The Catalina Island "Dark of the Moon" Weekend was great fun for the three families who participated - 3 little girls, 2 big brothers, their happy parents and one doting aunt.
 
Activities included a birthday celebration, volleyball, card games, endless relaxed conversations sitting on benches at Isthmus Harbor, walking all over the isthmus, and yes, stargazing on a very clear night.

It was an absolutely perfect and relaxing weekend - one that will be repeated next year along with, we hope, FCC Moon Festival mountain camping.

On Saturday, November 14, 2009 at Beeman Park in Studio City the SoCal Friends - Chinese the Fun Way group met to do crafts and learn Chinese with WeiWei. Luckily, they didn’t get blown away with all the wind! The children had fun making turkey headresses and Thanksgiving cards. They also learned how to say and give thanks in Chinese. Pumpkin pie was among the assortment of treats!

The group meets monthly with a different theme. The next event will be Christmas in Chinatown on Saturday, December 12. Event details will be posted shortly. Other upcoming events will include Chinese New Year and Huntington Gardens.

Contact Arlene Balkin at arlene@levyaffiliated.com for more information. And look for information of upcoming events here on this website. Come join WeiWei and friends to learn Chinese the fun way.

What are “SoCal Friends” Groups?

SoCal Friends activity and support groups (formerly called “Friends of FCC”) are independently coordinated by FCC members for FCC families to further the mission of the organization, but they are not officially sponsored or insured by FCC-SoCal, nor does FCC-SoCal provide direct oversight of their activities.

As an insured nonprofit corporation, FCC-SoCal has distinct legal and risk management requirements and responsibilities.  As such, its Board of Directors and other key leadership must exercise direct oversight over all sponsored activities to assure compliance and accountability.  While of vital importance, those restrictions necessarily limit the number and types of activities FCC-SoCal may reasonably sponsor.  Indeed, certain activities are expressly excluded by the insurance carriers.

The FCC Board created the “SoCal Friends” designation (originally “Friends of FCC”) to provide member families with greater flexibility and broader opportunities to socialize and support one another in a variety of locales and contexts, outside the sphere of sponsored activities.  FCC-SoCal simply requires that all email groups and announcements for activities contain the “SoCal Friends” designation and the definition/disclaimer set forth above so that there is no confusion regarding FCC sponsorship, insurance or oversight.