The main purpose of this webpage is to gather information and make it available to those looking for Peace Corps groups and its projects. This one is especially dedicated the to the first Peace Corps Project to Brazil, organized by the National 4-H Clubs Center in Washington, D.C., from January 1962 to December 1963.

This was the first Peace Corps Project serving in Brazil from January 2, 1962 to December 31, 1963 including the training phases in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Brazil. The information in this site is provided as a historical record of the activities and reunions of this group of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs).

Here are highlighted our two reunions held in Puerto Rico, the first in Camp Crozier, Arecibo, Puerto Rico in 1987 to commemorate our 25th anniversary and the other one in Aguadilla (at the former Ramey Air Force Base), Puerto Rico in 2007 to commemorate the forty-fifth anniversary.

We also including other activities held by the Peace Corps.

Welcome to this mean of communication that will allow us to be informed about our activities. You will have the opportunity to comment to every post of this blog. We hope you can participate and let us know your views, concerns and opinions.

These two pictures represent the volunteers during their initial training phase at the National 4-H Center in Washington, D.C. The second group was known as the Mail Order Brides (MOBs), there were needed to complete the original group.

Brazil I Peace Corps Volunteers worked in teams of one man and one woman.

“These volunteers were requested by the Brazil Agricultural Extension Service (ABCAR), to provide needed manpower in this field. Basically an agricultural country, Brazil does not suffer for a lack of potential 4-S Club members. The main problem is finding adequately trained agricultural and home economics personnel to work with the agricultural extension service which supervises 4-S work.” W. Francis Pressly, Project Director, 1964.

We are getting close to our 50th Anniversary even thou we are about four years away, but the time passes very fast and we should be prepare to plan our reunion activities. The Peace Corps 50th Anniversary is in 2011 and our in 2012.

There is a chance our group – Brazil I and MOBs will meet at the 4-H Club Center in Washington, DC, some time in 2011 o 2012. Let make it happen.

The training began on January 2, 1962 at the National 4-H Center in Washington, D.C. It took from four to six weeks to provide the first phase of the training which included many subjects: leadership, agriculture and home economics, history and culture of Brazil, Portuguese language and others. The had the opportunity to visit the Capitol Building invited by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The second phase took place at the Peace Corps Training Center in the mountains of Puerto Rico. There the group continue with their training in Portuguese language, physical conditioning, survival skills and emotional control. Also an internship at the local Agriculture Extension Service offices was provided to get a feel of the type of service the volunteers will encounter in Brazil.

The last phase took place mostly at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro from April to June.

The 25th Anniversary reunion took place at the same site we had our physical and survival training in the mountains of Puerto Rico, Camp Crozier, from July 5 to 11, 1987. Many of us had the opportunity to share our experiences, find out about our lives after Peace Corps service and a chance to visit many places across the Island. The government of Puerto Rico allowed us to use those facilities free of charge and the food we were charged only to cover expenses.

During the opening ceremony we had the opportunity to have a welcoming message delivered by the city mayor of Arecibo. Among the activities we had the opportunity to visit and being welcomed by the mayors of the cities of Arecibo, Ponce, San Juan and Juana Diaz. In our visit to San Juan we had the chance to attend ceremonies at the City Hall, and the Governor’s Mansion “La Fortaleza”, also visiting the old city and its historical places. Even we had the opportunity to go to a night club to enjoy Brazilian music.

Also for the first time we had the chance to swim in the swimming pool we began to construct during our training at the camp. The Puerto Rico Radio Observatory was another interesting place we visited and the tour guide was Garred Giles, RPCV Colombia. Among those attending were, according to my recollection:

1. Bob and Myra Anderson
2. John and Priscilla Dolan
3. Angelica (Angie) Simmons
4. Lorraine (Lorie) Adams
5. Corinne Hay
6. Gerald Rutland
7. John Schely
8. Harold Walton
9. Norma Canfield
10. Gloria Lyons
11. Esther Diaz
12. Modesto Ortiz
13. Rosario Martinez
14. Manuel Cruz
15. Juan E. Rosario
16. Eloina Rosario (RPCV-Chile/Korea) There were others RPCVs attending that I wish to include in this list, but can’t remember. If there is any one not included, please, let me know.

During the week of June 25 – 30, 2007 members of our Brazil I 4-S Project gathered in the city of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico to celebrate its 45^th Anniversary. The reunion site was a collaboration of the Department of Sports and Recreation of Puerto Rico’s Leadership Training Center (CECADER) located at the former Ramey Air Force Base.

During that time we had the opportunity to share experiences, visit various locations in the neighborhood.

These are some of the RPCVs and relatives attending:

1. Francis and Sybil Pressly, Project Director
2. John (PC Leader for Central II region) and Priscilla Dolan (Boa Parada and Florianopolis, Santa Catarina)
3. Gerald (Sao Estevao, Bahia) and Elaine Rutland
4. Robert (PC Leader for the Central I region) and Myra Anderson (Lavras, Minas Gerais)
5. Charlie Furrow (Sao Tomé, Rio Grande do Norte) and Pat Furrow
6. Robert (Colatina, Santa Catarina), Jean and Nicholas Hadley
7. Norma Canfield (Formiga, Minas Gerais)
8. Richard Loos (PC Leader for the Southern region)
9. Lorie Adams (Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina)
10. Corinne Hay (Curvelo and Machado, Minas Gerais), Hollie, Ryan and Tyler Boring
11. Esther Diaz (Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais) and Karlem Melendez
12. Modesto Ortiz (Ubá, Minas Gerais)
13. Juan E. Rosario (Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais)
14. José Huerta (RPVC Dominican Republic)
15. Garred Giles (RPCV Colombia and Ecuador)
16. Miriam Acevedo (RPCV Ecuador)
17. Eloina Rosado (RPCV Chile and Korea)

José Huerta, Garred Giles and Miriam Acevedo were part of the organizing group. Both of these friends and colleagues came to give their support by petition of Gloria Lyons just before her death in May.

The Peace Corps will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2011.

To record personal stories from former Peace Corps Volunteers, camp construction workers and camp workers, a group of four representatives of the Peace Corps offices in Washington, DC and Atlanta came to the former training camp in Utuado, Puerto Rico on Saturday, September 19, 2009.

Their first task was to walk around the facilities to have a first hand experience of what was this camp back in the 1960 decade. Probably this area will be considered to be part of this coming celebration.

Afterward there was a meeting a nearby Community Center. In attendance were RPCVs from many projects and countries of service, former construction and camp workers, the Mayor of the city of Utuado, the Chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico Campus of Utuado.

After more than fifteen year of abandonment, this camp will be transformed by a Community Cooperative into an ecological friendly lodge and recreational facility. Depending on the financing of the project they will reconstruct the original wood buildings or build a new ones.

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The Atlanta Office of the Peace Corps is planning to a 50th anniversary celebration at this site on June 4, 2011 to commemorate its 50th anniversary. All former Peace Corps Volunteer are invited to attend. No other information for this activity is currently available as April 11, 2011.