May16 - October 31, 2005 CLO ACTIVITY REPORT -

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 GENEVA 002807 SIPDIS FOR FLO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT KFLO CLO SUBJECT: May16 - October 31, 2005 CLO ACTIVITY REPORT - U.S. MISSION GENEVA REF: SECSTATE 216175 SECTION ONE: NAMES OF CLO COORDINATORS -- Jackie Graves, FP-06, 30 hours per week -- Adriana Birdsall, FP-06, 24 hours per week SECTION TWO: ADDITIONAL STAFF No additional staff SECTION THREE: POST PROFILE ¶1. CLO serves the following agencies: Department of State, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Center for Disease Control, Health and Human Services, Census Bureau, USAID, Army, Air Force and Environmental Protection Agency. ¶2. Post Constituency as of 11/15/04: ¶A. Employees at Post: Breakdown: w/children -- w/o children Marines: 6 Singles: 5 -- 32 Married: 39 --40 Individuals with Tandem Assignments (number already included in married): 4 -- 3 Total Employees with Children: 44 Total Employees w/o Children: 78 Total Employees Represented Above: 122 ¶B. Family Members on Orders: 152 Spouses: 79 -- At Post: 78 -- Away from Post: 1 Elder Family Members: 0 Children:73 Ages 0-5 (not yet in school): Total # of Children: 23 Grades K-6: Total # of Children: 21 1- Number of Children Attending the Office of Overseas Schools Assisted* Schools (schools in Geneva are not assisted by the U.S. Government, but the education allowance is based on International School of Geneva and College du Leman): 20 2- Number of Children Attending Another School at Post: 1 3- Number Receiving Special Education Allowance: 1 4- Number Being Home Schooled: 0 Home Schooling Program(s) Being Used: 5- Number Attending School Away from Post, Receiving an Education Allowance: 0 a. Name(s) of Boarding School Attended: n/a 6- Number Not Living with Parent at Post, Not Receiving an Education Allowance: 0 Grades 7-8: Total # of Children: 12 1- Number of Children Attending the Office of Overseas Schools Assisted Schools: 12 2- Number of Children Attending Another School at Post: 3- Number Receiving Special Education Allowance: 0 4- Number Being Home Schooled: ¶A. Home Schooling Program(s) Being Used: N/A 5- Number Attending School Away from Post, Receiving an Education Allowance: ¶A. Name(s) of Boarding School Attended: N/A 6- Number Not Living with Parent at Post, Not Receiving an Education Allowance: 0 Grades 9-12: Total # of Children: 11 1- Number of Children Attending the Office of Overseas Schools Assisted School: 8 2- Number of Children Attending Another School at Post: 2 3- Number Receiving Special Education Allowance: 0 4- Number Being Home Schooled: 0 ¶A. Home Schooling Program(s) Being Used: N/A 5- Number Attending School Away from Post, Receiving an Education Allowance: 1 ¶A. Name(s) of Boarding School Attended: N/A 6- Number Not Living with Parent at Post, Not Receiving an Education Allowance: Family Members who are High School graduates but under the age of 21 (23 if still in college): 6 1- Number at Post: 1 2- Number attending School Away from Post: 5 Total Family Members on Orders at Post: 145 Total Family Members on Orders Away from Post: 7 Total Family Members Represented Above: 152 ¶C. Total Number of Members of Household (not on orders): 0 ¶D. Total Client Population: 274 SECTION FOUR: EIGHT CATEGORIES OF CLO RESPONSIBILITIES ¶A. Family Member Employment: Objective: To promote and facilitate family member employment inside and outside the Mission, work agreement permitting. (1) CLO works closely with LEA, Stormy Berney. Stormy has found positions for eleven community members and assists spouses with networking opportunities that have proven beneficial in areas other than employment as well. The LEA pilot project finishes this year. We are hoping that ICASS will take over funding the program. (2) We continue to provide Mission EFM's information on employment opportunities by posting announcements in central locations throughout the building and in the weekly newsletter. (3) The office supported a workshop on Understanding Interactions given by spouse Sybille Young, on June 29. The workshop was attended by 10 participants. ¶B. Security Liaison and Crisis Management: Objective: To provide a channel of information between community members and the official Mission, which raises security awareness and represents community security concerns. (1) CLO is in close contact with the RSO and advertises any security concerns to the community (2) CLO regularly attends EAC meetings ¶C. Education Liaison: Objective: To maintain contact with schools at post and provide resource information about education. (1) Assists newcomers by liaising with schools regarding registration and enrollment. (2) Publicizes events at local schools in the Mission newsletter. (3) Maintains current collection of school catalogs describing education options in Geneva, including information on pre-schools, French speaking private schools, and education beyond high school (Webster University, business school courses, hotel management, Geneva University courses, etc). (4) CLO's met with the Principal of the International School of Geneva's newest campus - the Campus des Nations - in May to discuss the new school. The campus opened in September and greatly improved, at least for a time, the space problems. However, some parents may still not be able to find space for all their children at the same school or at a school near their home. ¶D. Information and Resource Management: Objective: To gather and organize information to be distributed or made available to the Mission community and FLO Washington. (1) The CLO office now produces the weekly newsletter," The Geneva Talks". (2) Publications of organizations in the Geneva area are available for the community to read in the office. We advertise major events and programs in the Geneva Talks and on bulletin boards. (3) The office maintains two bulletin boards: one for children's events & activities and one for the general public. There is also a brochure case outside the office for brochures