Monthly Newsletter March 2012 FORUM www.AmSoc.com.br Save the date St. Patrick’s Day Party Upcoming AmSoc events Save the date! Saturday, March 17th is Mar 17th - St. Patrick’s Day Event St. Patrick’s Day! Apr 21st - Volunteer Day This year AmSoc is taking a new Apr 21st - Annual Basketball Championship approach to St. Patrick’s Day and we will Apr 25th - AGM be having a private house party in the May 11th - Annual Gala home of one of our board members who lives in Jardins. No more standing in line for an hour to TheThe TeenTeen IssueIssue get into a packed pub where you cannot even hear the person next to you, let alone reach the bar to buy a drink! Summer Camps So join us for this fun occasion where you are sure to have a great time. You must be a member of good standing of Page 6: Send your teen of to one of these fab summer camps and they AmSoc or be with an AmSoc member to will actually learn something. get in. Space is limited so reserve today. Call the AmSoc office at 5182-2074 to reserve. Price per person is R$50 which includes munchies and... of course, green beer!! Teens in SP Page 10: There is much more for teens to do in São Paulo than hanging out at the mall. Save the date: AmSoc Annual Gala Teen Parties Page 16: Our columnist Maureen wonders what life with a teen will be like in Brazil. Our Mission The American Society of São Paulo promotes friendship by organizing social, cultural and athletic events for its diverse membership; encourages integration with the Brazilian society; and supports the American traditions of education, philanthropy and volunteerism. (see more about the Gala on page 3) President’s Corner Erik Poliak Award T h e A portion of the proceeds By Jennifer Showers, AmSoc Vice-President beginning of generated by the Gala will this new year go to the Maria Helen Drexel The Eric Poliak Selection Committee is finds us very Association, one of the charities soliciting award nominations from the general busy planning that AmSoc supports. The American Society membership. m a n y organization provides housing Nominations for the award can be sent A m e r i c a n and a family environment for directly to the AmSoc office, AmSoc@ S o c i e t y about 70 at-risk children, with americansociety.com.br, or directly to me at events in the the goal of helping help them [email protected]. Please place “Eric By Joe Sherman, u p c o m i n g reintegrate into their family and Poliak Nominee” in the heading and include AmSoc president months. community (Read more about your name, the name of your nominee, and the Plans are Helen Drexel on page 10). reasons you think the person is worthy of the underway for a spectacular St. So get ready to come dance 2011 award. Please send us your nomination by Patrick’s Day party in a private the night away with us! The Gala April 1, 2012. home and this year we are kicking will be at the Buffet Torres on off what is sure to become a May 11 with dinner, dancing, and The Eric Poliak Award was established in much-anticipated yearly event: fantastic auction items. 1985 with the following objectives: the AmSoc Annual Gala. Ticket sales will begin soon We were inspired by the and we expect to surpass the 60th 1. To reward exceptional efforts-above and beyond normal success of our 60th anniversary Event total of 479 guests. Get volunteerism-a sustained effort, which has benefited or party in 2010, which received your tables organized and tickets enhanced the American Society membership in São Paulo a lot of great feedback from soon as space is limited. those who attended (nearly 500 In other news we will be having 2. To foster community service efforts with the membership people). our Annual General meeting of the American Society - among short term as well as long The board is putting in a lot in April. In addition to the term members. of work to make sure the Gala, traditional formalities of electing which will be a charity dinner officers and Board members, we 3. To expand the horizons of those already interested in dance with a live and silent will have a cocktail reception volunteering. auction, is a great success. which is a wonderful opportunity Our board members are to meet other AmSoc members. 4. To encourage diversification of activities and types of working on marketing and I hope to see you there! services to all kinds of organizations and entities Eric Poliak communications, corporate was a true example of volunteerism, active in Chapel School, sponsorships, tickets sales, Abraços, Little League, the 4th of July celebrations, the Fellowship logistics and budget. It’s truly a Joe Church and other Boards and Committees. team effort led by board member The Board of Governors established the award shortly Kevin May (read Kevin’s bio in after Poliak’s death, to be given to someone who has renewed this issue of the Forum). his legacy, exceptional efforts above and beyond normal volunteerism. Forum is published monthly, with Lynn Cordeiro, editor and layout the exception of January and July, by Ernest White II, staff writer Forum is printed by EGB. (http://www.egb.com.br) Forum Views expressed in Forum do not necessarily reflect those of The American Society of São Paulo the American Society board of governors, members, or staff. Rua da Paz, 1431 04713-001 São Paulo, SP About Forum reserves the right to edit Tel: (11) 5182-2074 Fax: (11) 5182-9155 content for brevity and/or clarity. [email protected] 2 FORUM March 2012 The American Society of São Paulo Dance the Night Away at the AmSoc Annual Gala Buy Your Tickets! in São Paulo. We are 1. Contact the AmSoc office at 5182- excited to announce the 2074 for a ticket seller near you most prestigious event of the season—the American 2. Visit www.americansocietygala. Society Annual Gala, a com to buy your ticket online (this formal charity dinner dance option will be available March 15) to be held on Friday , May 11, 2012 at the beautiful 3. Fill out the enclosed order form Buffet Torres in Moema. It and reserve your table with the AmSoc will be an evening of fun, office and make a direct deposit in the friendship, laughter and bank account of the American Society lots of dancing. Which ever way you choose, we This will be a night to remember! We know we are well in advance want to see you there. You won’t want Calling all AmSoc members and of the date but tickets sell quickly. To to miss it! friends of members and actually , the reserve yours, you can do one of the entire expat community (and friends) following:: Beneficiary Selected more. The Association’s Mission The association is currently raising To protect, promote and guarantee the full rights funds to expand the space at its of children and adolescents, and their reintegration Brooklin headquarters used for all of its into family and community. programming needs, include tutoring, therapy and educational activities. We For more information about the hope we can count on you to help! Maria Helen Drexel Association visit Reserve your seats for our Annual Gala www.helendrexel.org.br. taking place May 11th by purchasing American Society is pleased your tickets today! Together we can to announce that the Maria Helen support this valuable organization and Drexel Association will be the help improve the lives of the children primary beneficiary of this year’s it serves. annual charity gala! The association, founded in 1973, provides housing and a family environment for children who have experienced abandonment, homelessness, neglect and abuse, with the goal of helping them reintegrate into their family and community. Close to 70 children call one of the association’s seven houses “home”. Each home is assigned a “House Mom” who fulfills typical parenting responsibilities such as taking children to medical appointments and meeting with teachers. And over 80 volunteers donate their time to provide counseling, help with fieldtrips, organize parties, host before/after school programs, and March 2012 FORUM 3 Board Profile By Kevin D. May I was an and to contemplate my next adventure. opportunity to benefit the AmSoc Air Force During the six months that I was there, community, contribute meaningfully brat, so I came to the realization that São to our charitable endeavors here and, we moved Paulo had become home for me. My in the process, have a lot of fun. I had around a largest professional network and social had a few glasses of red wine and, lot when I networks are here, and I have to admit in a moment of perspiration, boldly was young, that I was more than a little, ummm, suggested that if we took the decision w h i c h homesick. to host a gala event, that I would be sowed the So in June of 2010, I packed my happy to spearhead the effort. seeds for bags, came back down to São Paulo, The rest is future history. The event the restless/ and focused my efforts on finding will include drinks and dinner, a live adventurous my next opportunity. The decision and silent auction and dancing to one drive which panned out. Another buddy of mine, of São Paulo’s best DJs, and part of ultimately an ex-President of AmSoc, made two the proceeds will go to the Associação led me here.