Winter 2003

Welcome to the BRAND NEW Hostelling International - Eastern New England Council online newsletter!

HI-USA, ENEC
1105 Commonwealth Ave
Boston MA 02115

 Phone: (617) 779-0900

 E-mail:
lfishbone@usahostels.org

Give the Gift of Hostelling

     Interested in giving a unique gift to a friend or family member this holiday season? Then give the gift of hostelling! There are 2 ways you can do this.You can buy a Hostelling International Membership or you can purchase a hostel gift certificate good for a free night (or more!) at one of ENEC's Cape/Island hostels.   
      If you wish to purchase a free night certificate for one of our Cape/Island hostels, send a check or money order for $22 for each Gift Certificate to Hostelling International, PO Box 996, Intervale, NH 03845. You can also visit the Boston hostel on 12 Hemenway St., Boston, MA 02215 to pick one up. If you wish to purchase a Hostelling International Membership, click here or visit the Boston hostel on 12 Hemenway St., Boston, MA 02215 to pick one up.

Hostelling International Supports Service Movement
     HI-ENEC is committed to "helping all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling." One approach we use to carry out our mission is to provide service-learning opportunities for our hostel guests and members. We believe that community service work enables people to not only share their resources with others, but also allows for meaningful interactions to take place between hostel community members and travelers.
     Recently, HI-ENEC has initiated a plan, with the help of our national association, to award current AmeriCorps members and returning Peace Corps volunteers in Massachusetts with a free yearlong membership to Hostelling International. These two groups have already and will inadvertently be helping Hostelling International achieve its mission of community service. They unquestionably have been and will be helping others "gain a greater understanding of the world and its people" through service work. We are thrilled at the possibility of having volunteers from these two groups join us at hostels throughout the US and share their passion for service with others.
     AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that engage more than 50,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. They tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach computer skills, clean parks and streams and run after-school programs. Created in 1993, AmeriCorps is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
      The Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to 1961, when then-Senator John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. From that inspiration grew an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship. Since that time, more than 170,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have been invited by 136 host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education, information technology, and environmental preservation.
     The recipients of the free HI memberships are the perfect representatives to spread the word about hostelling. Many will continue a life long journey of service and may even work for nonprofit organizations. Hostels need these leaders to introduce the younger generation to the world of hostelling, ensuring that we continue to carry out our mission. We hope that their free membership will allow them to explore our hostels and we hope that they keep us in mind when making future travel plans.

Doors and Minds Have Been Opened!
     On the weekend of November 7th, 11 Cadette Girl Scouts from Brewer, Maine and 5 Cadette Girl Scouts from Somerville and Brighton, Massachusetts gathered at the Boston hostel to pilot the first Travel Scholars Program under the national initiative, "Opening Doors, Opening Minds." Not only did the girls have an amazing time seeing the sites in Boston, but they also engaged in meaningful intercultural activities.
     The first activity, led by Mary Giles from the National Resource Center at Harvard University, was held on Friday evening at the hostel. Mary specializes in Russian Studies and addressed the group on the history of Scouting in Russia. She used film clips, books and dolls to demonstrate the enormous mystique built up around Russian Scouts. Mary also taught the group about the sounds of the Russian language and engaged them in writing their names in Russian. Saturday morning, the girls headed down to the Charles River for their environmental service project. With the help of Charles River Conservancy staff, Britt Lundgren, the group was provided with shovels, rakes, gloves, and trash bags in order to clean up the trash scattered along the rivers edge. Britt informed the Girl Scouts that trash from the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge washes up on the banks of the Charles and needs to be cleaned up throughout the year. Groups, like the Girl Scouts, have been dedicated to making that happen.
     After a morning of service, the group headed out on a walking tour of the Freedom Trail led by Charles Bahne, a former employee of the National Park Service. The girls visited the Boston Common, Granary Burial Ground, King's Chapel, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Boston Massacre site, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere's House, and the Old North Church. The girls were quite inquisitive throughout the tour and left with lots of facts about the American Revolution. Some girls even earned a patch to wear on their Girl Scout sashes by completing a Freedom Trail worksheet.
     For dinner, the girls gathered back at the hostel for a cultural kitchen. In small groups, the girls prepared food from South and Central America, Africa, Asia and Western Europe. After each recipe was complete, the girls shared the food for dinner and invited other hostellers to join in the meal. The biggest hit was the mango and banana sundae from Nigeria.
     That evening, the girls explored the hostel using their "Travel Scholars Passports." The activity book, resembling a passport, included important information on the mission and history of hostelling, tips on responsible travel and interactive games that allowed the girls to meet international guests. One of the participants in the program mentioned that she enjoyed using her passport because it allowed her to "greet people from different cultures with a happy face!" On Sunday, the final day of the program, the group headed out to the Museum of Science in the morning and explored exhibits such as Magic-The Science of Illusion and The Computing Revolution. After lunch, everyone gathered back at the hostel for a wrap up session.
     When asked how hostelling can increase intercultural understanding, one 8th grader responded, "It can bring people from all cultures together to one place, which can lead to personal connections and understanding of different places in the world." HI-ENEC's first piloted Travel Scholars Program at the Boston hostel was a success! The participants completed each component of the program and left Boston eager to participate in more hostel travel. ENEC's staff are excited about piloting our second group in February, which consists of teenagers from the Greater Boston Arc. For more information on the Travel Scholars Program, please contact Jaime Hubert at 617-779-0900 x17 or jhubert@usahostels.org.