and pamphlets on cultural and educational activities. (4) Maintain and continue to update the two lending libraries: one inside the office divided into two parts; one part for CLO/FLO related publications and another with travel and resource books. The travel books are very well used and popular with the community. The second lending library is located in a public area of the Mission and contains donated books, current catalogs, magazines and brochures on area events. (5) The office maintains a current family member e- mail distribution list. ¶E. Guidance and Referral: Objective: To listen to individual and collective concerns and offer appropriate resources and referrals. (1) Community member Kathy Weed passed away in May from Breast Cancer. The Office assisted the family during this time and arranged for a memorial service for her, which was attended by the Mission community as well as her friends and family. (2) CLO visits all community members in the hospital. There have been several births here this year, so CLO has visited all of the hospitals in the Geneva area. ¶F. Welcoming and Orientation Objective: To assist the individual's adjustment to the new environment. (1) CLO arranged sponsors for 19 incoming families during the transfer season. (2) We worked with the Marines to organize the Welcome Potluck at the Marine House on August 28. The event was well attended by all. (3) The CLO office facilitated an orientation program for new comers with lunch provided by AGEA on September ¶19. (4) There was a Welcome Coffee for new spouses at CLO Jackie Graves' house. (5) CLO Patty Birdsall took 8 newcomers to lunch at a local restaurant in September. ¶G. Community Liaison: Objective: To maintain contact with official Mission, host country and community groups. (1) The office maintains contact with and advertises for events at various organizations such as the American Women's Clubs of Geneva and Nyon; the Geneva Diplomatic Spouses Circle; the UN Women's Guild; and various other organizations, in an effort to keep the community apprised of upcoming events. (2) CLO has been assisting the Marines by inviting other missions to weekly Happy Hours at the US Mission. (3) CLO is a non-voting member of the American Government Employees' Association (AGEA) and is in close working contact with its manager and board. CLO attends all AGEA meetings. (4) Attends weekly admin and country team meetings. (5) Maintains contact with all ICASS members who work outside the Mission by keeping in e-mail contact with them. (6) CLO continues to work with the Geneva business and diplomatic community by corresponding with and advertising specials for diplomatic personnel with businesses such as the Elizabeth Arden store. We are expanding our contacts to include other businesses and missions. (7) CLO is assisting Mrs. Dorothy Moley with the United Nations Women's Guild Bazaar by recruiting community members to work at the booths, etc. (8) As there are now many families with small children here, we are helping to form a mom and tots playgroup. ¶H. Events Planning: Objective: To develop and implement programs for all segments of Mission population, which introduce host culture, maintain familiar traditions or respond to needs expressed at post. (1) CLO Patty Birdsall held a drinks and tapas party at her house after work on July 8. Approximately 40 people attended. (2) CLO Jackie Graves organized a trip to hike the Durnand Gorge on August 20. 17 parents and children attended. (3) CLO arranged for a Brown Bag photography workshop with a mission member's visiting mother who is a professional photographer on September 20. Approximately 15 people attended. This kicked off the mission wide photography contest. Sixty-five photos were submitted by American and LES employees and the judging was held at a vernissage on October 14. DCM Lynn Cassel provided refreshments for the event. The Mission will professionally mat and frame the winning photos. (4) CLO Patty Birdsall organized a trip to Lavey-les- Bains, a hot springs spa not far from Geneva on Columbus Day. 5 people attended. (5) CLO recruited a community member who is also a personal trainer to give a workshop on fitness on October 20. 15 people attended and found the seminar very informative. (6) CLO has worked very closely with the Marines to put on a Halloween Party at the Marine House on October ¶29. The event was well attended by the Mission children. SECTION FIVE: ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES ¶1. The CLO office is open to the public five days a week from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday - Friday. Newcomers, employees and Mission families frequently visit the office. ¶2. Geneva receives 6000 official visitors annually. CLO often works with the portion of the TDY population that uses US Mission office space providing information on the Geneva region. In addition, we will have approximately 8 interns this year. Each year, we provide information and advertise for housing for the interns. SECTION SIX: OVERVIEW OF LIFE AT POST ¶1. Morale in general is good, and most employees and their families enjoy life in Geneva. The lack of childcare and bureaucratic difficulty in employing domestic help remains an issue for parents with young children. ¶2. Although the International School of Geneva has opened the new Campus des Nations, demand for spaces in schools will probably soon exceed supply again. We urge all people coming to Geneva to contact the schools as soon as they know of their assignment. ¶3. Housing continues to be tight. As Geneva is an LQA post, people are ultimately responsible for their own housing. If it is possible, we encourage people to come to Geneva before their assignment for a housing trip. ¶5. For many people, Geneva conjures up visions of "Heidi" houses, looming Alps, top quality education, and health care comparable to the U.S. The Mission (and especially the CLO office) can assist bidders and newly assigned personnel to research the realities of life in Switzerland before they arrive. MOLEY