hosts, the Kasatkins, visited Baumann Street, the main commercial street in Kazan. It is now closed to traffic and made a perfect setting for the festivities that were taking place.
Kazan really looks quite nice with much new building and renovation taking place. Sunday evening, Morris and his hosts attended the culmination celebration at the Stadium. There they enjoyed folk songs and dancing and Mayor Ishkakov’s greeting to the people. Later in the week, Morris visited Vice-Mayor Andreevna at the mayor’s office. Gifts were exchanged and agreements were made regarding future visits.
During the week, Morris visited School #18, one of our sister schools, from which have come many of our high school visitors. Since it was the first day of school, a nice program was held in the commons area and Morris was asked to say a few words, which he did – both in English and in Russian. Then he visited many classrooms and spoke with students of every grade. Other sites that Morris visited included the new Concert Hall, which is quite beautiful, and the Chamber of Commerce. He met with the directors of both organizations and discussed the possibilities of cooperation between those groups and their counterparts here in Bryan-College Station.
One of the highlights of the trip for Morris, was a gathering of students and teachers who have visited Bryan-College Station. So many of the students told him how much their visit to our cities had changed their lives. Morris returned to Moscow Monday morning, September 7, accompanied by Azaliya Urazmetova, the teacher who had spend nine months as an exchange teacher in Bryan, and flew out of Moscow very early on Tuesday morning. It was a wonderful trip for Morris, and he would like to thank the Association for making it possible. He has many pictures of his “adventure,” and will be happy to show them to anyone who’s interested.
Student Exchange
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Student Exchange to Kazan: July, 2007
In July, 2007 eleven high school students along with their two sponsors traveled from B-Cs to Kazan, Russia. Kazan is located some 500 miles east of Moscow, in the state of Tatarstan. This group participated in many daily activities during their home stay including visits to art museums, the Kazan city hall which is closed to local residents, and the University of Kazan founded in 1804. Other highlights include visits to the Raifa Monastery, ancient Bulgar, the Kazan Kremlin and a river cruise on the Volga with multiple stops to ancient villages along the way. When in Moscow the group toured Red Square and St. Basil’s Church.
Our students served as outstanding ambassadors from B-CS, many of whom formed lasting friendships with their counterparts. Sponsors remarked with amazement with the numerous similarities among the students despite living half a world away.
The Russian brothers and sisters visited B-CS in October, 2007 for a two week stay. In addition to visiting Texas A&M University and local Brazos County sites the students experienced a Texas rodeo, a county fair, and a traveling circus. Several state parks were included to allow a flavor of the diverse landscape that we take for granted. Delightful fall weather provided a backdrop for visits to San Antonio and the River Walk, Austin, Fredricksburg, and Marble Falls. The Russian delegation left both happy and exhausted from this two week introduction to Texas and the USA!
Students travel to Russia Kyndal Henicke said Wednesday that one thing stood out about her trip to Kazan, Russia – teenagers are mostly the same whether they live in the United States or across the Pacific Ocean.