Active Summer at the Fenway Hostel

Written by ALEXIS G. CHERNAK, Summer 2003 Intern at the Fenway hostel in charge of programming and concierge services.
      Alexis is studying economics and English at Williams College. Boston's summer hostel in Kenmore Square, HI-Fenway, finished it's second great season. Although only open for three months of the year, the hostel organized many noteworthy events. Particularly because all our rooms are small and most are private, programming is what gives our guests the full hostelling experience. Many of our guests participated, and some stayed extra nights to take full advantage of everything we had to offer!
      Besides its weekly trips to Boston attractions including the Comedy Connection and the Museum of Fine Arts, the hostel hosted a "Best of the Wurst" bratwurst party for a group of harpists participating in Boston's Early Music Festival. The harpists performed for guests and staff, and all enjoyed the German food and medieval tunes.
     While this first party was a success, the hostel's Fourth of July celebration proved to be an even better time. Hostellers at the party enjoyed good company and good food before many walked down to the Esplanade to watch the fireworks. The party was held on the hostel's eighth floor overlooking the Charles River and provided guests avoiding the crowds with a great view of the fireworks.
     After all of these initial summer celebrations, the hostel staff decided to try their hand at basketball. The staff challenged the Waterford Wildcats, an Irish woman's basketball team competing at Simmons College, to an informal game. Unfortunately, our guests, the Wildcats easily defeated Team Fenway, who decided to pass on a second run around on the court.
     The hostel's final event of the summer was a performance by an Australian jazz orchestra that stayed at the hostel. This twenty-piece ensemble, named Benjamin's Big Band, took time from their US tour to play for the hostel staff and guests. They shook the hostel with swing, rock, and jazz, and then audience and band members snacked and mingled afterwards. The success of all these events is due to the hard work of the management, staff and summer interns. Thanks to everybody for a great job.

Experiential Learning In Action!

Boston hostel staff were extremely pleased to meet a group of students from the Hills Road College in Cambridge England this past October. The group of 24 high school students and 4 teachers spent eight days at the hostel and in Boston learning about the impact of sports on North American culture. The participants in the program needed to gather information on sports in America in order to pass their "A level exams" back in England. These exams are comparable to our "MCAS" exams here in Massachusetts.
      Ralph Pratt, Assistant Manager and Program Director at the Boston hostel, is so well connected in the community, that he was able to set up a number of educational opportunities for the group. To begin with, Ralph arranged for the group to meet with Peter Robey, Director of Sports and Society from Northeastern University. Mr. Robey is a highly regarded expert in his field and addressed the group on social and gender issues in sports, including the changing role that women and people from diverse backgrounds have encountered as professional players and coaches.
     The group also met with Northeastern University's Cross Country Coach, Sherman Hart. Mr. Hart discussed NCAA rules and sports scholarship programs used in the U.S. After hours of interesting discussions, the students worked out with Northeastern's Men's Basketball Team, watched a Northeastern hockey game, attended a Harvard vs. Princeton football game, and cheered for the Celtics at the Fleet Center.
     A highlight of the trip was the session Ralph planned with Peter Nichol, Head Coach of the New England Revolution, the pro-men's soccer team. Mr. Nichol is a well renowned European player from the 1980's and is still extremely famous in England. The students were thrilled that they were not only meeting a celebrity, but were also able to engage him in discussion about coaching in America. The students from the Hills Road College left Boston with all the information they needed in order to pass the physical education part of their exam. Thanks to Boston hostel staff, the trip was a success and plans have been made for other students from the school to return to Boston for a similar experience.
      If you are interested in setting up a "Sports Education" session for group, please contact Ralph Pratt at 617-536-1027 or programs@bostonhostel.org.