Official Club Name: The Friendship Force of Charlotte Closest Major Airport: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Maximum Number of Ambassadors Our Club Can Host: 21 About the Club: Our club was chartered in October, 1985. We currently have around 100 members, a mix of singles and couples. We have members from Charlotte and communities within a 30-mile radius. We try to arrange two Host and two Ambassador exchanges each year. Our Board of Directors meets monthly. General meetings of the membership are scheduled six times a year in addition to welcome and/or farewell parties during exchanges. Training meetings are provided for officers, committee chairs, and exchange directors. The club has a small office in the International House where we keep our records and gifts received from exchanges. About the Region: Charlotte is in the piedmont of North Carolina. The city has a population over 500,000; however, the population of the Charlotte metropolitan area is approximately 1.4 million. The North Carolina mountains are about 2 1/2 hours west of Charlotte, and the North Carolina beaches are about 5 hours east of Charlotte. There are numerous colleges and universities in the area. Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the country. It is home to the "Bobcat" NBA basketball team and the "Carolina Panthers" NFL football as well as NASCAR and baseball and hockey teams. Charlotte is called the "City of Trees" and had the first branch of the US Mint. (The building is now the Mint Museum of Art.) Gold was first discovered in the United States in neighboring Cabarrus County. Charlotte enjoys a mild climate most of the year with hot, humid summers. It is a beautiful city, particularly in the spring and fall. About the Exchange: Our Hosts and other members of the club greet our Ambassadors at the airport with our club banner. The week includes a welcome party and a farewell party. The welcome party is usually held the day after the arrival. All club members are included in either the welcome or farewell party. We schedule a one-day walking tour of the downtown area for the Ambassadors. Small group dinner parties are organized for the Ambassadors and their Host families. Other activities are scheduled at the discretion of the Exchange Director and may include drives to the North Carolina mountains, Reed Gold Mine, Lowe's Motor Speedway, or Old Salem, or by invitation to homes on Lake Norman. The rest of the week is spent with the Hosts who may plan additional activities with the Ambassadors.