By Laura McAlister
Journal Editor
Tom and Charlotte Laggy have learned a lot from their many travels. For instance, if something looks good, that still doesn’t mean you want to eat it, and air conditioning really is a commodity.
But perhaps the greatest lesson they’ve learned is that to really understand different places, you have to immerse yourself in that culture. That’s exactly what the couple has been doing for years since joining the Friendship Force of Birmingham.
The Friendship Force is an international exchange club with more than 350 chapters worldwide. The one in Birmingham was officially chartered in 1984 and now has some 70 members.
The mission of the exchange program is all in the name – it’s about making friends. Whether they are traveling abroad and staying with families in a foreign country or hosting families at their own homes, members of the Friendship Force say they’ve made many friends through the club.
“I like to say when they’re first here, they’re strangers, and when they get to our home, they’re our guests,” Tom said. “When they stay, they’re our friends, and when they leave, they’re family.”
Since the formation of the Birmingham club, a total of 746 members have traveled to nine states, 24 countries and completed 36 exchanges. Some of their more exotic exchanges include Russia, Japan, the Netherlands and Australia.
The exchanges work much like those of students. Participants stay with host families who plan much of their stay. Friendship Force International helps pair the local chapter with families abroad.
“They try to pair us with people with similar hobbies,” said Jean Butterworth, a member of the Birmingham club. “I’m a retired nurse, so I’ve been paired with another nurse before.”
Although their interests might be similar, that doesn’t mean their languages are. Often the families don’t speak much English but, Charlotte said, “We always find a way of communicating.”
Although Inez McCollum doesn’t speak any Russian, she found she was able to meet her Russian guests’ needs when they stayed at her home during a recent exchange.
“I had a man and a woman staying with me, and the woman, Louisa, didn’t speak any English. The man spoke a little,” Inez said. “He couldn’t understand how Louisa and I communicated. He said, ‘She doesn’t speak any English, and yet you two understand each other better than we do.’ I told him it was a woman thing.”
When hosting exchanges here, members try to offer a real taste of life in Birmingham. They take guests to museums and other popular attractions, but they also invite them to church, town council meetings and farmers’ markets, just to name a few.
“We don’t force them to do anything, but we do want them to know what life is like here, and for me, that’s going to church on Sunday,” Charlotte said. “Really the whole purpose is to promote friendship, harmony and understanding among the cultures. There’s nothing political about it.”
Members are often surprised by the reactions they get when taking their foreign friends to typical places in the area. One member took a Russian guest to Shades Mountain Baptist Church.
“He was so excited,” Jean said of her guest. “He actually stood up and started taking pictures.”
When traveling to foreign countries, members have also been surprised to learn about the different cultures.
Tom and Charlotte said when visiting Coppenhagan, Netherlands, they were didn’t realize just how “green” the people were.
“I actually was looking for a trash can to throw away a peppermint wrapper, and a woman came and said, ‘No, I’ll take that. I’ll recycle it,’” she said. “That little bitty wrapper, she wanted to recycle.”
While many of their trips have taken them to places like tiny towns in France and even once to Havana, Cuba, the members also travel in the U.S.
Not too long ago, Tom arranged what they call a “mystery trip” for members. Those participating packed their bags and headed for a destination only Tom knew.
“We left heading north, and when we stopped for lunch I handed everybody an envelope,” he said. “I told them they could open it now or wait and see when we got there. Well, they had all already opened them before I even finished the sentence.”
The trip took them to Owensboro, Ky., where they were paired with host families.
Members always start the trips, which anywhere from 12 to 25 attend, with a group meeting/dinner and end with the same type of event. At that time, the groups’ presidents exchange gifts that typically have something to do with the areas they are from. The Birmingham club gives a tea towel printed with images of popular Birmingham attractions.
Even though the trips last only about two weeks, members say the friendships they develop continue through emails and often more visits.
“Just the other day, I got an email from Louise (from Russia) saying she’s heard about the tornados,” Charlotte said. “She doesn’t really speak English, so it was real broken, but she was making sure we were OK.”
To learn more about the Friendship Force of Birmingham visit www.thefriendshipforceofbirminghamal.org or contact Inez at 822-8659.
