Frequently Asked Questions about Friendship Force

Is Friendship Force a house-swap or house-exchange club?  No - we stay as guests in the homes of club members in another country or an Australian club. Just like staying with family. We call our home-stays "exchanges" because they are reciprocal hosting arrangements - that is, we come stay with you for free, and in exchange you come to stay with us for free. Hosts later become ambassadors to home-stay with members of some other club.

It looks like a travel agency!  No - we are definitely a non-profit organisation. We use travel agents to arrange our travel to the hosting clubs and return, but each exchange programme is arranged by the host club. The large costs quoted by some clubs are usually for "add-on" excursions (often referred to as "land content") and not related to the home-stays. Some may include airline and other related travel costs for the entire exchange. Please note that, as members sometimes travel large distances to attend an exchange, it is normal for the outbound club to organise an "add-on" excursion to add value to the trip. Usually these add-ons are optional.

What are the fees you mention?  A 7-day activity programme organised by a host club includes expenses you would otherwise have to pay from your own pocket, but are pre-paid by you as a US$100 "host club fee" to cover booking and paying in advance for catering, hiring of venues, coach hire, excursions, etc. for the group. And often these are cheaper as bulk deals. Each club is required to keep strict accounts for all exchange programme activities.  In addition to this programme fee, our head office in Atlanta requires a fee of US$125 per person, per exchange, to cover administration and coordination costs for administering many hundreds of club to club exchanges around the world annually. But when you don't have to pay for accommodation for 7 nights, and only minor activity and entertainment costs for the week, the fees are very reasonable.

Are these fees all you have to pay to travel with Friendship Force?  You would naturally expect to pay for your travel insurance, normal out of pocket expenses such as meals while not in the homes of your hosts, souvenirs, shopping, and so on. Courtesy also requires ambassadors to offer to offset some of the hosts' expenses, such as fuel for often lengthy sightseeing touring in the family car. Many hosts will decline the offer, but may accept an offer to dine at a restaurant one evening, or for lunch, as a "thank you" for their hospitality.

Is Friendship Force sponsored by a church or religious group?  Definitely not. Our objective is to promote global understanding across political, religious and cultural boundaries. Knowing how others live, and think, and what is important to them, goes a long way to creating tolerance and friendly relations between nations. As the founder of Friendship Force, Wayne Smith, said: "When you put your feet under someone else's dinner table, you are going to learn a lot."

I don't like the idea of having strangers in my house.  We understand. But as we would be strangers when we go to stay with other members, so we all have an attitude that, in the Friendship Force family, we are all honest and friendly and responsible. However, we should be willing to accept that some cultures do things differently than we do, and we should be glad for the opportunity to learn and understand these differences. In any case, a member is not permitted to travel on an exchange until he or she has become well known by their home club. If an ambassador from one club joins an outbound exchange coordinated by another club, that ambassador must obtain a letter of introduction from their club's president to the president of the coordinating club. Also, Friendship Force has very strict rules governing behaviour on exchanges, so there are rarely any problems.

What is the typical age of members?  Friendship Force membership ranges from 30-somethings to over 90 years of age. The more active members are in the age range of 55 to 75 - in other words, active retirees.  Sometimes teenagers will travel, as members, with their parents or grandparents.  But the general rule is that every ambassador must be able to manage their own luggage, climb stairs, be fit enough for two or three very active exchange programmes, and not have medical issues that will lead to possible medical interventions while on exchange.  

Can I decide where and when I can go on an exchange?  Basically, maybe. Each club is allocated visits to certain other 'hosting' clubs by head-office in Atlanta. However, if you would like to travel to a particular country where there is a Friendship Force club, it may be possible to accompany a club which is scheduled to visit that hosting club. In this case, you would have to fit in with the outbound club's timetable and itinerary. Another thing to take into account is that to be accepted for an exchange, you must agree to participate in the entire 7-day programme as planned by the host club. One in, all in - no private arrangements are permitted during the exchange programme itself.

What are some of the activities organised by host clubs?  The aim of every exchange is to provide a cultural experience of the country, and the local area, for the visiting ambassadors. Therefore you will visit places which show off the culture - or provide a historical understanding of the origins of the nation, local people, etc. Many club members are volunteer guides or docents in local museums, folk parks, etc, or are able to provide very detailed tours of their town or locality. Friendship Force is well known for the hospitality of its members, and so organised dinners, BBQs, pot-lucks and entertainment are highlights of home-stay exchanges - providing memories to last a life-time.