About The World Affairs Council Of The Desert...

The World Affairs Council of the Desert, a non-partisan and non-profit organization, provides a unique opportunity for the discussion of national and international topics. Founded in the early seventies as the “Desert Forum”, it served initially as a branch of the Los Angeles Council. By 1975, the organization had changed its name to The World Affairs Council of the Desert, began to increase its membership, and established itself as a separate non-profit corporation. Its primary missions are education outreach, promoting and providing interesting and affordable programs in a social setting, and covering a wide-range of global topics.

The Council does not take positions on issues, but encourages discussion on varied points of view. Featured speakers are experts in their fields of endeavor, usually well published, and cover current events. Speakers might be Ambassadors, corporate leaders, foreign dignitaries, national media persons, higher education professors, and are well known.

Our major program embodies monthly speaker/dinner events held on Sunday evenings from October through May at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa, located in Indian Wells, CA. We feature a reception beginning at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m., then our guest speaker’s presentation. The evening concludes at about 8:30 p.m. Members receive our tri-fold brochure in the spring or summer detailing our list of speakers for the upcoming season, and a monthly reservation letter and reservation card before each event.

Reservations for dinner are required and can be made by either going online to register (see link), a telephone call to our office, or by returning the reservation card received in the monthly dinner letter. Reservations must be made by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday preceding the scheduled dinner. Checks and/or credit card payments (Visa/Master Card) are accepted. The public is also invited to these events. Attendance at speaker dinner events varies from 125 to 250 people.

Membership dues and educational donations are the primary means to provide our speaker/dinner programs, and co-sponsor other educational events. The youth program reaches out to students in local high schools and colleges. Each month we invite students to attend the dinner speaker event and our major student project is the academic Worldquest. We are also a major supporter of the Distinguished Speaker series (see link.) The WorldQuest competition, held in December each year, brings together teams of students from local high schools competing for a chance to win and compete in the National WorldQuest Competition, held in Washington, D.C. each spring.

The World Affairs Council of the Desert’s annual membership is on a fiscal year basis (July 1 - June 30) and our active roster includes approximately 300 members. Members also enjoy our newsletter covering Council information, the latest information on dinner/speaker events, notice of special events and more.

For more detailed information, look further throughout our web site, contact our office at (760) 322-7711, or feel free to contact members of the Board of Directors. You can also learn more about the World Affairs Council of the Desert by clicking on this link: Wikipedia.

Officers

CHAIRMAN
   Dr. Ward A. Fredericks
PRESIDENT/CEO
   Dr. Richard M. Jennings
VICE PRESIDENT
   Kenneth Klein
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
   Mr. Dinsmore Glenn
SECRETARY
  Claudette Pais

Board of Directors

Mr. Robert Allen
Dr. Thomas Headrick
Ms. Jean C. Carrus
Mr. George Gallagher
Mr. Dinsmore Glenn, Jr. 
Ms. Carla  Breer Howard
Dr. Fred E. Jandt
Mr. Dennis Modrich
Mr. Jerry Patton
Mrs. Penny Rivin
Mr. Peter Solomon
Mr. Rick Stein
LTG. (Ret) Herb Temple
Dr. Doris Wilson  

HONORARY MEMBER:
   The Honorable Mary Bono Mack 

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT:
   Mr. Dinsmore Glenn, Jr.

DIRECTORS EMERITUS:
   Mr. Morris Beschloss
   Dr. Donald B. Prell
   The Honorable Thomas Railsback
   The Honorable Shirley Pettis
        Roberson

Life Members

                           
Ms. Yvonne E. Anderson                              
Ms. Barbara Bolanos                                      
Mrs. Lois Bupp                                              
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Burton                               
Mrs. Jean C. Carrus                                        
Dr. & Mrs. James C. Castle                           
Mr. Brian Eagleheart                                                      
Dr. & Mrs. Ward Fredericks                          
The Honorable & Mrs. Howard Haugerud 
Mr. & Mrs. James Houston
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Jenkins                                
Ambassador & Mrs. Robert Phinny                                       
Mr. & Mrs. Zachary Pitts
Col. (Ret.) & Mrs. M. Donald C. Poorman
Mr. & Mrs. Donald B. Prell
Mrs. Harry O. Reinsch
Mr. Stanley (Buddy) Sklar
Mr. & Mrs. Frederic E. Supple
Mr. Jack Talmadge
Mrs. E. Armstrong Toor
Mrs. Margy Turlo                     

Diplomat Members 2010-2011

  
Mr. & Mrs. Nate Bowie
Mr. & Mrs. Lothar Vasholz
Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Porter
Js. Claudette Pais
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Jennings
Mrs. Claudette Pais
Bart and Penny Rivin
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Hanson
Francine Miller
Comdr. Rob McCarthy
Dr. Barbara Comess
Mr. & Mrs. Dinsmore Glenn
Peter Solomon
Joel Wallis