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AS VARIETY GOES TO PRESS
Dear Friends of Variety,
Chet Francis, a veteran of many Variety conventions, and his
lovely wife Betty, joined me in Chicago as the official Kansas
City representatives to the 2003 Variety International Convention.
Delegates from allover the world descended on Chicago to celebrate
another successful year for Variety in our commitment to improving
the qoality oflife for children.
 Out-going
Variety International President Jody Reynolds coordinated a spectacular
event full of learning experiences and time for shared ideas.
We paused long enough to recognize long time supporters and sponsors.
One of those recognized was our own Marielle Calon, honored with
the Presidential Citation for her many years of service to Variety
and the children of Kansas City.
The convention marked the end of Jody's term as President. She
leaves a legacy of caring and a dizzying schedule of visits to
all of the Variety Tents worldwide. I know you join me in saluting
Jody, and her husband Stan, for their tireless support of Variety.
One of Jody's last official duties was to welcome our new International
President Ory Slonim from Tent 51 in Israel. Ory has been Chief
Barker of Tent 51 for nine years and has raised millions of dollars
for Israeli children. He became involved with Variety while recovering
from wounds suffered in a terrorist attack on a movie theatre
in Israel.
Ory will be a strong leader for Variety International, and the
convention experience reinforced that we are part of a truly amazing
worldwide organization. I was impressed with the dedication of
the Variety family around the globe. The good things we do locally
are replicated by thousands of dedicated Variety volunteers throughout
the United States and the world.
The enthusiasm of the Tents was contagious with the top prize
going to our friends from Australia. The Aussies have a zest for
life and a true talent for fundraising. I was most interested
in the real scoop on the mysterious Australian "Bash", a cross-country
four-wheel road rally. They love their "Bash" events. This fundraiser
doesn't quite translate for us, but they sure know how to "Bash"
in Australia. They have a vast country with an extremely sparse
population rattling around outside the major cities. Where the
good roads end, the "Bashing" parties begin. They bring the Variety
message to small isolated communities along with a healthy dose
offun Their sponsors generously provide the backing to make the
"Bash" a major fundraiser that continues to grow in popularity.
I struggled to understand the Aussies during our first interactive
sessions, but soon picked up their unique form of the English
language. Australian was not the only unique English variation
I heard during the convention. My Midwestern drawl mixed freely
with the sophisticated "Queen's English" as spoken on the Isle
of Jersey. I enjoyed swapping stories with the New Zealanders,
Irish, Canadians, South Africans, Tasmanians, and the Chief Barker
of Variety's Tent in Barbados. I needed an interpreter at times
to get the message across. Despite the occasional lapses in communication,
we all had one thing in common and at the top of our mind We are
all dedicated to improving the lives of special needs children
in our communities.
Variety began 76 years ago in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We have
now grown to 51 Tents in 13 countries with over 200,000 volunteers.
With a fresh perspective on the scope and importance of the organization,
I challenge Variety -Kansas City to set our goals even higher
and aim for more far-reaching efforts than ever before. .
For the kids,
Greg Hogue, President
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