The Foreign Service Journal, January 2003

W e urge you to nominate a col- league for one of AFSA’s con- structive dissent awards or for one of AFSA’s three exemplary perfor- mance awards by the Feb. 12 deadline. Winners will receive $2,500 and are hon- oredat a ceremony in June in theBenjamin Franklin Room at the State Department (attended by Secretary Powell in 2002). For 35 years, AFSA has supported this program to recognize Foreign Service members who have challenged the con- ventional wisdom on an issue related to their work. Our awards program honors excellence, dedication, andadherence to the best principles of service to the nation. Today’s Foreign Service employees, at all grades and inall agencies, put their lives and the lives of their families at risk to advance American Foreign Service Association • January 2003 Last Call for AFSA Awards Nominations O neofAFSA’skeyobjectivesistohelp developadomesticconstituency for the foreignaffairs agencies. During aNov.9-10triptocentralFlorida,Iworked toadvancethatobjectivebymeetingwithan editorial writer and Pulitzer Prize winning foreign affairs reporter of the Orlando Sentinel (central Florida’s topdailynewspa- perservingreadersinfiveU.S.congressional districts). Hopefully,ourdiscussionwillserve as a catalyst for future editorials and other articles supporting Secretary Powell’s effort to secure a sustained infusion of resources to strengthen diplomatic readiness. During my trip, I also continued the long tradition of AFSA officers meeting with Foreign Service retirees. The Florida group (the Foreign Service Retirees Associationof Florida - FSRA) is the largest in the nation, with 770 dues-paying members. As FSRA Chair Irwin Rubenstein reported in the October issue of the Foreign Service Journal , his grouphas an extremely active speakers bureau (coordinatedbyAl Perlman) andother ini- Continued on page 9 AFSA NEWS AFSA AND EDUCATION AFSA Scholarship Fund Receives Largest Bequest Ever BY LORI DEC, SCHOLARSHIP ADMINISTRATOR M rs. Naomi M. Mathews, the sur- viving spouse of Ambassador Elbert G. Mathews, bequeathed over $800,000 to the AFSA Scholarship Fund. Mrs.Mathews passed away in1999 at the age of 88. Her estate was recently settled, and theAFSAScholarshipFundwas named as the largest beneficiary. The money will be added to the scholarship fund’s $3.4millionendowment. Beginning with the 2003-04 school year, a financial aid scholarship will be bestowed in the name of Ambassador andMrs. Mathews. The AFSA Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to Foreign Service children under the renewable, need-based financial aid scholarship program for under- graduate college study and through one- time-only academic and art merit awards for graduating high school seniors. Continued on page 9 AFSA PUBLIC OUTREACH AFSA President Visits Florida BY JOHN NALAND, AFSA PRESIDENT Continued on page 3 This Issue in Brief: NEWS BRIEFS: STUDENT LOANS........................2, 4, 10 VOTING MATTERS..................................5 DUTY AND DANGER...............................5 Q&A: TRANSPORTATION......................6 OUTREACH WRAP-UP...........................8 JOSH