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“There were way more similarities in the way we live than differences,” Henicke said, explaining that Russian teenagers like to do the same things that she and her friends do every day. “We’re all the same.” The 16-year-old A&M Consolidated High School junior was among 11 local high school students who recently traveled to Kazan, Bryan-College Station’s Russian sister city. The group returned Sunday after spending two weeks abroad. Each year, local students take part in the exchange program, which is sponsored by the Bryan and College Station city councils. Each council pays $5,000 annually to support the program. Bryan and College Station share three sister cities – Kazan; Greifswald, Germany, and Zuazua, Mexico. The program was developed under President Dwight Eisenhower to promote cooperation among international cities. Next summer, students will travel to Greifswald for two weeks. The students spent $1,000 each to travel to Russia. Each was assigned to a Russian high school student and stayed with that student’s family. In October, the Russian students will come to Bryan-College Station to experience two weeks in the life of an American teenager. While in Russia, the group toured museums, churches, mosques, Kremlin buildings and even Kazan City Hall – a building most Russians are not allowed to enter. The American students applied for the program and were selected after being interviewed by a committee from the Sister Cities program. Other participants were Stephen Nock, Kyle Kenerley, Harrison Balog, Laura Brown, Emily Morgan, Jane McKenzie, Natalie Clark, Jessica Tinker, Dyle Hobson and Dayly Dickinson. Dickinson, a junior at A&M Consolidated High School, said Russia was much more modern than she had imagined it to be. “In history, we learn about Soviet times and how bad it was,” the 16-year-old said. “But it was a mixture of that. On the outside, buildings would not be kept up as well, but on the inside, they were always really nice.” Nock, also a Consol junior, said the hard work of Russian citizens was evident in their efforts to modernize the country. “Russia is probably one of the greatest places I’ve ever been,” he said. “Everywhere you look, you see development and how the country is growing. People are always busy working and trying to get things done to improve the country.” McKenzie, a 16-year-old Consol junior, said she had always wanted to travel abroad, and the program offered the perfect opportunity. McKenzie, who is 3 feet,6 inches tall, said her host family had never seen a little person before. “I learned a lot of new things about their culture, and it was an eye-opener for me,” McKenzie said. “If I hadn’t had this opportunity, I know I wouldn’t have gone. Now I want to go back.” Most of the students, like Henicke, said the most valuable aspect of the trip was the interaction with teenagers just like them. “[It wasn't] just going on vacation and seeing all the tourist spots,” Henicke said. “We got to do that but at the same time, we got to make 12 new friends and see how they lived. Instead of having an outsider’s view, we got an insider’s view to how families lived in Russia.”
Arena Welch’s e-mail address is arena.welch@theeagle.com.
Organizational Chart
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Bryan/College Station Sister Cities Association |
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Organizational Chart |
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(revised 2.3.09) |
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President or/ Co-Presidents
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VICE-PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER BOARD MEMBERS YOUTH + ADULT AMBASSADORS PARENT VOLUNTEERS MEMBERSHIP |
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By-Laws
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Bryan-College Station Sister Cities Association
Greifswald , Germany Kazan , Russia Zuazua , Mexico
P.O. Box 4733 Bryan , TX 77805
www.bcssistercities.org
BY-LAWS Revised 1.12.09
I. NAME: Bryan-College Station Sister Cities Association
II. PURPOSE: The Association is organized for charitable and educational purposes, consistent with section 501(c) (3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. No part of the net earnings of the Association shall accrue to the benefit of its members, directors or officers. The Bryan-College Station Sister Cities Association does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color or national origin.
III. BOARD OF DIRECTORS:A. The Board of Directors (“Board”) may have as few as nine and as many as twenty members, and the term of office shall be three years. The members of the Board of Directors shall be qualified for their positions by reason of their interest in encouraging, establishing, and causing to flourish sister city relationships between Bryan and College Station, Texas and cities in foreign countries.
B. The Board shall elect its successors yearly at its annual meeting, with one-third of the Directors being elected each year. Directors may serve consecutive terms.
C. Absence from three or more consecutive Board meetings shall constitute resignation from the Board unless otherwise determined by the Board.
D. Vacancies on the Board may be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by vote at any meeting of the Board.
E. The Board shall meet monthly. Meetings shall be open to members of the Association.
F. A majority of the Directors present at a duly called meeting, but not less than five, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting business of the Association.
G. Members of the Board agree to serve on committees of the Board as described below:
IV. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
A. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Association. The Executive Committee shall set the agenda for monthly meetings and make recommendations for specific actions of the Board.
B. The Executive Committee shall present an annual plan of activities and an annual budget for approval by the Board of Directors the month following election of officers at the annual meeting.
C. The Executive Committee may be empowered to act on behalf of the Board in negotiation of contracts and agreements.
V. OFFICERS:
A. Officers of the Association must also be Directors. The Officers shall consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Officers shall be elected by the Board at its annual meeting or when vacancies arise.
B. The President shall serve as chief officer of the Association. The President shall preside officially at all meetings of the Executive Committee and Board. The president may serve continuously for no more than two years.
C. The Vice-President is the second officer of the Association and may carry out the duties of the President when she/he is unable to participate in Association activities.
D. The Treasurer shall collect and disburse funds as authorized by the Executive Committee, keep full and accurate accounts, prepare a yearly financial report, and comply with reasonable requests for financial information by the Board. The Treasurer shall file yearly tax returns to both Federal and State governments. The Treasurer shall also serve on the Finance Committee.
E. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Executive Committee and Board and report the activities of the Association. The Secretary shall also keep current records of the names and addresses of the Board and notify them of annual meeting and other official meetings.
VI. COMMITTEES:
Each of the following committees shall be chaired by a Director of the Association appointed by the President of the Association.
A. The Finance Committee shall be responsible for fund raising and preparation of an annual budget in conjunction with the Executive Committee.
B. The Membership Committee shall develop membership programs and recruit new members. The Membership Committee shall coordinate its activities with the other committees.
C. The Educational Exchange Committee shall function in two areas:
Citizen Exchange – Plans exchanges of official delegations between Bryan/College Station and its designated sister cities.
Educational Exchange – Coordinates high school educational exchange programs between Bryan/College Station and its designated sister cities.
D. A Publicity Committee shall publicize and help plan activities and events of the Association. Additionally, this committee shall prepare and distribute a regular newsletter for members and interested individuals in the community at large.
E. Membership in the committees is not limited to members of the Board.
F. The Board may appoint ad hoc committees as needed.
VII. ANNUAL MEETING:A. An annual meeting shall be held between August 15 and October 15 of each year.
B. A nominating committee, appointed by the President of the Association, shall nominate both Officers and new members of the Board. These nominations shall be distributed to the Board at least two weeks before the annual meeting. Nominations may also be accepted from the floor. Nominations must be made with the consent of the person nominated. Voting shall be by acclamation, or, if requested by any Director present, by secret ballot.
VIII. GENERAL PROVISIONS:
A. The fiscal year shall be October 1 September 30 for purposes of state and federal reporting.
B. The Treasurer, President, and Vice-President are authorized to sign checks. Two signatures are required on all checks. Prior approval is needed for checks greater than $500.
C. The Board is authorized to accept both restricted and unrestricted gifts.
D. Directors may be removed for just cause by a two-thirds vote of the full Board.
X. AMENDMENT PROCEDURES:
The power to amend the by-laws is vested in the Board. A majority of the full Board is required. Such vote may be by proxy.
Contacts
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bcssistercities@gmail.com
Zandy Pustay –979-696-8620 or zpustay@gmail.com
David Ruesink –druesink@cstx.gov
BCS Convention & Visitors Bureau– 979-260-9898
Guest Suggestion
Posted by admin on December 9, 2008 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment
WAYS TO BE A GREAT GUEST
Bryan-College Station Sister Cities
Revised 1.7.10
- Taste everything you are offered by your host family and others associated with the exchange. If you don’t like it, be polite, keeping your opinion to yourself unless asked.
- Be willing to try each activity the host plans. You may opt out after giving it a try if necessary.
- Keep all phone calls and computer time very short. Your hosts may pay per minute of use and it generally is quite expensive compared to our costs. Take an international calling card with you for calls home and use an internet cafe for longer usage.
- Bring a gift for your host family and give it to them soon after your arrival. Also, take small gifts for the host student and any siblings.
- If you attend your host’s school you may be a curiosity and the center of attention. Pay close attention and be polite to all. Be prepared to respond when asked how your school compares to theirs.
- Keep all negative judgmental opinions to yourself. It is okay to comment that we do this and that differently, but don’t say that we do things better. No one wants to hear that! You may be shocked to learn that they may do some things better than we do!
- Keep your sleeping area orderly even if you don’t at home. If your host family is typical, they will have a neat, orderly home with less space that you are accustomed to. They will appreciate you following their lead.
- Follow any house rules. Remember, it’s their house.
- Don’t hog the bathroom. Most apartments/homes have a single bathroom that the entire family must share. Be thoughtful of the others. You will likely use the same towel on multiple days.
- Be ON TIME for everything. Punctuality is important to our hosts.
- Your host family may offer to do your laundry. Understand that their clothes washers are typically small and may take 1.5 hour per load. Not all families will have dryers.
- Recycle, recycle, recycle!
- Ask how you may help around the house but don’t be surprised if they decline your offer. Get enough sleep so you have energy to fully participate in ALL ACTIVITIES.
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