My husband Jack and I founded CFPNI in 1987. This is the background information that
led up to the founding of CFPNI.
I got involved with Northern Ireland in 1982 as a coordinator and host
with the Children's Committee 10, also known as CC10. This program was the first
of many other programs at the time to put two children, one Catholic and one Protestant,
together in the same home in the United States. Jack and I continued to work and host
with that program until 1986.
In 1985, a movie was shown on NBC called "Children in the Crossfire". The movie
brought the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland into focus for people in the United States
unfamiliar with the situation there. It was wonderful publicity for our program.
Jack and I began to have some misgivings about how CC10 was operating. The geographical
distance between the two teens placed in each home was too great in order for them to
maintain a friendship once they returned home. The Chairman of CC10 thought it was too
dangerous to have them come from the same area. Afer viewing the movie, Jack and I
were convinced that having the children come from the same area was the only way to forge
and maintain friendships. It saddened us when, at the end of the movie, it showed the
parents waiting for the children to return home. Protestant parents were on one side of the
street and Catholic parents were on the other side of the street. The children, who had
shared the same house, same bedroom and began a friendship while in the U.S., were now separated
again as soon as they were home. We knew there had to be a better way. The Chairman of CC10 began
to bring children from the Far East, which none of the coordinators agreed with.
After much thought, I decided to call both the U.S. and N.I. Coordinators of CC10 and inform them of
my idea for a new program. All agreed it was a good idea. I also asked each one if they would
be willing to take on the task of chairing such a program, as I did not feel I had the
education or expertise to take on such a responsibility. Jack and I consulted our
lawyer (not our present legal advisor) to advise us on how to begin a new, incorporated, non-profit
organization. I then consulted with a coordinator in Atlanta, GA who was willing to get
the process underway, along with the help of a host family in that area. One member of that
host family was an attorney. The program was then registered in the state of Georgia, as it still is
with Bill Kline who remains as the registrar for CFPNI. When it was registered, names had to be
given as officers of the program. None of the other 39 programs at that time had Board of Directors.
They had Chairmen or Presidents and most of them are still run that way today.
Jack
and I attended all meetings with the coordinators, helped to write the forms for the U.S.
and N.I. and helped Tom Ormsby with the creation of the first brochure. A lot of work and
expense went into getting CFPNI started and most of that money came directly from Jack and me.
Travel expenses to attend meetings in the U.S. and N.I. were at everyone's own expense for the
first five years.
After the first year, the Chairman was feeling the job was too big, and was asking for travel
expenses plus more to be paid to him, knowing there were no extra funds to do so. A meeting
was held in N.I. where a coordinator was elected as the new Chairman and I was
elected Vice-President. The morning I returned home from N.I. I received a phone call
informing me that the newly elected Chairman suffered a heart attack and that I was now
Chairman of CFPNI.
In the ten years that I served as Chairman/President, I often asked others to take my place.
Until Jack became ill with cancer, no one was willing to take the responsibility . Warren Muir
very graciously agreed to take on the role of Chairman and through his dedication and hard
work, brought the program to where it is today.
I would like to note that while the Board of Directors and Officers are important,
I believe it is the Coordinators and Host Families that keep the program going and
make it what it is. God love them all for all of their hard work on behalf of peace
in Northern Ireland.
I am proud of the program that Jack and I founded together. This founding was recognized
officially when I was made President Emeritus and the Barrett Award was created.
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