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