The Foreign Service Journal, September 2012

S E P T EMB E R 2 0 1 2 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 63 A F S A N E W S The AFSA Memorial Marker Is Now Available T he AFSAMemorial Marker celebrates and commemorates the ser- vice of Foreign Service personnel and their spouses or partners. The elegant, five-inchdiameter, architectural bronzemarker is etchedwith amodificationof theGreat Seal and thewords “UnitedStates ForeignService.” The high-quality marker comes in a velour presentation box, and can be used for presentationandcommemorativepurposes or affixed togravestones. The idea for the markers came from Georgette Garner and her son, Lt. Col. Robert J. Garner, who asked AFSA to find a way to commemorate their husband and father’s Foreign Service career. The design was created by Chris Murray, the son of AFSAmember Al Fairchild. The markers may be purchased for $149 through PayPal at www. afsa.org/marker, or you may request an order form by calling (202) 719- 9715. If you have not already done so, please consider purchasing amark- er. 52nd Annual AAFSW Art & BookFair The 52nd annual Art & BookFair of the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide will take place from Friday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 21. The event will be held in the Diplomatic Exhibit Hall of the Harry S Truman building. The fair will feature books, art, collectibles, stamps and coins from all over the world. All proceeds benefit Foreign Service families and the AAFSW Scholarship Fund. Donations — especially rare books, art items, stamps and coins — are now being accepted. For donation pickup, please call (202) 223- 5796 or e-mail bookroom@aafsw.org. If you would like to volun- teer to help at the event, please contact Judy Felt at (703) 370-1414. New Requirement for Financial Aid Scholarship Applicants Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, at least one Foreign Service parent must be an AFSA or Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide member for the student to be eligible for AFSA’s need-based, undergraduate financial aid scholarships. This change is being made to ensure consistency with AFSA’s Merit Awards Program, where the policy has been in place since 1997. Applications will be available in November. During the current school year, the AFSA Scholarship Program will provide financial aid to 100 Foreign Service students, with individual scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 and totaling $229,000. For more information, please see www.afsa.org/scholar. Consider Giving to the AFSA Scholarship Fund Appeal This month, AFSA will announce its annual AFSA Scholarship Fund Appeal. Donations may be made by mailing a check or online at www.afsa.org/donate_to_afsa.aspx wit h a credit card. Your support may help AFSA bestow one more scholarship to a child of one of your colleagues to help him or her go to their first-choice college. Our aid ranges from $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the need of the family. There are families that AFSA must turn away due to lack of available funds, so we appreciate whatever amount you can give. FSYF Welcome Back Picnic The Foreign Service Youth Foundation’s annual “Welcome Back Picnic” will take place on Sunday, Sept. 16, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., at Nottoway Park, 9601 Courthouse Rd., Vienna, Va. Join us in welcoming back recent- ly returned FS families to the Washington, D.C., area. Please bring a side dish, salad or dessert to share. For more information please call FSYF at (703) 731-2960 or email fsyf@fsyf.org. AFSA NEWS BRIEFS ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SKIP ODONNELL