Conference makes friends in Bundy

Guest speaker from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Erin Zingales and Heather Haythorpe from the Sunshine Coast.

Mike Knott BUNFRND

MAKING new friends was the number one priority at the Brothers Sports Club after the weekend when the national Friendship Force conference came to town.

It was the first national conference for Branyan man Graham Duldig who has been a member of the group for about five years.

“I found it quite interesting in that it allowed me to see how they organised exchanges,” he said.

Friendship Force is a network which sets up group members with places to stay when they wish to go to another country.

Mr Duldig had a couple from Turkey come to stay with him last year.

“We now have a friend in Turkey if we ever need one,” he said.

Mr Duldig said the conference gave him the opportunity to meet people from across the country.

“At the dinner we were talking to people from Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne,” he said.

“There are always some interesting stories when you get those kind of people together.”

Friendship Force conference convenor David Willsher said almost 220 people registered for the three-day conference at the club.

Mr Willsher said an informal dinner was held at Baltimores in Burnett Heads on Thursday night before the conference kicked off officially on Friday night.

“We had our 20th birthday celebrations for the Bundaberg branch on Friday night which was a lovely evening,” he said.

Mr Willsher said that when the conference was organised they tried to keep it themed around Bundaberg.

Guest speakers included Bundaberg Regional mayor Lorraine Pyefinch and Lex Rowland, who was instrumental in moving Hinkler House to Bundaberg.

A documentary on sea turtles was also shown.